memeorandum: Italy's Berlusconi hails “suntanned” Obama (Alberto Sisto/Reuters)

9:40 PM ET, November 6, 2008

Top Items:

EXCLUSIVE: Emanuel accepts White House job — Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), a wily, aggressive West Wing strategist under President Bill Clinton, has accepted the post of White House chief of staff for President-elect Barack Obama, Democratic officials tell Politico.

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Exclusive: Gibbs will be WH press secretary — Robert Gibbs, a top aide to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on his campaign and in his Senate office, will be named the White House press secretary, a top Democratic official said. — Gibbs was usually the senior official on Air Obama, the campaign plane.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, TPM Election Central, Gawker, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Think Progress, PoliGazette and Donklephant

Jennifer Parker / George's Bottom Line:

Axelrod, Emanuel to Obama White House; Gibbs, Jarrett to Play Key Roles — Former Obama chief strategist David Axelrod has accepted the position of Senior Adviser in the White House, sources tell ABC News. — Robert Gibbs is also likely to join Obama's White House as Press Secretary …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Political Radar, The New Republic, www.redstate.com and MyDD

The Trail / Washington Post:

Barney Gets Territorial — Not everyone in the White House is taking the news of Barack Obama's victory with aplomb. — Reuters television White House correspondent Jon Decker reports that President Bush's dog Barney, going on a walk this morning on the North Lawn, let his reaction to the news show.

Discussion: Gawker, Needlenose and Riehl World View

David Corn:
Is Rahm Emanuel Right for Obama's White House of Change?

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Washington Post, Spin Cycle, bustardblog, OpenSecrets.org, The Daily Dish, Eunomia, MoJoBlog, Political Punch, Real Clear Politics and The E&P Pub

Associated Press:
Obama's pick for chief of staff known as ‘Rahmbo’

Discussion: Reuters

Paul / Power Line:
NO MORE MR. NICE GUY? — Rahm Emanuel apparently will be Barack Obama's chief of staff.

Discussion: Associated Press, Commentary and Weekly Standard

The Huffington Post:

Lieberman Meets With Reid, Tries To Cling To Senate Chairmanship — Bolstered by a newly expanded majority, Harry Reid met with Joe Lieberman on Thursday to sketch out the conditions by which the Connecticut independent could continue to caucus with Senate Democrats.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, TalkLeft, Jack & Jill Politics, Daily Kos, The Impolitic, TPM Election Central, AMERICAblog News, Political Machine and Real Clear Politics

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:

Sign the Petition: Strip Joe — The Huffington Post is reporting that in their meeting today, Reid told Lieberman that he had to step down from his position as chair of the Homeland Security Committee if he remained in the Democratic Caucus. Lieberman did not accept this offer …

Discussion: MyDD

Jane Hamsher / Campaign Silo:
Lieberman After Meeting with Reid - Video

Discussion: ATTACKERMAN

Ari / Oxdown Gazette:
Musical Chairs — In the Senate Democratic Committee chairmanships …

Discussion: MyDD

J. Taylor Rushing / The Hill:
Lieberman keeps committee for now

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and Taylor Marsh

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Reid: No Decisions Have Been Made On Lieberman's Fate

Discussion: MyDD, Open Left and Swampland

Jim Oliphant / The Swamp:
Joe Lieberman's fate to be determined

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs and The Crypt's Blogs

Robynn Tysver / Omaha World-Herald:

Obama's odds of getting Nebraska electoral vote increase — Good news for Barack Obama supporters. — His odds of bagging an electoral vote in Nebraska grew stronger this morning, with word that 10,000 to 12,000 early ballots and 5,200 provisional ballots are left to count in Douglas County.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight.com, Slog, Below The Beltway, Climate Progress, The Reaction and Donklephant

News-Talk 1110 WBT:

Obama adds symbolic NC victory to White House win — President-elect Barack Obama has won North Carolina, adding 15 electoral votes to his wide victory and a symbolic triumph in a state that hadn't voted for a Democrat in more than a generation. — The Associated Press declared …

Discussion: The Caucus, Reuters, Associated Press, TPM Election Central and Washington Monthly

Pat / BelchSpeak:

Reason 142 to Homeschool: Obama Teachers Won't Bully Kids Who Support McCain — Welcome, HotAir Readers! — And Welcome Michelle Malkin Readers! — This is a video of Diantha Harris, a lifelong democrat and avid Barack Obama supporter. She is also a lousy schoolteacher, as is evidenced by the mushmouthed kids in her class.

Discussion: American Power, Neptunus Lex, Lone Star Times, Riehl World View, Sister Toldjah and PoliGazette

Michelle Malkin:
Child abuser: Obama-supporting teacher bullies soldier's daughter

Discussion: Political Byline, Gateway Pundit and The Other McCain

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Video: Teacher instills a little bit of Hope and a whole lot of Change

Discussion: StephenBainbridge.com

Los Angeles Times:

Tensions between McCain and Palin camps come to light — Workers pack up the McCain-Palin campaign headquarters in Anchorage. Aides to McCain on Wednesday disclosed new details about Palin's expensive wardrobe purchases and other conflicts. — McCain aides talk about the Republican vice …

Discussion: Associated Press, Hot Air, The Daily Dish, Think Progress, Wonkette, CNN, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tales from the Trail

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
The Palin knives come out

Discussion: Think Progress, Campaign Silo, Buck Naked Politics, Weekly Standard and Achenblog

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Civic Responsibility Of Carl Cameron

Discussion: Think Progress and Matthew Yglesias

Paul Walsh / Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Franken says recount is needed — The Democrat's deficit is down to 341 votes in his Senate battle with Norm Coleman. — Democrat Al Franken, locked in an overtime election battle with incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, said today that he is pushing ahead with the recount of Tuesday's voting.

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, AfterDowningStreet.org, Facing South, Gristmill and Daily Kos

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Former Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) is in the running to be the new secretary of the Army, defense industry officials say. Read full story. — Obama holds presser Friday — And he'll meet Bush on Monday — From Mike Allen's BlackBerry: After meeting with economic advisers in Chicago tomorrow …

Discussion: The Swamp and Jonathan Martin's Blogs

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Used to Early Nights, Washington Is Ready to Stay Up Late

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Matthew Yglesias and Weekly Standard

Jeremy Brilliant / WALV-TV:

Obama campaign workers angry over unpaid wages — Updated: — Indianapolis - Lines were long and tempers flared Wednesday not to vote but to get paid for canvassing for Barack Obama. Several hundred people are still waiting to get their pay for last-minute campaigning.

Discussion: PoliGazette, Wizbang, NO QUARTER, Wake up America, Gateway Pundit, Fausta's Blog, www.redstate.com, Moonbattery and Flopping Aces

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org:

Matthews: My Job Is To Make Obama Presidency a Success — Just in time for the new James Bond movie, Chris Matthews has earned himself a new moniker: Odd Job. Matthews says he sees his job as a journalist as doing everything he can to make the Obama presidency a success.

Discussion: Moonbattery and Hot Air

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:

Joe the Plumber is a welfare queen too... John Amato's virtual online magazine...OK, It's a blog! — Home- Archives — Tags Directory — Contact Us- Donate … Is there anything this guy hasn't been involved in? What's next for Joe, “Dancing with the Stars?”

Discussion: Political Machine

Corky Siemaszko / NY Daily News:

Brooklyn Marine & wife tortured, slain in Calif.; 4 Marines charged — A Brooklyn-raised Marine sergeant and his new bride were tortured and killed execution-style in their California home - allegedly by four other Marines under his command. — Sgt. Jan Pawel Pietrzak, who was raised in Bensonhurst …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE

Alberto Sisto / Reuters:

Italy's Berlusconi hails “suntanned” Obama — MOSCOW (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gave an enthusiastic, if unconventional, welcome on Thursday to the election of Barack Obama, citing among his attributes youth, good looks and a “suntan.”

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, The Reaction and PoliGazette

iowahawk:

Election Analysis: America Can Take Pride In This Historic, Inspirational Disaster — Although I have not always been the most outspoken advocate of President-Elect Barack Obama, today I would like to congratulate him and add my voice to the millions of fellow citizens who are celebrating his historic and frightening election victory.

Thomas Schaller / Salon: What does Obama's victory mean?

Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard:

A Few Things You'd Have to Believe to Believe What McCain Staffers Say About Sarah Palin — Let's add some context to the Carl Cameron and Newsweek airing of rumors from anonymous McCain/Palin staffers. The most controversial claims, all of which come without names attached because the purveyors …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Hot Air and Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Quin Hillyer / American Spectator:

Saul Alinsky Takes the White House — Conservatives may not realize just how difficult it might be to recover from this week's elections. — The day after the big defeat, the conservative chatter everywhere was about how the “movement” and the Republican Party (two different things) …

Discussion: Nice Deb, Bookworm Room and Flopping Aces