PBS NewsHour; November 9, 2012 6:00pm-7:00pm PST

>> Woodruff: PRESIDENT OBAMA ADDRESSED THE LOOMING FISCAL CRISIS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ELECTION, AND INSISTED ONCE AGAIN HE WON'T ACCEPT A DEAL UNLESS IT INCLUDES HIGHER TAXES ON THE WEALTHY. GOOD EVENING. I'M JUDY WOODRUFF.

>> Brown: AND I'M JEFFREY BROWN. ON THE NEWSHOUR TONIGHT, WE'LL HAVE EXCERPTS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS, AND OUR OWN DEBATE ON THE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AHEAD WITH TWO SENATORS, MARYLAND DEMOCRAT BEN CARDIN AND TENNESSEE REPUBLICAN BOB CORKER.

>> Woodruff: THEN, RAY SUAREZ HAS THE LATEST ON THE SURPRISE RESIGNATION OF CIA CHIEF DAVID PETRAEUS AFTER ADMITTING TO AN EXTRA-MARITAL AFFAIR.

>> Brown: IT'S STILL COLD AND DARK IN MANY NEW JERSEY HOMES. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT RICK KARR FOLLOWS UTILITY CREWS AS THEY WORK TO TURN THE ELECTRICITY BACK ON.

>> ACCESS TO THESE LINES IS QUITE DIFFICULT, CUTTING THROUGH PEOPLES' BACKYARDS. YOU MAY COME IN ONE AND CROSS FOUR OTHER YARDS JUST TO GET TO YOUR JOB SITE.

>> Woodruff: PLUS MARK SHIELDS AND DAVID BROOKS ANALYZE THE WEEK'S NEWS. THAT'S ALL AHEAD ON TONIGHT'S NEWSHOUR.

>> MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY: INTEL

>> MUSIC IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. BUT WHEN I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, I WAS WORRIED THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM SPOKE ON WITH ALL ITS OWN. WITH UNITED HEALTHCARE, I GOT HELP THAT TREAT MY LIFE, INFORMATION ON MY PHONE, CONNECTION TO DOCTORS WHO GET WHERE I'M FROM, AND TOOLS TO ESTIMATE WHAT MY CARE MAY COST. SO I NEVER MISSED A BEAT.

>> WE'RE MORE THAN 78,000 PEOPLE LOOKING OUT FOR MORE THAN 70 MILLION AMERICANS. THAT'S HEALTH IN NUMBERS. UNITED HEALTHCARE.

>> AND BY THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION. DEDICATED TO THE IDEA THAT ALL PEOPLE DESERVE THE CHANCE TO LIVE A HEALTHY, PRODUCTIVE LIFE. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INSTITUTIONS AND FOUNDATIONS. AND... THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING. AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU.

>> Brown: "LET'S GET TO WORK." THAT'S WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA URGED CONGRESS TO JOIN HIM IN DOING TO AVOID A SHOWDOWN OVER TAXES, SPENDING AND DEBT-- THE SO-CALLED "FISCAL CLIFF." BUT HE AND HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER BOTH INSISTED THEY'D HOLD FIRM ON WHETHER OR NOT TO RAISE TAXES ON THE WEALTHY. HERE ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S FIRST COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT SINCE HIS VICTORY TUESDAY NIGHT. HE SPOKE TO A CROWD OF SUPPORTERS IN THE EAST ROOM OF THE WHITE HOUSE.

>> AS I SAID ON TUESDAY NIGHT, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE VOTED FOR ACTION, NOT POLITICS AS USUAL. YOU ELECTED US TO FOCUS ON YOUR JOBS, NOT OURS. AND IN THAT SPIRIT, I'VE INVITED LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES TO THE WHITE HOUSE NEXT WEEK SO WE CAN START TO BUILD CONSENSUS AROUND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE CAN ONLY SOLVE TOGETHER. LAST YEAR, I WORKED WITH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TO CUT A TRILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF SPENDING THAT WE JUST COULDN'T AFF