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Gates, Obama Urge Repeal Of DADT
The Associated Press reports: “Defense Secretary Robert Gates is encouraging Congress to act before year’s end to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military. It’s a position shared by his boss, the president…’I would like to see the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ but I’m not sure what the prospects for that are and we’ll just have to see,’ Gates told reporters traveling with him to Australia this weekend. Gates has said he would prefer Congress act after the Pentagon releases its study of how repeal would be implemented, which is due Dec. 1.'”

Obama Hails Ties With ‘World Power’ India
The AFP reports: “Obama heaped praise on the country and its Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the end of a three-day trip, which saw a raft of commercial deals signed and agreements to cooperate more closely in agriculture, health and energy. The president said that the principles of democracy and human rights were too often ignored around the world, which was riven with conflicts and misunderstandings between nations. ‘For our two countries to be able stand together to promote these principles in international forums, I think can be incredibly powerful and incredibly important,’ he said at a joint press conference with Singh.”

Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will meet at 11:30 a.m. ET with Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer to discuss Recovery Act implementation. He will meet at 4:15 p.m. ET with Bill Gates.

Obama Opens Door For Talks With GOP On Tax-Cut Extension
The Washington Post reports: “President Obama said a Republican proposal to preserve the full array of Bush administration tax cuts for two more years presents a “basis for conversation” that could lead to a compromise as lawmakers prepare to meet next week for a high-stakes showdown over taxes. However, a senior House Republican on Sunday flatly rejected the option most favored by the White House: decoupling the Bush tax cuts that benefit the wealthy from the cuts that benefit the vast majority of Americans by extending each set of provisions for a different period of time.”

Pentagon Openings Give Obama Options
The New York Times reports: “With critical decisions ahead on the war in Afghanistan, President Obama is about to receive an unusual opportunity to reshape the Pentagon’s leadership, naming a new defense secretary as well as several top generals and admirals in the next several months. It is a rare confluence of tenure calendars and personal calculations, coming midway through Mr. Obama’s first term and on the heels of an election that challenged his domestic policies.”

Dem Lame-Duck Agenda Shrinking Fast After Shellacking
The Hill reports: “Democratic allies are not optimistic about their legislative priorities getting done in the lame-duck session after Democratic candidates got pummeled on Election Day…In the wake of a midterm election that President Obama called a ‘shellacking’ of his party, Democratic insiders question if anything more than a stop-gap spending measure and temporary extension of Bush-era tax cuts can pass.”

House Democrats Struggle To Unify
Roll Call reports: “House Democrats haven’t been able to stop campaigning. Rather than spending the days after Tuesday’s midterms regrouping, Members have been stuck fighting over who among them should lead in the minority. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Friday she would stand as Minority Leader, angering moderates who hoped she would step aside and forcing leaders underneath her to mount bids for the remaining leadership positions”

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