Top Items:
Frank Newport / Gallup:
No Clamoring for Palin to Become a National Political Figure — But she enjoys support of three-quarters of Republicans — PRINCETON, NJ — Just 45% of Americans would like to see Sarah Palin become a major national political figure for many years to come, while a slight majority of 52% say they would not.
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Mark Benjamin / Salon:
Obama's plans for probing Bush torture — WASHINGTON — With growing talk in Washington that President Bush may be considering an unprecedented “blanket pardon” for people involved in his administration's brutal interrogation policies, advisors to Barack Obama are pressing ahead with plans …
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Jonathan Stein / Kevin Drum:
DISAPPOINTMENT WATCH... If you're looking for an indication of what the first schism between the Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress will be, consider the question of investigations. — Congressional Democrats are gearing up for a season of post-Bush inquiries …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Brian Beutler, MoJoBlog, Prometheus 6 and TalkLeft
Thomas Erdbrink / Washington Post:
Facing Obama, Iran Suddenly Hedges on Talks — Since 2006, Iran's leaders have called for direct, unconditional talks with the United States to resolve international concerns over their nuclear program. But as an American administration open to such negotiations prepares to take power …
Marc Ambinder:
Transition Rumor Patrol: Political Office, Daschle's Role, Clinton For SoS? — The rumors percolating through Washington and an attempt to set the record straight. — Rumor: President-elect Barack Obama's White House will include a political affairs office.
Discussion:
The Raw Story
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Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Obama faces test on WH political office
Obama faces test on WH political office
Discussion:
Rough Sketch, Political Radar, Yahoo! News, Agence France Presse, Real Clear Politics, MoJoBlog and Reuters
Marc Ambinder:
The RNC Throws A Pie In John McCain's Face — Nine days after the election, the Republican National Committee is no longer interested in being friends with their nominee. — They've filed suit today in courts in Louisiana and Washington, D.C. claiming that the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act …
Discussion:
Political Radar
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Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:
GOP to file suit to undo McCain rules — McCain-Feingold limits hurt presidential efforts — The Republican Party will file federal lawsuits Thursday seeking to overthrow the McCain-Feingold federal campaign finance regulations, Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M.
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
An awkward press conference — After much anticipation from a room full of reporters and other curiosity-seekers, Sarah Palin this morning took four questions from reporters in a press conference that lasted 11 minutes. — Actually, taking away Texas Gov. Rick Perry's opening statement, the session lasted under 10 minutes.
Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
History Favors Republicans in 2010 — The 2008 election numbers are not as stark as the results. — Political races are about candidates and issues. But election results, in the end, are about numbers. So now that the dust is settling on the 2008 presidential race, what do the numbers tell us?
John Kass / Chicago Tribune:
Tolerance fails T-shirt test — Catherine Vogt, 14, conducted an experiment in political tolerance at her Oak Park middle school and learned some valuable lessons. (Tribune photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo / November 12, 2008) — As the media keeps gushing on about how America has finally adopted tolerance …
Debbie Schlussel:
EXCLUSIVE: Did Next Commander-in-Chief Falsify Selective Service Registration? Never Actually Register? Obama's Draft Registration Raises Serious Questions — By Debbie Schlussel — **** Copyright 2008, Must Cite Debbie Schlussel and link to DebbieSchlussel.com **** — *** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ***
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Carrie Johnson / Washington Post:
Obama Team Faces Major Task in Justice Dept. Overhaul — Goal Is to Restore Confidence in Law Enforcement Actions — As a transition team for the Obama administration begins work on a Justice Department overhaul, the key question is where to begin. — Political considerations affected every crevice …
David Bauder / Associated Press:
MSNBC retracts false Palin story; others duped — NEW YORK (AP) — MSNBC was the victim of a hoax when it reported that an adviser to John McCain had identified himself as the source of an embarrassing story about former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the network said Wednesday.
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Tom LoBianco / Washington Times:
Gore says no to ‘Climate Czar’ role — President-elect Barack Obama's transition team is flirting with creating a White House “Climate Czar,” but climate change crusader Al Gore says he doesn't want the job. — The Obama team declined to comment on such a post, even as environmentalists …
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Think Progress, Spin Cycle, Wonk Room and The New Republic
Stephen Colbert / The Huffington Post:
O'Reilly Factor: Dennis Miller's Homophobic Joke About Barney Frank — Dennis Miller appeared on The O'Reilly Factor tonight (Miller is a frequent guest on Bill O'Reilly's show) and went on a rant regarding what Barack Obama should do to the executives of AIG when he takes office, namely …
Times of London:
8,000 Beduin stake their claim as the lost tribe of Barack Obama — A sheikh in Galilee says he has evidence that he and his family are linked by blood to the new President — He has a host of relatives in exotic locations from Hawaii to Kenya, and during his run for the American presidency …
Michele Catalano / Pajamas Media:
Obama's Call for Community Service Is Not Marxism — It's not “slavery” either — and the comparison insults one's intelligence. — Is community service synonymous with slavery? Whether that service is mandated or suggested, could it in any way be construed as enslaving citizens?
Roger Simon / The Politico:
Gingrich says GOP is outmatched — How bad off is the Republican Party right now? Ask Newt Gingrich. — “The Republican Party right now is like a midsize college team trying to play in the Superbowl,” Gingrich told me Wednesday. “It is pretty hard to say our losses were because of John McCain's campaign.
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
After Taking Some Shots, She Fires Back — Palin Aims at Detractors In Remaking Her Image — Sarah Palin is fighting back against the “jerks.” — Cooking moose chili and slicing sandwiches for Matt Lauer and Greta Van Susteren, chatting up Larry King and Wolf Blitzer …
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications, Weekly Standard, Hot Air, The Daily Dish, FishBowlDC and NewsBusters.org
Steven Greenhouse / The Caucus:
A Labor Leader for Labor Secretary? — Andy Stern has an answer for those who are floating his name at the top of a list of potential labor secretaries: Thanks, but no thanks. — Mr. Stern, perhaps the nation's most visible labor leader, is president of the Service Employees International Union …
Elizabeth Moyer / Forbes:
Washington's $5 Trillion Tab — Fighting the financial crisis has put the U.S. on the hook for some $5 trillion a report says. So far. — For all the fury over Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's $700 billion emergency economic relief fund, it seems downright puny when compared …
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Calif. Speaker's solution for state deficit: U.S. taxpayers chip in billions — Not that many people outside of California care, but according to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state faces a nearly $25 billion budget deficit. — As the rich man that he is, the former movie star favors …
Jesse McKinley / New York Times:
Theater Director Resigns Amid Gay-Rights Ire — SACRAMENTO — The artistic director of the California Musical Theater, a major nonprofit producing company here in the state's capital, resigned on Wednesday in the face of growing outrage over his support for a ballot measure this month that outlawed same-sex marriage in California.
Yahoo! Finance:
Failure of auto industry could set off catastrophe — Advocates: Collapse of US auto industry could set off catastrophic chain reaction — DETROIT (AP) — Advocates for the nation's automakers are warning that the collapse of the Big Three — or even just General Motors …