GAMBOA, Panama – Manuel Noriega, Panama’s drug-running military dictator of the 1980s, was extradited back to the country on Sunday and taken straight to prison to serve a 20-year sentence for the murders of opponents during his rule.

Noriega, now 77, was toppled in a U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 and has spent the last two decades behind bars, first in Florida and then in France after being convicted for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Accompanied by Panama’s attorney general and a doctor, he was extradited from France to Panama on a commercial flight and flown in a helicopter to the outskirts of a jungle-surrounded penitentiary beside the Panama Canal.

The former strongman arrived at the prison in a police convoy and was whisked into the building in a wheelchair. About half an hour earlier, another convoy had arrived with a wheelchair-bound passenger in an apparent decoy maneuver.

“We had to be sure of his security,” Interior Minister Roxana Mendez told reporters outside the prison. The doctor who accompanied Noriega on the plane said he was suffering from hypertension and could not walk unassisted.

Noriega did not speak to waiting media, but Reuters photographs showed him at the prison reception area, in a wheelchair and wearing a red shirt.

A physically diminished shadow of the man once known for waving a machete while delivering fiery speeches, Noriega’s return is unlikely to have a major political impact on a country that has enjoyed an economic boom in recent years.

Widely reviled when he was Panama’s de facto leader from 1983 until 1989, his small cadre of remaining supporters has kept a low profile and even bitter opponents dismiss Noriega as part of a distant, shadowy past.

Much of the focus on Noriega will be on whether he sheds any light on the dictatorship’s mysteries, including some 100 unsolved killings or disappearances in the period of army rule from 1968 to 1989.

Noriega was convicted in absentia in three homicide cases involving 11 murders, including the 1985 beheading of Hugo Spadafora, a physician who threatened to reveal Noriega’s drug ties, and the 1989 execution-style slaying of nine officers who staged a failed coup.

Sentenced to 20 years in each case, he will serve the terms concurrently. Official photographs of the facility prepared for him at the El Renacer prison showed a spartan, beige-painted cell with a bathroom, table and small bed.

Noriega will also face charges over the 1970 murder of Heliodoro Portugal, an opponent of Panama’s military leaders.

“We hope he talks and says where the rest of the disappeared are, what happened to those who were killed,” said Portugal’s daughter, Patria Portugal.

BITTER MEMORIES

Noriega qualifies for house arrest due to his age but the decision rests with the government. His lawyer, Julio Berrios, said house arrest would also imply an acceptance of his sentence and mean Noriega could not launch a legal challenge.

Leaders of a civilian movement that protested Noriega’s regime in the late 1980s urged the government to keep him in prison, equating house arrest with virtual freedom.

“People who have … been accused and sentenced for killing people have to serve their sentences, independently of their age,” said Aurelio Barria, a businessman who spent the last years of Noriega’s rule in exile in fear for his life.

Originally a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) protege, Noriega fell out with Washington over his ties to Colombian drug traffickers and his rigging of elections.

The U.S. invasion in December 1989 came soon after a botched coup that the United States could have used to capture

Noriega, who was briefly held by rebel officers.

His return stirs bitter memories for many Panamanians who suffered under his regime or lost family in the invasion.

“All of Panama was happy when he left,” said Osvaldo Quintero, 37, who lives by Noriega’s dilapidated mansion in the upscale San Francisco neighborhood and says neighbors oppose his return to the house.

Once the site of parties for high-ranking members of Panama’s now-disbanded armed forces, the mansion is crumbling, with neighbors complaining of squatters, rats and mosquitoes.

“For those who have lived here for a long time (Noriega) brings bad memories. It was a political era of this country that we want to forget,” said Quintero.

But some miss the security that came with Noriega’s iron hand, for example in the El Chorrillo district which was the base for Noriega’s central command and has since disintegrated into a gunfire-punctuated gangland chaos.

“Noriega had absolute control of Panama,” said Cesar Duran, outside his parked taxi that sports a Noriega sticker on the rear beside the Spanish word for freedom. “We knew he was a dictator … but there was much more security than now.”

(Additional reporting by Lucien Libert and John Irish in Paris and Veronica Gomez in Mexico City; Editing by Sandra Maler)

PITTSBURGH, Pa – A Roman Catholic priest was arrested on charges he viewed child pornography in the rectory of his Pittsburgh-area church, the diocese said on Sunday.

The Rev. Bartley Sorensen, 62, pastor of St. John Fisher Church in Churchill, Pennsylvania, was arraigned on charges of possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony, according to the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

He was being held on Sunday in the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond, jail officials said.

Sorensen was arrested after a church employee walked into the rectory on Friday and saw Sorensen viewing a computer image of a young boy naked from the waist down, with the words “Hottie Boys” on the screen, police said. She alerted diocesan officials, who immediately contacted police.

Allegheny County detectives found pornographic images of young boys on his computer, police said. During an interview, Sorensen admitted to possessing at least 100 pornographic pictures of children, police said. He has not been charged with abusing children.

Accusations of child abuse and sexual impropriety against Catholic clergy in the United States have rocked the Catholic Church since 2002, and the church has paid out some $2 billion in settlements to abuse victims.

The pornography arrest also comes amid a series of separate scandals that have seen a steady march of men make abuse accusations in recent weeks against coaches at Penn State University, Syracuse University and most recently against a top official at the Amateur Athletic Union.

The Pittsburgh diocese said in a statement that Sorensen had been placed on administrative leave.

“The viewing of pornographic images involving children is a disturbing and criminal act,” the statement said. “The Diocese of Pittsburgh is cooperating to the fullest extent in the investigation of this incident.”

A priest for 35 years, Sorensen had been a pastor at St. John Fisher only for several weeks, having been previously assigned for nine months to St. Anne Church in Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania. His past includes an assignment as chaplain at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The Rev. Ronald Lengwin, diocese spokesman, said the diocese had provided Sorensen with the names of several possible attorneys after his arrest but it was unclear who he had retained for the criminal case.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Cynthia Johnston)

HARRISBURG, Pa – Harrisburg’s city council has decided to appeal a federal court judge’s decision to deny its entry into municipal bankruptcy court, a lawyer representing the council said.

Middle District Judge Mary France ruled last month that the city could not pursue Chapter 9 bankruptcy proceedings because a law that was changed over the summer revoked the city’s authority to file for the protection.

Harrisburg is more than $315 million in debt, mostly from an expensive revamp of its incinerator, and the burden has forced the city to make cuts to key services. It has also forced it to decide to sell the incinerator and lease several parking garages to help pay debts.

Soon after France’s rejection of the bankruptcy court petition, the state petitioned another court to approve the man it wants to lead Harrisburg out of its money crisis. Commonwealth Court approved David Unkovic’s selection as receiver on December 2.

It was unclear if Harrisburg City Council’s appeal of the bankruptcy court decision might affect the state’s takeover of the capital. Unkovic has already met with stakeholders and city officials in an attempt to get a better understanding of the city’s debt burden.

The attorney representing the majority of Harrisburg City Council members who narrowly approved the original bankruptcy petition, said considerable thought was given to the Saturday decision to appeal.

“As I have said, with all due respect, I feel that the decision was in error. Moreover, this is a case that could very well end up in the U.S. Supreme Court,” Attorney Mark Schwartz said in an e-mail.

Schwartz submitted a statement of election to have the council’s appeal heard by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

WASHINGTON – Newt Gingrich is trying to preserve his rapid rise in the GOP presidential race by defending his most controversial stands without appearing to be the thin-skinned hothead his critics often describe.

The former House speaker seemed to accomplish that goal in Saturday’s debate in Iowa. His challenge will be to sustain the strategy while rivals attack him on the airwaves and the ground, and to convince conservative voters that he’s their champion despite his occasional departures from orthodoxy.

Polls suggest Gingrich is the likeliest alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney heading into the leadoff Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. So far, he has reacted with a steely calm.

He may ruffle feathers by telling unpleasant truths, Gingrich says, but he’s not such an incendiary politician that he’s unworthy of being commander in chief.

In the latest debate, Gingrich admitted wrongdoing and regret in only one area: the marital infidelities involved in his two divorces.

“I said upfront, openly, I’ve made mistakes at times,” he said. “I’ve had to go to God for forgiveness.” Voters have every right to examine such matters, he said, and “people have to render judgment.”

Noting that he is “a 68-year-old grandfather,” Gingrich added: “I am delighted at the way people have been willing to look at who I am, to look at what my record has been.”

The answer seemed to defuse the potentially emotional issue. The debate quickly moved to other topics, on which Gingrich was less apologetic.

He defended his former support for requiring people to obtain health insurance, saying it once was a popular stand with conservatives.

“In 1993, in fighting HillaryCare, virtually every conservative saw the mandate as a less-dangerous future than what Hillary was trying to do,” Gingrich said.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was leading the health care effort for her husband, President Bill Clinton.

“I frankly was floundering, trying to find a way to make sure that people who could afford it were paying their hospital bills, while still leaving an out so libertarians could not buy insurance,” Gingrich said. “It’s now clear that the mandate, I think, is clearly unconstitutional. “

Mandated health insurance is at the heart of the 2010 federal law passed at President Barack Obama’s urging, and many conservatives despise it. It also is featured in the Massachusetts law pushed by Romney when he was governor.

The other GOP candidates painted both men as too liberal on the topic.

“Newt Romney” will be unable to challenge Obama credibly on health care, said Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.

Romney has stayed at or near the top of the GOP polls for months, while others rose and fell. He has more money and organization than Gingrich. But some conservatives still revere Gingrich for his role in the 1994 Republican takeover of the House majority, and for his decades of writing books and making speeches about his political philosophies.

Romney renewed his effort to portray Gingrich as too erratic and bombastic to be president. The topic was Gingrich’s recent assertion that Palestinians are an “invented” people, a description that suggests Palestinians have no legitimate claim to their own state in the Middle East. That would run counter to long-term U.S. policy and to Israeli efforts to find a two-state solution to the region’s turmoil.

It was “a mistake on the speaker’s part,” Romney said. “We’re going to tell the truth, but we’re not going to throw incendiary words into a place which is a boiling pot when our friends, the Israelis, would probably say, `What in the world are you doing?’”

“I’m not a bomb thrower, rhetorically or literally,” Romney said.

Gingrich didn’t back down. “I feel quite confident an amazing number of Israelis found it nice to have an American tell the truth,” he said.

Gingrich cast himself as a risk-taking, unorthodox politician in that regard, but at other times he played by the rules. He made a pitch to supporters of Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum by praising the two on constitutional and Iran policies, respectively.

As before, Romney contrasted his many years as a businessman with Gingrich’s two decades in Congress and lengthy career as a Washington-based consultant.

Gingrich shot back: “The only reason you didn’t become a career politician is you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994″ in a Senate race.

The debate offered one of the last chances for second-tier candidates to gain traction before voting starts in Iowa and, one week later, in the New Hampshire primary Jan. 10.

Perry avoided the gaffes that have hurt him before, and reasserted his claim to be a job-creating leader with no Washington ties. The nation needs lower taxes, less regulation and more common sense, he said, “and an outsider like Rick Perry is going to do that.”

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas drew loud cheers from fans of his libertarian philosophies. Iowa Republicans say it’s conceivable that Paul could win in Iowa next month.

But many party insiders say Paul’s positions are too radical for mainstream America. Examples include his call for extraordinarily deep cuts in federal spending and services.

“If we took that oath of office seriously in Washington,” Paul said in the debate, “we’d get rid of 80 percent of the government.”

With former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman skipping the debate and businessman Herman Cain gone from the race, the stage contained only six candidates. That gave Bachmann and Santorum, who have struggled in the polls, a bit more time before the cameras.

Given the campaign’s ups and downs, and Romney’s inability to pull away, perhaps Bachmann or Santorum will make a late surge. But Gingrich is drawing the main attention for now. His calm-but-unapologetic style will be tested over the next three weeks.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE — Charles Babington covers national politics for The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON – Newt Gingrich is trying to preserve his rapid rise in the GOP presidential race by defending his most controversial stands without appearing to be the thin-skinned hothead his critics often describe.

The former House speaker seemed to accomplish that goal in Saturday’s debate in Iowa. His challenge will be to sustain the strategy while rivals attack him on the airwaves and the ground, and to convince conservative voters that he’s their champion despite his occasional departures from orthodoxy.

Polls suggest Gingrich is the likeliest alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney heading into the leadoff Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. So far, he has reacted with a steely calm.

He may ruffle feathers by telling unpleasant truths, Gingrich says, but he’s not such an incendiary politician that he’s unworthy of being commander in chief.

In the latest debate, Gingrich admitted wrongdoing and regret in only one area: the marital infidelities involved in his two divorces.

“I said upfront, openly, I’ve made mistakes at times,” he said. “I’ve had to go to God for forgiveness.” Voters have every right to examine such matters, he said, and “people have to render judgment.”

Noting that he is “a 68-year-old grandfather,” Gingrich added: “I am delighted at the way people have been willing to look at who I am, to look at what my record has been.”

The answer seemed to defuse the potentially emotional issue. The debate quickly moved to other topics, on which Gingrich was less apologetic.

He defended his former support for requiring people to obtain health insurance, saying it once was a popular stand with conservatives.

“In 1993, in fighting HillaryCare, virtually every conservative saw the mandate as a less-dangerous future than what Hillary was trying to do,” Gingrich said.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was leading the health care effort for her husband, President Bill Clinton.

“I frankly was floundering, trying to find a way to make sure that people who could afford it were paying their hospital bills, while still leaving an out so libertarians could not buy insurance,” Gingrich said. “It’s now clear that the mandate, I think, is clearly unconstitutional. “

Mandated health insurance is at the heart of the 2010 federal law passed at President Barack Obama’s urging, and many conservatives despise it. It also is featured in the Massachusetts law pushed by Romney when he was governor.

The other GOP candidates painted both men as too liberal on the topic.

“Newt Romney” will be unable to challenge Obama credibly on health care, said Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.

Romney has stayed at or near the top of the GOP polls for months, while others rose and fell. He has more money and organization than Gingrich. But some conservatives still revere Gingrich for his role in the 1994 Republican takeover of the House majority, and for his decades of writing books and making speeches about his political philosophies.

Romney renewed his effort to portray Gingrich as too erratic and bombastic to be president. The topic was Gingrich’s recent assertion that Palestinians are an “invented” people, a description that suggests Palestinians have no legitimate claim to their own state in the Middle East. That would run counter to long-term U.S. policy and to Israeli efforts to find a two-state solution to the region’s turmoil.

It was “a mistake on the speaker’s part,” Romney said. “We’re going to tell the truth, but we’re not going to throw incendiary words into a place which is a boiling pot when our friends, the Israelis, would probably say, `What in the world are you doing?’”

“I’m not a bomb thrower, rhetorically or literally,” Romney said.

Gingrich didn’t back down. “I feel quite confident an amazing number of Israelis found it nice to have an American tell the truth,” he said.

Gingrich cast himself as a risk-taking, unorthodox politician in that regard, but at other times he played by the rules. He made a pitch to supporters of Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum by praising the two on constitutional and Iran policies, respectively.

As before, Romney contrasted his many years as a businessman with Gingrich’s two decades in Congress and lengthy career as a Washington-based consultant.

Gingrich shot back: “The only reason you didn’t become a career politician is you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994″ in a Senate race.

The debate offered one of the last chances for second-tier candidates to gain traction before voting starts in Iowa and, one week later, in the New Hampshire primary Jan. 10.

Perry avoided the gaffes that have hurt him before, and reasserted his claim to be a job-creating leader with no Washington ties. The nation needs lower taxes, less regulation and more common sense, he said, “and an outsider like Rick Perry is going to do that.”

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas drew loud cheers from fans of his libertarian philosophies. Iowa Republicans say it’s conceivable that Paul could win in Iowa next month.

But many party insiders say Paul’s positions are too radical for mainstream America. Examples include his call for extraordinarily deep cuts in federal spending and services.

“If we took that oath of office seriously in Washington,” Paul said in the debate, “we’d get rid of 80 percent of the government.”

With former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman skipping the debate and businessman Herman Cain gone from the race, the stage contained only six candidates. That gave Bachmann and Santorum, who have struggled in the polls, a bit more time before the cameras.

Given the campaign’s ups and downs, and Romney’s inability to pull away, perhaps Bachmann or Santorum will make a late surge. But Gingrich is drawing the main attention for now. His calm-but-unapologetic style will be tested over the next three weeks.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE — Charles Babington covers national politics for The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON – After a dreary summer marred by the fight over government borrowing, rank-and-file Democrats say they are growing more optimistic about President Barack Obama’s political prospects in 2012. They cite his tougher, more populist tone and what they view as a chaotic primary fight among Republicans.

Many Democrats acknowledged that high unemployment and economic uncertainty create formidable obstacles for the incumbent. But interviews with more than a dozen Democratic activists across the nation found support for Obama’s more forceful message against GOP lawmakers and interest in rebutting the presidential candidates.

Several pointed to Obama’s speech last week in Kansas, where he argued that the middle class had been under duress for the past decade and economic policies must give everyone a “fair shot and a fair share.”

“He didn’t have his voice and we didn’t have our voice,” said David Leland, an attorney in Columbus, Ohio, and former state party chairman. “But now he has successfully turned that particular corner and most people are much more enthusiastic and much more fired up about it.”

Added Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat: “What he said in Kansas brought us back down to basics.” Durbin told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that “this is a make-or-break moment for the middle class in America.”

Entering 2012, Obama faces a set of economic numbers that have improved but that no incumbent would relish: unemployment of 8.6 percent in November, down from 9 percent in October; consumer confidence of 56, well below the level where a president typically gets re-elected; and an economy that has created 100,000 or more jobs five months in a row — the first time that has happened since April 2006.

Politically, Obama’s approval rating, as measured by Gallup, has been in the low 40s during the fall and hasn’t topped 50 percent since last May. Polls typically show about three-quarters of voters view the nation on the wrong track. Republicans have blamed Obama for high unemployment and rising debt, contending that his policies have failed to lift America from recession.

Nonetheless, a month before the first vote in the GOP nominating race, many Democrats said they were encouraged by the topsy-turvy contest. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have been battling for the lead while businessman Herman Cain, who’s now dropped out, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry stumbled after rising in polls.

“Obama has not been everything I’ve wanted him to be but he’s sure a heck of a lot better than any of the Republicans who have raised their hands,” said Tom Bordeaux, a former Georgia legislator who was recently elected to an alderman seat in Savannah, Ga.

Mary Gail Gwaltney, a member of the Democratic National Committee from Las Cruces, N.M., said she felt stronger about Obama now “because I’m looking at the other party’s field and they don’t have a strong candidate.”

Obama’s tone and message are pivotal, they said.

Many activists said they were unhappy with Obama’s attempt to reach concessions with Republicans last summer during summer negotiations over the government’s borrowing limit. But they said they were reassured when he proposed a jobs bill in September and hit the road trying to sell the package.

Only one provision has been enacted, tax incentives to encourage companies to hire unemployed veterans. Still, many party organizers said Obama’s fight with congressional Republicans over payroll tax cuts, unemployment benefits and efforts to force the wealthy to pay more in taxes would help their cause.

“He has to be seen as a champion for the average person,” said George Nee, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. “I think that’s where his heart is — that’s what he believes — but he’s been too tentative in showing it. I guess in the labor movement, we come from the perspective that we’ve got to know where you are.”

Rob Tully, a former Iowa Democratic party chairman who supported John Edwards in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, said that last summer many of his party allies shared his sense of frustration that Obama “was not engaging in the fight” with Republicans. But he said Obama’s more populist tone and attention to bread-and-butter issues for middle-class voters has resonated with him.

“I was frustrated with him but I have come full circle, back to the fold,” Tully said.

Beyond the message, many activists said Obama’s organizational efforts should help their cause. The campaign has been recruiting tens of thousands of volunteers to help with the re-election campaign. Democrats contend Obama will have a yearlong head start over the Republican nominee and his organization should outpace that of his eventual rival.

“He understands clearly that there’s a race and some of the things that worked for him in the (2008) election aren’t going to work this time,” said Judy Kennedy, a DNC member from Phoenix.

Kennedy said she was deeply concerned about Obama’s chances over the summer but came away reassured after meeting with campaign officials in Chicago last September. “My feelings about it have improved dramatically over the last few months.”

Debbie Dingell, a DNC member and the wife of Michigan Rep. John Dingell, said many Democrats long have recognized the headwinds facing them next year and are working to organize voters in the most effective way.

“It’s going to be a tough year and because of that, they’re not kidding themselves that this isn’t going to be challenging and they’re prepared for a tough fight,” she said.

WASHINGTON – After a dreary summer marred by the fight over government borrowing, rank-and-file Democrats say they are growing more optimistic about President Barack Obama’s political prospects in 2012. They cite his tougher, more populist tone and what they view as a chaotic primary fight among Republicans.

Many Democrats acknowledged that high unemployment and economic uncertainty create formidable obstacles for the incumbent. But interviews with more than a dozen Democratic activists across the nation found support for Obama’s more forceful message against GOP lawmakers and interest in rebutting the presidential candidates.

Several pointed to Obama’s speech last week in Kansas, where he argued that the middle class had been under duress for the past decade and economic policies must give everyone a “fair shot and a fair share.”

“He didn’t have his voice and we didn’t have our voice,” said David Leland, an attorney in Columbus, Ohio, and former state party chairman. “But now he has successfully turned that particular corner and most people are much more enthusiastic and much more fired up about it.”

Added Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat: “What he said in Kansas brought us back down to basics.” Durbin told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that “this is a make-or-break moment for the middle class in America.”

Entering 2012, Obama faces a set of economic numbers that have improved but that no incumbent would relish: unemployment of 8.6 percent in November, down from 9 percent in October; consumer confidence of 56, well below the level where a president typically gets re-elected; and an economy that has created 100,000 or more jobs five months in a row — the first time that has happened since April 2006.

Politically, Obama’s approval rating, as measured by Gallup, has been in the low 40s during the fall and hasn’t topped 50 percent since last May. Polls typically show about three-quarters of voters view the nation on the wrong track. Republicans have blamed Obama for high unemployment and rising debt, contending that his policies have failed to lift America from recession.

Nonetheless, a month before the first vote in the GOP nominating race, many Democrats said they were encouraged by the topsy-turvy contest. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have been battling for the lead while businessman Herman Cain, who’s now dropped out, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry stumbled after rising in polls.

“Obama has not been everything I’ve wanted him to be but he’s sure a heck of a lot better than any of the Republicans who have raised their hands,” said Tom Bordeaux, a former Georgia legislator who was recently elected to an alderman seat in Savannah, Ga.

Mary Gail Gwaltney, a member of the Democratic National Committee from Las Cruces, N.M., said she felt stronger about Obama now “because I’m looking at the other party’s field and they don’t have a strong candidate.”

Obama’s tone and message are pivotal, they said.

Many activists said they were unhappy with Obama’s attempt to reach concessions with Republicans last summer during summer negotiations over the government’s borrowing limit. But they said they were reassured when he proposed a jobs bill in September and hit the road trying to sell the package.

Only one provision has been enacted, tax incentives to encourage companies to hire unemployed veterans. Still, many party organizers said Obama’s fight with congressional Republicans over payroll tax cuts, unemployment benefits and efforts to force the wealthy to pay more in taxes would help their cause.

“He has to be seen as a champion for the average person,” said George Nee, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. “I think that’s where his heart is — that’s what he believes — but he’s been too tentative in showing it. I guess in the labor movement, we come from the perspective that we’ve got to know where you are.”

Rob Tully, a former Iowa Democratic party chairman who supported John Edwards in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, said that last summer many of his party allies shared his sense of frustration that Obama “was not engaging in the fight” with Republicans. But he said Obama’s more populist tone and attention to bread-and-butter issues for middle-class voters has resonated with him.

“I was frustrated with him but I have come full circle, back to the fold,” Tully said.

Beyond the message, many activists said Obama’s organizational efforts should help their cause. The campaign has been recruiting tens of thousands of volunteers to help with the re-election campaign. Democrats contend Obama will have a yearlong head start over the Republican nominee and his organization should outpace that of his eventual rival.

“He understands clearly that there’s a race and some of the things that worked for him in the (2008) election aren’t going to work this time,” said Judy Kennedy, a DNC member from Phoenix.

Kennedy said she was deeply concerned about Obama’s chances over the summer but came away reassured after meeting with campaign officials in Chicago last September. “My feelings about it have improved dramatically over the last few months.”

Debbie Dingell, a DNC member and the wife of Michigan Rep. John Dingell, said many Democrats long have recognized the headwinds facing them next year and are working to organize voters in the most effective way.

“It’s going to be a tough year and because of that, they’re not kidding themselves that this isn’t going to be challenging and they’re prepared for a tough fight,” she said.

WASHINGTON – Rick Perry insists that GOP presidential rival Mitt Romney continues to support requiring health care coverage for all individuals, and says even a $10,000 bet isn’t going to change that.

Perry tells “Fox News Sunday” that in the hardcover edition of his book, Romney supported the individual mandate. Perry says that passage was removed in the paperback edition.

In Saturday night’s presidential debate in Iowa, Romney offered Perry a $10,000 bet when Perry insisted the former Massachusetts governor supported individual mandates. Perry declined the wager from the former Massachusetts governor, and Perry said Sunday, “I was a little taken aback.”

WASHINGTON – Rick Perry insists that GOP presidential rival Mitt Romney continues to support requiring health care coverage for all individuals, and says even a $10,000 bet isn’t going to change that.

Perry tells “Fox News Sunday” that in the hardcover edition of his book, Romney supported the individual mandate. Perry says that passage was removed in the paperback edition.

In Saturday night’s presidential debate in Iowa, Romney offered Perry a $10,000 bet when Perry insisted the former Massachusetts governor supported individual mandates. Perry declined the wager from the former Massachusetts governor, and Perry said Sunday, “I was a little taken aback.”