Obama, Bush ‘united’ in fixing economy  —  (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama on Monday called the financial crisis one of “historic proportions” and said that he and the Bush administration are “united” in their efforts to get the economy back on track.  —  As Obama unveiled his economic team …

Fed Pledges Top $7.4 Trillion to Ease Frozen Credit  —  Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. government is prepared to lend more than $7.4 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers, or half the value of everything produced in the nation last year, to rescue the financial system since the credit markets seized up 15 months ago.

Alan Colmes Leaving “Hannity & Colmes”  —  Breaking: Alan Colmes is leaving his position as co-host of “Hannity & Colmes” at the end of 2008.  —  According to the FNC release, he will stay on as a liberal commentator for FNC and as host of The Alan Colmes Show on FOX News Radio.

Barack Obama, honeymoon killer?  —  WASHINGTON — One of the first things Barack Obama did after winning the election two weeks ago was put an old-school political brawler in charge of his White House.  Next, he saved Joe Lieberman.  Then, he met with John McCain, and asked Hillary Clinton to run his State Department.

Citi, AIG Won't Drop Big Sports Sponsorships  —  Critics Slam Bailed-Out Firms' Pricey Deals for Naming Rights, Logo Placement  —  AIG, Citibank and a number of other federally bailed-out financial institutions have no plans to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in sports team sponsorships …

Citigroup  —  Mark Thoma has the rundown of informed reactions.  A bailout was necessary — but this bailout is an outrage: a lousy deal for the taxpayers, no accountability for management, and just to make things perfect, quite possibly inadequate, so that Citi will be back for more.

Whistleblower: U.S. Snooped on Tony Blair, Iraqi President  —  Former Intercept Operator Tells ABC News He Saw Blair File, Heard “Pillow Talk” of Iraqi Leader  —  A former communications intercept operator says U.S. intelligence snooped on the private lives of two of America's most important allies …

Needed: Network bailout?  —  Bad economy slows ad sales  —  It's D-Day for the broadcast networks.  —  They've been living on borrowed time for the better part of two decades, thanks to advertisers willing to toss in more cash each year even as ratings slowly trended ever lower.

As President Bush's Term Comes to an End, Some Well-Known Offenders Seek Pardons  —  With a backlog of applications piled up at the Justice Department, high-profile criminals and their well-connected lawyers increasingly are appealing directly to President Bush for special consideration …

Tomorrow, austerity  —  Obama's staff won't elaborate, but the President-Elect said just now that he'd roll out a plan to cut the federal budget tomorrow — something both presidential candidates said they'd do, but neither detailed.  —  “[T]o make the investments we need …

CONSERVATIVE LADIES PRETTY IN MINK  —  Pretty in Mink: Conservative Leading Ladies  —  Ann Coulter is the author of six New York Times best-sellers, a popular syndicated columnist and a frequent TV pundit.  She is the 2004 recipient of the Luce Policy Institute's Woman of the Year Award …

Sloppy Dems may spell Franken advantage  —  One of the closest elections in U.S. Senate history is hurtling towards a critical juncture in its ongoing recount this week, as the campaign of Democratic challenger Al Franken opens a new legal front in its battle to break a virtual tie with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

Media Notes: An Interview With Outgoing White House Press Secretary Dana Perino  —  The network stars were gone, the seats half empty and the questioning low-key as Dana Perino held a White House briefing last week, her biggest announcement that the administration would try to ease air traffic for the holidays.

The Sidwell Choice  —  The Obama family leads by example.  —  Michelle and Barack Obama have settled on a Washington, D.C., school for their daughters, and you will not be surprised to learn it is not a public institution.  Malia, age 10, and seven-year-old Sasha will attend the Sidwell Friends School …

Noise violators in Fort Lupton sentenced to listen to Barry Manilow  —  FORT LUPTON — Barry Manilow's “I Write the Songs” may begin with the line, “I've been alive forever,'” but for noise ordinance violators, listening to Manilow may feel like forever.  —  Fort Lupton Municipal Judge Paul Sacco …

Vilsack ends ag secretary speculation  —  Washington, D.C. - Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack on Sunday said that he won't be the next agriculture secretary, ending speculation that an Iowan would snag the post important to a large swath of the state's economy.  —  In an e-mail, Vilsack …

When Left is Right  —  Rachel Maddow always thought she was an outsider.  How did she become a star?  —  From the magazine issue dated Dec 1, 2008  —  “Can you believe that sellout, Barack Obama?” says Rachel Maddow, looking around the room.  “Let's hit him from the left!”

“Right” And “Left” And Obama  —  Shadi Hamid struggles with foreign policy labels: … One the worst legacies of the Vietnam boomer syndrome has been turning complex foreign policy decisions - which should ultimately be pragmatic actions in defense of national self-interest …