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(CNN)– Democratic Rep. Parker Griffith announced Tuesday he is switching to the Republican Party, citing fundamental differences with his former party on key issues including, health care reform, 'cap and trade,' and the stimulus bills.

"I believe our nation is at a crossroads," Griffiths said during a press conference in Alabama Tuesday. "I can no longer align myself with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy, and drives us further and further into debt."

"For me to be true to my core beliefs and values, I must align myself with the Republican Party and speak out clearly on these issues," he added.

Griffith was one of 39 Democrats to vote against the party's health care reform bill last month. He is only one of three Democrats to have voted against the health care bill, the stimulus measure, and the cap-and-trade bill.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions quickly welcomed Griffith to the Republican Party, and said Tuesday's events foreshadow big GOP gains in the 2010 elections.

"This decision is emblematic of the message that millions of concerned citizens have been trying to send to a Democrat Party that has become increasingly unwilling to listen," Sessions said in a statement. "Whether Democrat leaders choose to pay attention now or wait for the electorate to send them a resounding message next November, Parker Griffith's willingness to put the interests of his district first sends a positive signal to others who have grown just as disappointed with their party as the American people have."

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen expressed outrage over Griffith's decision and requested he return the money the DCCC invested to get him elected.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Senate will hold its final vote on a sweeping health care bill Thursday morning under an agreement announced Tuesday by Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The vote had been expected about 12 hours later, on the night of Christmas Eve, due to Republican delay tactics to try to hold off the measure, which Reid has insisted be passed before Christmas.

(CNN) - White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs couldn't help but pounce on a Washington Times report Tuesday that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has received thousands of dollars in paid speeches since becoming chairman of the GOP.

While not delivering a formal response to the report, Gibbs sarcastically asked the White House Press corps Tuesday how much Steele was paid to conduct the recent conference call in which Steele declared Democrats were "flipping the bird" at the American people with their health care bill.

Gibbs later returned to the subject when a reporter's cell phone interrupted the briefing, leading Gibbs to declare that if Steele was on the line it would cost $30,000 to answer the call.

Gibbs' comments come hours after the Washington Times reported Steele continues to garner between $10,000 to $15,000 in paid speeches across the country at "colleges, trade associations, and other groups."

Though the practice is not illegal according to the RNC's own polices, several former Republican Party chairmen are quoted in the article criticizing Steele, saying the chairmanship is a full time job in itself.

Gail Gitcho, an RNC spokeswoman, told CNN in a statement that the whole controversy is "silly."

"Many Democrat and Republican national chairmen have regularly received outside income," Gitcho said. "Michael Steele has been giving inspirational speeches based on his personal story long before he was elected RNC Chairman and will long after."

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(CNN) - He was already relaxing on the beaches of Hawaii last year at this time, but President Obama said Tuesday his annual vacation to the Aloha State won't begin this year until the Senate passes the health care bill.

"I will not leave until my friends in the Senate have completed their work," Obama said Tuesday. "My attitude is that if they're making these sacrifices to provide health care to all Americans then the least I can do is be around to provide them any encouragement and last-minute help where necessary. That's the deal."

A final vote on the Senate health care bill is currently scheduled for 7 pm ET on Christmas Eve, though it could come earlier in the day if Republicans yield some of their debate time.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday the president's actual vacation plans won't be determined until the vote has taken place.

Washington (CNN) - Sources confirm to CNN that Democratic Rep. Parker Griffith will announce Tuesday that he's switching parties and will run for re-election next year as a Republican.

The freshman lawmaker represents Alabama's 5th Congressional District. Griffith won his seat last year by 3 points over Republican Wayne Parker. But the district went for Republican John McCain over Barack Obama by 23 points in the presidential election.

The Republican source was familiar with the decision but didn't want to preempt the announcement later Tuesday. The story was first reported by Politico. A Democratic aide also tells CNN Griffith is holding a staff meeting Tuesday morning to inform his staff of his decision, and will make a formal announcement at 2 p.m. ET.

Griffith was one of 39 Democrats who voted against the party's health care reform bill last month. His is only one of three Democrats to have voted against the health care bill, the stimulus measure, and the cap-and-trade bill.

Griffith pledged in August he would vote against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Speaker next session.

With Griffith's switch of parties, the Democrats will hold a 257-178 advantage in the House of Representatives.

– CNN's Evan Glass and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this story

Washington (CNN) – Eight in ten Americans say that the economy is in poor shape, but that's an improvement from a year ago, according to a new national poll.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey's Tuesday release comes as the government reports that economic growth in the third quarter was much weaker than previously estimated.

According to the poll, 80 percent of Americans say economic conditions are poor. As bad as that sounds, it's a 13 point decline from last December. Twenty percent of the people questioned in the survey say economic conditions are good, up 12 points from a year ago.
"The good news is that Americans remain optimistic, with 58 percent forecasting that the economy will be in good shape a year from now," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Optimism is highest in big cities and lowest in rural areas."

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Washington (CNN) - Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine got a holiday surprise Tuesday morning when a mysterious "Barry from D.C" called WTOP's call-in radio show to complain about traffic.

Turns out the call was coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and was none other than President Barack Obama.

"Well, uh Governor Kaine, this is actually the President of The United States calling," Obama said after being announced on the show as "Barry from D.C."

Kaine, seemingly taken by complete surprise responded with laughter saying, "No. Oh my gosh."

"I just wanted to say how proud we are of your service as governor of the Common Wealth of Virginia," Obama continued. "And just wish you and the family all the best this Christmas season after just a terrific round of service for the people of Virginia."

Kaine thanked the president for his warm wishes, and said in his four years as governor his happiest day was when Obama was elected president.

The two went on to joke about their wives being "superior" to them.

"You and me have to stick together since we're married to better people," Obama joked.

Kaine, who was named Chairman of the Democratic National Committee last January, will be succeeded as governor by Republican Bob McDonnell in January 2010.

Kaine said he looked forward to continuing to be "helpful."

Washington (CNN) - For the second straight day, a new national poll indicates that a solid majority of Americans oppose the health care bill that Democrats are pushing through the Senate.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Tuesday morning, 53 percent of the public disapproves of the proposed changes, with 36 percent supporting the bill.

That follows a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday that indicated 42 percent favor the Senate Democrats' legislation, with 56 percent opposed.

Both surveys were conducted last week through Sunday, as Senate Democrats were negotiating a final health care bill, but before a crucial party-line vote early Monday morning to end debate, a huge hurdle to eventual passage of the legislation that the Democrats successfully were able to jump.

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(CNN) – It appears Rudy Giuliani is giving fellow Republican Rick Lazio an early Christmas gift.

The former two-term New York City mayor and 2008 GOP presidential candidate is scheduled to endorse Lazio for governor Tuesday afternoon at an event in New York City, according to a press release from the Lazio campaign. Lazio, a former congressman from Long Island, announced his candidacy for governor in September.

The New York Times and New York Daily News report that Giuliani will also announce he's decided to forgo a bid for the U.S. senate next year.

Giuliani's public endorsement of Lazio would be a formal declaration that he is not running for governor. The New York Times reported last month that he had decided not to run, but a spokeswoman for Giuliani said he had not made up his mind. At the time, polls indicated that Giuliani had a wide lead over Lazio in a hypothetical 2010 GOP primary contest.

Lazio deferred to Guiliani in 2000 in the race for the senate against then-first lady Hillary Clinton. Giuliani dropped out of the contest five months before the election, due to his fight against prostate cancer. Lazio replaced him as the Republican candidate but lost to Clinton.

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The official blog of the White House reports President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were vacinated for H1N1 on Sunday. (White House photo)

(CNN) - Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele made clear Monday he's not happy with Democratic efforts to pass a health care reform bill, saying the measure which cleared a procedural hurdle Sunday amounts to "flipping a bird to the American people."

"This is a bad bill. It's bad law. It's bad for America. It is bad certainly for individuals and enough is enough. I am tired of the Congress thumbing their nose and flipping a bird to the American people," Steele said on a conference call with reporters Monday. "I am tired of this Congress thinking it knows better than me and my family how to provide for our health care now and in the future."

Steele was joined on the call by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, the current head of FreedomWorks, in an apparent show of solidarity against the measure that narrowly passed a cloture vote in the early-morning hours Monday. Armey's group and the RNC have occasionally butted heads in the past year over the best way to tap into disapproval with Democratic policies, but Steele said Monday he is "honored" to work with "grassroots activists, tea partiers and others who are fighting the good fight."

FreedomWorks, which has provided much of the organizational heft behind the Tea Party movement, clashed with the RNC last fall when they endorsed an independent conservative in a New York congressional race over the GOP-backed candidate. As a result of the divided vote, the Democrat in the race won the conservative district for the first time in more than a century.

Letting bygones be bygones Monday, Steele called Armey "a man of principle, a man who has been able to reflect in a genuine way the voice of a lot of Americans out there."

"It's nice to know in this fight that you have individuals who are willing to stand up with you and lead the charge, individuals who you can follow into battle and who can follow you into battle and try and make sure we do what's best for the American people," said Steele.

UPDATE: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Steele's comments "obscene" in a Capitol Hill press conference Monday afternoon.

"I'm more worried about an example being set by a party leader with something so obscene, I think that's something people should be worried about," Reid said.

Washington (CNN) - The Senate moved closer to passing health care reform Tuesday as Democrats revised an $871 billion bill and voted to end debate on the measure.

The Senate voted 60 to 39 - along strict party lines - to adopt changes negotiated by Majority Leader Harry Reid and close deliberations on the sweeping measure.

Those two actions kept the Senate on track for a final vote on Christmas Eve on whether to approve the massive bill to reform health care, President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world.

Compiled by Alison Harding

WASHINGTON/POLITICAL
For the latest political news: www.CNNPolitics.com

CNN: CNN Poll: 6 point jump in support for health care bill
Support for the health care reform bill that Democrats are pushing through the Senate has risen six points since early December, according to a new national poll, and although a majority of Americans still oppose its passage, only four in ten agree with Senate Republicans that the bill is too liberal. The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, also indicates that President Barack Obama's approval rating has experienced a similar six-point rise.

Chicago Sun-Times: Blagojevich aide's computer yields new secrets
Did then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich try to work out a plan to keep White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's old congressional seat warm for him if Emanuel decided in a few years to return? Computer records, newly obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, offer the latest evidence the ousted governor did.

Washington Post: Both sides question health bill's abortion compromise
It's the bill that stole Christmas. vBehind each cranky senator dealing his or her way toward a historic Christmas Eve vote on health-care reform is a cadre of staff members laboring day and night to make sense of the ever-changing 2,457-page bill, tutor their bosses, spin the press and break down what it means for constituents back home.

Investors Business Daily: Trial Lawyers Win Added Clout From Democrats In Health Bill
The Senate health care bill includes a gift to trial lawyers: a five-year, $50 million program to encourage states to consult with them on "alternatives" to malpractice claims. Though presented as a reform, critics say the program will simply encourage states to create an additional option for lawyers and plaintiffs to pursue claims, without requiring them to give up anything in return.

Politico: GOP warns of harsh climate on energy bill
Senate Republicans warned Monday that the bruising fight over health care reform could deliver a knockout blow to another Democratic priority: passage of a climate change bill in 2010.

CNN: Obama: Government contracting reforms will save $19 billion
A government plan to reduce contracting costs will save $19 billion in 2010, President Barack Obama announced Monday. The savings come from terminating unnecessary contracts, strengthening acquisition management, ending the over-reliance on contractors and reducing the use of high-risk contracts across government, according to documents released with Obama's announcement.

CNN: U.S. soldiers in Iraq could face courts-martial for getting pregnant
A new order from the general in charge of northern Iraq makes getting pregnant or impregnating a fellow soldier an offense punishable by court-martial. The directive, part of a larger order restricting the behavior of the 22,000 soldiers under Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo's command, is meant to prevent losing soldiers at a time when troop strength is stretched thin, Cucolo explained in a statement sent to the troops under his command and provided to CNN.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – A group of children got a Christmas-week visit Monday from President Barack Obama, who handed out cookies and read them "The Polar Express."

The unannounced trip to the Richard England Clubhouse and Community Center, a Boys & Girls Club of Washington, was a break from health care reform, climate change and other issues that have dominated Obama's focus in recent weeks.

About two dozen youngsters ages 6 to 11 sat on the floor as Obama took off his suit coat and read the book aloud from a chair in front, pointing to the pictures and providing dramatic emphasis to some of the lines.

Afterward, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, Obama exhorted the youngsters to study hard.

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Washington (CNN) - Support for the health care reform bill that Democrats are pushing through the Senate has risen six points since early December, according to a new national poll, and although a majority of Americans still oppose its passage, only four in ten agree with Senate Republicans that the bill is too liberal.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, also indicates that President Barack Obama's approval rating has experienced a similar six-point rise.

According to the poll, 42 percent of Americans, based on what they've read or heard about the bill, support Senate Democrat's legislation. That's up from 36 percent in a poll conducted December 2-3. Nonetheless, a majority of people questioned in the survey, 56 percent, oppose the bill.

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(CNN) - He may have exited the national stage nearly one year ago, but former Vice President Dick Cheney has been named "Conservative of the Year" by the conservative Human Events magazine for his ardent and continuous criticisms of the Obama administration's national security policies.

"What Cheney is saying, primarily on foreign policy, defense and anti-terrorism, makes sense to more and more American citizens growing increasingly worried by the Obama Administration's insouciance when U.S. national interests are threatened, both at home and abroad," former U.N. ambassador John Bolton writes for the magazine.

"Since the only real, long-term way to deal with persuasive positions on substantive policy matters is to refute them with sounder policy arguments, it is not hard to understand why the Obama White House is near panic," Bolton also writes. "Where are they going to go to find a better policy inside his administration?"

In a series of interviews and speeches over the last year, Cheney declared President Obama had put the country's security at an elevated level of risk as a result of a string of national security decisions that largely went at odds with Bush administration practices.

Cheney's comments have met criticism from many Democrats and some members of the media who say he would be better off following the example set by former President George Bush, who has remained largely silent on the actions of his successor.

But in the Human Events article, Bolton said its necessary former leaders continue to defend their policies.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – The American Medical Association, a traditional opponent of health care reform, on Monday endorsed the Senate health care bill nearing a final vote in the chamber.

Dr. Cecil Wilson, president-elect of the nation's largest advocacy group for doctors, said at a news conference that the amended bill would solve major problems with the health care system.

"The AMA is pleased to announce its support for passage of the amended ... bill," said Wilson, an internist from Winter Park, Florida. At the same time, Wilson said, the AMA will continue working for additional changes in a final health care bill that results from merging the Senate bill and a House version passed last month.

Wilson became president-elect of the AMA in June, and will serve in that role for a year before becoming president in June 2010.

The AMA has long opposed the kind of health care reform measures contained in the Senate and House bills. It announced this year that it supported health care reform efforts, but had concerns about specific issues such as a proposed expansion of Medicare coverage.

The expanded Medicare provision has been cut from the Senate bill.