**President Obama
*In a meeting with Democratic and Republican committee leaders Wednesday, the president "stressed a bipartisan approach" on health care legislation, The Hill reports. "But the senators said while Obama remained flexible on many of the provisions, he insisted that Congress must pass a bill this year."

*AP: "Obama's trip comes as a possible compromise emerged in the Senate to one of the most vexing obstacles in the health care reform debate." Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) is pushing a plan to create co-ops owned by groups of residents and small businesses that "would operate as nonprofits and without the government involvement that troubles Republicans and others about other public plan options."

*The White House announced that Obama will speak at the AMA next week. The New York Times reports that the organization will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan. "The A.M.A. does not believe that creating a public health insurance option for non-disabled individuals under age 65 is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs," it said in a statement to the Senate Finance Committee. "The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans."

*The rest of the Obama family is still in Europe, enjoying the sights and sounds of London, WaPo reports. "The White House declined to release details of the trip, but the French and British media, and sightseers on Twitter and other Web sites, have documented an impressive schedule. Among the first stops was tea with Sarah Brown, wife of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, at No. 10 Downing St."

"The Obamas are committed to following all of the relevant rules and regulations regarding the reimbursement for travel expenses," the First Lady's office tells ABC.

*The Chamber of Commerce plans to spend $100 million in advocacy against the "rapidly growing influence of government over private-sector activity," Wall Street Journal reports.

**Congress
*Bloomberg reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband lost $1 million in the AIG collapse. The news comes as lawmakers' financial disclosures are due.

Washington Post: "Top House lawmakers had considerable holdings in major financial institutions that took billions of dollars in taxpayer bailouts at the end of last year," the reports also show. "Some ethics watchdogs were critical of members of Congress for investing directly in companies they oversee. 'You wonder if they're voting on things because it's good for the country or because it would increase their personal wealth,'" said CREW's Melanie Sloan."

*AP: A tobacco control bill set to win Senate approval would give the federal government broad new powers to monitor and change a toxic substance that contributes to some 400,000 deaths every year. ... The House has already passed a similar bill, and resolution of relatively minor differences would send it to President Barack Obama. Unlike former President George W. Bush, who fought previous FDA regulation bills, Obama supports it."

*Pelosi told Politico "that she will urge the House to approve the Senate version of the tobacco bill without insisting on a formal conference between the chambers."

*"The House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) said Wednesday that he's at an impasse with the lead sponsor of a climate change bill strongly backed by Pelosi (D-Calif.), and that his list of Democratic members who would join him in voting against the measure is growing rather than shrinking," The Hill reports.

*WSJ: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband sustained losses of between $100,000 and $1 million on American International Group Inc. stock last year. The California couple also spent more than $250,000 to increase their ownership of a luxury spa in Napa Valley. ...The investments were among hundreds of financial transactions in 2008 by U.S. lawmakers that were disclosed in personal financial statements released Wednesday."

**Campaign Stuff
*Raleigh N&O looks at the Democrats in the mix in the NC Senate race.

*VA Gov: There seems to be consensus that McAuliffe's lack of roots in the state doomed his candidacy. "But in the end, his brassy personality, bundles of money and indelible ties to the Clintons could not compensate for his lack of deep roots in the state's Democratic politics, party strategists said yesterday," writes WaPo's Dan Balz.

Kyle noted the same thing in his write-up on the race. Despite bringing in big names, such as former President Bill Clinton, "These big names appear to only have solidified his place as the outsider."

National Journal notes an interesting tactic used by the Deeds campaign: "Starting Monday afternoon, the Deeds campaign launched a Google network blast (sometimes called a Google "surge") to capitalize on his weekend gains in the polls and get out the vote for Election Day, according to an email from a Google spokeswoman."

--Mike Memoli and Kyle Trygstad