The Note’s Must-Reads for Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Note’s Must-Reads are a round-up of today’s political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News Desk Assistants PETER MARTINEZ, KRISTEN RED-HORSE, JAYCE HENDERSON and CLAUDIA MORALES

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HEALTH CARE:

ABC News’ Huma Khan: “Abortion Vote Divides Democrats on Health Care” LINK

ABC News’ Z. Byron Wolf: “End of Public Option?” LINK

Politico’s Carrie Budoff Brown: “Public option compromise takes shape” LINK

Politico’s Manu Raju: “Vitter must answer $300M question” <a href=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30317.html
Politico’s Andy Barr: “Michael Steele doubts Harry Reid’s ‘fitness to lead’” LINK

Boston Globe’s Susan Milligan: “Abortion dispute threatens overhaul” LINK

Boston Globe’s Political Intelligence: “Reid compares health care delay to slavery, suffrage” LINK

Time’s Karen Tumulty: “Economists Growing More Wary of the Senate Health Bill” LINK

Time’s Amy Sullivan: “The Health Reform Abortion Wars, Part Deux” LINK

Los Angeles Times’ Janet Hook: “Senate healthcare talks pick up pace” LINK

The Hill’s Jeffrey Young: “Two issues threaten to divide Senate Dems on healthcare reform” LINK

The Hill’s Eric Zimmermann and Jordan Fabian: “GOP hits Reid on slavery comments” LINK

The Washington Times’ Chuck Neubauer: “Obama health ‘czar’ was chief of legally troubled firms” LINK

The Washington Times’ Jennifer Haberkorn: “Health care debate turns to abortion” LINK

The New York Times’ Robert Pear and David Herszenhorn: “Liberal Senators Press for Expansion of Medicare” LINK

The Washington Post’s Shailagh Murray: “Senate turns to health bill’s major obstacles” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Greg Hitt and Janet Adamy: “Senate Turns to Medicare, Medicaid” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Alicia Mundy: “Grassley Asks Medical Nonprofits About Financial Support” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Janet Adamy and Greg Hitt: “Health-Bill Amendment Restricting Abortion Is Introduced” <a href=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126021527620780391.html
Bloomberg’s Laura Litvan and Kristin Jensen: “Health-Bill Negotiators May Drop Public Option, Expand Medicare” LINK

PRESIDENT OBAMA:

USA Today’s Dan Vergano: “Obama team launches its interactive ‘openness’ policy with online access” LINK

Politico’s Amie Parnes: “W.H. Nixes Receiving Lines?” LINK

AFGHANISTAN:

ABC News’ Luis Martinez: “Adm. Mullen Rallies U.S. Troops: ‘Slope on This Insurgency Is Going in the Wrong Direction’” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Joseph Williams: “Afghan debaters choose their words carefully” LINK

The Associated Press’ Anne Flaherty: “Gates to Afghans: US `in this thing to win’” LINK

The Hill’s Jordan Fabian: “Gates makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan” LINK

The Washington Times’ Stephen Dinan: “Some Democrats seek votes by attacking Obama’s plan” LINK

The New York Times’ mark Landler and Helene Cooper: “Officials Try to Unite on Afghan Plan” LINK

The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler: “Gates: We’re in this thing to win” LINK

The Washington Post’s Griff Witte: “Taliban shadow officials offer concrete alternative” LINK

The Washington Post: “From Clinton, plain talk on Afghanistan” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Anand Gopal: “Karzai’s Cabinet Picks Closely Watched” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Peter Spiegel: “Protection of Afghan Civilians Is Stressed to Troops in Surge” LINK

Bloomberg’s Eltaf Najafizada and Ed Johnson: “Karzai Delays Naming Cabinet as Pentagon Chief Lands for Talks” LINK

FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

The Washington Post’s Jean Lee: “U.S. special envoy heading to North Korea” LINK

The New York Times’ David Sanger and Eric Schmitt: “Pakistan Told to Ratchet Up Fight Against the Taliban” LINK

ARMED FORCES:

USA Today’s Ken Dilanian, Tom Vanden Brook and Ray Locker: “Army mentoring deals bypass ethics law” LINK

The Hill’s Roxana Tiron: “House likely to move defense bill; Senate plans less clear” LINK

ECONOMY / JOBS / BANKS / BAILOUT / TARP:

ABC News’ Jake Tapper, Karen Travers, and Mathew Jaffe: “Will Wall Street Funds Now Bail Out Main Street?” LINK

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: “TARP Debated on Capitol Hill” LINK

USA Today’s Emily Bazar: “Food banks adapting for record demand” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Political Notebook: “US may use bailout funds to create jobs” LINK

Los Angeles Times’ Jim Puzzanghera and Christi Parsons: “Improved TARP forecast could mean $200 billion to help create jobs” LINK

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton: “Conrad open to using Wall Street bailout to pay for jobs package” <a href=http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/71071-conrad-offers-tarp-money-deal-on-jobs
The Hill's Silla Brush: "House Democrats eye 'cramdown' measure for regulatory reform bill" LINK

The Hill’s Silla Brush: “Frank proposes to use TARP funds to help home owners” LINK

The Hill’s Jared Allen: “Time running out for House Dems to move major jobs measure in ’09″ LINK

Politico’s David Rogers: “W.H. predicts a stimulating winter” LINK

The Washington Times’ Sean Lengell: “Obama mulls use of bank bailout Money for jobs” LINK

The New York Times’ David Segal: “Debt Raters Avoid Overhaul After Crisis” LINK

The New York Times’ Erik Eckholm: “A Plea to Congress on Jobless Benefits” LINK

The Washington Post’s David Cho and Michael Fletcher: “Obama preparing new push to add jobs, tackle deficit” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Melanie Trottman and Kris Maher: “Solis Pushes Agenda to Bolster Labor” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Weisman: “Use of Cash From TARP Hits Hurdle” LINK

Bloomberg’s Nicholas Johnston and Roger Runningen: “Obama Targets Job Creation With No ‘Silver Bullet’ Available” LINK

COPENHAGEN / CLIMATE / ENVIRONMENT:

USA Today’s Brian Winter: “Green on display at Copenhagen summit” LINK

USA Today’s Julie Schmit: “EPA’s carbon dioxide emissions ruling could raise energy costs” LINK

Boston Globe’s Political Intelligence: “EPA carbon finding sparks climate debate” LINK

Time’s Bryan Walsh: “The Stolen E-Mails: Has ‘Climategate’ Been Overblown?” LINK

Los Angeles Times’ Jim Tankersley: “‘Hopenhagen’ is the mood as global climate summit opens” LINK

Los Angeles Times’ Christi Parsons and Jim Tankersley: “EPA clears a path for emission limits” LINK

The Hill’s Ben Geman and Jim Snyder: “EPA finding gives U.S. negotiators added weight at Copenhagen summit” LINK

The New York Times’ Andrew Revkin and Tom Zeller: “Under Banner of Urgency, Delegates Tackle Policy” LINK

The Washington Post’s Steven Mufson and David Fahrenthold: “EPA is preparing to regulate emissions in Congress’s stead” LINK

The Washingon Post’s David Fahrenthold: “It’s natural to behave irrationally” LINK

The New York Daily News’ David Saltonstall: “Political battle over climate change heats up as Obama calls for regulating greenhouse gases” LINK

IRAN:

Los Angeles Times’ Borzou Daragahi: “Iran streets and campuses erupt in protest” LINK

Time’s Robin Wright: “Latest Iran Protests Show a Resilient Opposition” LINK

CONGRESS:

The Wall Street Journal’s Martin Vaughan: “House to Raise Taxes on Fund Managers” LINK

OTHER MUST-READS:

The Associated Press: “Plan to round up wild horses draws opposition” LINK

The Associated Press: “Obama spokesman: ‘Silly’ not to allow Va. flagpole” LINK

Time’s Pat Dawson: “Max Baucus and His Women: Influence and Controversy” LINK

Time’s Andrew Lee Butters: “Jerusalem: A Growing Powder Keg in Mideast” LINK

Los Angeles Times’ David G. Savage: “Supreme Court will decide appeal of Christian student group” LINK

The New York Times’ David Kocieniewski: “Senate Panel in N.J. Approves Gay marriage Bill” LINK

The New York Times’ Adam Liptak: “Rights and Religion Clash in Court” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Jess Bravin: “Campaign-Finance Ruling Looms” LINK

Bloomberg’s Terrence Dopp: “New Jersey Gay Marriage Bill Clears Panel, Goes to Full Senate” LINK

ABC NEWS VIDEOS:

“Tapper on TARP ‘Windfall’” LINK

“U.S. Marines Battle for Now Zad” LINK

“192 Nations Attend Climate Summit” LINK

“Reid Compares Health Reform Bill With Slavery” LINK