“People have a right to be grouchy,” Obama adviser David Axelrod said on CNN’s State of the Union when asked about Obama’s sagging approval rating, which is now just below 50 percent.

“There’s ten percent unemployment,” the top presidential adviser also pointed out. “These are tough times.”

“We took over in January in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis, fiscal crisis, financial crisis, two wars,” Obama also told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. “The president has had to make a lot of tough decisions to try and rescue our economy from collapse, to move this country forward and we are going to reap the benefits of that.”

Although Axelrod acknowledged that Obama’s approval ratings had fallen considerably during his first year in office, Axelrod also said that the White House was not focused on polling data.

“One one thing I can assure you, though. The numbers the president is looking at aren’t these numbers,” Axelrod said as he pointed to a year-long graph of Obama’s approval and disapproval ratings.

Looking ahead to the 2010 midterm elections, Axelrod also tried to downplay the political headwinds Democrats are facing.

“We take the long view,” Axelrod told King. “The fact is: if we do our job right, if we keep worrying not about polls but about the jobs of the American people, about their health care, about their ability to educate their kids, stay in their homes and own their homes, send their kids to college – the basic pillars of a middle class life. If we keep worrying about the future and building a stronger future for this country, these things will take care of themselves.”

“Right now, we’re not worried about polls,” Axelrod said Sunday. “I believe we’re going to do well next November,” he added, “because the president’s making good, hard and important decisions to move this country forward.”

'He’s a great speaker, a great communicator,' Gov. Schwarzenegger said of the president.

Washington (CNN) – Not every Republican is a critic of President Obama. At least one thinks the president is doing a fine job – at least when it comes to the effort involved in being the country’s chief executive.

Asked to give Obama a grade as the end of the president’s first year in office approaches, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s Republican governor, gave Obama high marks.

“When it comes to effort, [Obama] should get a straight A,” Schwarzenegger told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King in an interview that aired Sunday on State of the Union.

“He’s out there with tremendous energy and he’s selling his ideas. And he has great enthusiasm there. He’s a great speaker, a great communicator.”

The one-time Hollywood action star also had some advice for Obama as the president tries to push his agenda through Capitol Hill’s partisanship.

“He has to hang in there,” Schwarzenegger told King, “be tough, just continue on, never give up, eventually he’s going to get all those things done.”

The California governor was echoing the sentiments of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who joined Schwarzenegger in the interview on State of the Union.

Bloomberg, a identified Independent and longtime Obama ally, was more circumspect in his assessment of the president’s first year.

After noting several challenges Obama has been facing since taking office, Bloomberg said he would give the president “a pretty high grade.”

“I hate to use letters,” Bloomberg said. “But [Obama] is working very hard and trying. And he’s got enthusiasm and drive. And I would just urge him to don’t – if he doesn’t get everything he wants – don’t get beaten down, don’t go back into your shell.”

Related video: Schwarzenegger and Bloomberg weigh in on the economy

In his Crib Sheet, CNN's John King looks back at Sunday's talk shows and ahead to the topics that will be making news this week.

A confident White House voiced optimism Sunday that President Obama’s signature domestic initiative – health care reform – was “way deep in the red zone” and brushed off criticism from liberals that the administration was too quick to give in to demands from the centrist and conservative Democrats.

Republicans, on the other hand, vowed to try to block final passage despite the Democratic advantages in both the House and Senate. And as they challenged the Democratic health care math as “Enron-style accounting,” said promised deficit reduction would never materialize.

One, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, went as far as saying the tone and tenor of the health care debate was poisoning the political environment and reducing the likelihood Republicans would be able to work with the Obama White House on other issues.


Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“This health care proposal has made it very hard for Republicans to sit down at the table with these guys because of the way they’ve run over us. But at the end of the day, we’ve got more problems than just health care. I want to help solve hard problems. This health care bill has made a hard problem worse.”

And Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska – the man who gave Democrats the critical 60th vote – joined us in an exclusive interview Sunday to answer critics in the anti-abortion movement who say what he calls reasonable compromise is instead a major setback for their cause.”

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“What they haven’t said is that we tried to pass the Stupak language earlier in the Congress last week, and it was called the Nelson-Hatch-Casey bill. It didn’t get enough votes. So the choice was do nothing or try to do something in case Stupak is not – that language doesn’t hold up in the conference report.”

The Copenhagen climate talks were another Sunday flashpoint: the administration acknowledged the deal brokered fell far short of his goals but said it was a positive step and critical to keeping some momentum on a difficult issue. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the lesson of Copenhagen, to them, was that state and local governments needs to move aggressively to deal with climate change and not wait for any help or direction from Washington or the United Nations.

“To me it is about jobs, not polar bears,” was Senator Graham’s colorful framing of how he views the climate change debates.

There was a fair share of year-end political analysis as well, including this from senior presidential adviser David Axelrod: “People have a right to be grouchy.”

We hope a good mix of the Sound of Sunday leaves you anything but:

HEALTH CARE POLICY
White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“We are deep in the red zone, and we are right on the one yard line. That doesn't mean that we are in. Once the Senate passes this bill obviously there is work to be done. The house has its version and the senate has its version, and they have to agree and we have to go through one more round. I have no doubt the Republican leadership will try and throw procedural barriers in the way as they have for the last several months. But I think there is a will to get this done.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“’The Class Act’ that allows long term health care insurance to be subsidized by the government and offered by the government is a Ponzi scheme in the first order that Madoff would have been proud of. It's still in the bill. Any democratic senator that votes for the bill is a coconspirator to one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in Washington.”

Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean (D-VT) on NBC’s “Meet the Press”
“We are all in the same family, but this is a serious business. We have seen, essentially, a destructive political process in Washington where the insurance company lobby essentially wrote a good piece of this bill. Now, I will admit that they have pulled back in this past week there are some things in this bill that weren't in there a week ago that make it a better bill, but this can't be the final version of this bill.”

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) on “Fox News Sunday”
“This is a bill that does reduce the deficit according to the independent expert. This is a bill that expands coverage to 30 million people. This is a bill that will begin to control the cost explosion, has got critically important insurance reforms, delivery system reforms. So those who say 'Kill the bill,' I think they've really missed the boat.”

Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“I think the issue now for us is not what the President wants, it's what the Pat, John, and Athenia and Joe who are members of ours need, and what Athenia does everyday is take care of people in her home, she make $9.25 an hour, she has no health care. Pat and John lost their ranch in Montana because of health care bills, this bill has to address people like that, people in your audience, and that's what we're concerned about.”

HEALTH CARE POLITICS
White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod on CNN’s “State of the Union” on whether President Obama is keeping its campaign promise to change the back door deal-making in Washington
“Every senator uses whatever leverage they have to help their state. That's the way it has been and that's the way it will also be. They are actively trying to advocate for their state. And McConnell made the same statement on the floor after having included $75 million of earmarks in the bill that he just voted against. For Kentucky. So you know, that is part of the system. People want their legislators to advocate for their states. You say, does it represent change? The change is that we are fighting an insurance industry that killed health care reform for generations.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I-New York City) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“The other thing that leaves me worried is when I talk to congressmen and senators and say ‘what's in the bill,’ none of them really know. It has gotten so big and taken so long and has so many different versions out there, that I don't know how you can intelligently decide whether to vote for it or not if you don't know what it's going to do.”

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on “Fox News Sunday”
“The President of the United States said when running we would have a new way of doing business in Washington, there would be change, he would negotiate across the table, we'd have the C-SPAN cameras in and obviously with their majorities and I understand majorities, they decided to govern from the left and without Republican participation. That's why they're in a position of having to purchase the last vote or two.”

NELSON AND THE SEARCH FOR 60
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) on CNN’s “State of the Union” responding to criticism that he enjoys being in the spotlight as the one lawmaker with the leverage
“I couldn’t create the opportunity to be the 60th vote. It happened. And to them, I would say, look, if you think it’s fun having both sides on an issue mad at you when you’re trying to do something in good faith, just think, it’s like going home and getting hit by the family dog.”

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“I don’t take my marching orders from a party or a group or any other entity. And as in this case, I put together what I thought was appropriate and I’m sorry that both sides didn’t enjoy it. And that’s the way it works.”

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) on CNN’s “State of the Union” on what would cause his to reverse his decision to support the health care bill
“I don’t want to lay down – throw down the gauntlet here or lay out – make a bright line or anything like that. But I think you always know material changes. Something that would change the paradigm from where it is. I suppose putting in a public option would do it.”

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) on CNN’s “State of the Union” on the issue of the health care changes not taking effect until 2014.
“The majority of this doesn’t take effect until sometime in the future. It’s part of the reason it’s paid for the way that it is. And the criticism is there. It’s valid. But on the other hand, you have to move into this incrementally, I believe, in order to make it work.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“It was meant to be strong… principled compromise sold as a principled solution to an emotional problem like abortion that’s fallen flat. Enron accounting techniques – everything that people were upset with about Washington has gotten worse. And this bill personifies the worst of Washington.”

Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“I think what we have is a set of rules that are really all wrong in the Senate, they're not about debate, they're not about letting American people have a Senate to make hard decisions, they're about one human being able to stand up and thwart change. I don't think that's what people voted for, I think they're getting enormously frustrated in the lack of change, and I think that a lot of that problem goes right back to the Senate.”

COPENHAGEN FALLOUT
White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“This is a great step forward. China, India, they set goals. We will be able to review what they are doing and challenge them if they don't meet the goals. We will pursue this anyway, because the president understands our future lies with renewable energy. Now the Chinese, the Indians and the other major economies are coming along. This is the result of his(President Obama’s) strong leadership.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) on CNN’s “State of the Union” on whether China will keep its commitment to reduce greenhouse gases
“I think it is always important, trust, but verify, as Ronald Reagan always said. But I think , at the same time, one should acknowledge that China is already doing great things.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I-New York City) on CNN’s “State of the Union” on whether the U.S. can afford to tackle climate change during a recession
“People say you can’t do it in this kind of an environment because the economy is suffering. I would argue that’s exactly the time when you have got to do it. And New York is a classic example. Back in the ‘70s we had a tough economy. We walked away from investing in infrastructure. It took us decades to recover.”

POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) on CNN’s “State of the Union” grades President Obama’s first year in office
“When it comes to effort, he should get a straight ‘A.’ I think that he is out there with tremendous energy and he's selling his ideas. And he has great enthusiasm there. He is a great speaker, a great communicator in all of this. And I think that it is very tough the first year when you get in there and you have a very partisan kind of a, you know, Congress and it's very difficult to get things done there.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I-New York City) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“I'd give him a pretty high grade. I hate to use letters, but this guy is working very hard and trying and he has got enthusiasm and drive. And I would just urge him to don't - if he doesn't get everything he wants, don't get beaten down, don't go back into your shell.”

White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod on CNN’s “State of the Union” on President Obama’s sliding job approval numbers
“The president has had to make a lot of tough decisions to try and rescue our economy from collapse, to move this country forward… but people have a right to be grouchy. There’s 10 percent unemployment. These are tough times and one thing I can assure you though: the numbers the president is looking at aren’t these numbers.”

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and happy holidays!

–John King

Note: The Crib Sheet will be taking a Christmas break next Sunday but will return on January 3rd.

Related: Senate Dems win over key holdouts to reach 60 votes for reform bill

Since his announcement Saturday that he would be the crucial 60th vote necessary to secure cloture on the health care reform bill and avoid a likely Republican filibuster, Nelson has faced a storm of criticism from conservatives in both parties – and some liberal groups.

“I couldn't create the opportunity to be the 60th vote. It happened,” Nelson said on State of the Union. “If you think it's fun having both sides on an issue mad at you when you're trying to do something in good faith, just think, it's like going home and getting bit by the family dog. So - who enjoys that?” Nelson also said Sunday.

As part of the deal announced Saturday, the Nebraska Democrat said he would supply the key vote to move the bill ahead if it included provisions that did not allow federal funds to be used to pay for abortions. To satisfy Nelson, leading Senate Democrats agreed to amendments that will allow states to opt out of providing abortion coverage when the statewide insurance exchanges called for by the bill are set up. In addition, insurance providers who do provide abortion coverage would be required to pay for the procedure solely with premiums collected from policyholders. In order to ensure that federal funds are not used to pay for abortions, insurance companies would be required to set up a firewall between subsidies paid by the federal government and premiums paid by policyholders.

Responding to criticism from fellow lawmakers and advocacy groups that oppose abortion rights, Nelson pointed out that his effort to get even stronger prohibitions on abortion funding – like those passed in the House - had already failed in the Senate.

Asked why he did not hold out for even tougher restrictions since he was in the position to supply the 60th vote, Nelson suggested Sunday that instead of including prohibitions like those in the House health care reform bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid might have opted to use a procedural maneuver called reconciliation that would allow some portions of Democrats’ health care reform agenda to be passed with a simple majority in the Senate.

“Then you would have gotten what’s in the bill right now,” Nelson said Sunday defending his negotiation of the contentious issue of abortion funding.

Nelson also defended another controversial part of his agreement that has caused some of his fellow lawmakers to be green with envy. Under the deal, the federal government will foot the bill in perpetuity for any additional Medicaid costs incurred by Nebraska as a result of passing the health care reform bill.

“I didn't ask for a special favor here. I didn't ask for a carve-out,” Nelson told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. “What I said is the governor of Nebraska has contacted me, he said publicly he's having trouble with the budget. This will add to his budget woes. And I said, look, we have to have that fixed.”

Pressed on whether Democratic claims about the bill’s ability to lower overall health care costs in the long term could be believed if other states sought deals like the one he negotiated on behalf of Nebraska, Nelson suggested that his deal points out why the federal government should not impose unfunded mandates on states.

“Well, if the money isn’t there, then the requirement needs to go away,” Nelson told King.

“It's one or the other,” Nelson also said Sunday. “If we're going to mandate these things on a state, then we have to pay for them. We don't pay for them three years, then pull back on them, leave the mandate there and pull back the federal money. That was my objective, to get that fixed.

“They fixed it this way. It's not the way I would have fixed it, but it's fixed, at least at this point in time. But I think in the future, either the mandate goes away or the federal government provides the money, as it should.”

Asked about the rampant partisanship that has characterized the health care reform debate on Capitol Hill, Nelson said it was unprecedented during his time in the Senate.

“The high intensity here is as harsh and as unforgiving and unrelenting as I have ever seen it in my nine years,” Nelson said Sunday on CNN.

And Nelson also defended his go-it-alone approach in the middle of the health care reform fight.

“I'm an independent-minded sort of person,” Nelson said on State of the Union. “And I think that's demonstrated. I don't take my marching orders from a party or a group or any other entity. And, as in this case, I put together what I thought was appropriate, and I'm sorry that both sides didn't enjoy it. And that's the way it works. I'm an independent type of person. I'm not a lone eagle. I do consult. I do get input. But at the end of the day, I make my own decision about what to do.”

Finally, the conservative Democrat cautioned that his party could still lose his vote in the contentious weeks ahead.

“I suppose putting in a public option would do it,” Nelson said Sunday.

The conservative Democrat added that imposing a tax on wealthier Americans, a funding mechanism employed in the House health care reform bill, could also cause him to withhold his vote for the final version of the bill.

Updated: 6:02 p.m.

Speaking Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, Graham, R-South Carolina, took issue with a campaign trail pledge made by the Obama campaign to change how things work in Washington.

Obama and his team “ran a brilliant campaign,” Graham told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King,” but they're doing a lousy job governing the country, in my view.”

“You know, change you can believe in,” Graham said referring to a frequent theme of Obama’s underdog presidential campaign, “after this health care bill debacle, [that] has now becoming an empty slogan. And it's really been replaced by seedy Chicago politics, when you think about it, backroom deals that amount to bribes.”

Acknowledging that those were strong words, Graham backed up his assertions by pointing to a number of attributes of the health care reform bill now under consideration in the Senate. “This bill personifies the worst of Washington,” Graham said Sunday.

Referring to one of the biggest accounting scandals in recent memory, Graham said the bill was characterized by “Enron accounting techniques.”

The South Carolina Republican said that the House and Senate are not likely actually to impose cuts on the amount the Medicare program pays doctors. “So when you put that into the health care mix, this thing doesn't save money; it costs money. And that's phony,” said Graham.

The Republican senator also said that Congress is not likely actually to cut $470 billion from the Medicare program, a move that finances roughly half of the Senate bill’s costs over the first ten years.

“We will start forgiving those cuts to doctors and hospitals,” Graham told King. “So it is Enron-accounting. It is a sham.”

Graham also faulted the Senate bill for beginning to collect taxes immediately in order cover its costs but only paying out benefits during six of its first ten years after passage.

And the often soft-spoken Republican let loose on a provision in the Senate bill that involves the federal government in paying for long-term care insurance.

Graham quoted fellow Senator Kent Conrad, D-North Dakoka, who had described the new long-term care program “a Ponzi scheme of the first order,” a program “that Bernie Madoff would have been proud of.” Graham added, “So any Democratic senator who votes for this bill is a co-conspirator to one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in the history of Washington.”

And Graham took issue with a sweetheart deal Senate Democratic leaders negotiated with conservative Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska. Under the deal, the federal government will foot the bill in perpetuity for any additional Medicaid costs incurred by Nebraska as a result of passing the health care reform bill.

“Is it constitutional?,” Graham asked Sunday about the deal negotiated by Nelson. “I want the attorney general of South Carolina to look at this.”

Appearing earlier on State of the Union, Obama senior adviser David Axelrod defended the deal top Senate Democrats made with Nelson in order to secure the crucial 60th vote necessary to get the bill through the chamber.

“I think every senator uses whatever leverage they have to help their states. That's the way it's been. That's the way it will always be,” Axelrod said to King. “And people want their legislators to advocate for their states.”

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin continued to blast believers in climate change Friday.

(CNN)– In a late night posting on her Twitter feed, Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin continued to blast climate change believers Friday, calling the talks in Copenhagen, Denmark a representation of man's "arrogance," for believing people have an impact on nature.

"Arrogant&Naive2say man overpwers nature," Palin tweeted.

"Earth saw clmate chnge4 ions;will cont 2 c chnges.R duty2responsbly devlop resorces4humankind/not pollute&destroy;but cant alter naturl chng," the former Republican vice presidential nominee wrote.

Palin's latest comments come after weeks of tangling over climate change with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former vice president Al Gore, and President Obama.

In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Palin urged the president to boycott the climate talks, calling his presence at the conference a "political move."

"The last thing America needs is misguided legislation that will raise taxes and cost jobs – particularly when the push for such legislation rests on agenda-driven science," Palin wrote. "Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference. The president should boycott Copenhagen."

When Schwarzenegger questioned Palin's stance on climate change, Palin quickly hit back saying the actor-turned-governor was acting "greener than thou."

And when former vice president Al Gore dubbed her a climate change "denier," Palin hit back at him too, accusing him of promoting "doomsday scenarios."

"Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it," Palin wrote on her Facebook page.

During the vice presidential debate last year, Palin said she was for capping carbon emissions but did not elaborate on how she would do that.

Washington (CNN) - Tensions stemming from the prolonged debate on health care flared Thursday afternoon when Democratic Sen. Al Franken, who was the presiding officer, refused to let Sen. Joe Lieberman finish his speech on the senate floor.

Lieberman, the bane of the Democratic Party's liberal base because of his opposition to creating a public option and expanding Medicare, was speaking about preserving the Medicare trust fund.

After his allotted ten minutes, Lieberman - an independent from Connecticut who sits with the Democratic caucus - asked for more time to finish his speech, a request customarily granted in the venerable chamber.

"In my capacity as the senator from Minnesota, I object," replied
Franken.

"Really?" Lieberman asked, seeming surprised by the rejection. "Okay," he continued with a chuckle, "I don't take it personally."

Immediately following the exchange, Lieberman's closest Republican ally, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, came to his defense.

"I must say that I don't know what's happening here in this body, but I think its wrong," said McCain. "I have been around here for 20-some years. [This is] the first time I have ever seen a member denied an extra minute or
two to finish his remarks."

A spokesperson for Franken explained that Lieberman was told to stop peaking because Senate leaders were enforcing the strict time limits so they could finish a defense spending bill and get to the health bill.

Majority Leader Harry Reid's spokesman, Jim Manley, said, "We did that to maintain order and [so] that no senator had an unfair advantage over another in terms of speaking. It was a simple request of the leader and Sen. Franken was adhering to the request of his leadership."

Later in the evening it appeared that Lieberman and Franken had made amends, as they could be seen talking, laughing and even hugging on the Senate floor.

Palin said she supports McCain '100 percent.'

(CNN) - Sarah Palin said she meant no disrespect to the man that elevated her to the national scene after she was photographed wearing a visor on which Sen. John McCain's name had been blacked out.

The gossip Web site TMZ ran photos of the former Alaska governor vacationing in Hawaii earlier this week in which Palin is shown with a McCain campaign visor with black marker covering the ex-presidential candidate's name.

The Web site declared the hat a "frontal attack on Sen. John McCain," but Palin told Politico she was merely trying to "be incognito" while vacationing in Hawaii.

"I am so sorry if people took this silly incident the wrong way," Palin said in a statement to the Web site. "I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago. So much for trying to be incognito."

A Palin source confirmed the accuracy of the former vice presidential candidate's comments.

The four term Senator McCain is up for re-election next year.

The vacation comes a month after Palin's memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life," hit book stores. Palin launched an around-the-country book tour soon after and has since visited more than 30 cities.

As 2009 comes to an end, about half of the country is giving President Barack Obama a thumbs up.

Washington (CNN) – As 2009 comes to an end, about half of the country is giving President Barack Obama a thumbs-up.

According to a CNN Poll of Polls compiled and released Thursday, Obama's approval rating in polls taken in the past week averages out to 50 percent, with 44 percent saying they disapprove.

"Obama's average approval rating was at 52 percent or 53 percent every week from early October to mid-November. Each week since then, his average approval rating has been between 48 percent and 50 percent," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "The bad news for the White House is that his current rating is down by roughly 15 points since the start of the year. The good news is that it appears to have stabilized as the end of the year approaches."

Since scientific polling began more than seven decades ago, only one popularly-elected president has ended his first calendar year in office with an approval rating below 50 percent.

Ronald Reagan's approval rating dipped to 49 percent in December 1981, and stayed below 50 percent for two years - but he won re-election in a landslide, says Holland. By contrast, Jimmy Carter and the elder George Bush had approval ratings well over 50 percent in December of their first year in the White House, but lost their re-election bids. "So the first-year approval ratings don't appear to have any predictive value when it comes to re-election prospects," said Holland.

The CNN Poll of Polls on how Obama is handling his job overall consists of an average of six surveys conducted within the last week: NBC/Wall Street Journal (Dec. 11-14), the Gallup tracking (Dec. 13-15), AP/GfK (Dec. 10-14), ABC/Washington Post (Dec. 10-13), Pew (Dec. 9-13), and Fox (Dec. 8-9). The Poll of Polls does not have a sampling error.

Four of the six surveys in the overall Poll of Polls also asked about the president's handling of the economy, the number one issue on the minds of Americans. According to an average of those four polls, 45 percent approve of how Obama's dealing with the economy, while half of the public disapproves.

Four of the six surveys also asked about Afghanistan. According to the CNN Poll of Polls, 50 percent, on average, approve of how Obama's handling that conflict, with 43 percent disapproving.

Three of the surveys asked how the president's dealing with health care reform. According to the CNN Poll of Polls, 44 percent approve of Obama's handling of health care, with 51 percent giving him a thumbs down.

The president's approval drops even lower for the budget deficit. Three of the surveys asked about the deficit, and the CNN Poll of Polls indicates 37 percent approve of Obama's handling of the issue, with 54 percent disapproving.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Sarah Palin is hitting back at California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's dig at the former Alaska governor over the issue of climate change.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin is hitting back at California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's dig at the former Alaska governor over the issue of climate change.

"Why is Governor Schwarzenegger pushing for the same sorts of policies in Copenhagen that have helped drive his state into record deficits and unemployment?" Palin wrote on her Facebook page Tuesday night. "Perhaps he will recall that I live in our nation's only Arctic state and that I was among the first governors to create a sub-cabinet to deal specifically with climate change."

Palin's comments came hours after the California Republican questioned Palin's stance on climate change in an interview with the Financial Times at the Copenhagen climate change summit
"You have to ask: what was she trying to accomplish?" said Schwarzenegger, who has backed strict new emissions controls to combat climate change. "Is she really interested in this subject or is she interested in her career and in winning the (Republican presidential) nomination? You have to take all these things with a grain of salt."

The former Republican vice presidential nominee has questioned whether human activity contributes to climate change, and wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post last week blasting the cap and trade policy promoted by the Obama administration to limit emissions. She has also called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen conference.

On her Facebook page Tuesday night, Palin said Schwarzenegger was acting "greener than thou."

"While I and all Alaskans witness the impacts of changes in weather patterns firsthand, I have repeatedly said that we can't primarily blame man's activities for those changes," she wrote. "And while I did look for practical responses to those changes, what I didn't do was hamstring Alaska's job creators with burdensome regulations so that I could act 'greener than thou' when talking to reporters."

Palin also mixed it up last week with former vice President Al Gore, who dubbed her a climate change "denier."

Also on her Facebook page, Palin criticized the former vice president for promoting "doomsday scenarios": "Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it."

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is questioning the motives of a felllow Republican, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

(CNN) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – who has backed strict new emissions controls to combat climate change – made a comment Tuesday that's sure to raise some heat, especially in GOP circles.

The Republican governor of California is questioning the motives of a high-profile opponent of the idea: Sarah Palin.

The former Republican vice presidential nominee and former Alaska governor has questioned whether human activity contributes to climate change, and written op-eds blasting the cap and trade policy promoted by the Obama administration to limit emissions. Last week, she called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen conference.

"You have to ask: what was she trying to accomplish?" Schwarzenegger, in Copenhagen for the international climate change summit, told the Financial Times. "Is she really interested in this subject or is she interested in her career and in winning the (Republican presidential) nomination? You have to take all these things with a grain of salt."

Palin, dubbed a climate change "denier" by Al Gore, slammed the former vice president for promoting "doomsday scenarios": "Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it," she wrote in a Facebook post last week.

Lieberman told CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash Tuesday that the move remained a legitimate, if unlikely, option. "I don't know what I'll run as," he said. "I like being an independent. So that's definitely a possibility. But I'd say all options are open….

"It's unlikely I'd run as a Republican, but I wouldn't foreclose any possibility. I think the more likely thing is that I'd run as an independent because that's what I am."

He also denied that a decision on whether to caucus with Republicans depended on which party was in the majority: "Well, no. It depends on where I am. That's all hypothetical. I'm just happy to be where I am. I'm grateful I got reelected in '06, and I'm going to try to do the best I can every day.

"I've reached the stage in my career where I'm not measuring every step I take based on how it's going to affect the next election. I think if you do that you end up compromising the quality of your service."

"In this very polarized time in our politics, if you take a stand, a bunch of people will think you've done something great and a bunch of people will think you've done something awful. You've got to decide, I've got to decide that I've done the best I could to do what's right and best for my country and my state. And that's what I feel I'm doing on health care reform."

Related: Lieberman moving towards a 'yes' vote on health care reform

"Well that's just poppycock," he told CNN senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash. "….If I had any sense of vendetta against the Democratic Party I wouldn't be in the Democratic caucus today. I'm an independent Democrat."

His position was based on policy, not politics, he said.

Lieberman also said that even though the prospect was unlikely, he could not rule out running as a Republican in 2012: "All options are open," he told CNN.

Lieberman also denied that he was making demands because he enjoys the spotlight, pointing to a campaign launched earlier this week by progressive activists to convince the nation's largest breast cancer non-profit organization to dump his wife Hadassah Lieberman as an honorary spokeswoman. "I can tell you that inside myself I have not enjoyed this period of time. I've done what I thought was right, but it's no fun to have your colleagues be angry at you. It's no fun to have your wife attacked. But, you know, you got to do what you think is right.

"So, no. I'd be happy to have some time out of (the) limelight."

Lieberman said he had not yet decided whether to vote for health care reform. "Here's what I'd say. I've always wanted to be able to say yes to health care reform. But there were some parts of this bill, public option, Medicare buy-in that I thought would essentially lead to a government takeover of health care in America, which I'm against, because I think it would reduce quality and increase prices and certainly raise the debt, and taxes."

Lieberman said that if the public option and Medicare buy-in are taken out – and following a review of the actual language and a cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office – he would then "be in a position to do what I've wanted to do, which is to say yes to health care reform.

"I'm moving very much in the direction of saying yes, pending just seeing what I've been told is happening with the bill."

After Lieberman joined Senate Democrats at a meeting Tuesday with President Barack Obama, the president said Congress was "on the precipice" of passing a sweeping health care reform bill.

"There are some differences that still have to be worked on… (but) there is broad consensus around (a set of) reforms," he said.

Unanimous Republican opposition to health care legislation so far means Senate Democrats need the backing of all 60 members of their caucus – including Lieberman - to end debate on the bill and move to a final vote, which will be decided by a simple majority.

Michelle Obama's stock is on the rise as more Americans approve of how she is handling her role as first lady.

Washington (CNN) - Michelle Obama's stock is on the rise as more Americans approve of how she is handling her role as first lady now than they did 10 months ago, according to a new Marist College Poll.

The survey shows that 57 percent of registered voters approve of Obama's performance as first lady, up 7 points from a Marist poll conducted in March. Twenty-four percent said it has been fair, while 10 percent thought she is doing a poor job.

But Obama is not viewed as a transformative first lady. Only 37 percent said she has changed the role for the better, while 46 responded she has done nothing to change it. Another 10 percent said Obama has changed it for the worse, while 7 percent were unsure.

The poll of 858 registered voters was conducted on December 2, 3 and 7. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Follow Mark Preston on Twitter: @prestoncnn

Rep. Murtha rested in a hospital Monday after being admitted the previous night.

Washington (CNN) - U.S. Rep. John Murtha rested in a hospital Monday after being admitted the previous night due to abdominal pains caused by a gallbladder issue, his spokesman said.

"He's currently resting and doing well," said Matt Mazonkey, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democrat.

Murtha is chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee on defense, and a strong critic of President Barack Obama's recent decision to deploy an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

He was scheduled to chair a subcommittee hearing Tuesday addressed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Due to Murtha's illness, the hearing has been canceled.

Computer technicians have recovered about 22 million Bush administration e-mails. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/File)

Washington (CNN) - Computer technicians have recovered about 22 million Bush administration e-mails that the Bush White House had said were missing, two watchdog groups that sued over the documents announced Monday.

The e-mails date from 2003 to 2005, and had been "mislabeled and effectively lost," according to the National Security Archive, a research group based at George Washington University. But Melanie Sloan, executive director of the liberal-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said it could be years before most of the e-mails are made public.

"The e-mails themselves are not what we're getting," Sloan said.

Full story

Hadassah Lieberman is under attack over industry ties.

Washington (CNN) - Sen. Joe Lieberman – whose opposition to a public insurance option has drawn outrage from liberal groups for months – is used to finding himself in progressive crosshairs.

Now it's his wife's turn.

Activists are setting their sights on Hadassah Lieberman, launching a celebrity-studded petition drive to convince the nation's largest breast cancer non-profit to end the Connecticut senator's wife role as a spokeswoman.

The move to pressure the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation came the same day Lieberman's husband angered Democrats by announcing that he would not support an expansion of Medicare to cover individuals under the age of 55. Organizers did not point to that decision, instead citing Hadassah Lieberman's own ties to the health care industry.

Lieberman has worked as a consultant for companies including Pfizer and ALCO.

"We are asking Ellen DeGeneres, Christie Brinkley and other high-profile celebrities who are associated with Komen to demand that no more money raised for cancer treatment be given to Hadassah Lieberman or any other ex-Pharma/Insurance strategists," said Jane Hamsher, founder of the Firedoglake blog.

(Updated after the jump with statement from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation)

CNN has received the following statement from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation:

Hadassah Lieberman is an important and valued Global Ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. As a Global Ambassador, Ms. Lieberman is focused on helping us reach out and educate women outside our borders about breast cancer, sharing our knowledge and experience in a culturally sensitive way that is making a real impact on the lives of women across the globe. We have every intention of continuing our relationship with Ms. Lieberman in our mutual pursuit of a world without breast cancer.

Updated: 5:58 p.m.

Washington (CNN) – Rep. Bart Gordon of Tennessee announced Monday that he will not run for re-election next year, the fourth House Democrat in the past four weeks to retire rather than than defend their seat in next year's midterm elections.

The 13-term Democrat has held the seat in Tennessee's 6th congressional district since 1985, winning nearly three-quarters of the vote in his re-election bid last year.

But the district, located in the north-central portion of the state, went for John McCain in last year's presidential election by 25 points. George W. Bush won the district by 20 points in 2004.

"I feel honored that the people of Middle Tennessee have allowed me to serve them for the past 25 years," Gordon, who chairs the House Science and Technology Committee, said in a statement released Monday. "Every decision I have made in Congress has been with their best interests in mind. I hope the people here at home feel that I have served them as well as their good advice and views have served me.

"When I was elected, I was the youngest member of the Tennessee congressional delegation; now, I'm one of the oldest. In fact, I have members of my staff who weren't even born when I took office. That tells me it's time for a new chapter," added Gordon.

Gordon says his family played a part in his decision: "Turning 60 has led me to re-evaluate what's next. I have an 8-year-old daughter and a wonderful wife who has a very demanding job. I am the only child of my 83-year-old mother, Margaret. They have made sacrifices to allow me to do what I love by serving in Congress, and now it's my turn," said Gordon.

One Democratic leadership aide tells CNN Gordon's announcement, first reported by the Washington Post, "was not a surprise, and we already have political people on the ground in the process of recruitment."

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Chris Van Hollen also sounded an optimistic note. “We are confident that a Democrat who shares Chairman Gordon’s commitment to putting progress before partisanship on behalf of Middle Tennessee will succeed him as the next Representative of Tennessee’s 6th District," he said in a statement.

Gordon's move follows retirement announcements by fellow Democrats Brian Baird of Washington State, John Tanner of Tennessee and Dennis Moore of Kansas. Rep. Robert Wexler, who represents Florida's heavily-Democratic 19th congressional district, has also announced he's retiring next year. Six other House Democrats are running for higher office in 2010. No House Republicans have announced retirement, but as of now 12 are running for statewide offices next year rather than for re-election.

"It's official: Democrats now have a retirement problem. After being forced to toe the line for Nancy Pelosi's reckless agenda too many times, Blue Dog Democrats would rather roll over and retire than face the political headwind that is barreling toward them,: says National Republican Congressional Committee communications director Ken Spain. "This is evidence of the fact that the Obama-Pelosi agenda of government takeovers, permanent bailouts, and fewer jobs is taking a political and mental toll even on incumbent Democrats who were once-perceived to be firmly entrenched."

A Democratic leadership aide downplayed the development. "We've always said that there would be retirements. It happens every cycle."

Though the political landscape looks good for House Republicans next year, Democrats have not seen the same wave of retirements that occured before Republicans famously took back the House in 1994, when 28 Democrats chose not to seek re-election.

Democrats currently control the chamber by a margin of 258-177.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Washington (CNN) - Cabinet members need to leave their BlackBerrys at the door in a basket when meeting with President Obama. Above: a White House video reveals the less than high-tech solution used to ensure Hillary Clinton doesn't leave with Eric Holder's phone.
(Photo Credit: White House)

Washington (CNN) – On the eve of a White House meeting where President Obama is expected to encourage the nation’s largest lenders to loosen up credit, personal finance expert Suze Orman says Obama should not get all of the blame for how some banks have behaved in the last year.

“It’s not all the president’s fault,” Orman said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.

“You can pass every law that you want. You can try to do anything in the world – give these institutions money - if they don’t help their customers, what are you going to do about it?” Orman told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King.

Related: Obama adviser slams Wall Street

“I think a big part of this problem falls right back to the banks especially those with credit cards,” Orman also told King.

Asked what she would say if she had a seat at Monday’s meeting with the heads of the nation’s largest banks, Orman let loose.

“I would say: ‘Bankers, what in the world is the matter with you? You took taxpayers’ dollars in order to survive. You are giving out bonuses now. You are acting like nothing is wrong. Some of your stocks have increased in value from their low[s]. However, you are not serving the people that you should be serving.

“In my opinion, bankers,” Orman continued, “you are serving your own bottom lines and shame on you! And if you don’t get your act together, if you don’t start helping those that need loan modifications, if you don’t start helping those that need [small business] loans. . . if you don’t help those that really need you, then we’re going to have to do something about it.’”

Orman added that she did not know what the solution was to get banks to loosen up credit for consumers and small businesses but she suggested the possibility of a windfall profits tax. That, she said, might provide the incentive necessary to get lenders to do what the White House and many members of Congress want them to do to help turn the economy around.

In his Crib Sheet, CNN's John King looks back at Sunday's talk shows and ahead to the topics that will be making news this week.

Pocketbook issues drove the Sunday conversation, with mixed assessment on the question of the economy is at a point where it should cause more holiday season cheer than despair.

There was, at first glance anyway, a bit of a mixed message from two of President Obama’s top economic advisers on the threshold question of whether the recession is over.

“Today, everybody agrees that the recession is over,” Lawrence Summers, the director of the National Economic Council said.

“Of course not,” Council of Economic Advisers Chairwoman Christina Romer said when she was asked if she considered the recession to be over.

To be fair, Summers was speaking from a technical perspective; Romer more from the views of an American who still lacked a job despite some more encouraging recent economic data. Still, the different language will only add to the political debate about the administration’s economic policies.

The president’s Monday meeting with bankers was a hot topic, as was the question of whether a Democratic-controlled Washington would truly take steps next year toward real deficit reduction. And of course there was sharp debate over the evolving Senate health care bill, even with some Democrats saying they needed more proof it would bend the health care cost curve before they could pledge their support.

So let’s get to the Sound of Sunday:

STATE OF THE ECONOMY
National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“It will take time. A year ago the question was would we have a depression? Today everybody agrees that the recession is over. The questions are around how fast we'll recover."

Council of Economic Advisers Chairwoman Christina Romer on NBC’s “Meet the Press”
“The official definition, that talks about just when do you turn the corner, when do you go from plummeting to finally starting to go back up. I think we have at least in terms of GDP reached that point. What I think the president has said and what I firmly believe, you're not recovered until all those people that want to work are back to work,

Romer: “Of course not.”

National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“I don't think that there is any question that the recovery act is serving its intended function. Look, look at the economic debate today. People are talking about how much job creation there will be, and talking about the pace of the recovery from recession. We are not where we would like to be as a country, but, gosh, it's different from where it was when the recovery act was passed.”

Former Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney on NBC’s “Meet the Press”
“This is not going to be a jobless recovery, the economy will come back, the private sector will grow again. But it has been a jobless stimulus. And that's unfortunate because the president had an opportunity to focus on the economy, to create jobs but instead Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid created something that stimulated government.”

BANKERS IN THE WHITE HOUSE
National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“It was irresponsible risk taking that brought the economy to the brink of collapse. It was their irresponsible risk taking in many cases that brought the economy to collapse. And frankly after the Asian crisis and the 1987 stock market crash, and after other things that happened, it was not the first time. And they don't get in some cases that they wouldn't be where they are today, and they certainly would not be paying the bonuses they are paying today if their government hadn't taken extraordinary actions.”

National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“For them to be complaining about serious regulation directed at making sure this never happens again is wrong. For $300 million to be spent on lobbyists trying to gut serious efforts at financial reform is not how this country should be operating. For firms that have benefited from taxpayer support to be complaining about the government burdening them is frankly a bit rich."

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Minority Whip) on ABC’s “This Week”
“When the president meets with the bankers, I hope that the discussion centers on what seems to be a real overreaction from the auditors in the regulatory arena that are looking at risk-taking as something that just should be done at all. we know in our economy that the prosperity we know has been built on calculated risk.”

Personal Finance Expert Suze Orman on CNN’s “State of the Union” on what she would tell bankers if she had the opportunity
“I would say, bankers, what in the world is the matter with you? You took taxpayers and you are giving out bonuses and acting like nothing is wrong and some of your stocks have increased in value from their low. However, you're not serving the people you should be serving and in my opinion, bankers, you are serving, not all bankers, but many of them, you are serving your own bottom lines and shame on you.”

DEALING WITH DEFICITS
The White House would not take a firm position, again, on whether it would support creating a new commission to recommend major deficit-reduction measures – with Congress required to cast an up or down vote on the recommendations when the work is done. Plus, a big spending bill that increase some Cabinet department budgets by 10 percent or more only added to the skepticism that real deficit reduction is in the offing.

National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers on CNN’s “State of the Union” responding to the question of whether the White House would commit to or reject a proposal for the creation of a commission to address deficit reduction
“The president wants to see the problem solved. He’s prepared to accommodate others on the way that will work to do it. What’s important is that the problem be solved.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“I think the way we will get spending long term under control is to get bipartisan commission, and Democrats and Republicans come together and put revenues and spending out there and come back and vote up straight and down. I don't see how the process where everybody kind of goes on is going to come to an end until we have the discipline to do a straight up or down vote on revenues and spending cuts.”

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“Republicans share some of the blame. We were in charge. We did not control spending well enough either. You have a Democrat President, Democrat majority in the House and Senate, and all of them have their foot on the pedal. They are driving this thing over the cliff. Somebody has to put the breaks on.”

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Minority Whip) on ABC’s “This Week”
“If you look at the kind of deficit that we've incurred over the last three years that the Democrats have been in control of Congress, 60% of the overall deficit from the last ten years has occurred in that period. And frankly with the incurrence of the debt, we’ve seen very little result. That’s why we think we ought to choose another way.”

And there was a feisty debate about the math – and methods – of the health care debate as well. As senators await new numbers from the Congressional Budget Office on the Democrats’ latest idea, there were bipartisan worries that as it now stands, the measure does not do enough to bend the health care cost curve.

STATE OF HEALTH CARE REFORM
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“The main thing the President can do and the leadership in congress can do now is do no harm. The reason small businesses are not investing is they see the policy uncertainty over Washington. They see more borrowing and more taxing and more debt and more spending, and in the health care bill, they see the premiums going up.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Minority Leader) on CBS’ “Face the Nation”
“I'm not in favor of no health care reform. I think we ought to go step by step. Target losses between doctors and hospitals, have inter-state competition among health care companies incentivize wellness programs that companies like safe way have shown can bring down the cost. There are things that we can do to improve what is already the finest health care in the world.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) on CBS’ “Face the Nation” about whether he could support the current Senate compromise legislation on health care reform
“I certainly would have a hard time voting for it because it has some of the same infirmities that the public option did. It will add taxpayer cost. It will add to the deficit. It’s unnecessary.”

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) on “Fox News Sunday”
“It has to slow down the increase of health care costs over time and that is bending the cost curve and, secondly, that it has to be deficit neutral. We have to be saving more money for our government than we're spending. And if we're not saving more money for our government than we're spending, then not only will I not support it. The President said he won't support it.”

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and the week ahead,
John King

Washington (CNN) - The U.S. Senate on Sunday approved $447 billion in spending for several Cabinet departments and other agencies for the 2010 budget year - money needed to fund the federal government after the coming week.

On a mostly partisan vote of 57-35, the Senate approved the compromise omnibus spending plan worked out with the House, which passed it last week. The measure now goes to President Barack Obama to be signed into law to succeed the previous funding resolution that expires December 18.

The vote occurred in an unusual Sunday session as the Senate worked for the second consecutive weekend in a push by the Democratic leadership to complete work on a sweeping health care bill and also get the appropriations bill passed.

The omnibus bill, which combines six separate appropriations measures, provides money for for non-defense government agencies including the departments of Transportation, State Department, Veterans Affairs, Commerce and Justice for the fiscal year that started October 1.

A separate defense spending bill is expected to be considered later this week.

The omnibus measure also authorizes about $600 billion in mandatory federal spending on government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, funding that is set by formula and cannot be altered by Congress.

Republicans denounced the bill as bloated with wasteful spending. On Saturday, the Democratic-controlled Senate cleared a procedural vote needed to end a Republican filibuster and allow for Sunday's vote to take place.

According to the independent, nonpartisan group Taxpayers for Common Sense, the spending bill includes 5,244 earmarks - or pet projects sought by members of Congress - that total just under $4 billion.

"I demand the president of the United States keep his word, when he signed another pork-laden bill last March, to veto this bill," Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who lost to Obama in last year's presidential election, said before Sunday's vote.

Among its many provisions, the bill would allow the government to transfer suspected terrorists now held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States to stand trial, and allow guns in checked luggage on Amtrak trains.

It also would provide auto dealers closed down under the General Motors and Chrysler restructuring an opportunity to be reinstated. The bill sets up a binding arbitration process that would let dealers present evidence that could allow them to reopen.

Sen. Thune criticized the White House and congressional Democrats for their spending and also acknowledged that Republicans share some of the blame for excessive spending and borrowing in the past.

Washington (CNN) – On the same day that the Senate is expected to vote on a massive spending bill, a Republican senator says the best approach to getting the federal government’s finances in order is to begin reducing spending.

“You’ve got to start there,” Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.

“Republicans share some of the blame,” Thune told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. “When we were in charge [of Congress and the White House] we didn’t control spending well enough either.”

But Thune added that Republicans in the last eight years looked like cheapskates compared to the spending going on under Democrats now.

Democrats “have their foot on the pedal,” Thune said Sunday. “I mean this thing is – they’re driving this thing over a cliff and somebody’s got to put the brakes on.”

“We can’t continue to borrow and spend at this rate,” added Thune.

Washington (CNN) - Unemployment will go down in the coming year, but that doesn't mean U.S. economic woes are over, leading economic figures said Sunday.

Appearing on the NBC program "Meet the Press," former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan and Christina Romer, chairman of the White House Council on Economic Advisers, both made qualified predictions for economic growth and decreasing unemployment.

"I feel (it's) very likely it will be coming down," Romer said of the unemployment rate, but warned some "bumps" are likely in the coming year.

Greenspan noted upcoming boosts to employment, such as more than 700,000 people working in 2010 to conduct the federal census.

Unemployment "is going to be lower," Greenspan said, mostly due to people returning to the labor force.

Greenspan distinguished between a technical end to the recession - which would be consecutive quarters of economic growth, likely happening now - and a comprehensive reversal of the downturn marked by renewed job growth.

To Romer, declaring the recession truly over means a drop in the unemployment rate from the current 10 percent level to the normal level before the downturn of about 5 percent.

"The recession took a long time coming; it's going to take a long time" coming out of it, Romer said.

Another of President Barack Obama's advisers, National Economic Council director Lawrence Summers, told CNN's "State of the Union" that "it will take time" for the economic recovery to bring down the unemployment rate.

Economic recoveries typically begin with growth in gross domestic product, which has started, Summers said.

"Most professional forecasters expect job growth by spring and I think that's a reasonable judgment in an uncertain world," said the former Treasury secretary. Helping spur job creation will be the Obama administration's $787 billion stimulus package, according to Summers.

"The number of projects under the program… is going to be about twice as great over the next six months as it was over the last six months," Summers said.

However, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican presidential nomination last year, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the stimulus program has failed to create jobs as promised and should be overhauled.

The nation's real economic threat is runaway spending that is creating "excessive and massive deficits" and "threatens our long-term viability," Romney said. He urged immediate steps to "rein in" government spending.

On "FOX News Sunday," Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire agreed on the need to set up a bipartisan congressional task force to advise the government on how to lower the federal deficit. McCaskill also plugged Obama's push to help small businesses get credit, starting with a meeting the president will have Monday with bank executives.

At the same time, the Obama administration wants to increase regulations on Wall Street firms and financial institutions to help protect consumers from excessive risk-taking that helped spawn the economic crisis last year. The House passed a bill Friday calling for tougher regulation of financial markets, but the measure is expected to face opposition in the Senate.

Summers told CNN that Wall Street should not be resisting Democratic efforts to impose new regulations.

"It was irresponsible risk-taking that brought the economy to the brink of collapse," he said.

"For firms that have benefited from taxpayer support to be complaining about the government burdening them is, frankly, a bit rich," Summers said.

After receiving so much public help, "now the financial community's got to think about its obligations to the country," he said.

Updated: 2:03 p.m.

Larry Summers took issue Sunday with complaints from Wall Street about Democratic plans for more financial regulation.

Washington (CNN) – A top economic adviser to President Obama said Sunday that Wall Street should not be resisting Democratic efforts to impose new financial regulations in the wake of last year’s financial crisis.

“It was irresponsible risk-taking that brought the economy to the brink of collapse,” Lawrence Summers, the Director of Obama’s National Economic Council, said about Wall Street Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “It was their irresponsiblilty in many cases that brought the economy to collapse. And, frankly ... it wasn’t the first time.

Watch: Summers slams Wall Street

“And they don’t get, in some cases, that they wouldn’t be where they are today - and they certainly wouldn’t be paying the bonuses they’re paying today - if their government hadn’t taken extraordinary actions. Extraordinary actions, not frankly with the motivation of helping them, but with the motivation of helping the economy but of which they were nonetheless the beneficiary.”

Summers also told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King that it was “wrong” for Wall Street to be “complaining about serious regulation directed at making sure this never happens again.”

“For firms that have benefited from taxpayer support to be complaining about the government burdening them is, frankly, a bit rich,” Summers also said Sunday.

After receiving so much help from the public in the form of support from the federal government in the past year, Summers said “now the financial community’s got to think about its obligations to the country.”

Summers identified preventing another near-collapse of the entire financial system, improving the flow of credit, preventing foreclosures, and improving lending to small businesses as areas the president might discuss with the heads of some of the nation’s largest banks in a meeting set for Monday.

“The president is going to focus on what the bankers can do for their country, what obligations they should feel,” Summers told King.

First Lady Michelle Obama challenged chefs on an upcoming episode of Iron Chef America.

Washington (CNN) – First Lady Michelle Obama challenged chefs from Iron Chef America to make 'garden fresh fare' in an upcoming special holiday installment of the Food Network show.

"Super Chef Battle," features Iron Chef Bobby Flay partnered with White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford competing against Iron Chef Mario Batali and Chef Emeril Lagasse.

In a preview of the special Comerford, who has been cooking for presidents since the Clinton administration, said the chefs were in "awe" of everything they saw at the White House.

The chefs were kept in the dark about most of the challenge, other than its special location inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"We had no idea what was gonna be unveiled." Lagasse said. "I was kind of waiting for the chairman to mysteriously come out of the White House...and then all of the sudden the First Lady Mrs. Obama comes out and stunning– I mean absolutely striking."

Batali said, while it was exciting seeing the Rose Garden, peeking into the Oval Office and meeting the Obamas' dog Bo, the most exciting thing for him was the First Lady's attire.

"Most significantly what you'll notice is the fact that she's wearing what has previously been called 'Batali orange," he joked. " When I pointed it out to her I said, 'I have to tell you Mrs. Obama, up until today...this has always been referred to as Batali orange, but I think from today on we will call it 'Obama-Batali orange.'"
"I think she got a little kick," he added.

While part of the special, airing January 3 is from the White House, the actual battle is out of the show's Kitchen Stadium set.

Palin made a surprise appearance on The Tonight Show Friday.

(CNN)– Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made an appearance Friday night on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, where she poked some fun at William Shatner.

Earlier this year, the actor made fun of Palin by reading some of her tweets during an appearance on The Tonight Show. Friday, Shatner continued by reading excerpts from her book "Going Rogue."

"I always remind people from outside of our state right that there is plenty of room for Alaska's animals. Right next to the mashed potatoes," Shatner read.

Then, Palin surprised the audience with her appearance and decided it was time for some payback.

"I think it's appropriate that I read a few choice excerpts from Mr. Shatner's autobiography," Palin declared. "I attended my first Star Trek convention in November 1975. The money they offered me to attend this convention was… do I dare? Yes, I do. Out of this world."

According to an aide traveling with Palin, she mingled with other guests including Tony Bennett and Zack Braff after her appearance, and wore the red jacket from her book cover for the last time.

Biden: Dodd is 'getting the living hell beat out of him'.

Washington (CNN) – Joe Biden praised Sen. Chris Dodd Friday, but conceded his good friend - one of the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats - is "getting the living hell beat of him."

The vice president made his comments at a fundraiser for Dodd Friday in Hartford, Connecticut. Dodd had been scheduled to accompany Biden at the fundraiser and at event earlier in the day to announce nearly $4 million in federal stimulus funding to replace an aging fire station in East Hartford, but stayed in the nation's capital to work on health care reform legislation and other Senate business.

The five-term senator, who's up for re-election next year and fighting for his political life, was replaced by wife Jackie Clegg Dodd.

The vice president heaped compliments on his fellow Democrat, calling him "the single most gifted legislator in Congress, now that Teddy Kennedy's gone."

Biden spoke of Dodd's dual roles for much of this year leading both the Senate Banking and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees at a time when financial reform and health care reform are among the most pressing matters facing Congress.

"Chris Dodd is the first United States senator that has simultaneously chaired two major committees in a moment of genuine national crisis," Biden said. "And had he got either of those jobs wrong, the consequences for America would be dire....

"Chris is getting the living hell beat out of him, the living bejesus beat out of him," said Biden. "Why? Because he's being a leader. This is going to be a hell of a race and it's an uphill race, but Chris Dodd will prevail."

In a sign of Dodd's sinking political fortunes, the Cook Political Report this week moved his race from "toss up" to "lean Republican."

Dodd saw his approval ratings plunge late last year and early this year, following last year's Wall Street and banking industry financial meltdown, Dodd's involvement in the AIG bonus controversy, and questions about mortgages he obtained from a VIP program.

Dodd's poll numbers inched up during the spring and summer after bottoming out earlier this year. But his approval rating slipped back again in a Quinnipiac University survey released last month. The poll also indicated that by 53 percent to 39 percent, Connecticut voters don't think Dodd deserves to be re-elected next year. According to the survey, Dodd is trailing his two potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2010 general election matchups.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

(CNN) – Jenny Sanford, the wife of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, said Friday she is filing for divorce.

She said in a statement that "the dissolution of any marriage is a sad and painful process."

"This came after many unsuccessful efforts at reconciliation, yet I am still dedicated to keeping the process that lies ahead peaceful for our family," the statement said.

The Sanfords have lived apart since June, when the governor admitted to an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman.

The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the divorce filing.

(Updated with additional information and Gov. Sanford's reaction after the jump)

After Mark Sanford made a nationally televised admission about his affair, there was a flurry of calls for the governor to resign and multiple investigations by media organizations and the state Ethics Commission into whether Sanford tapped taxpayer resources for personal use.

In November, the South Carolina Ethics Commission charged Sanford with 37 violations of the state ethics code.

The commission will hear arguments involving those civil charges from Sanford's legal team early next year. The state attorney general is still evaluating the ethics complaint to determine whether criminal charges should be pursued.

Several Republican state legislators drafted an impeachment resolution against Sanford, accusing him of "dereliction of duty" for disappearing from the state last summer without informing his staff or the the lieutenant governor.

But that measure was essentially killed by a special House Judiciary Subcommittee on Wednesday, which instead recommended censuring the governor for his behavior.

Sanford has said repeatedly that he will not step down from the state's top office.

Jenny Sanford's full statement:

Statement from First Lady Jenny Sanford

Columbia, S.C. – December 11, 2009 – As so many of us know, the dissolution of any marriage is a sad and painful process. It is also a very personal and private one. Because Mark and I are public figures, we have naturally had less privacy with which to deal with our difficulties than do other couples. Indeed, I know it will soon become known so I choose to release this brief notice that I am now filing for divorce. This came after many unsuccessful efforts at reconciliation, yet I am still dedicated to keeping the process that lies ahead peaceful for our family.

I remain thankful to so many across this state and nation for their words of encouragement and prayers during this difficult time. Please know the boys and I are doing well and are blessed with the incredible support of friends and family and bolstered by our faith and the unfailing love of our God above.

-#####-

Update: In response to the announcement, Gov. Sanford released a statement Friday taking "full responsibility for the moral failure that led us to this tragic point."

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
MARK SANFORD, GOVERNOR

Columbia, S.C. – December 11, 2009 – With regard to Jenny's public statement, Governor Sanford had the following to say:

"While it is not the course I would have hoped for, or would choose, I want to take full responsibility for the moral failure that led us to this tragic point. Jenny is a great person, and has been a remarkable wife, mother and First Lady. She has been more than gracious these last six months and gone above and beyond in her patience and commitment to put the needs of others in front of her own. While our family structure may change, I know that we will both work earnestly to be the best mom and dad we can be to four of the finest boys on earth.

"I will join with her in asking the press to respect our shared desire for privacy as we quietly move forward. We respectively ask for your prayers."

-###-
-#####-

'I liked what he said,' former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said of the president's Nobel acceptance speech.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin had some rare praise Thursday for President Obama after the president delivered his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo. But the former Republican vice presidential nominee added that she would like to see the president act more like his predecessor, George W. Bush.

"I liked what he said," Palin told USAToday in an interview after the speech.

Palin said the president's remarks had a familiar ring. "I thumbed through my book quickly this morning to say 'Wow! That really sounded familiar.' because I talked in book too about the fallen nature of man and why war is necessary at times."

Related: War sometimes justified, Obama says

But Palin suggested Obama could learn a few things from former President Bush.

"We have to stop those terrorists over there," she told the paper. "We've learned our lesson from 9/11. George Bush did a great job of reminding Americans every single day that he was in office what that lesson is. And, by the way, I'd like to see President Obama follow more closely in the footsteps of George Bush and [Bush's] passion keeping the homeland safe, his passion for respecting – honoring our troops."

Palin is the second prominent Republican to praise Obama's speech accepting the Nobel Prize, after former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called it "very good."

Polls indicate that most Americans believe the award was given to the president prematurely. In his remarks, Obama acknowledged the controversy as he accepted the esteemed international prize after less than a year in the White House.

"I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility," Obama said in the speech. "Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize ... my accomplishments are slight."

Read: Obama's Nobel acceptance speech

Gingrich praises Obama's speech.

(CNN) – Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich praised President Obama's acceptance speech Thursday before the Nobel Committee in Oslo.

"I thought the speech was actually very good," Gingrich told NPR's The Takeaway. "He clearly understood that he had been given the prize prematurely, but he used it as an occasion to remind people, first of all, as he said: that there is evil in the world."

The comments mark the second time in a month that Gingrich has given President Obama's performance a positive nod. Following the president's speech at West Point, Gingrich said the decision to increase troop levels in Afghanistan "took considerable courage."

Grayson to Cheney: Time to ‘STFU’

Washington (CNN) – Outspoken Rep. Alan Grayson has a message for blunt-speaking former Vice President Dick Cheney: stop talking.

Responding to the former VP’s criticism of President Obama’s national security policy, including his decision to try accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in civilian court, the Florida Democrat lapsed into Web-speak.

“You know, on the internet there's an acronym that's used to apply to situations like this. It's called ‘STFU,’” Grayson said on MSNBC’s Hardball. “I don't think I can say that on the air, but I think you know what that means.” The letters are an acronym for “shut the f*** up.”

Cheney has been a vocal critic of the president’s policies, telling Fox News earlier this week that the extended decision-making process on Afghanistan “feeds into sort of the basic al Qaeda strategy” by fueling a sense of uncertainty on the future direction of U.S. involvement.

CNN poll: GOP has erased party popularity gap in Congress

Washington (CNN) – Eleven months before crucial midterm elections, a national poll indicates that the public is divided over whether the country would be better off with Democrats or Republicans controlling Congress.

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday, 40 percent of people questioned say the U.S. would be better off if Democrats ran Congress while 39 percent feel things would be better if Republicans took charge on Capitol Hill. The 1-point margin is a statistical tie.

Full results (pdf)

Support for Democrats is down from a 10-point advantage in August and a 25-point margin in January.

"As the debate over health care continues, the Democrats may have lost the competitive advantage that they enjoyed earlier this year," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "Since August, the number who support Democratic control of Congress has fallen farthest in the Northeast and the Pacific Rim - two regions that have been Democratic strongholds for many years."

Full Story

A California lawmaker announced Wednesday that he is no longer backing legislation that would honor disgraced golfer Tiger Woods with a congressional gold medal.

Washington (CNN) – A California lawmaker announced Wednesday that he is no longer backing legislation that would honor disgraced golfer Tiger Woods with a Congressional Gold Medal.

In March of this year, Rep. Joe Baca, D-California, introduced a resolution calling for Woods to receive the high congressional honor.

The award was justified, Baca's bill said, because, among other things, "Woods has broken barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people, regardless of race, color, or creed... Woods has inspired countless people of all ages, impressing upon them that their hopes, dreams, and prayers may be achieved through hard work, persistence, education, and good sportsmanship."

Baca announced Wednesday that he has had a change of heart about honoring Woods.

"In light of the recent developments surrounding Tiger Woods and his family, I will not pursue legislation awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal this session," the congressman said in a statement.

Baca's announcement comes amid reports that television ads featuring the embattled golfer have not aired since November 29.

Dick Cheney is predicting the Republican Party is in for a big 2010

(CNN) - As President Barack Obama nears one year in office, Dick Cheney is predicting the Republican Party is in for a big 2010.

"I think we'll pick up a lot of seats," the former vice president told Fox New's Sean Hannity Tuesday. "Prospects for the Republicans in 2010 are very good."

Next November, all 435 seats in the House and more than a third in the Senate are up for grabs. Democrats will be defending their 258-177 margin in the House and 20-seat advantage in the Senate.

Cheney, who is among his party's most fervent critics of the president, said Obama is in a more vulnerable position than anyone predicted one year ago.

"Right after Obama was elected, there was the view that he was invincible," Cheney said. "He raised more money than anybody else. He had a machine that smashed the Clinton campaign and then won the election, and that he'd be around for eight years and now I think that has changed fairly dramatically."

The vice president also said Obama has implemented "radical" far left policies even though he campaigned as a conventional Democrat.

"He got elected as a liberal Democrat, but conventional in the sense of falling within the parameters of the national Democratic Party," Cheney said. "He's demonstrated pretty conclusively now during his first year in office that he's more radical than that, that he's farther outside the parameters…of what we've traditionally had in Democratic presidents in years past."

But Cheney held back from predicting who in his party is best positioned to take on the president come 2012.

"At this point I'd be reluctant to pinpoint anybody," he said. "It might hurt them more than it would help them coming from me."

A congressional committee voted Wednesday to subpoena Michaele and Tareq Salahi. (Photo Credit: White House Photo/File)

Washington (CNN) - The House Homeland Security Committee voted 26-3 to subpoena Tareq and Michaele Salahi to testify on January 20, 2010.

Related: Couple prepared to invoke Fifth Amendment, attorney says

A Republican attempt to subpoena White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers was ruled non-germane and the effort ultimately failed.

Related: Salahis stood out years ago

CNN Poll: Does Obama deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Hours before Barack Obama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a new national poll indicates that fewer Americans than ever think the president deserves the award. But according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, a majority of the public believes the president will eventually accomplish enough to merit the honor.

Full results (pdf)

Nineteen percent of people questioned in the poll released Wednesday afternoon say Obama currently deserves the prize, with another 35 percent saying that it's likely he will eventually accomplish enough in office to deserve the award. Still, greater than four in 10 believe the president will never deserve the prize.

The 19 percent who believe Obama deserves the award is down 13 points from a CNN poll conducted in October, soon after the award was announced.

"That number dropped 21 among Democrats and 10 points among independents, possibly due in part to Obama's recent decision to send 30,000 more U.S. combat troops to the war in Afghanistan," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

But although most people do not think the president currently deserves the peace prize, seven in 10 questioned - including a majority of Republicans - say he should go to Oslo, Norway Thursday to accept the award.

The CNN Opinion Research Corporation national poll was conducted December 2-3, with 1,041 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Palin is calling on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen climate change conference next week.

(CNN) –Sarah Palin has taken to the Washington Post op-ed page to urge President Barack Obama to cancel his scheduled appearance at the Copenhagen climate change conference next week.

Referencing private e-mails from climate change scientists at a research facility in Britain that were hacked and published on the Internet late last month, Palin said now is not the time for the President to show his support for the "radical environmental movement."

"Instead of staying home from Copenhagen and sending a message that the United States will not be a party to fraudulent scientific practices, the president has upped the ante, Palin writes. "He plans to fly in at the climax of the conference in hopes of sealing a 'deal.' Whatever deal he gets, it will be no deal for the American people."

Palin added Obama's underlying political objective is to increase pressure on Congress to pass the Democrats "cap and trade" energy proposal that is expected to be debated early next year.

"This is a political move. The last thing America needs is misguided legislation that will raise taxes and cost jobs - particularly when the push for such legislation rests on agenda-driven science," writes Palin. "Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference. The president should boycott Copenhagen."

At the vice presidential debate last year, Palin said she was for capping carbon emissions but did not elaborate on how she would do that.

"When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said slow down, it's too early, let's wait, things aren't bad enough," Reid said Monday in a Senate floor speech.

Several GOP senators and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele have demanded that Reid apologize for the remark. But Reid refused to do so Tuesday when asked about the GOP demands.

"Well, I think the point is quite clear by this point," Reid told reporters on Capitol Hill. "That at pivotal points in American history the tactics of distortion, delay have certainly been present. They've been used to stop progress. That's what we're talking about here. That's what's happening here. That's very clear. That's a point I made - no more, no less. Anyone who willingly distorts my comments is only proving my point."

As majority leader, Reid is charged with getting the 60 votes needed to pass health care in the Senate. Early polling shows that Reid faces a tough re-election battle in 2010.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin spoke about Mike Huckabee's clemency decision and a potential third party run in 2012.

Washington (CNN) – Sarah Palin said in a recent radio appearance that Mike Huckabee made a "horrible decision" nine years ago to commute the prison sentence of the man suspected of killing four police officers in Washington, but she added that her "heart goes out" to the former Arkansas governor.

In an interview last week with conservative radio host Lars Larson, Palin called the murders "tragic" and "unfathomable."

"It was a bad decision obviously, but my heart goes out to Huckabee," the former Alaska governor said. "I love him, and I feel bad for him to be in this position. But I feel even worse for the victim's families in this situation. I do feel bad for Huckabee, but it was a horrible decision he made."

Huckabee has said he regrets the decision to commute the sentence of the suspected shooter, Maurice Clemmons, but said he thinks he made the right assessment at the time. Palin said she had never pardoned or granted clemency to prisoners when she served in Juneau.

"I don't have a whole lot of mercy for the bad guys," she said. "I'm on the good guys' side."

Pressed on her political ambitions, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee would not rule out a third party run at the White House in 2012.

"That depends on how things go in the next couple of years," she said. "It really does depend. There are enough Republicans who are realizing, 'Oh whoops, some of us liberal republicans have screwed up.' And I'm not including myself in that group, but some liberal Republicans have screwed up."

Palin said her decision rests on whether or not the GOP does a better job of appealing to its conservative base.

"If the Republican Party gets back to that base, I think our party is going to be stronger and there's not going to be a need for a third party, but I'll play that by ear in these coming months, coming years," she said.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele said Tuesday that disagreements with Democrats over health care reform have 'nothing to do with the historic roots of slavery.'

(CNN) – Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele Tuesday demanded that the Senate Democratic leader apologize for invoking slavery as he criticized Republicans for their opposition to passing health care reform.

"Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all Republicans can come up with is this: Slow down, stop everything, let's start over," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Monday.

"If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right," Reid also said from the Senate floor. "When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said slow down, it's too early, let's wait, things aren't bad enough."

Steele, the RNC's first African-American chairman, took exception with Reid's remarks.
"It was not a sober moment for Harry Reid at all," Steele said Tuesday morning on CBS. "It was an ignorant moment.

"I'm kind of sick and tired of the left and Democrats in this country. When they get into trouble and don't get their way and their backs are up against the wall on legislation or whatever it is that they're trying to do, they go to that card. They play that race card, that slavery card, that civil rights card."

Steele added that disagreements with Democrats over health care reform have "nothing to do with the historic roots of slavery."

The RNC head said Reid "needs to go to the well of the Senate, take it back, and apologize for offending the sensibilities of the American people on something so important."

Harry Reid is being targeted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Washington (CNN) – Republicans on Monday were quick to pounce on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, for comparing the battle over health care to the battle over the legacy of slavery.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee purchased a Web ad on the popular Drudge Report asking readers: "Do you agree with Harry Reid?"

Those who click on the ad are taken to an NRSC Web site called "Health Care Task Force," which asks readers to sign a petition and "stand up to Harry Reid and his insulting remarks."

Reid, who is in danger of losing his re-election bid next year, made the remarks Monday morning on the floor of the Senate.

"Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all Republicans can come up with is this: slow down, stop everything, let's start over," Reid said.

"If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said slow down, it's too early, let's wait, things aren't bad enough."

A bill that could legalize same-sex marriage comes up for debate in a New Jersey Senate committee Monday.

(CNN) - The battle over gay marriage moves to New Jersey Monday.

A bill that would legalize same-sex marriages comes up for debate in the state's Senate Judiciary Committee. If the legislation passes through the panel, it could be voted on by the full state Senate by the end of the week. The state Assembly hasn't considered the bill yet.

The timing is important since Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who takes office next month, says he would veto the bill. The man Christie beat in last month's election, out-going Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, says he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk before he leaves office.

Last week, New York's state Senate defeated a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages. The legislation had already passed the state Assembly. New York Gov. David Paterson said he would have immediately signed the bill if it had made it to his office.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Iowa are currently the only states that legally allow same-sex marriages. Earlier this year, lawmakers in Maine approved legalized gay marriages. But voters in Maine last month passed a referendum to overturn the new law. A vote last week by the District of Columbia's city council moved Washington, D.C. one step closer to legalizing same sex marriages.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

CNN Poll: Skepticism on global warming heating up?.

Washington (CNN) – A rise in skepticism among Americans over global warming is mostly due to changes among Republicans, according to new national poll.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, indicates that two-thirds of all Americans believe global warming is a proven fact. That's down eight points since June of 2008, with views among Democrats holding steady while Republicans' belief in global warming dropping 11 points.

Full results (pdf)

"The growing skepticism among Republicans, with no matching shift among Democrats, suggests that the changes measured in this poll may be a reaction to having a Democrat in the White House rather than a shift in underlying attitudes toward global warming," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The poll's release come as a United Nations climate summit opened in Copenhagen, Denmark. That global conference began under a cloud of accusations, after international attention the past two weeks over hacked e-mails that suggest some scientists faked data to support the argument of global warming. But Holland notes that polls released last month from other organizations have found similar shifts in views on global warming for several months. He says that indicates the changes in the new CNN survey are not the direct result of the media attention to the leaked e-mails from climate researchers.

iReport: Share your thoughts on climate change.

According to the survey, roughly a third of the people who believe in global warming think it is due to natural causes, rather than manmade causes such as industrial emissions. As a result, the number who say that global warming is caused by humans has dropped from 54 percent last summer to 45 percent now.

The poll indicates the number who say the U.S. should reduce emissions even if other countries do not follow suit has also dropped, from 66 percent in 2007 to 58 percent today.

"That drop is due to roughly equal changes among Republicans and Democrats, suggesting that economic conditions, rather than political factors, may be at play," noted Holland.

Why do a majority support lowering emissions when most Americans no longer think emissions cause global warming? "Americans may have other reasons to support a reduction in carbon dioxide and other gases," Holland says. "Pollution is pollution, and the country has been worried about clean air long before global warming became a topic of discussion."

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted December 2-3, with 1,041 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percent for the overall sample.

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Sarah Palin has erased her drop in the polls that followed her resignation as Alaska governor, according to to new CNN poll out Monday.

Washington (CNN) - Sarah Palin has erased her drop in the polls that followed her resignation as Alaska governor, according to new national survey.

But when it comes to opinions of Palin, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday suggests a partisan divide and a gender gap.

The survey indicates that Americans are split on Palin, with 46 percent saying they have a favorable opinion of her and an equal amount saying they have an unfavorable view of last year's Republican vice presidential nominee.

Full results (pdf)

Palin resigned as Alaska governor in July, with a year and a half left in her first term. She attributed the decision to tremendous pressure, time and the financial burden of a litany of ethics complaints in the past several months, complaints Palin said were without merit and took away from the job she wanted to do for Alaskans.

Related video: Public split on Palin

Following her resignation, Palin's favorable rating dropped to 39 percent in CNN polling, but her popularity is now back to the same level it was before she stepped down. The former governor is in the middle of a national tour for her best selling book, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

Eight out of ten Republicans questioned the survey have a favorable opinion of Palin, with more than seven in ten Democrats view her unfavorably. Independents are evenly divided on Palin. According to the poll, 51 percent of men see her in a positive light, with an nearly equal amount of women view Palin in a negative way.

"The gender gap on Palin is not simply a function of the fact that women tend to identify with the Democratic party more than men do," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Even within GOP circles, Republican men like Palin more than Republican women do. John McCain put Palin on his ticket in 2008 to appeal to female voters, but it looks like men are a natural constituency for her."

How does the first female vice-presidential major party candidate in more than two decades compare to recent vice presidents?

"Palin is still not as popular Al Gore and remains more unpopular than Joe Biden, but her favorable rating is much higher than Dick Cheney's," adds Holland.

Palin's book tour brought her to Iowa on Sunday. With the former Alaska governor considered a possible contender for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, attention has been sparked by her visit to Iowa, site of the first event on the presidential calendar. Long lines of people have waited hours to see Palin during many stops of her nearly month long book tour.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted December 2-3, with 1,041 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

"I'm the president but he's 'The Boss,'" Obama said Sunday night about famed rocker Bruce Springsteen, left. . (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - Legendary performers mingled with Washington heavyweights as the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors were celebrated Sunday night.

"On a day like this, I remember, I'm the president, but he's 'The Boss,'" President Barack Obama said as he paid tribute to Bruce Springsteen The singer and songwriter was honored for his lifetime of contributions to the performing arts, as were writer, composer, actor, director and producer Mel Brooks; pianist and composer Dave Brubeck; opera singer Grace Bumbry; and actor, director and producer Robert De Niro.

Notables such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, broadcaster Barbara Walters and television personality Jon Stewart helped fete the performers.

Describing the honorees, the Kennedy Center said: "With his hilarious movies and musicals, Mel Brooks has created comedic gems that will keep us laughing for years to come. Dave Brubeck's genius has dazzled us for six decades and has helped to define an American art form. Grace Bumbry helped to break the color barrier on her way to one of the most illustrious operatic careers in the 20th century.

"One of America's greatest cinematic actors, Robert De Niro has demonstrated a legendary commitment to his characters and has co-founded one of the world's major film festivals. With his gritty and honest songs that speak to the everyman, Bruce Springsteen has always had his finger on the pulse of America."

The honorees are selected by the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees based on contributions to American culture, through dance, music, opera, theater, movies or television.

This year's celebration is to be shown in a two-hour special on CBS on December 29.

On State of the Union Sunday, Republican strategist Mary Matalin said President Obama's Afghan surge is 'a reassertion of the Bush doctrine.'

Washington (CNN) – A leading Republican strategist and one-time aide to former Vice President Cheney said Sunday that President Obama’s recently announced decision to send an additional 30, 000 troops to Afghanistan is “a reassertion of the Bush doctrine.”

“The [Bush] doctrine is no safe havens [for terrorists intent on harming the United States] and we go after those that provide a harbor [for such terrorists]. That’s the doctrine,” Republican strategist Mary Matalin explained Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.

Obama’s decision to surge additional troops into Afghanistan is “solid policy,’ in Matalin’s view and “a reassertion of the Bush doctrine.”

“Every strategic element is from the Bush doctrine. The tactics are from the Bush surge [in Iraq],” she said.

Matalin added that when civilian contractors and forces supplied by NATO allies are considered “there are enough troops” in Afghanistan.

But, Matalin also said Sunday that, by announcing a date to begin to remove some American troops, Obama had sent a mixed message about the United States’ commitment in Afghanistan.

In laying out his new strategy, Obama gave “a discordant speech,” the Republican strategist said of the president’s address last week at West Point.

“It’s hard to reconcile [saying] this is for the security of the whole world, but we’re going to get out in 18 months,” Matalin said.

“The problem for Democrats,” Matalin also said Sunday, “is that they’ve bashed Bush strategy and tactics for so long and now they have to embrace them because they’re the only ones that do work.”

In his Crib Sheet, CNN's John King looks back at Sunday's talk shows and ahead to the topics that will be making news this week.

The president’s national security team dominated the Sunday landscape, fanning out to sell the administration’s new Afghanistan strategy, but perhaps creating at least a bit of rhetorical confusion along the way.

“We’re not talking about an exit strategy,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in one of three TV interviews she taped Saturday for airing Sunday.

National Security Adviser retired Gen. James Jones said the July 2011 date cited by the president in his speech last week was the beginning of a “ramp” to bring U.S. troops home.

“There’s no timeline – no ramp,” was the characterization of Gen. David Petraeus.

Different members of the team, different language. Not a problem unless the end result is a lack of clarity. Let’s begin then with a montage from the president’s’ war council – and you be the judge of their communications skills:

National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones (Ret.) on CNN’s State of the Union
“It is not a cliff. It's a glide slope. So, certainly, the president has also said that we're not leaving Afghanistan.”
Defense Secretary Robert Gates on ABC’s “This Week”
“This is a transition that's going to take place. And it's not an arbitrary date.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on CBS's "Face the Nation"
“We want to show urgency about our aims here. And we do expect to start this transition in July 2011.”
National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones (Ret.) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
King: “Where's the end of the ramp? If the beginning is 2011, where's the end of the ramp? 2015, 2020?”
Gen. Jones: “The end of the ramp will be predicated on exactly how much progress we're making”
CENTCOM Commander Gen. David Petraeus on “Fox News Sunday”
“There's no timeline, no ramp, nothing like that. Again, I think it's very important to note, as many have observed, this is not - this doesn't trigger a rush to the exits.”
  
More Sound of Sunday on the war front, broken down, roughly, along policy and political lines.

THE AFGHAN CHALLENGE

National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones (Ret.) on CNN’s State of the Union
“We have strategic interests in South Asia that should not be measured in terms of finite times. We're going to be in the region for a long time. We want it to be - we want this relationship to be, as we have with all struggling democracies, we want to be helpful. We wanted to transition from more of a purely military relationship to a civilian relationship.”

National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones (Ret.) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“…the most important thing that we need to achieve strategically in the next two years is to work with our friends in Pakistan and make sure that these safe havens are eliminated. If that happens, everyone agrees that if that happens, the strategic effect to the west, in this - in the country of Afghanistan, will be much, much easier. If the safe havens stay, then the problem is longer and more difficult.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on CBS's "Face the Nation"
“There isn't a deadline. What we have is a specific date on which we will begin transferring responsibility for security district by district, province by province in Afghanistan to the Afghans. The process of that and the subsequent thinning of our forces will take place over a period of time and will happen and will be done based on conditions on the ground. And the decision on that will be made by our commanders in the field.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on NBC’s "Meet the Press"
“We will begin to thin our forces and begin to bring them home, but the pace of bringing them home and where we will bring them home from will depend on the circumstances on the ground and those judgments will be made by our commanders in the field.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on NBC's "Meet the Press"
“Our commanders think that these additional forces and one of the reasons for the president's decision to try and accelerate their deployment is the view that this extended surge has the opportunity to make significant gains in terms of reversing the momentum of the Taliban, denying control of Afghan territory and degrading their capabilities”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on CBS's "Face the Nation"
“… we've said very clearly that our aid is going to be based on a certification of accountability and transparency. So there are certain ministries we will not, American money will not be going to. We've looked at every civilian assistance program and contract and we've said, 'look, we're not going to just aid and abet bad behavior.' So we will be putting the money where, as Bob said, we think we've got people who are doing a good job. And they are. And so part of the challenge here is to begin to make the more difficult, complicated assessments that were not made before.”

CENTCOM Commander Gen. David Petraeus on “Fox News Sunday”
“And again, there's no - there's no timeline, no ramp, nothing like that. Again, I think it's very important to note, as many have observed, this is not - this doesn't trigger a rush to the exits. It triggers a beginning of transition to Afghan security forces and over time a beginning of transition of tasks to Afghan governmental elements as well.”

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) on CNN’s “State of the Union” weighs in on the Afghan President
“I believe he can be successful, but he's got to commit himself to those goals, and there's no question that there is corruption within his administration and, some assert, within his family. As a result, again, when I was in - in Kandahar, for example, tribal leaders there were very distrustful of him, and they wanted us to stay and to be able to rely on our commitment. So he's going to have to change his ways. But I know he's a - a smart leader. He knows our support is not unlimited.”

THE POLITICAL CHALLENGE

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on NBC's "Meet the Press"
“I have every confidence within a year to 18 months we can achieve success. We were able to do that in Iraq. We will leave and not allow the Taliban to make comments like Taliban prisoners are saying - you've got the watches and we've got the time. We don't want to send that message.”

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) on ABC’s “This Week”
“I'm afraid that the president's idea, which is to set a date when we may start withdrawing troops, gives nobody anything they want. It doesn't give the Afghan people the belief that we're actually leaving, it doesn't give the American people any confidence that we have a plan to finally this. But I think the best thing we can do is to have a real timetable, a flexible timetable that says look, we're going to continue this for a reasonable period but it is not a top priority in going after Al Qaeda, it is certainly not the top priority for the people of the united states given our economic problems. So from neither an international nor national level, does it make sense, to put so many resources into a place that doesn't even involve our basic national security.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) on “Fox News Sunday”
“I understand the President took the time to reach this decision after more than seven years. We were at a point where we had to really reassess our strategy. I'm skeptical as to whether 30,000 more troops will make a difference. We have over 200,000 now when you count NATO forces, American forces, and afghan military forces. But I think at this point the president is moving forward. The thing that I find encouraging you probably find discouraging and that is the fact that he has said to the leader of Afghanistan, Mr. Karzai, there's a limit beyond which we will not leave American troops. We're not going to make Afghanistan a protectorate of the United States.”

THE BIN LADEN FACTOR

National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones (Ret.) on CNN’s State of the Union 
“The best estimate is that he is somewhere in North Waziristan, sometimes on the Pakistani side of the border, sometimes on the Afghan side of the border. …we're going to have to get after that to make sure that this very, very important symbol of what al Qaeda stands for is either, once again, on the run or captured or killed.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on ABC’s “This Week”
GATES: “ …we don't know for a fact where Osama bin Laden is. If we did, we'd go get him. But...
STEPHANOPOULOS:  When was the last time we had any good intelligence on where he was?
GATES:  I think it's been years. 
STEPHANOPOULOS:  Years?
GATES:  I think so.   
STEPHANOPOULOS:  So these reports that came out just this week about a detainee saying he might have seen him in Afghanistan earlier this year?
GATES:  No, that's...
STEPHANOPOULOS:  We can't confirm that. 
GATES:  No.”

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD

National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones (Ret.) on the administration’s outreach to Iran
“That clock's ticking. The door is still open, but, unfortunately, the picture Iran is painting is not a good one. But we are still open to negotiations. The IAEA is still working feverishlyto try to bring this about. What's on the table is very logical, very fair, very reasonable.And if Iran wanted to signal to the world that it wishes to participate more fully in the family of nations, this is a very, very good way for them to do this. “

National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones (Ret.) on efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay prison
“I think the important thing is that it's moving in the right direction. The president is still insisting that we will close the facility, and we're working on finding new solutions. It won't - we won't meet the target date, unfortunately, but - but the important thing for the American people...
KING: Three months, six months, any idea?
JONES: Oh, I think before that, but - but within that timeframe.
KING: Within that time?
JONES: Yes, I think so.”

HEALTH CARE AND JOBS HERE AT HOME

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) on “Fox News Sunday” on whether or not the health care debate has stalled in the Senate:
“Not at all. We are down, thanks to Senator Harry Reid's leadership, we're down to two major issues, abortion and public option. I think we're coming to closure on those issues. We're likely to come to a vote on the abortion question maybe by tomorrow. The President is going to come in and urge us to bring this ball across the line, to finish this, as he should. This is an historic opportunity.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on CNN’s “State of the Union”
King: “If you needed the President to solve one problem today, to help things move forward, what would it be?”
Feinstein: “Well, to get 60 votes. If we have 60 votes, we move, and it gets done.”

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) on CNN’s “State of the Union” on T.A.R.P. money
“Our view would be, take some of the unspent stimulus money. That's what it was supposed to go for. The T.A.R.P. money that's returned to the treasury is supposed to be used for retiring our debt, or not allowing our debt to continue to rise, as it has been. I think we would like to see that - the T.A.R.P. money applied to the debt and use this unspent stimulus money to more directly create jobs.”

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney responds to some of the president’s ideas to spur job growth on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“A number of those things reflect a good start. But they're not going to get the economy going again alone. You're going to have to have something far more substantial than that. And by the way, T.A.R.P. has served its purpose. T.A.R.P. ought to be ended. We've got hundreds of billions of dollars there that is being used as a slush fund by Secretary Geithner and the Obama administration. Stop the T.A.R.P. recklessness at this point and get ourselves back to creating jobs by encouraging businesses to grow, expand their capital expenditures and hire."

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and the week ahead,
John King

President Obama used a speech at West Point last week to announce that he has ordered 30,000 additional troops to be sent to Afghanistan as part of a new, refocused strategy intended to quell the Taliban and help the Afghan government build up its own security forces. As part of the new strategy, Obama also said last week that the U.S. would begin to remove those additional troops in July 2011, depending upon the conditions on the ground in the war-torn country.

“I think he’s made the right decision with regards to Afghanistan in a general direction,” former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.

“And, by the way, you’re noting that Republicans are not making this a political football,” the former White House hopeful added. “Republicans are saying ‘Yeah, he’s done the right thing here.’”

But, Romney’s praise of Obama quickly turned to criticism.

“It took him a long time,” Romney said of Obama’s 3-month deliberation process. “That was a mistake, of course.

“I think he is mistaken also in sending these conflicting and confusing signals about the timeline because you don’t want in any way to have [Pakistan or Afghanistan] thinking that somehow we’re only in there for 18 months and then we’re getting out no matter what. That’s not the message you want to have heard.”

Romney also questioned Obama’s judgment in providing Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan with 30, 000 additional troops when McChrystal had reportedly requested 40,000 more.

“My first question is not, ok, how do I get it down to 30,000?” Romney told CNN Chief National correspondent John King. “My first question is what’s the right number?”

“I think [Obama] may have been a little unwise to cut back on that number,” Romney said Sunday. “But we sure hope [Obama’s surge] works,” the Republican added.

Romney’s comments echoed those of Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl who said earlier on State of the Union that Republicans generally supported Obama’s decision to order the surge.

But “I think he has complicated matters by having this firm beginning-of-withdrawal date” of July 2011, added Kyl.

“The reason I said it complicates matters is that in war, will matters, “explained Kyl, “In fact, the whole object of war is to break the will of the enemy to fight.”