**Check out all the Preisdent Obama appearances you missed yesterday on the RealClearPolitics Video page.

**Afghanistan: "The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure," according to a copy of the 66-page document obtained by The Washington Post."

**Obama Sunday Blitz
*The biggest clash on Sunday likely was on ABC over the issue of a tax -- and whether a mandate in the health care bill would impose it. "I absolutely reject that notion," Obama said. "What it's saying is, is that we're not going to have other people carrying your burdens for you anymore. Right now everybody in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a tax increase."

*Bloomberg highlights this line from Obama, on ABC: "There have been times where I have said I've got to step up my game in terms of talking to the American people about issues like health care. That's been a case where I have been humbled and I just keep on trying harder."

*Washington Times highlights his foreign policy remarks. "Using some of his strongest language to date, Mr. Obama said he inherited failing American policies in Afghanistan and on missile defense, and set about in both cases to initiate a fresh approach."

*Fox's Chris Wallace, who was left out of the Sunday blitz, called the White House a bunch of "crybabies."

**Other Obama News
*"As President Obama welcomes world leaders to the United States this week, he has gone a long way toward meeting his goal of restoring the country's international standing," the New York Times reports. "But eight months after his inauguration, all that good will so far has translated into limited tangible policy benefits."

*This week, Obama will sit down with the leaders of Israel and Palestine. The Tribune: "It wasn't immediately clear whether the scheduling of the meetings portended a full-scale resumption of Middle East peace negotiations. White House officials had avoided publicly laying out specific requirements for their participation in a trilateral meeting."

*John Harwood reports that Obama's efforts to lobby Sen. Olympia Snowe may be paying off. "In an interview, she offered a surprisingly robust endorsement of Mr. Obama's skepticism about expanding government too much, his willingness to accommodate different views and his assertion that Washington must act now after decades of failure."

*The Globe reports on how the health care fight is putting other legislative battles on hold. The pitched battle over a national health care plan is inflicting collateral damage on other legislation in Congress, with some lawmakers and advocates arguing that it has sidetracked action on other urgent priorities.

*Obama will raise money for Democratic governors on October 1.

*AP: "Obama heads to Troy, N.Y., on Monday to discuss his already-in-place programs that he says help spur innovation and transform the U.S. economy. ... His speech at Hudson Valley Community College will repackage his programs as part of a strategy for innovation. The White House said the remarks would reflect Obama's belief that new ideas produce new jobs and the United States must invest in education, infrastructure and research."

**Congress
*"The Democrat-versus-Democrat battle over Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus's health care proposal is more than just political posturing: It's the latest sign that Senate Democrats so far lack a clear public leader on the issue at a crucial time in the debate," Politico reports.

*Roll Call reports that a "larger political minefield looms" for Senate Democrats on health care. "Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to reconcile the two bills, forcing Democrats to choose between the nonprofit medical cooperatives proposed by Finance and a public insurance option contained in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill. Moderates tend to favor the co-ops, liberals prefer the public insurance option."

*Congress is considering another week off in November, as many members would like to be home for the entire week when Veterans Day falls, The Hill reports.

*Virginia Reps. Eric Cantor (R) and Bobby Scott (D), who both represent parts of Richmond, will hold a joint town hall style event on health care at 10 a.m. at the headquarters of the Times-Dispatch in downtown Richmond.

**Campaign Stuff
*Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on "Meet the Press" yesterday that Gov. Mark Sanford (R) should remain in office until the conclusion of his term.

*Steve Kornacki writes about why the White House move won't help matters. Now, "it will be harder, and more demeaning, for Paterson to back down in the near future. To get out now would be to admit that the White House's analysis is right (which it is) that Paterson is uniquely unelectable among all of the incumbent Democratic governors in the country. So now look for Paterson to double down and insist that--more than ever -- he's a candidate for '10."

*A Des Moines Register poll finds Gov. Chet Culver's (D) approval rating has slipped to 50 percent, the lowest of his term. Meanwhile, many support the idea of former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) running again -- and Cook Report's Jennifer Duffy says he looks "intimidating."

*2012: Mike Huckabee won the Value Voters straw poll, with about 29 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Sarah Palin and Mike Pence were bunched with 12 percent of the 597 votes cast. In a statement, Huckabee called the win flattering but said a 2012 decision is a long way off.

*The GOP field in New Hampshire may have yet another member: William Binnie, a Portsmouth-area businessman. He told the Union Leader that he's "actively exploring" a run, but that it's "premature to comment any further."

*Former Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D), who ran against then-Republican Arlen Specter in 2004, will run for governor in Pennsylvania in 2010, per PA2010.com. A poll he commissioned found him leading the crowded Democratic field.

*He can't absorb too many more blows. Now, Gov. Jon Corzine (D) is defending an investment in a firm that has interests in casinos in the state. Star-Ledger: "Corzine and his advisers say the investment was properly reported and does not violate state regulations that bar the governor and senior state officials from business relationships with casino operators."

*NY Gov: Gov. David Paterson (D) reaffirms his commitment to run for governor next year, despite unease about his candidacy from the White House. Meanwhile, ex-Rep. Rick Lazio (R) is running. "It's time," he told AP.

--Kyle Trygstad and Mike Memoli