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Gates agrees to stay on under Obama — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has agreed to stay on under President-elect Obama, according to officials in both parties. Obama plans to announce a national-security team early next week that includes Gates at the Pentagon and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton …
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Swamp, The Reaction, TalkLeft, Reuters, Danger Room, Newshoggers.com, TIME.com, Political Machine, Jules Crittenden, abu muqawama and Sister Toldjah
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The Debate Over Gates — The most important appointment decision Obama will make during the transition, bar none, is who becomes, or remains, Secretary of Defense. As I have noted in the past, the Department of Defense oversees the expenditure of 52% of all discretionary spending …
Discussion:
TPM Election Central, Wake up America, American Power, Don Surber, Democratic Strategist, The New Republic, Asia Times and Daily Kos
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Gates a ‘Done Deal’ — Martha Raddatz and Jake Tapper Report: — Sources tell ABC News that Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be staying on in the top Pentagon job, for at least the first year of the Obama administration. “It is a done deal,” a source close to the process tells ABC News.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Caucus, Ben Smith's Blogs, Hot Air, The Heretik, FP Passport, TPM Election Central and Salon
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Exceptional news: John Brennan won't be CIA Director or DNI — (updated below - Update II - Update III) — This is really exceptional news on multiple levels — the best political news I've heard since the election: … Brennan's self-defense here is quite disingenuous.
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Brennan out of running for top intel post — WASHINGTON: John Brennan, President-elect Barack Obama's top adviser on intelligence, took his name out of the running Tuesday for any intelligence position in the new administration. — Brennan wrote in a Nov. 25 letter to Obama that he did not want to be a distraction.
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BRENNAN WITHDRAWS NAME FOR TOP SPY — From NBC's Robert Windrem — In a letter to President-elect Obama, John Brennan has asked that his name be withdrawn from consideration as CIA director. … Brennan was thought to be the leading candidate for the job.
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Is Clinton barred from State job? — Pete Williams of NBC raised the question on MSNBC this afternoon: Is Hillary Clinton barred by the Constitution from accepting the post of secretary of state? — Article One, Section Six of the U.S. Constitution says:
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HRC, STATE — AND THE CONSTITUTION — From NBC's Pete Williams — If President-elect Barack Obama nominates Hillary Clinton to be secretary of state, many legal scholars believe it would be the former law professor's first violation of the Constitution as president. — Why?
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Scientists urge caution on global warming — Climate change skeptics on Capitol Hill are quietly watching a growing accumulation of global cooling science and other findings that could signal that the science behind global warming may still be too shaky to warrant cap-and-trade legislation.
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Politico's journalist malpractice — Today brings two of the most jaw-droppingly moronic stories I've ever seen, both in Politico, both written by Erika Lovley, who one can only assume is either the most dimwitted, gullible reporter in D.C. or ... um, I can't think of another explanation.
Discussion:
American Prospect, Matthew Yglesias, The Politico, Wonk Room, The Huffington Post and Washington Monthly
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WE HEAR . . . WE HEAR — THAT although we didn't think it would be pos sible to silence Ann Coulter, the leggy reaction- ary broke her jaw and the mouth that roared has been wired shut . . . THAT the Tel Aviv Hilton was abuzz Saturday with the arrival of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, American Street, Jezebel, Stop The ACLU and Brilliant at Breakfast
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The Anti-Obama Ad Campaign That Never Happened — What if the McCain campaign had run ads using footage of Barack Obama dancing with Ellen DeGeneres to show his coziness with celebrity? Or followed up on its Paris Hilton ad with others featuring Donald Trump and Jessica Simpson?
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Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes: A final blog entry — Today President-elect Obama announced his intention to nominate me as director of the Office of Management and Budget. I am therefore resigning as director of CBO and this will be my final blog entry. — I have absolutely loved my time at CBO.
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Missing ballots concern Franken camp — Things are getting even dicier in the Minnesota Senate recount. — Al Franken's campaign is contending that Minnesota election officials may have lost several dozen ballots across the state. Their basis for the charge is that the number …
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The Truth About the Election — As he demonstrated in his campaign for the presidency, Barack Obama thinks long. Hence, the new President-elect is better prepared to take office than any other newly elected chief executive in the history of the modern presidency.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blogs
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Are Pirates the Problem, or the Solution? — Two of my favorite writers, Robert Farley and Thomas Barnett, have weighed in on Somali piracy, and while I agree with every point made by both, I disagree with both writers regarding how to manage the issue of Somali piracy.
Discussion:
War Is Boring
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Obama's threat to Catholic hospitals and their very serious counterthreat. — When I saw the Catholic bishops had declared war on President-elect Obama at their semiannual meeting in Baltimore two weeks ago, my first reaction was pique: Gosh, guys, it isn't even parade day yet, and here you are, all dressed up and ready to rain on it.
Discussion:
Neptunus Lex, The Moderate Voice, Buck Naked Politics, Hot Air, StephenBainbridge.com and Townhall.com
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DISGUSTING WHINING — You've probably noticed Mark Halperin's claim that the level of pro-Obama bias in the election coverage this year was so bad it was “disgusting.” I'll leave it to others to analyze what “disgusting” means when deployed by someone who takes his journalistic cues from Matt Drudge.
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RUSSIAN ANALYST PREDICTS DECLINE AND BREAKUP OF USA — A leading Russian political analyst has said the economic turmoil in the United States has confirmed his long-held view that the country is heading for collapse, and will divide into separate parts. — Professor Igor Panarin …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Swamp, www.redstate.com, American Street, Say Anything and Pajamas Media
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Palin to hit campaign trail in Georgia — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will make multiple campaign appearances on behalf of Sen. Saxby Chambliss next week in Georgia, serving as the political closer for the GOP senator who is battling to win a second term.
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For economy's sake, Pelosi needs to push for impeachment now — Rep. Nancy Pelosi's ineffectiveness became clear the day she became Speaker of the House and immediately announced that there would be no impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney.
Discussion:
Associated Press, NewsBusters.org, Sister Toldjah, Salon, The Raw Story, Say Anything and The New Editor
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How Obama's Local Buys Added Up — Nielsen's final look at ad buys by the 2008 Presidential candidates proved one famous mantra: politics really are local. — President-elect Barack Obama placed 155% more spot TV ads than John McCain during the general election season (6/08 to 11/08) …
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Even Dr. Doom Likes Them — Renowned economic pessimist Nouriel Roubini approves of Obama's picks, but they face grave challenges ahead. — President-elect Barack Obama's administration's reaction to the current economy would have to be, in his words, “swift and bold.”
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Struggling Banks Paid President Clinton $2.1 million for ‘Speeches’ — (CNSNews.com) - Four major banks, including one that collapsed, two that received federal bailout money and one that filed for bankruptcy this past September, paid former President Clinton $2.1 million for 13 speeches …