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Biden a key part of Obama's inner circle
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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://am.blogs.cnn.com/files/2009/11/biden-joe-gi-art.jpg caption="President Obama values Joe Biden's advice as truth teller, officials say."]
By Ed Henry
CNN Senior White House Correspondent
Washington (CNN) - Apparently you can take the vice president out of the Senate, but you just can't take the Senate out of the vice president, and that might be the secret to Joe Biden's influence in President Obama's inner circle.
As I waited Friday in the ornate rooms of the old Department of War near Biden's office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, I kept wondering which Biden was going to show up for our exclusive interview.
Would it be the old Joe that I used to cover as the Senate correspondent for Roll Call newspaper many years ago, who would throw an arm around me in a Capitol hallway and be happy to give a - let's face it - fairly long answer about any subject I'd throw at him?
Biden had this habit of dropping flattery as well as a reporter's name into the answers for familiarity in his gosh-darn-it manner: "Look Ed, I'm literally not just blowing smoke, but you know as much about the Bush tax cuts as I do. ..."
New version of health care bill due out
Washington (CNN) - House Democratic leaders will unveil on Thursday a health care bill that includes a more moderate version of the public option, several Democratic leadership aides tell CNN.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/10/29/pelosi.nancy.art.jpg caption="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been pushing for a more robust public health care option."]
This version would allow doctors to negotiate reimbursement rates with the federal government, the aides said Wednesday.
The proposal would be a blow to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has argued for a more "robust" public option, one that ties reimbursement rates for providers and hospitals to Medicare rates plus a 5 percent increase.
But Pelosi and other Democratic leaders, after a week of canvassing rank and file Democrats, appear to be bowing to the reality that her preferred approach does not have enough votes. Instead, the more moderate version, favored by rural and moderate members, appears to have the most support among House Democrats.
One Democratic aide told CNN that "the votes aren't there for robust public option, so that means we're looking at the other form of the public option."
House Democratic leaders met Wednesday afternoon to make final decisions. Read more
Brown: Public option 'right side of history'
Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman is poised to deliver a damaging blow to Democrats and to the health care reform bill they're trying to get passed in the Senate.
Lieberman says it's because there's a government-run public option in the bill that he would join a filibuster and do what he could to stop the measure from passing.
Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio co-wrote the public option legislation. He wants President Obama to come out in strong support of the public option. He spoke to Kiran Chetry on CNN’s “American Morning” Wednesday. Below is an edited transcript of that interview.
Kiran Chetry: You've been a longtime supporter of health care reform. How concerned are you about Senator Lieberman saying he would join a filibuster over the public option?
Sherrod Brown: It’s too early to say that from his comments. I have not talked to Joe since he said that. I know Harry Reid has. He’s going to vote to put it on the floor. We’ll have the debate and we will see what happens. I think in the end people don't want to be on the wrong side of history. People want to be part of this change and this reform. You know, the opponents use the same arguments they did against Medicare 40 years ago. And I think some people after voting against Medicare kind of had buyer's remorse.
Sen. Lieberman says he'll fight against public option
Independent Senator Joe Lieberman, who usually votes with Democrats, says he'll join a Republican filibuster to kill a health care bill containing the so-called "public option."
Meantime, Democratic leaders are considering some new options in the health care fight. CNN's Jim Acosta reports. Read more
Obama's poll numbers show wear and tear
CNN Senior Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (CNN) - As President Obama navigates his way through a series of issues as controversial as they are vital, he's getting a yellow flag from the American people.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/10/21/obama.poll/art.obama.afp.gi.jpg caption="Support for President Obama's policies has dropped, but his approval rating remains healthy, a new poll finds."]
For the first time since Obama took office, fewer than half of Americans agree with the president on issues important to them, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday. A majority, 51 percent, disagree - a jump of 10 percentage points since April.
Despite the majority disagreement on issues, the poll also found the president's approval rating remains in the healthy mid-50s. And two-thirds of Americans say he has the personal qualities a president should have.
"It's awfully early yet, but this president might be shaping up to be a little like Ronald Reagan, where people actually didn't often agree with Ronald Reagan's ideas, but they loved the guy," said Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN contributor.
A popular president who is less popular on the issues - Obama could use his personal popularity to rally support for his less popular agenda.
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