Thanks, Robert. Two topics. I wanted to follow up on some of the discussion yesterday about the "don't ask, don't tell" ruling. Does the President...

What can you explain is the White House’s role, if any, in that discussion?

That should be in the guidance, yes.

Okay. And more broadly, can you describe, since this ruling came down, I guess a couple days ago, what the President’s engagement and/or involvement...

One last thing on this. I mean, you just talked about how the DOD is doing guidance and the call to Congress to pass that law, but is the President...

Deferring to Congress to pass the law, deferring to DOD to take the lead on responding.

One other quick topic, please. Can you give the latest assessment from the White House about the peace talks that Afghanistan is trying to hold with...

On the NATO subject, are U.S. and NATO forces, as is being reported, willing to help the Taliban leaders, negotiators, get safe passage to participate...

Okay. On the housing foreclosure crisis that seems to be building, there is growing signs that this is not being contained. What is the level of concern...

So are you completely ruling out any administration support for a national -- a nationwide moratorium on foreclosures?

Are you ruling out supporting a moratorium?

On a couple of occasions from the podium you have talked about how the President hasn’t spent a lot of time thinking about his reelection campaign...

And what about today’s town hall? What does the White House hope to gain from that?

Going back to the back-and-forth the White House is having with the Chamber of Commerce, can you respond to the argument that the Chamber is making...

On one other issue, Michelle Obama early voted in Chicago today, as you know. And in the print pool report, one of the people, Dennis Campbell, who...

Speaking of which, has the President watched her events out there? And have you heard him say anything about it?

On the Chamber and Karl Rove and all that -- and I might have missed this if anybody already asked it -- but Tim Kaine compared it to Watergate, said...

And on Afghanistan, how big is this? Does the President see this as a potential turning point?

Is this the continuation of what’s been going on or is this is a new moment?

But the idea of there being talks in Kabul and with people coming in and with the U.S. military and ISAF reportedly paving the way for people to come...

Is this significant enough that the President has been on the phone with General Petraeus or Secretary Clinton or Gates?

In the last day or two, have --

With respect to Peter Baker’s impressive 19 pages in the coming Sunday magazine, can you talk to me about Obama 2.0? The President seems to think...

John Boehner put out a release today in which he called your infrastructure rebuilding proposal more stimulus spending to be paid for by higher gasoline...

A couple things. You mentioned in the Afghanistan -- the tempo has never been higher. So you believe -- we should draw the conclusion that with the...

But you guys believe there’s a direct correlation here? As you guys have beefed up the operation in Afghanistan, suddenly you’ve got reconciliation...

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” very quickly. What’s the President think of the court case itself? Does he agree -- and we know -- I know what his...

Is it fair to say that he wishes this were not done through the court process, that this had been done through Congress and the Department of Defense?

Does Justice have to challenge the ruling? I'm sorry.

That's okay.

This week? Should we expect something like that this week?

But is there -- is Justice ordinarily bound to challenge a judge’s ruling that strikes down existing law?

Very quickly, everybody else is setting expectations for you guys in the election. What's a win, as far as the White House is concerned?

No? I mean, is holding Congress -- you know, what's a win, what's not?

And if you don't, that's a loss, as far as you guys are concerned?

No, but I mean, you guys know what's winning and what's losing. I mean --

From your answer to Wendell’s question, it sounds like you did read the New York Times magazine piece.

Can you elaborate a little bit on what the President meant when he said there’s no such thing as a shovel-ready project? Does that mean that the...

Do you think that the timing of this self-criticism is helpful to Democrats going into this election?

Okay. And one more question on something else.

A guy from the Wall Street Journal likes hearing that. (Laughter.)

MTV has asked some of the people who’ve submitted questions if they also have light questions regarding pop culture. And I’m wondering if -- do...

I mean, does the President want these things to be light-hearted or does he want some harder hitting questions than, say, he got at George Washington...

Boxers or briefs?

I wasn’t asking.

Do you know if the White House approached MTV and BET and offered the President for a town meeting, or was it the other way around?

And on “don’t ask, don’t tell,” if you say the President agrees it’s time for “don’t ask” to end, he thinks it’s unjust, discriminatory,...

The court said it was at an end.

Can I follow on that, Robert?

Thank you. On Afghanistan, Secretary Clinton was talking about red lines in these talks.

“Red lines” in these talks. Can you tell us what the

-- give us a better sense of what the U.S. deadlines are, and does that include, for...

But if we have red lines, those -- when you say “red lines” it usually means those are strict lines that we think shouldn’t be crossed.

Would that include just allowing the Taliban to continue --

Another easier question. You guys are going to Delaware tomorrow, where the Democratic candidate, I believe, is 19 points ahead in the latest public...

Is the President going to do early voting in person?

You said yesterday the President hoped to speak with the CEOs of some of the companies that were involved in the rescue. Has that happened?

Also, are there ways in which you expect this afternoon’s town hall to be fundamentally different from Tuesday’s, or is it sort of the same thing,...

Robert, you said that the President is hopeful that after the election the Republicans will come off the sidelines and participate more. He’s been...

Hope is big with you, yes. And is there -- does having more Republicans in Congress give him more leverage to bring them into the game, or is there...

By having a larger Republican presence in this -- or outright control, though, will he be using words like “obligation” to participate? Will he...

Robert, you were asked previously, I think it was yesterday, whether the President believes “don’t ask, don’t tell” is constitutional or unconstitutional.

All right. Can I ask about the trade deficit? It’s back up again sharply this month and it’s at its highest level ever against China. Isn’t...

Clarifying on your suggestion of the new guidance will be coming out for the military chain of command. Wouldn’t any new guidance have to be based...

Separate from --

Well, but DOD isn’t making the decision on an appeal, is it?

And so any new guidance they get would have to wait and see what the Justice Department wants to do.

On the MTV event this afternoon, are you aware that the network put out a casting call on a professional site for -- asking for people to apply for...

And this is a regular presidential official event? This is not a campaign event?

And you don’t have a -- do you have advanced knowledge of the questions?

The same way?

And just two things. Is the President planning to go to Cancun for the climate summit in the end of November?

Is the President planning to go to Cancun for the climate summit?

In November, yes.

That’s not under discussion?

Also, has he personally heard that some members of the military overseas have not gotten their absentee ballots yet?

What’s your reaction to that? Does that outrage you?

Robert, there have been some recent polls out showing that the President’s approval rating among people has taken a pretty precipitous dip. Why do...

One other thing. Yesterday the First Lady mentioned on the Tom Joyner show that she was encouraging supporters to pray for her and the President. ...

Did it help?

On your knees? (Laughter.)

Robert, going back to this event this afternoon, what is the specific youth demographic that you’re trying to reach? I’ve been told today that...

And also, do you have a definitive answer as to when President Obama last spoke with Nancy Pelosi? I asked that a couple of days ago.

September 30th?

But understanding that he’s going to go on the campaign trail with Harry Reid, do you think that's a long period of time not to talk to the leader...

So we’ve got this, like, really busy domestic political season, and then he’s leaving almost immediately for India. And what I’m wondering is,...

Is he building into the schedule over the next few weeks some time to meet with Indian Americans, to read any literature, to study up on the Diwali?...

Thanks, Robert. The very first question I asked you on Tuesday was whether there had been any discussion of how to bring DOD into compliance with the...

But any back-and-forth between the White House and the Pentagon on what to do about this, on the fact that they’re -- I mean, these recruiters said...

And what is the nature of that conversation there?

Is the President concerned about that? I mean, the fact that the DOD isn’t --

And one last question?

Thank you very much. In the lame duck session, you’ve talked about being hopeful that the Senate will actually pass this. Will the President actually...

So actually talking to senators?

No commitment on talking to senators?

Is it unusual that the President would go more than two weeks without talking to the Speaker of the House?

I mean, do they regularly go that length of period without speaking?

Well, you could see how that would seem odd, though. I mean, it’s the --

Does she have his email address? (Laughter.)

Back to the Peter Baker interview. One of the sentences that struck me -- as the President said,...

But he seemed to be saying it wasn’t enough to do it; we should have been better salesmen.

And was he particularly talking about the health care reform legislation or just in general?

Thanks, Robert.

Robert, can I ask a quick question about Bill Clinton? Bill Clinton is campaigning in dozens of districts across the country. Is the President pleased...