The U.S. needs major changes to its financial system so consumers are better protected, banks fortified and the economy safeguarded from sliding into another Depression, President Obama said Saturday.

With the showdown vote set for Sunday in the House, the president decided to make one last, personal appeal to rank-and-file Democrats, arranging a visit to the Capitol Saturday afternoon.

Officials from the group told the New York Times it is dealing with "mismanagement along with a severe loss of government and membership funds."

Congressional leaders worked into Friday night attempting to resolve the dispute over abortion in health care legislation.

In a video to the Iranian people, the second of his presidency, Obama said the United States' offer of diplomatic dialogue still stands but the Iranian government has chosen isolation. 

Latest unfulfilled commitments related to Obama's health care proposal emerged when Democrats unveiled the final bill this week.

Democrats unveiling revisions Thursday to their health care overhaul bill decided to kill the extra $100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska that has become a symbol of backdoor deal making. But the 153 pages of changes to the massive health care package include extra money for several other states. 

Rare is the Washington scandal where both the accuser and the accused refuse to talk about the charges. But silence has been the norm in the case of Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., who alleges the Obama administration offered the second-term congressman a "high-ranking" job if he would abandon his primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa. 

His party in the minority and his least favorite piece of legislation about to come to a critical vote, John Boehner is showing no sign of backing down in what may be the final days of the health care reform push. 

As the leadership in the House tries to persuade fence-straddling Democrats to push health care reform over the finish line, a "talking points" memo is being widely circulated in Washington that purports to show that those same leaders and the Obama administration are secretly planning to push for an increase in Medicare payments -- an increase that would alter the cost of the bill. 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Russian counterpart clashed openly Thursday over the planned startup this summer of Iran's first, Russian-built nuclear power plant, highlighting a split in views over how to steer Iran away from nuclear weapons.

Fox News poll shows 68 percent of voters would oust all incumbents, while 20 percent would keep all lawmakers in office.

In a letter Thursday to House leaders, Caterpillar said Democrats' health care reform legislation would drive up its health care costs by more than 20 percent

Dealmaking is a delicate dance on Capitol Hill. But if the health care debate is any gauge, lawmakers are getting pretty good at doing the "twist." 

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster says he and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum are ready to file a federal lawsuit if health care reform legislation passes.

President Obama described the stakes of this weekend's health care vote in stark terms Friday, using words uttered so rarely out of the White House that they seem all but banned: "If this vote fails." 

Though Democrats are looking for a big vote Sunday on health care reform, the process could drag out for a while with Republicans looking to challenge the legislation and one Democrat mulling a new "sidecar" bill. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday appeared to have reached 216, the magic number of votes she needs to pass the Democrats' health care reform bill, after Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla., switched to a "yes."

Despite their lengthy and bruising battle two years ago for their party's presidential nomination, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have since forged a strong partnership as president and secretary of state, The New York Times reported Friday.

President Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Fox News has learned, as a sharp disagreement over settlements continues to fester.