**President Obama
*Among the many findings in the latest NBC/WSJ poll, Obama's health care numbers "have slightly increased" since his TV blitz, "although that increase remains within the margin of error. Thirty-nine percent believe Obama's health care plan is a good idea, which is up three points since August. Forty-one percent say it's a bad idea."

*On a busy day in New York, Obama "defended U.S. efforts to reduce carbon emissions from international criticism and prodded Israeli and Palestinian leaders to make concessions toward a peace deal," The Hill reports. In his address at the U.N., "Obama emphasized the shift in the U.S. position on climate change since the administration of former President George W. Bush. He said the U.S. had been slow to recognize the magnitude of the climate threat. ... But Obama also warned that at the world summit in Copenhagen, Denmark this December, it will be difficult to achieve a climate deal, particularly given the economic climate."

*Did the Chinese upstage the U.S. on climate change? Washington Times headlines, yes.

*In negotiations with Palestine and Israel, Obama is largely setting aside the debate over settlements, and "seems intent to press Palestinians and Israelis to negotiate all the difficult issues between them toward a final deal that has eluded negotiators, and bedeviled American presidents, since President Jimmy Carter," the Times reports.

*Obama also spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative, saying he couldn't resist the former president's charms. His message: "If you want to bring about change in the world, you can't just be an advocate of somebody else doing it. You can't just preach lofty goals and wait for somebody else act. You have to step up. You have to serve."

**Health Care
*Gallup: "Americans are broadly satisfied with the quality of their own medical care and healthcare costs, but of the two, satisfaction with costs lags. Overall, 80% are satisfied with the quality of medical care available to them, including 39% who are very satisfied. Sixty-one percent are satisfied with the cost of their medical care, including 20% who are very satisfied."

*Washington Post: "Democrats and Republicans formed clear battle lines Tuesday as the Senate Finance Committee opened a high-stakes debate on health-care legislation proposed last week by the panel's chairman. Both sides found plenty to criticize in Sen. Max Baucus's bill, particularly its requirement that all U.S. citizens must buy health insurance at potentially high costs. ... Republicans outlined specific provisions they will seek to change or eliminate as the committee debates hundreds of amendments, a discussion that could stretch into next week."

*Bloomberg: "White House Budget Director Peter Orszag said health-care legislation can be completed in six weeks and may largely be based on a measure being drafted by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. ... While the White House hasn't endorsed any one plan, Orszag, 40, repeatedly returned to the $856 billion proposal Baucus released last week when asked about the overhaul effort. He said it "definitely" shows 'you can devise a health-reform bill that significantly expands coverage while doing so in a way that is not only deficit-neutral' but 'deficit-reducing,' citing a review by the Congressional Budget Office."

*Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), leader of the Blue Dogs on health care, "is answering questions about his ties to a company with a stake in the debate," CNN reports. In 2007, he sold his pharmacy to a drug store chain whose owner "has been a critic of universal health care." He was paid $420,000, 40 percent more than a recent appraisal.

**Campaign Stuff
*Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick could choose an interim successor for the vacant Senate seat by tomorrow, after the state Senate approved the law change yesterday, Boston Globe reports. Patrick hasn't indicated whom he is considering, but Ted Kennedy's sons have told him they prefer Paul Kirk Jr., former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and special assistant to Kennedy in the 1970s.

For Patrick, much is at stake in his temporary Senate appointment, the Globe points out. "It's about helping his national party as Democrats try to solidify their 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority. ... It's about helping his good friend, President Barack Obama. ... And it's about avoiding any political trouble, a special concern for a governor heading into a re-election year with low poll ratings and a group of campaign opponents ready to pounce on any miscue."

*"Will Maryland Republicans, a fractured minority in one of the most Democratic states in the nation, be in a position to capitalize on next year's elections? So far, that appears uncertain, in part because of developments last week, including the resignation of the state GOP chairman, James Pelura," Washington Post reports.

*In a speech in Hong Kong, Sarah Palin "blamed the world financial crisis on government excesses and called for a new round of deregulation and tax cuts for U.S. businesses," the Wall Street Journal reports. She didn't refer to Obama by name, "but said his promise for change during the election hasn't taken hold. She called his campaign promises 'nebulous, utopian sounding. ... Now 10 months later, though, a lot of Americans are asking: more government? Is that the change we want?'"

*We link to ESPN.com for the news that Curt Schilling will not, in fact, run for the Senate in Massachusetts. "Regardless of the amount of support and outreach that's been given to me, it just did not make sense," he told Joe Buck on HBO last night.

--Kyle Trygstad and Mike Memoli