In giving himself "a solid B-plus" for his presidency to date, President Obama also showed how high a political premium he places on new health care legislation.

"B-plus because of the things that are undone. Health care is not yet signed. If I get health care passed, we tip into A-minus," Obama told Oprah Winfrey during Sunday's night's broadcast of Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special.

Obama and aides are keeping a watchful eye on efforts by Senate Democrats to forge a health care compromise.

This morning, the president's Council of Economic Advisers released a report saying that "reform will reduce premiums, lower public and private health care spending, and increase workers' wages."

Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., promptly responded that "this is the same Council of Economic Advisers that predicted unemployment would stay under 8 %" under the $787 billion stimulus bill; the current jobless rate is 10%.

So Oval-ites: What grade would you give the president? Does it go higher or lower if he gets new health care legislation?

(Posted by David Jackson)