Ariz. gov signs bill revising new immigration law

PHOENIX – Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed a follow-on bill approved by Arizona legislators that make revisions to the state's sweeping law against illegal immigration — changes she says should quell concerns that the measure will lead to racial profiling.

The law requires local and state law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally, and makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.

The follow-on bill signed by Brewer makes a number of changes that she said should lay to rest concerns of opponents.

"These new statements make it crystal clear and undeniable that racial profiling is illegal, and will not be tolerated in Arizona," she said in a statement.

The changes include one strengthening restrictions against using race or ethnicity as the basis for questioning by police and inserts those same restrictions in other parts of the law.

Another change states that immigration-status questions would follow a law enforcement officer's stopping, detaining or arresting a person while enforcing another law. The earlier law had referred to a "contact" with police.

Another change specifies that possible violations of local civil ordinances can trigger questioning on immigration status.

Stephen Montoya, a Phoenix lawyer representing a police officer whose lawsuit was one of three filed Thursday to challenge the law, said the changes wouldn't derail the lawsuit because the state is still unconstitutionally trying to regulate immigration, a federal responsibility.

Montoya said the strengthened restriction on factoring race and ethnicity makes enforcement "potentially less discriminatory" but that the local-law provision is troubling because it broadens when the law could be used.

Both the law and the changes to it will take effect July 29 unless blocked by a court or referendum filing.

Lawmakers approved the follow-on bill several hours before ending their 2010 session.

The sponsor, Sen. Russell Pearce, unveiled the changes at a House-Senate conference committee Thursday. He later said the revisions would not change how the law is implemented but provide clarifications on intent and to make the bill more defensible in court.

"There will be no profiling," Pearce, R-Mesa, said in an interview.

Pearce said the change from the "contact" wording doesn't require a formal arrest before questioning but helps make it clear that racial profiling is not allowed.

"You have to have a real legitimate reason based on some violation or some suspicious activity based on some legitimate reason. It cannot be just on how you look."

There was little debate by lawmakers when the bill was considered, but Democrats opposed to the law criticized the new bill, too.

Rep. Ben Miranda, an attorney who is helping representing a group of Latino clergy who are behind one of three lawsuits filed Thursday to challenge the law, said the Republican-led Legislature's approach to illegal immigration is misguided.

"All parts of Arizona cry out for law enforcement that is reasonable and directed at the most serious crimes that we have in the community," the Phoenix Democrat said Thursday night. "The racial profiling element is real."

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, said the new wording regarding local civil ordinances could spur complaints of racial profiling based on complaints about cars parked on lawns and debris in yards.

Organizers of two referendum campaigns challenging the original law have said they will adjust their filings to reflect new provisions added by the Legislature.

Filing of referendum petitions by July 29 would put implementation of the legislation on hold pending a vote. That vote would either be in November or in 2012, depending largely on when the petitions are filed

Document: BP didn't plan for major oil spill

MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER – British Petroleum once downplayed the possibility of a catastrophic accident at an offshore rig that exploded, causing the worst U.S. oil spill in decades along the Gulf Coast and endangering shoreline habitat.

In its 2009 exploration plan and environmental impact analysis for the well, BP suggested it was unlikely, or virtually impossible, for an accident to occur that would lead to a giant crude oil spill and serious damage to beaches, fish and mammals.

At least 1.6 million gallons of oil have spilled so far since the April 20 explosion that killed 11 workers, according to Coast Guard estimates. One expert said Friday that the volume of oil leaking from the well nearly 5,000 feet below the surface could actually be much higher, and that even more may escape if the drilling equipment continues to erode.

"The sort of occurrence that we've seen on the Deepwater Horizon is clearly unprecedented," BP spokesman David Nicholas told The Associated Press on Friday. "It's something that we have not experienced before ... a blowout at this depth."

Amid increased fingerpointing Friday, efforts sputtered to hold back the giant oil spill seeping into Louisiana's rich fishing grounds and nesting areas, while the government desperately cast about for new ideas for dealing with the growing environmental crisis. President Barack Obama halted any new offshore drilling projects unless rigs have new safeguards to prevent another disaster.

The seas were too rough and the winds too strong to burn off the oil, suck it up effectively with skimmer vessels, or hold it in check with the miles of orange and yellow inflatable booms strung along the coast.

The floating barriers broke loose in the choppy water, and waves sent oily water lapping over them.

"It just can't take the wave action," said Billy Nungesser, president of Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish.

The spill — a slick more than 130 miles long and 70 miles wide — threatens hundreds of species of wildlife, including birds, dolphins and the fish, shrimp, oysters and crabs that make the Gulf Coast one of the nation's most abundant sources of seafood. Louisiana closed some fishing grounds and oyster beds because of the risk of oil contamination.

BP's 52-page exploration plan for the Deepwater Horizon well, filed with the federal Minerals Management Service, says repeatedly that it was "unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities."

And while the company conceded that a spill would impact beaches, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas, it argued that "due to the distance to shore (48 miles) and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts are expected."

Robert Wiygul, an Ocean Springs, Miss.-based environmental lawyer and board member for the Gulf Restoration Network, said he doesn't see anything in the document that suggests BP addressed the kind of technology needed to control a spill at that depth of water.

"The point is, if you're going to be drilling in 5,000 feet of water for oil, you should have the ability to control what you're doing," he said.

Although the cause of the explosion was under investigation, many of the more than two dozen lawsuits filed in the wake of the explosion claim it was caused when workers for oil services contractor Halliburton Inc. improperly capped the well — a process known as cementing. Halliburton denied it.

According to a 2007 study by the federal Minerals Management Service, which examined the 39 rig blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico between 1992 and 2006, cementing was a contributing factor in 18 of the incidents. In all the cases, gas seepage occurred during or after cementing of the well casing, the MMS said.

While the amount of oil in the gulf already threatened to make it the worst U.S. oil disaster since the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989, one expert emphasized that it was impossible to know just how much oil had already escaped and that it could be much more than what BP and the Coast Guard have said.

Even at current estimates, the spill could surpass that of the Valdez — which leaked 11 million gallons — in just two months.

Ian R. MacDonald, an oceanography professor at Florida State University, said estimates from both Coast Guard charts and satellite images indicate that 8 million to 9 million gallons had spilled by April 28.

"I hope I'm wrong. I hope there's less oil out there than that. But that's what I get when I apply the numbers," he said.

Coast Guard Admiral Mary Landry brushed off such estimates that suggested the rate of the leak was five times larger than official estimates.

"I would caution you not to get fixated on an estimate of how much is out there," Landry said. "The most important thing is from Day One we stood corralling resources from a worst-case scenario working back."

Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer for exploration and production, said it's impossible to measure the flow. But he said remote cameras show the rate doesn't appear to have changed since the leak was discovered.

"This is highly imprecise, highly imprecise," Suttles said. "We continue to respond to a much more significant case so that we're prepared for that in the eventuality that the rate is higher."

As of Friday, only a sheen of oil from the edges of the slick was washing up at Venice, La., and other extreme southeastern portions of Louisiana. But several miles out, the normally blue-green gulf waters were dotted with sticky, pea- to quarter-sized brown beads with the consistency of tar.

High seas were in the forecast through Sunday and could push oil deep into the inlets, ponds, creeks and lakes that line the boot of southeastern Louisiana. With the wind blowing from the south, the mess could reach the Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts by Monday.

In Louisiana, officials opened gates in the Mississippi River hoping a flood of fresh water would drive oil away from the coast. But winds thwarted that plan, too.

For days, crews have struggled without success to activate the well's underwater shutoff valve using remotely operated vehicles. They are also drilling a relief well in hopes of injecting mud and concrete to seal off the leak, but that could take three months.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he has pressed BP to work more efficiently to clean the spill and has pledged that "those responsible will be held accountable." President Barack Obama has ordered Salazar to report to him within 30 days on what new technology is needed to tighten safeguards against deepwater drilling spills.

With the government and BP running out of options, Salazar has invited other companies to bring their expertise to the table.

BP likewise sought ideas from some of its rivals and was using at least one of them Friday — applying chemicals underwater to break up the oil before it reaches the surface. That has never been attempted at such depths.

Animal rescue operations have ramped up, including the one at Fort Jackson, about 70 miles southeast of New Orleans. That rescue crew had its first patient Friday, a bird covered in thick, black oil. The bird, a young northern gannet found offshore, is normally white with a yellow head.

And volunteers have converged on the coast to offer help.

Valerie Gonsoulin, a 51-year-old kayaker from Lafayette who wore an "America's Wetlands" hat, said she hoped to help spread containment booms.

"I go out in the marshes three times a week. It's my peace and serenity," she said. "I'm horrified. I've been sitting here watching that NASA image grow, and it grows. I knew it would hit every place I fish and love."

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Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman, Chris Kahn, Allen G. Breed, Vicki Smith, Janet McConnaughey, Alan Sayre and Brian Skoloff contributed to this report.

World Cup front-runners enter home straight

PARIS (AFP) – With 100 days to go until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the favourites begin their final preparations in a series of friendly matches on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Pre-tournament form is a notoriously fickle indication of how a team will perform at the quadrennial football showpiece, but some of the sides bidding for glory are already beset by problems and controversies.
England's chances of a first World Cup success since 1966 were hyped to the hilt in the aftermath of their near-flawless qualifying campaign, but Fabio Capello's side has since become tainted by scandal.
John Terry was stripped of the captaincy following allegations of an extra-marital affair with the ex-girlfriend of international colleague Wayne Bridge, who turned his back on the England set-up as a consequence.
First-choice defenders Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole are all struggling for fitness, with Cole a doubt for the World Cup after breaking his ankle.
Capello, though, has sought to emphasise the importance of unity and has even stated his desire to include Bridge - the leading candidate to replace Cole at left-back - in his squad for the tournament.
"I respect Wayne Bridge's decision, but we have three months to change his decision. I open the door to all the players and now the door is open for the future of Wayne Bridge," said Capello, whose side host Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt on Wednesday.
France's game with Spain at the Stade de France, meanwhile, opposes two teams with similarly high profiles but vastly different expectations.
After a distinctly under-par qualification campaign, France limped into the tournament in contentious fashion when Thierry Henry's now infamous handball put paid to the Republic of Ireland's World Cup dreams.
Coach Raymond Domenech has prevailed over four years of underachievement since defeat to Italy in the 2006 World Cup final but his successor will be named before the tournament, much to Domenech's discontent.
"Everything that comes from outside can disrupt, undermine and create weaknesses that could prove harmful during a long competition," he said.
"For one match, no, but for one month, with substitutes who won't play or who will only play a bit, it could be complicated and it could create tension."
European champions Spain, by contrast, approach the game in relative serenity.
The Euro 2008 winners won all 10 of their qualifying games and the principal task facing coach Vicente Del Bosque is one of dampening fervent expectations.
"We must be aware of who we are, not underestimate our opponents," he said.
"Thinking that we are the strongest is obviously stupid because we know that this competition demands concentration and humility if you are to win against any team."
Favourites Brazil, who tackle Ireland in London on Tuesday, must deal with the characteristic pressure that accompanies their participation in every major competition.
Coach Dunga has stamped his style on the team since he took over in 2007 and his counter-attacking system leaves no room for the flamboyant talents of Ronaldinho, who was once again overlooked for the game against Ireland.
"I guess it's normal (for Ronaldinho's absence to cause controversy) because the players who are absent are always the best and everyone wants to talk about who is not part of the national team," Dunga said.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona claims to have already informed "50 percent" of the players who will make up his 23-man squad for the World Cup, where Argentine hopes of a third trophy will rest heavily on the shoulders of European Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi.
The Albicelesti on Wednesday confront Germany, whose own preparations have been dogged by a dispute between coach Joachim Loew and the country's football federation over an extension to his contract.
Defending champions Italy face Cameroon in Monaco, with Azzurri coach Marcello Lippi having claimed last month that he already knows 17 of the 23 players he will take to South Africa.

Lidstrom lifts Red Wings over Avalanche, 3-2

DENVER – The Detroit Red Wings are healthy and ready to make a run at the playoffs.
That might bad news for the rest of the NHL.
Nicklas Lidstrom scored a power-play goal with 9:03 left in the third period and lifted the Red Wings past Colorado on Monday night and put themselves into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Tomas Holmstrom had a goal and two assists, Pavel Datsyuk had two assists and Jimmy Howard made 22 saves for Detroit, which won the first NHL game since Feb. 14 when the NHL took a two-week break for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
The Red Wings, who came within a game last season of repeating as Stanley Cup champions, know they have to start winning to get a chance at another title.
"We've got to make a decision that we want to get in," coach Mike Babcock said. "We've got enough bodies now that we should be a good hockey club. We've got to decide to be a good hockey club."
The Red Wings have been hurt by injuries all year, but they've gotten key reinforcements back. Monday, Johan Franzen scored his fourth goal in just his seventh game and Andres Lilja returned after missing the whole season with a concussion.
"We know there's not much time left and we need to make a push," Howard said. "We feel like all we have to do is get into the playoffs and we'll be a dangerous team. No one's going to want to face us."
Detroit needs to make the playoffs first, and it had to grit out a win against Colorado.
The game was tied when Colorado defenseman Kyle Quincey drew a minor penalty for tripping with 10:01 remaining. Lidstrom's low shot 58 seconds later beat goalie Craig Anderson for the game-winner.
"When Pav got it back he had two guys lay in front of him so I just followed in behind him and he laid a pretty nice drop pass," Lidstrom said. "I didn't shoot it hard I just wanted to make sure it got through."
The Red Wings needed Lidstrom's heroics after Colorado wiped out a 2-0 deficit with second-period goals by Chris Stewart and T.J. Galiardi.
"I felt our energy level got better as the game went on," Avalanche coach Joe Sacco said. "We played a team tonight that was very desperate for points."
The Red Wings scored twice in the first period before Colorado rallied in the second. Galiardi knocked a rebound through Howard's legs to make it 2-1 with his 10th goal of the season.
The Avalanche got even when Stewart's slapshot from the left circle beat Howard at 11:14 of the period, his 20th goal of the year.
"We showed good character to come back, especially against a team like Detroit," Galiardi said.
Both teams had chances to take the lead late in the second. Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart intercepted a pass on a Colorado two-on-one and Anderson stretched to make a right pad save on Franzen, who couldn't lift the puck into the open net.
Detroit looked in control at the start. Holmstrom scored his 17th goal when he took a pass from Datsyuk and beat Anderson with a quick shot in the top left corner to make it 1-0 6:06 into the game.
Franzen made it 2-0 on the power play when he beat Anderson in the same spot at 12:40 of the first period.
Detroit had a goal waved off when the officials ruled Holmstrom had incidental contact with Anderson with 13:32 left in the second period.
"Homer was in the paint and (referee) Kerry Fraser said he didn't allow the goalie to play," Babcock said. "That's the rule. You've got to be outside the paint."
Two minutes later, Galiardi scored to get Colorado on the board.
But the Red Wings prevailed, and now they're ready to make noise in the Western Conference playoff race.
"That's the best lineup we've dressed all year," Babcock said. "Wouldn't you love to draw us in the first round?"
Notes: Anderson had 27 saves. ... The Avalanche activated C Matt Hendricks after missing 12 games with an ankle injury. ... Colorado D Ruslan Salei's assist on Stewart's goal was his first point of the season. He missed 54 games with a back injury. ... Detroit C Jason Williams played in his 400th NHL game.

Roy and Blazers rally past Grizzlies 103-93

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Brandon Roy scored 25 points and Nicolas Batum added 21 as Portland erased a 14-point first-half deficit with a strong third quarter and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 103-93 on Monday night.
LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 13, and Andre Miller scored 12 points and handed out 11 assists as the Trail Blazers ended their five-game road trip with four victories. They also solidified their hold on the Western Conference's eighth playoff spot.
It was the seventh straight road win for Portland over the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Memphis extended its current home losing streak to seven.
Zach Randolph led Memphis with 22 points, and Rudy Gay finished with 19. Marc Gasol added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Mike Conley scored 13.
Portland overtook Memphis by outscoring the Grizzlies 41-21 in the third, the Trail Blazers' highest point total in a quarter this season.
The Trail Blazers held a 13-point lead early in the fourth, and still led by 11 with 6:43 remaining. But Memphis went on an 11-2 run to pull within 91-89 on Randolph's two free throws with 3:25 left. Later, Randolph's three-point play cut the lead to 93-92.
But Memphis could get no closer.
The game was the first step in a week where Memphis, entering the night in the 10th spot in the West, could make some strides in the playoff race. In addition to playing the Trail Blazers, the eighth seed, Memphis travels to New Orleans, which is just ahead of it in ninth place.
The seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs close out the Grizzlies' week.
The first step started off well, but eventually got out of hand in the second half.
Portland dealt with some early ball handling problems and managed to stay close until Memphis extended it to eight points as the miscues continued, a half-dozen of them in the first period.
The Trail Blazers would settle down after the opening quarter taking better care of the basketball, and the Portland reserves brought more energy on both ends of the floor.
That still didn't prevent Memphis from getting out on the break and controlling the boards and the paint.
Memphis' lead reached 14 before the Grizzlies carried a 53-41 lead into the dressing room behind 13 from Gay and 12 more from Randolph.
No Trail Blazers were in double figures at the break.
Portland immediately erased the Memphis advantage in the second half as the Trail Blazers hit nine of their first 11 shots. Batum's 3-pointer completed the rally, giving Portland the lead.
That was part of Batum's 12 points in the quarter, while Roy had 15. Portland outscored Memphis 41-21 for an 82-74 lead entering the fourth.
Portland outhustled Memphis in the second half, forcing 16 turnovers. That allowed Portland to lead by as many as 13 early in the fourth period before Memphis started its rally.
NOTES: Memphis has not won a home game since Feb. 1, defeating the Lakers 95-93. ... The Trail Blazers have not lost at game at FedExForum since Dec. 21, 2005. ... Memphis G Jamaal Tinsley missed his third game with a sore left hamstring. Center Steven Hunter also sat out with a sore left knee. Hunter has not played in 10 straight games. ... One of Memphis' first-half turnovers may have had something to do with translation. Hamed Haddadi, the Grizzlies' reserve center and the first player from Iran, took the ball out on the baseline after a Portland turnover. With the Trail Blazers pressing, Haddadi tried to create some space, running the baseline. The traveling call was immediate, giving the ball back to Portland.

Syracuse No. 1 for first time in 20 years

Syracuse took quite a route to its first No. 1 ranking in 20 years.
The Orange weren't in the preseason Top 25 and, just days after it was released with them in "Others Receiving Votes," they were beaten by Division II LeMoyne in an exhibition game.
But they were back in the poll — at No. 10, in fact — just two weeks into the season after impressive wins over California and North Carolina in the 2K Sports Classic.
The Orange haven't been out of the top 10 since and on Monday moved from fourth into the No. 1 spot, taking advantage of a weekend that saw the top three teams lose.
"It's a great honor, a great testament for these players, these kids, to be number one," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "We all know it doesn't matter that much in the big picture, it's where you are at the end of the year. These kids have worked hard, been unselfish. They deserve it. They really do."
This is the third time the Hall of Fame coach has had the Orange at No. 1. There was the preseason poll in 1987-88 and a six-week stint in 1989-90.
"It's been a long time and we're happy to be there," said Boeheim, who has 826 wins in his 34th season at his alma mater.
Syracuse (27-2), which received 59 first-place votes from the national media panel, moved to the top off its 95-77 victory over then-No. 7 Villanova in front of an on-campus record crowd at the Carrier Dome.
As always, it's Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense, which it didn't use in the loss to LeMoyne, that is drawing all the attention in the rise up the polls.
"The biggest thing is that we've been the biggest we've been inside in a long time and we just cover better. These guys have worked a little harder at it," Boeheim said. "We're also still leading the nation in field goal percentage (52.2) so we've also been a very good offensive team. They really move the ball and pass the ball extremely well. We've been good on both ends of the court. It's not one thing really."
Syracuse is the sixth team to go from unranked in the opening poll to No. 1. Kansas was the last, reaching No. 1 on Jan. 9, 1990.
"We made an unbelievable move this year and we have really played pretty consistently all year. Based on the whole year we deserve it," Boeheim said. "We may not be the best team in the country but I'm not sure who else is."
Kansas, which had been No. 1 for the last four weeks and 13 polls overall this season, had the other six first-place votes and dropped to second. The Jayhawks (27-2) lost at Oklahoma State on Saturday, the same day Kentucky (27-2) lost at Tennessee.
The Wildcats, who were No. 1 for one week in January, fell one spot to third.
Texas, the fourth team to hold the No. 1 position this season, fell out of the rankings from 21st. The Longhorns became No. 1 for the first time in school history in January, but have dropped seven of 12 after their 17-0 start.
They are the fifth team to hold the No. 1 ranking and drop out of the poll in the same season — Alabama was the last to do it in 2002-03.
Duke and Kansas State each moved up one place each to fourth and fifth, while Ohio State jumped three spots to sixth. Purdue dropped from No. 3 to seventh following Sunday's 53-44 loss to Michigan State, the Boilermakers' first game since losing second-leading scorer and rebounder Robbie Hummel to a knee injury.
New Mexico was eighth, followed by Villanova and West Virginia.
Michigan State led the second 10, followed by Butler, Vanderbilt, BYU, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Gonzaga, Georgetown and Temple. The last five ranked teams were Baylor, Maryland, Texas A&M, UTEP and Xavier.
Maryland (21-7), which is second to Duke in the ACC, was ranked for the first two weeks of the regular season. UTEP (22-5), which has won 12 straight, is ranked for the first time since February 1992. Xavier (21-7), co-leaders of the Atlantic 10, moved in for the first time this season, knocking out Richmond (22-7) with a double overtime win over the Spiders on Sunday.
Northern Iowa (25-4) dropped out from 25th after losing to Evansville, the last-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference.

9 Dems who voted no on health bill may reconsider

WASHINGTON – Nine House Democrats indicated in an Associated Press survey Monday they have not ruled out switching their "no" votes to "yes" on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, brightening the party's hopes in the face of unyielding Republican opposition.
The White House tried to smooth the way for them, showing its own openness to changes in the landmark legislation and making a point of saying the administration is not using parliamentary tricks or loopholes to find the needed support.
Democratic leaders have strongly signaled they will use a process known as "budget reconciliation" to try to push part of the package through the Senate without allowing Republicans to talk it to death with filibusters. The road could be even more difficult in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi is struggling to secure enough Democratic votes for approval, thus the effort to attract former foes.
The White House said Obama will outline his final "way forward" in a Washington speech Wednesday, and he is expected to embrace a handful of Republican ideas for making health care more efficient.
Few in Washington think those gestures will be enough to persuade a single House or Senate Republican to embrace the legislation. But they could give wavering Democrats political cover by showing the party has been willing to compromise, ammunition against campaign accusations this fall that they rammed the bill through Congress with no regard for other views.
The proposal would impose new restrictions on insurance companies and order health insurance coverage for as many as 30 million Americans who now lack it, among many other changes.
Persuading lawmakers to change their votes is a tough sell. Elected officials are loath to vote two ways on a controversial issue, feeling such a switch draws more resentment than support overall. Democratic leaders stress that the legislative package soon to reach the House will be less expensive than the one that passed in November and will contain no government-run insurance program to compete with private insurers.
They hope those changes will give additional cover to party moderates thinking of switching from no to yes.
The House version of health care passed 220-215 in November, with 39 Democrats voting against it. Since then, defections, resignations and a death have taken away yes votes.
With four House seats now vacant, Pelosi would need 216 votes to approve the Senate-passed version, which replaces the jettisoned House bill. That's exactly the number she has now if no other members switch their votes.
In interviews with the AP, at least nine of the 39 Democrats — or their spokesmen — either declined to state their positions or said they were undecided about the revised legislation, making them likely targets for intense wooing by Pelosi and Obama. Three of them — Brian Baird of Washington, Bart Gordon of Tennessee and John Tanner of Tennessee — are not seeking re-election this fall.
The others are Rick Boucher of Virginia, Suzanne Kosmas of Florida, Frank Kratovil of Maryland, Michael McMahon of New York, Scott Murphy of New York and Glenn Nye of Virginia. Several lawmakers' offices did not reply to the AP queries.
Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho will not change his vote from no, his spokesman, Dean Ferguson, said Monday night. Minnick had declined to state a position when contacted earlier by the AP.
Both parties have used the "reconciliation" strategy to pass big bills before, but Republicans call the health care push an unwarranted departure from standard practices.
Top Democrats are reminding colleagues and voters at home that the Senate already has passed its version of the health care bill on Christmas Eve with a super-majority of 60 votes, which squelched a GOP filibuster without resorting to reconciliation rules. The new plan calls for the House to pass that same bill and send it to Obama for his signature.
But that is contingent on a Senate promise to make several subsequent changes. Those would have to be approved under the special budget reconciliation rules, because Democrats now control only 59 of the Senate's 100 votes — one shy of the number needed to stop a bill-killing filibuster.
Democratic leaders have asked colleagues not to use the term "reconciliation" but instead to refer to the process as "majority vote," said Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa. They also are frequently using the term "up or down vote."
The political math in the House is daunting. Many lawmakers expect further defections, especially members who oppose legalized abortion and feel the Senate language is too permissive in regulating federal funds for those operations.
For every yes vote that switches to no, Pelosi and the White House must persuade one of the 39 Democrats who voted "nay" in November to switch to yes.
Obama's announcement on Wednesday is expected to be a freshened blueprint of what he wants to see in a final health care bill, updated with ideas that at least have the fingerprints of Republicans.
The plan will replace the one Obama posted one week ago, but will not be written in legislative language.
Obama's move underscores his ever-growing role in shaping what he hopes will be a far-reaching revision to the nation's health care system, a goal that has eluded other presidents dating to Theodore Roosevelt.
Politically, it would also allow him to say that he was listening to Republicans at his ballyhooed bipartisan summit last week and that he has since responded by including more areas of common ground.
But Republicans have shown no sign of backing his proposal no matter how it is changed.
Obama also will outline how he wants the process to unfold in Congress. Officials signaled it will involve Senate reconciliation rules unless there's a stunning last-minute overture from Republicans.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs would not confirm that plan Monday. But he repeated that health care deserves an up-or-down vote and that Republicans have used reconciliation on major legislation.
When asked if the public cares about legislative process, Gibbs said: "I think the American people care about what's in the bill."
Since Thursday's summit, Obama has been involved in a series of meetings in which the new White House proposal is being shaped.
Gibbs said Obama has worked to get votes in every round of the health care debate. "I don't doubt that he will ... do the same thing this time to get the votes necessary to pass health care," Gibbs said.
Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House's second-ranking Republican, made it clear that Republicans see a Democrats-only bill as an election-year issue.
"If Speaker Pelosi rams through this bill," he said this weekend, Democrats "will lose their majority in Congress in November."
Meanwhile Monday, Obama's argument that private insurance plans serving one-fourth of Medicare recipients are significantly overpaid got support from a report to Congress by nonpartisan technical advisers. Democrats have targeted Medicare Advantage plans for a big chunk of the cuts that would free funds to cover the uninsured.
The report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission found that last year Medicare spent about $14 billion more for seniors enrolled in private plans than would have been the case if those beneficiaries had stayed in the traditional program. One consequence was that all Medicare recipients _whether in private plans or the traditional program_ ended up paying an additional $3.35 a month in premiums to cover the costs.
The Senate health care bill that Obama supports would replace the current payment formula for the private plans with an approach based on competitive bidding.
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Associated Press writers Ben Feller, Erica Werner, Alan Fram and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in Washington; Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md.; Valerie Bauman in Albany, N.Y.; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; Meghan Barr in Cleveland; Melissa Nelson in Pensacola, Fla.; Robert Lewis in Richmond, Va., Erik Schelzig in Nashville, Tenn.; Angela K. Brown in Fort Worth, Texas; Dirk Lammers in Sioux Falls, S.D., and Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, La., contributed to this report.