The Note’s Must-Reads for Thursday, March 4, 2010

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, CLAUDIA MORALES, CARRIE HALPERIN and JESSICA HOPPER

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HEALTH CARE:

ABC News’ Jake Tapper and Karen Travers: “Obama Makes Final Health Care Push, Calls for Up or Down Vote in Congress” LINK

ABC News: “Will Obama’s Big Health Care Push Work?” LINK

Politico’s Carrie Budoff Brown and Patrick O’Connor: “W.H. warns Dems: Don’t flip-flop” LINK

The Washington Times’ Kara Rowland: “Obama throws down gauntlet on health care” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Susan Milligan: “Obama steps up health care pressure” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Political Intelligence: “Obama calls for ‘up-or-down vote’ on health care reform” LINK

Time’s Kate Pickert: “Obama Asks for ‘Up or Down Vote’ on Health Reform” LINK

Time’s Karen Tumulty: “Health Reform: Can the Democrats Cross the Finish Line?” LINK

Time’s Jay Newton-Small: “Man in the Middle: Health Reform’s Reconciliation Ref” LINK

Politics Daily’s Patricia Murphy: “President Signals Support for Reconciliation to Pass Health Care” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler And Janet Adamy: “President Launches Last Push On Health” LINK

Bloomberg’s Edwin Chen and Hans Nichols: “Obama’s Health-Care Push May Collide With Trip to Indonesia” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook: “Obama calls for action on healthcare” LINK

The New York Daily News’ Kenneth R. Bazinet : “Health care reform bill: President Obama demands final yes-or-no vote” LINK

The New York Times’ Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Robert Pear: “In Final Push, Obama Urges ‘Up-or-Down’ Vote on Health” LINK

The Washington Post’s Eli Saslow: “Obama Tries To Remain Calm During Political Storm” LINK

The Washington Post’s Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery: “Obama calls for reconciliation to prevent filibuster on health-care reform” LINK

Newsweek’s Sarah Kliff: “What Exactly Is Holding Up Health-Care Reform?” LINK

PRESIDENT OBAMA:

USA Today’s The Oval: “Obama, Republicans ready themselves for reconciliation war” LINK

USA Today’s The Oval: “Obama: ‘I don’t know how this plays politically, but I know it’s right’” LINK

USA Today’s The Oval: “Obama’s volunteer program gets aid from rocker Jon Bon Jovi” LINK

Politics Daily’s Lynn Sweet: “Obama Chows Down: ‘Don’t Tell Michelle’” LINK

Politics Daily’s David Corn: “What’s Sexier: Obama’s Smoking or His Nuclear Weapons Policy?” LINK

FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

USA Today’s Aamer Madhani: ” Iraq faces biggest test yet of democracy” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Jay Solomon in Washington and John Lyons in São Paulo: “New Hurdle to Iran Sanctions” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Yochi J. Dreazen: “U.S. Redraws Afghan Command” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Marc Champion: “Turkey, on Edge, Watches U.S. Vote on Armenia” LINK

Bloomberg’s Indira A.R. Lakshmanan: “Clinton Fails to Win Brazilian Support for UN Sanctions on Iran” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Don Lee: “China’s investments in U.S. up sharply” LINK

The Washington Post’s John Pomfret: “U.S. increasingly wary as Burma deepens military relationship with North Korea” LINK

ECONOMY / JOBS:

The Washington Times’ Stephen Dinan: “Both sides seek to rewrite stimulus law” LINK

ELECTIONS / STATE POLITICS:

The Associated Press’ Kelley Shannon and Jim Vertuno: “Anti-government voters factor in Texas race” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Stephanie Simon and Ana Campoy: “Anger at D.C. Shapes Races” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Brody Mullins: “Congressman Opts Out of Race Amid Inquiry” LINK

The New York Times’ James C. McKinley Jr: “Gambit in Texan’s Battle to Unseat The Governor” LINK

The New York Times’ Danny Hakim: “Book on Spitzer’s Downfall Sets Off Angry Replies” LINK

The New York Times’ Jennifer Steinhauer: “Californians Compete For a Shot at Redistricting” LINK

The Washington Post’s Nikita Stewart: “Barry says he can still be effective force on D.C. Council” LINK

SUPREME COURT:

The New York Times’ Adam Liptak: “Justices Weigh Claims Over Torture In Somalia” LINK

The Washington Post’s Carrie Johnson: “Conservatives raise ruckus over Justice appointees’ prior work with detainees” LINK

Newsweek’s Ben Adler: “The Liberal Case For Gun Control Doesn’t Get Far In The Supreme Court” LINK

DEMOCRATS / REPUBLICANS:

Time’s Joe Klein: “The Democrats: Their Own Worst Enemy” LINK

The Washington Post’s Perry Bacon Jr.: “Republican fundraising document portrays Democrats as evil” LINK

TERRORISM:

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: “Justice Department on So-called “Al Qaeda Seven”: We Will Not Participate in An Attempt to Drag People’s Names Through the Mud” LINK

REP. CHARLIE RANGEL:

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl and Devin Dwyer: “N.Y. Rep. Charles Rangel Steps Down as Ways and Means Chairman” LINK

USA Today’s Fredreka Schouten: “Rangel leaves top post of tax panel” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s John D. Mckinnon and Greg Hitt: “Rangel Drops Reins of Vital House Committee” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Brody Mullins: “Eventual Return to Powerful Post Is Unlikely” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ James Oliphant and Richard Simon: “Rep. Charles Rangel temporarily steps down as Ways and Means chairman” LINK

The New York Times’ Carl Hulse and David M. Herszenhorn: “Rangel Steps Aside From Post During Ethics Inquiry” LINK

The New York Times’ David M. Herszenhorn: “Rangel’s ‘Leave’ May Not Be Temporary” LINK

The Washington Post’s Paul Kane and Perry Bacon Jr.: “Rep. Charles Rangel, Democrat of New York, leaves Ways and Means chairmanship” LINK

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE:

Politics Daily’s Tom Diemer: “First Day for Same Sex Marriage Licenses Under New D.C. Law” LINK

The New York Times’ Ian Urbina: “Gay Marriage Is Legal In U.S. Capital” <a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/us/04marriage.html
DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL:

USA Today’s On Deadline: “Senate bill introduced to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’” LINK

The New York Times’ Elisabeth Bumiller: “Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy Filed In Senate” LINK

GITMO:

The New York Times’ Charlie Savage: “Senator Proposes Deal on Handling Detainees” LINK

CONGRESS:

ABC News’ Mathew Jaffe: “Congress Nears Agreement on Wall Street Overhaul” LINK

Politico’s Victoria Mcgrane: “Corker” ‘Real close’ on Wall St. regs” LINK

Politico’s Glen Thrush: “Hot-and-sour summit for Chuck and Zuck” LINK

Politico’s Chris Frates: “Matheson knocks down vote trading questions” LINK

The Hill’s Walter Alarkon and Lauren Victoria Burke: “House could vote Thursday on jobs bill” LINK

The Hill’s Aaron Blake: “Rep. Eric Massa plans to retire, citing recurrence of cancer” LINK

The New York Times’ Benedict Carey: “House Votes To Protect Pupils Against Abusive Discipline” LINK

The New York Times’ Janie Lorber: “Congressional Pay Cut Gains Support” LINK

The Washington Post’s Dan Eggen: “Four Democratic Senators aim to halt stimulus wind project” LINK

ARMED FORCES:

ABC News’ Devin Dwyer, Luis Martinez and Mike Gudgell: “U.S. Military Casualties Reach 1,000 in Terrorism Campaign” LINK

Politics Daily’s David Wood: “U.S. Casualties in Afghan War Soar Toward 15,000 Dead and Injured” LINK

The Hill’s Kevin Bogardus: “Top defense contractors warn that genocide measure will hurt business” LINK

GOVERNOR DAVID PATTERSON:

The Wall Street Journal’s Michael Howard Saul: “Paterson Faulted For Ethics Slip” LINK

The New York Times’ Nicholas Confessore and Jeremy W. Peters: “Paterson’s Ethics Breach Is Turned Over to Prosecutors” LINK

Newsweek’s Ellis close: “David Paterson’s Dilemma: Black Solidarity No Longer” LINK

ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT:

The Hill’s Jim Snyder: “EPA head blasts effort to block regs” LINK

OTHER:

The Associated Press’ Adam Goldman: “Mideast spy-turned-author criticizes Hamas, Islam” LINK

USA Today’s Haya El Nasser: “Census jobs unfilled in some places” LINK

Politics Daily’s Tom Diemer: “Karl Rove Admits Mistake in Advising Bush on Iraq Invasion Response” LINK

Politics Daily’s Christopher Weber: “Could Ronald Reagan Replace Ulysses S. Grant on the $50 Bill?” LINK

Politics Daily’s Tim Diemer: “Blagojevich Homecoming: Laughter, Boos at Northwestern Ethics Speech” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Michael M. Phillips: “Even His Red Squeak Toy Can’t Get First Sgt. Gunner, USMC, to Fight” LINK

The Boston Herald’s Jessica Van Sack: “LAPD under fire for RFK display” LINK

Bloomberg’s Todd Shields and Andy Fixmer: “Kerry Asks U.S. to Help Before 3 Million Lose WABC and Oscars” LINK

The New York Times’ Peter Baker: “Ultimate Bush Insider Lifts Veil on Presidency” LINK

The Washington Post’s Michael D. Shear: “Karl Rove’s memoir takes to the defense of the Bush Legacy” LINK

ABC NEWS VIDEO:

“Paterson: My Story Is ‘the Truth’” LINK

“GOP Leader on Rangel: You’re Chair or You’re Not” LINK

“Obama’s Big Health Care Push” LINK