**Health Care
*"Urging lawmakers to move quickly to overhaul American healthcare, President Obama on Tuesday criticized the 'politics of the moment' and said some in Congress were trying to put off decisions on legislation 'until special interests can kill it,' " Los Angeles Times reports. "The remarks were part of a White House blitz to promote the president's healthcare agenda this week, a strategy that also includes television interviews, a prime-time news conference today and a Thursday town hall in Cleveland."

*"House Democrats' drive to overhaul the nation's healthcare system sputtered Tuesday, fueling doubts that the complex legislation can be passed before lawmakers leave town for the August recess," The Hill reports.

*House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer "left open the possibility that House members may leave town this month without voting on health-care legislation, saying lawmakers still need to reach a consensus," Bloomberg reports.

*CNN's Dana Bash reports that a Democratic senator says he and others are "baffled" - a senior Democratic source says Democrats are "frustrated" that they're not getting more specific direction. The source: "We appreciate the rhetoric and his willingness to ratchet up the pressure but what most Democrats on the Hill are looking for is for the president to weigh in and make decisions on outstanding issues. Instead of sending out his people and saying the president isn't ruling anything out, members would like a little bit of clarity on what he would support - especially on how to pay for his health reform bill."

*Sen. Jim DeMint refused to take back "Waterloo." AP: "Appearing on NBC's Today show Wednesday, DeMint was asked if he stood by that statement. He replied, 'It's not personal. We've got to stop his politics.'

*"Drug makers, advocacy groups, biotechnology firms and insurance companies have ratcheted up efforts to offer their two cents -- and in most cases much, much more -- in influencing the health care legislation now working its way through Congress," NYT reports.

*"A coalition of anti-abortion groups is set to open a new front against Democrats' efforts to restructure American health care, claiming the plans open a back door to publicly financed abortions," Politico reports.

**President Obama
*"Six months into his administration, President Obama is at a pivotal moment," New York Times' Stolberg writes. He's passed the stimulus plan, and "bailed out Wall Street. ... But the public, and lawmakers, are growing skittish over Mr. Obama's next big plan, to remake the American health care system. How he handles the issue over the next several weeks could shape the rest of his presidency, shedding light on his political strength, his relationship with both parties in Congress and the extent to which he is willing to bend in fighting for his agenda."

*Wall Street Journal: "After weeks of allowing allies in Congress to shape the emerging bills, the White House signaled its intention to start spending more of Mr. Obama's political capital." Rahm Emanuel tells the paper: "We're going to have to wade in a little deeper into the nitty-gritty to keep the process going. We know that and accept that."

*Responding to criticism from David Brooks, Obama tells Katie Couric: "I don't spend a lot of time reading columns, Katie. The fact is that - you know, I am confident in the work that we're doing."

*Transparency: the Los Angeles Times reports, "the Obama administration has turned down a request from a watchdog group for a list of health industry executives who have visited the White House to discuss the massive healthcare overhaul." In its response, the Secret Service said "that documents revealing the frequency of such visits were considered presidential records exempt from public disclosure laws."

*"U.S. concerns over the slow pace of political, religious and ethnic reconciliation in Iraq are expected to dominate President Barack Obama's talks at the White House with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki," AP reports.

*The vice president is an ocean away from all of this, continuing a tour of former Russian Republics. He starts the day in Ukraine, before heading to Georgia for a meeting with President Saakashvili.

**Congress
*F-22s: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates scored a key victory Tuesday against the F-22 Raptor fighter in Congress, part of his battle to reshape Pentagon priorities. In a 58 to 40 vote, the Senate approved an amendment to cancel $1.75 billion that had been set aside by lawmakers to purchase seven additional F-22s in the 2010 Defense Department budget," WSJ reports.

*Coburn: "If Senate Republicans are hoping Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.), one of their fiercest ideologues, is going to help them take on President Barack Obama on health care reform, they may not want to hold their breath. While Coburn has plenty to say about the president's proposals, he says he isn't going to play the partisan attack dog this time. That's because when it comes to Coburn and Obama, it's personal," Roll Call reports.

*Freshmen: Politico reports that "with moderate Blue Dogs and vulnerable Democrats wavering on health care reform, the honeymoon might soon be over for the 32 freshmen who have been getting the kid-glove treatment from leaders who haven't needed their votes."

**Campaign Stuff
*Politico reports that the NRCC has "launched an early media blitz against one of the leading Democratic contenders" in the New York 23rd, state Sen. Darrel Aubertine. Rep. John McHugh is resigning to become Army secretary.

*Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) is now virtually tied with Pat Toomey (R) in a new Qunnipiac poll, AP notes. We'll have more from the poll shortly.

*Illinois: Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias will formally announce his bid for the Senate on Sunday, and Dan Seals, who lost the last two elections to Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), will run again for the 10th District seat -- though this time not against Kirk, Chicago Tribune reports.

*Anchorage Daily News: "Gov. Sarah Palin appears to have broken state ethics law by asking people to donate money to a trust set up to pay her legal bills, an investigator hired by the state found."

*"For a variety of reasons, like the economic problems crushing governors across the country and term-limit laws forcing out otherwise formidable Democratic incumbents, Republicans have a good shot at making gains in what is shaping up as a free-for-all for 39 governors' seats next year," Adam Nagourney writes.

*A New York judge sided with Republicans and blocked Gov. David Paterson's appointment of lieutenant governor.

--Mike Memoli and Kyle Trygstad