Democrats Agree To Tentatively Trade Opt-Out For Trigger, Medicare Buy In, And More  —  An aide briefed on the negotiations among the gang of 10 offers up the rundown of the most important aspects of the public option compromise being sent to CBO.  —  If this trade-off carries the day, the opt out public option is gone.

Howard Dean: Senate Health Care Deal Contains “Real Reform”  —  In a boost for the Senate health care deal reached yesterday, Howard Dean said in an interview with me moments ago that the current compromise contains “real reform,” and said that as it stands now, progressives could support it.

Kristol: Reid Doesn't Have 60  —  The much hyped (if utterly incoherent) deal that Harry Reid is touting doesn't look as if it's doing the trick — the trick being to cobble together anything (and I mean anything) that can get 60 votes in the Senate, introduce it as a manager's amendment later this week, and jam it through.

The team of 10 reaches a deal on the public option  —  But, err, they won't tell anyone what it is.  At least not until they hear back from the Congressional Budget Office.  The most telling tidbit so far has come from Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who said, “I've got a smile on my face.  I don't smile naturally.”

Wash. Post publishes falsehood-laden Palin op-ed that is contradicted by scientists, temperature data, and ... the Post itself  —  The Washington Post's has published an op-ed by Sarah Palin in which she claims that the apparently stolen Climate Research Unite emails “reveal that leading climate ‘experts’ …

Obama's December Standing  —  For the second month in a row we find Barack Obama's national approval rating at 49%, with 47% of voters disapproving of him.  He has the support of 83% of Democrats, 46% of independents, and 11% of Republicans.  None of those numbers have really changed from our November poll.