Obama Rejects All Afghanistan War Options

"President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government, a senior administration official said Wednesday.

That stance comes in the midst of forceful reservations about a possible troop buildup from the U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, according to a second top administration official.

In strongly worded classified cables to Washington, Eikenberry said he had misgivings about sending in new troops while there are still so many questions about the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Obama is still close to announcing his revamped war strategy -- most likely shortly after he returns from a trip to Asia that ends on Nov. 19.

But the president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Obama's thinking.

Military officials said Obama has asked for a rewrite before and resisted what one official called a one-way highway toward war commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal's recommendations for more troops. The sense that he was being rushed and railroaded has stiffened Obama's resolve to seek information and options beyond military planning, officials said, though a substantial troop increase is still likely.

The president was considering options that include adding 30,000 or more U.S. forces to take on the Taliban in key areas of Afghanistan and to buy time for the Afghan government's small and ill-equipped fighting forces to take over. The other three options on the table Wednesday were ranges of troop increases, from a relatively small addition of forces to the roughly 40,000 that the top U.S. general in Afghanistan prefers, according to military and other officials.

The key sticking points appear to be timelines and mounting questions about the credibility of the Afghan government."

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Lou Dobbs Quits CNN

"CNN's Lou Dobbs, a lightning rod for criticism following his transition from a business journalist to an opinionated anchor on such issues as illegal immigration, told viewers on Wednesday that he was quitting his nightly show to pursue new opportunities.



"This will be my last broadcast," Dobbs said after giving the day's headlines. Dobbs, who hosts a daily radio show unrelated to CNN, said the network had allowed him to be released early from his contract."

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Radical Imam Urges Muslims to 'Follow' Ft Hood Terrorist

The personal Web site for a radical American imam living in Yemen who had contact with two 9/11 hijackers is praising alleged Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan as a hero.

The posting Monday on the Web site for Anwar al Awlaki, who was a spiritual leader at two mosques where three 9/11 hijackers worshipped, said American Muslims who condemned the attacks on the Texas military base last week are hypocrites who have committed treason against their religion.

Two U.S. intelligence officials told The Associated Press the Web site was Al Awlaki's. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence collection.

Anwar said the only way a Muslim can justify serving in the U.S. military is if he intends to "follow in the footsteps of men like Nidal."

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Iran Reportedly Charges 3 American Hikers With Espionage

"Three American hikers who have been detained in Iran after crossing into the country from Iraq have been charged with espionage, according to reports by Iran's State News Agency.

Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27, have been detained in Iran since July 31. Their families say they entered the Islamic Republic accidentally while hiking in a scenic area of northern Iraq.

The families, who have had no contact with the detainees, released videos in October that showed them dancing and singing before they were captured by Iranian authorities.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that the fate of the three hikers rests with judicial authorities. Bauer, Shourd and Fattal have been visited by Swiss diplomats who oversee U.S. interests in Iran.

Mottaki gave no other details on the case. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an interview with The Associated Press in September that he could ask the judiciary to "take a look at the case with maximum leniency."

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Iran Tested Advanced Nuclear Warhead

"The U.N. nuclear watchdog has asked Tehran to explain evidence suggesting that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced secret nuclear warhead design, according to a report published Friday.

Citing what it calls "previously unpublished documentation" from an International Atomic Energy Agency compiled report, Britain's The Guardian newspaper said Iranian scientists may have tested high-explosive components of a "two-point implosion" device.

The report said that even the existence of two-point implosion nuclear warhead technology is officially secret in both the U.S. and Britain. The technology allows for the production of smaller and simpler warheads, making it easier to put a warhead on a missile, the newspaper said.

The IAEA said in September it has no proof Iran has or once had a covert atomic bomb program.

The U.N. watchdog's statements followed reports from the Associated Press quoting what it called a classified IAEA document saying agency experts agreed Iran now had the means to build atomic bombs and was heading towards developing a missile system able to carry a nuclear warhead.

Extracts of the report have been published before, but it was not known the document included information on such a sophisticated warhead, the newspaper said.

A nuclear site, which Iran revealed in September three years after diplomats said Western spies first discovered it, added to fears of secret Iranian efforts to develop nuclear bombs. Iran claims it is enriching uranium only for peaceful electricity use."

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Fort Hood Gunman in Custody After 12 Die

"An Army psychiatrist who reportedly feared an impending war deployment is in custody as the sole suspect in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas that left 12 dead and 31 wounded, an Army official said Thursday night.

The gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive in a hospital under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. He was shot four times, and was on a ventilator and unconscious, according to military officials. "I would say his death is not imminent," Cone said.

Two other soldiers who were taken into custody for questioning were later released, Cone said. A female first responder who shot at Hasan also survived, contrary to earlier reports that she had died.

The rampage was believed to be the deadliest at a U.S. military base in history.

Soldiers rushed to treat their injured colleagues by ripping their uniforms into makeshift bandages. Officials have not ruled out the possibility that some casualties may have been victims of "friendly fire," shot by authorities amid the mayhem and confusion at the scene, said a senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters that were under investigation.

Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said generals at Fort Hood told her that Hasan, a Virginia native and a Muslim, was about to deploy overseas. Retired Col. Terry Lee, who said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox News he was being sent to Afghanistan.

Lee said Hasan had hoped Obama would pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and got into frequent arguments with others in the military who supported the wars.

Before Thursday's shooting, Hasan reportedly gave away all of his furniture along with copies of the Koran to neighbors, KXXV-TV reported.

Video from the scene showed police patrolling the area with handguns and rifles, ducking behind buildings for cover. Sirens could be heard wailing while a woman's voice on a public-address system urged people to take cover.

"I was confused and just shocked," said Spc. Jerry Richard, 27, who works at the center but was not on duty during the shooting. "Overseas you are ready for it. But here you can't even defend yourself."

Soldiers at Fort Hood don't carry weapons unless they are doing training exercises.

Federal law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Hasan had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed homicide bombings and other threats. The officials said they are still trying to confirm that he was the author.

One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates homicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.

"To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause," said the Internet posting. "Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers."

They say an official investigation was not opened."

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GOP Win Governor's Races in New Jersey, Virginia

"Republicans swept to victory in the New Jersey and Virginia governor's races Tuesday, scoring a pair of decisive wins in states that voted for President Obama a year ago. 

The Democrats were able to prevent a shut-out, though, pulling out a narrow victory in a closely watched congressional election in upstate New York. Democrat Bill Owens beat Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in that race. 

The Republican victories nevertheless marked a potential turnaround after two consecutive cycles of midterm losses. In New Jersey, Republican Chris Christie beat out Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, even though Obama campaigned heavily for the incumbent in the closing days of the race and the state has not elected a Republican governor since 1993. 

In Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell beat Democrat Creigh Deeds by a huge margin, heading up a successful GOP ticket. McDonnell's victory ends eight years of Democratic control of the governorship. 

The victories could spell trouble for Democrats' legislative agenda in Washington and stand as harbingers of GOP gains in the 2010 midterm elections. Republicans claimed the races Tuesday served as a collective rebuke of Democrats' policies on Capitol Hill and at the White House."

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List Of New 'Bureaucracies' In Healthcare Bill

1. Retiree Reserve Trust Fund (Section 111(d), p. 61) 

2. Grant program for wellness programs to small employers (Section 112, p. 62) 

3. Grant program for State health access programs (Section 114, p. 72) 

4. Program of administrative simplification (Section 115, p. 76) 

5. Health Benefits Advisory Committee (Section 223, p. 111) 

6. Health Choices Administration (Section 241, p. 131) 

7. Qualified Health Benefits Plan Ombudsman (Section 244, p. 138) 

8. Health Insurance Exchange (Section 201, p. 155) 

9. Program for technical assistance to employees of small businesses buying Exchange coverage (Section 305(h), p. 191) 

10. Mechanism for insurance risk pooling to be established by Health Choices Commissioner (Section 306(b), p. 194) 

11. Health Insurance Exchange Trust Fund (Section 307, p. 195) 

12. State-based Health Insurance Exchanges (Section 308, p. 197) 

13. Grant program for health insurance cooperatives (Section 310, p. 206) 

14. "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 321, p. 211) 

15. Ombudsman for "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 321(d), p. 213) 

16. Account for receipts and disbursements for "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 322(b), p. 215) 

17. Telehealth Advisory Committee (Section 1191 (b), p. 589) 

18. Demonstration program providing reimbursement for "culturally and linguistically appropriate services" (Section 1222, p. 617) 

19. Demonstration program for shared decision making using patient decision aids (Section 1236, p. 648) 

20. Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicare (Section 1301, p. 653) 

21. Independent patient-centered medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302, p. 672) 

22. Community-based medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302(d), p. 681) 

23. Independence at home demonstration program (Section 1312, p. 718) 

24. Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research (Section 1401(a), p. 734) 

25. Comparative Effectiveness Research Commission (Section 1401(a), p. 738) 

26. Patient ombudsman for comparative effectiveness research (Section 1401(a), p. 753) 

27. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1412(b)(1), p. 784) 

28. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for nursing facilities (Section 1412 (b)(2), p. 786) 

29. Special focus facility program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1413(a)(3), p. 796) 

30. Special focus facility program for nursing facilities (Section 1413(b)(3), p. 804) 

31. National independent monitor pilot program for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities (Section 1422, p. 859) 

32. Demonstration program for approved teaching health centers with respect to Medicare GME (Section 1502(d), p. 933) 

33. Pilot program to develop anti-fraud compliance systems for Medicare providers (Section 1635, p. 978) 

34. Special Inspector General for the Health Insurance Exchange (Section 1647, p. 1000) 

35. Medical home pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1722, p. 1058) 

36. Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1730A, p. 1073) 

37. Nursing facility supplemental payment program (Section 1745, p. 1106) 

38. Demonstration program for Medicaid coverage to stabilize emergency medical conditions in institutions for mental diseases (Section 1787, p. 1149) 

39. Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund (Section 1802, p. 1162) 

40. "Identifiable office or program" within CMS to "provide for improved coordination between Medicare and Medicaid in the case of dual eligibles" (Section 1905, p. 1191) 

41. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Section 1907, p. 1198) 

42. Public Health Investment Fund (Section 2002, p. 1214) 

43. Scholarships for service in health professional needs areas (Section 2211, p. 1224) 

44. Program for training medical residents in community-based settings (Section 2214, p. 1236) 

45. Grant program for training in dentistry programs (Section 2215, p. 1240) 

46. Public Health Workforce Corps (Section 2231, p. 1253) 

47. Public health workforce scholarship program (Section 2231, p. 1254) 

48. Public health workforce loan forgiveness program (Section 2231, p. 1258) 

49. Grant program for innovations in interdisciplinary care (Section 2252, p. 1272) 

50. Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment (Section 2261, p. 1275) 

51. Prevention and Wellness Trust (Section 2301, p. 1286) 

52. Clinical Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1295) 

53. Community Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1301) 

54. Grant program for community prevention and wellness research (Section 2301, p. 1305) 

55. Grant program for research and demonstration projects related to wellness incentives (Section 2301, p. 1305) 

56. Grant program for community prevention and wellness services (Section 2301, p. 1308) 

57. Grant program for public health infrastructure (Section 2301, p. 1313) 

58. Center for Quality Improvement (Section 2401, p. 1322) 

59. Assistant Secretary for Health Information (Section 2402, p. 1330) 

60. Grant program to support the operation of school-based health clinics (Section 2511, p. 1352) 

61. Grant program for nurse-managed health centers (Section 2512, p. 1361) 

62. Grants for labor-management programs for nursing training (Section 2521, p. 1372) 

63. Grant program for interdisciplinary mental and behavioral health training (Section 2522, p. 1382) 

64. "No Child Left Unimmunized Against Influenza" demonstration grant program (Section 2524, p. 1391)

65. Healthy Teen Initiative grant program regarding teen pregnancy (Section 2526, p. 1398) 

66. Grant program for interdisciplinary training, education, and services for individuals with autism (Section 2527(a), p. 1402) 

67. University centers for excellence in developmental disabilities education (Section 2527(b), p. 1410) 

68. Grant program to implement medication therapy management services (Section 2528, p. 1412) 

69. Grant program to promote positive health behaviors in underserved communities (Section 2530, p. 1422) 

70. Grant program for State alternative medical liability laws (Section 2531, p. 1431) 

71. Grant program to develop infant mortality programs (Section 2532, p. 1433)

72. Grant program to prepare secondary school students for careers in health professions (Section 2533, p. 1437) 

73. Grant program for community-based collaborative care (Section 2534, p. 1440) 

74. Grant program for community-based overweight and obesity prevention (Section 2535, p. 1457) 

75. Grant program for reducing the student-to-school nurse ratio in primary and secondary schools (Section 2536, p. 1462) 

76. Demonstration project of grants to medical-legal partnerships (Section 2537, p. 1464) 

77. Center for Emergency Care under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (Section 2552, p. 1478) 

78. Council for Emergency Care (Section 2552, p 1479) 

79. Grant program to support demonstration programs that design and implement regionalized emergency care systems (Section 2553, p. 1480) 

80. Grant program to assist veterans who wish to become emergency medical technicians upon discharge (Section 2554, p. 1487) 

81. Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (Section 2562, p. 1494) 

82. National Medical Device Registry (Section 2571, p. 1501) 

83. CLASS Independence Fund (Section 2581, p. 1597) 

84. CLASS Independence Fund Board of Trustees (Section 2581, p. 1598) 

85. CLASS Independence Advisory Council (Section 2581, p. 1602) 

86. Health and Human Services Coordinating Committee on Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1610) 

87. National Women's Health Information Center (Section 2588, p. 1611) 

88. Centers for Disease Control Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1614) 

89. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Women's Health and Gender-Based Research (Section 2588, p. 1617) 

90. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1618) 

91. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1621) 

92. Personal Care Attendant Workforce Advisory Panel (Section 2589(a)(2), p. 1624) 

93. Grant program for national health workforce online training (Section 2591, p. 1629) 

94. Grant program to disseminate best practices on implementing health workforce investment programs (Section 2591, p. 1632) 

95. Demonstration program for chronic shortages of health professionals (Section 3101, p. 1717) 

96. Demonstration program for substance abuse counselor educational curricula (Section 3101, p. 1719) 

97. Program of Indian community education on mental illness (Section 3101, p. 1722) 

98. Intergovernmental Task Force on Indian environmental and nuclear hazards (Section 3101, p. 1754) 

99. Office of Indian Men's Health (Section 3101, p. 1765) 

100. Indian Health facilities appropriation advisory board (Section 3101, p. 1774) 

101. Indian Health facilities needs assessment workgroup (Section 3101, p. 1775) 

102. Indian Health Service tribal facilities joint venture demonstration projects (Section 3101, p. 1809) 

103. Urban youth treatment center demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1873) 

104. Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for diabetes prevention (Section 3101, p. 1874) 

105. Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for health IT adoption (Section 3101, p. 1877) 

106. Mental health technician training program (Section 3101, p. 1898) 

107. Indian youth telemental health demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1909) 

108. Program for treatment of child sexual abuse victims and perpetrators (Section 3101, p. 1925) 

109. Program for treatment of domestic violence and sexual abuse (Section 3101, p. 1927) 

110. Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1966) 

111. Committee for the Establishment of the Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1968)

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Candidate Obama vs. President Obama

"Barack Obama made a lot of promises during his two-year campaign for change. 

He pledged to reform the health care system, wind down the war in Iraq, ramp up the war in Afghanistan, change the way the international community views the United States ... all while keeping a sharp eye on spending and shielding the middle class from tax increases. 

With the president coming up on the one-year mark since his election, now's a good time to take a look at his track record. 

FoxNews.com reviewed some of Obama's biggest campaign promises, and how his actions have measured up. The verdicts are ranked as promise kept, partly kept, work in progress, not yet addressed and promise broken.

AFGHANISTAN  

Pledge: "I would send two to three additional brigades to Afghanistan." -- Obama, during a Sept. 26, 2008, debate at the University of Mississippi 

Verdict: Promise Kept. Since taking office, Obama has ordered 21,000 troops to Afghanistan. He ordered two brigades to the battlefield in February, and then announced an additional 4,000 troops during a strategy address in March. However, the administration is now mulling Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request for an additional 40,000 troops. As Obama and his security team reassess strategy for the Afghanistan war, it's unclear whether McChrystal's request will be granted. 

FORECLOSURE PREVENTION 

Pledge: "Obama will create a foreclosure prevention fund to help people facing foreclosure stay in their homes and renegotiate with their lenders or sell their homes." -- Obama campaign policy paper  

Verdict: Promise Kept. Obama in February announced a $75 billion foreclosure prevention plan aimed at keeping millions of families in their homes. It was bigger than anticipated and more expensive, drawing its funding from the Wall Street bailout as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The plan, though, has gotten off to a slow start with only a fraction of eligible borrowers reportedly participating. 

OUTREACH TO MUSLIM WORLD  

Pledge: "In the first 100 days of my administration, I will travel to a major Islamic forum and deliver an address to redefine our struggle. I will make clear that we are not at war with Islam." -- Obama, during an Aug. 1, 2007, speech in Washington, D.C. 

Verdict: Promise Kept. In early April, Obama delivered an address to the Turkish parliament in which he declared the United States "is not and will never be at war with Islam." Obama gave a similar address in Cairo in June. 

HILLARY CLINTON  

Pledge: "Well, Hillary, I'm looking forward to you advising me as well." -- Obama, during a Dec. 13, 2007, debate in Des Moines  

Verdict: Promise Kept. Though the above quip was not meant as a compliment, Obama ended up following through after he won the election. He appointed Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state.

IRAQ  

Pledge: "We can safely redeploy our combat brigades at a pace that would remove them in 16 months -- that would be the summer of 2010." -- Obama, during a July 15, 2008, speech, ahead of his trip to the Middle East 

Verdict: Partly Kept. Obama is withdrawing U.S. combat brigades out of Iraq, but on a slightly slower schedule than advertised during the presidential campaign. Obama in February set Aug. 31, 2010, as the deadline for withdrawing combat brigades. That's 19 months, as opposed to 16 months. However, Obama in 2008 clarified that he reserved the right to make "tactical adjustments" to his withdrawal strategy -- he exercised that right after taking office. The Iraq withdrawal is underway and expected to pick up next year. All military personnel are expected to be out of the country by the end of 2011. 

MIDDLE-CLASS TAXES  

Pledge: "I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes." -- Obama, during a Sept. 12, 2008, speech in Dover, N.H.  

Verdict: Partly Kept. Middle-class earners got their tax relief in the $787 billion economic stimulus passed one month into Obama's term. But some claim Obama has broken his pledge by sneaking in taxes and tax-like programs in other areas. Republicans over the summer released a list of six programs and proposals they claim would raise taxes on the middle class -- including the tobacco tax hike and proposals to include coverage mandates in health care reform legislation. After all, the health care reform plan proposed by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., explicitly labeled the penalty attached to the requirement to obtain health insurance as an "excise tax." Back in August, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner suggested tax increases are inevitable. But the White House continued to say the president is committed to shielding those making less than $250,000 from an increase.   

DETAINEE TREATMENT  

Pledge: "When I am president, America will reject torture without exception. America is the country that stood against that kind of behavior before, and we will do so again." -- Obama, during an Aug. 1, 2007, speech in Washington, D.C.  

Verdict: Partly Kept. Obama issued an executive order in January banning "torture" and ordering interrogators to follow the guidelines in the Army Field Manual. He has since moved to overhaul the way interrogations are conducted -- following the recommendations of a special task force which called for the establishment of a High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, to be housed in the FBI and subject to oversight from the White House-based National Security Council. But the president's record on other matters of detainee treatment is not as clear. While he called for an end to "extreme rendition," officials say the controversial practice of rendition, where prisoners are transferred to foreign governments, will continue -- only the administration says it will seek assurances that those prisoners not be "tortured" overseas. While Obama criticized the military commissions system during the campaign, as president he moved to revive it -- only with expanded legal protections for prisoners. And while Obama the candidate called for efforts to "restore habeas corpus," Obama the president has acknowledged that some detainees might have to be imprisoned indefinitely. These changes in tone have drawn heated criticism from civil rights groups. 

HEALTH CARE REFORM  

Pledge: "Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American." -- Obama, during his Aug. 28, 2008, Democratic nomination acceptance speech in Denver  

Verdict: Work in Progress. Obama has made health care reform the No. 1 priority of his first year in office. Despite several delays and roadblocks along the way, all five relevant committees in Congress have passed a version of the bill and the administration is trying to guide a unified package to the floors of the House and Senate. The bill seeks to make health care more "affordable" and "accessible" with new restrictions on the insurance industry and the possible inclusion of a government-run plan. No bill is expected to ensure every single person in America is covered, but estimates show the overhaul would significantly reduce the number of uninsured. 

NUCLEAR WEAPONS  

Pledge: "We'll work with Russia to take U.S. and Russian ballistic missiles off hair-trigger alert, and to dramatically reduce the stockpiles of our nuclear weapons and material." -- Obama, in an Oct. 2, 2007, speech in Chicago  

Verdict: Work in Progress. Obama has reached out to Russia to work toward that goal. He and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced in July that they were on the path to "reset" relations and laid out the guidelines for a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START. The treaty is set to expire in December, and a new arrangement would commit the nations to sharper cuts in both warheads and delivery systems. The two countries are still negotiating the treaty.  

GUANTANAMO BAY  

Pledge: "Guantanamo has become a recruiting tool for our enemies. ... The first step to reclaiming America's standing in the world has to be closing this facility. As president, Barack Obama will close the detention facility at Guantanamo." -- Obama campaign policy paper  

Verdict: Work in Progress. Two days after being sworn into office, Obama issued an executive order calling for the detention center at Guantanamo Bay to be closed within one year. However, that effort has hit snags along the way and top officials now warn that it may be difficult to meet the January 2010 deadline. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in September said it would be "tough" to meet that goal. Attorney General Eric Holder conceded the same in early October. "In the end, Guantanamo will be closed," he assured.  

FINANCIAL REGULATION  

Pledge: "We must build upon the ideas I have laid out over the last several years about how to modernize our financial regulation in this country, and establish commonsense rules of the road for our financial system to help restore confidence in our financial system." -- Obama, during a Sept. 19, 2008, speech in Miami  

Verdict: Work in Progress. The Obama administration has proposed a host of financial regulatory measures, including the creation of a consumer protection agency. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urged Congress last week to take action on such legislation. But some of the swiftest and most decisive changes have come from Obama's so-called "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg and his interactions with firms that took federal bailout money. Feinberg has already cracked down on executive compensation at Citigroup and Bank of America, and last week ordered steep pay cuts for the seven firms that received the most aid from the rescue package.

IMMIGRATION REFORM  

Pledge: "We need comprehensive reform ... We have to require that undocumented workers, who are provided a pathway to citizenship, not only learn English, pay back taxes and pay a significant fine, but also that they're going to the back of the line, so that they are not getting citizenship before those who have applied legally." -- Obama, during a Feb. 21, 2008, debate in Austin  

Verdict: Not Yet Addressed. With health care reform, two wars and other major issues on his plate, Obama has conceded he's not getting to immigration reform this year. But during a trip to Mexico in August, the president stressed that he still wants to pursue a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. He said he expected some movement on the issue before the end of the year but nothing concrete until 2010. 

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE  

Pledge: "As a senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, and as president I will recognize the Armenian Genocide." -- Obama, in a Jan. 19, 2008, statement  

Verdict: Not Yet Addressed. Obama declined to label the deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians during World War I as a "genocide" during his trip to Turkey in early April. During a joint news conference alongside Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Obama said he did not want to "focus on my views." Later in the month, he again refrained from calling the massacre a genocide while marking the anniversary of the killings. In a written statement, he said his view of that history "has not changed," but did not use the word genocide. 

LOBBYIST RULES

Pledge: "When you walk into my administration, you will not be able to work on regulations or contracts directly related to your former employer for two years." -- Obama, during a June 22, 2007, speech in Manchester, N.H. 

Verdict: Promise Broken. This pledge was broken from the very beginning of Obama's presidency, with the nomination of William Lynn as deputy defense secretary. Lynn was registered until last July as a defense lobbyist for Raytheon Co., where he advocated for a range of military programs. Even though Obama did issue the ethics rules he promised on the campaign trail, he ended up issuing a waiver on Lynn's behalf after senators threatened to hold up the nomination. Lynn was confirmed, and the administration continued to grant waivers for subsequent former lobbyists. 

SPENDING 

Pledge: "When George Bush came into office, our debt -- national debt was around $5 trillion. It's now over $10 trillion. We've almost doubled it. ... But actually I'm cutting more than I'm spending so that it will be a net spending cut." -- Obama, during an Oct. 7, 2008, debate in Nashville 

Verdict: Promise Broken. The federal budget deficit for fiscal 2009 tripled to a record $1.4 trillion, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate out in early October. That's nearly $1 trillion more than the $459 billion deficit recorded in President Bush's last full year. The recession-driven declines in revenue accounted for a large part of Obama's red ink, but so did increases in spending -- on everything from the economic stimulus to Wall Street bailouts (sealed before Obama took office). Though Obama still says he wants to bring the deficit down significantly before the end of his first term, projections show the fiscal 2010 deficit will also exceed $1 trillion. Even if Obama does make major changes to fiscal policy and cut the deficit in half, that's still hundreds of billions of dollars every year to the national debt. 

TRANSPARENCY 

Pledge: "That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are." -- Obama, during a Jan. 31, 2008, debate in Los Angeles 

Verdict: Promise Broken. While Obama and his congressional allies have given countless briefings and speeches on health care reform, much of the negotiations have taken place behind closed doors. These private meetings have grown more common since the Senate Finance Committee passed its version of the bill in mid-October, becoming the last of five congressional panels to clear the bill. Lawmakers are now trying to hammer out versions that can pass the full House and Senate. 

HEALTH INSURANCE MANDATE 

Pledge: "If you've got a health care plan that you like, you can keep it. All I'm going to do is help you to lower the premiums on it. You'll still have choice of doctor. There's no mandate involved." -- Obama, during an Oct. 7, 2008, debate in Nashville 

Verdict: Promise Broken. All of the health care reform plans before Congress endorse some kind of requirement for people to get health insurance. And during his Sept. 9 address to a joint session of Congress, Obama endorsed the idea as well. "Improving our health care system only works if everybody does their part," the president said. Obama expressed a wholly different point of view during the Democratic primaries, when one of the few policy differences between him and Hillary Clinton was that she supported an individual mandate while he did not. He persistently defended the decision, arguing that the reason people don't have health insurance is because they can't afford it -- not because they don't want it."

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Chris Christie Edges Past Jon Corzine in New Jersey Poll

"Republican challenger Chris Christie is edging ahead of Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine in the New Jersey gubernatorial race, according to a new poll. 

But with the election one day away, the race is still a virtual dead heat. 

The Quinnipiac University poll released Monday showed Christie with a 2-point lead over Corzine. Among likely voters, 42 percent backed Christie and 40 percent backed Corzine. 

Christie's lead is within the margin of error, but marks a gain from a Quinnipiac survey released last week, in which Corzine enjoyed a 5-point lead. 

Independent candidate Chris Daggett is still attracting a sizeable amount of support, with 12 percent backing his candidacy in the latest poll, down from 13 percent a week ago. 

The poll of 1,533 likely voters in New Jersey was taken between Tuesday and Sunday. It had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points."

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