Obama has spoken only to living presidents  —  Obama says in his first post-election press conference that he's spoken to all the former presidents — Carter, Bush, Clinton, as well as the current Bush — and, looser than he's been in months, dares a joke at the expense of the widow of the most recently deceased.

Transcript: 'I'm going to confront this economic crisis,' Obama says  —  CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama spoke at a his first news conference as president-elect Friday afternoon.  The following is a transcript of the conference:  —  Obama: Thank you very much, everybody.

Byrd will voluntarily give up chairmanship  —  Senate legend Robert Byrd, approaching 91 this month and hailing a “new day in Washington,” said he would voluntarily give up the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee with the new Congress.  —  “To everything there is a season …

WHAT LIEBERMAN FINDS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’.... As political theater goes, the exploits of Joe Lieberman really are odd. … Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), according to multiple reports and sources, has no intention of allowing Lieberman to stay on as chairman of Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.