Shinseki Slated to Head VA, Obama Confirms  —  Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki will be introduced tomorrow as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, a Democratic official familiar with the announcement said today.

Indicted Louisiana congressman loses re-election bid  —  (CNN) — Nine-term Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who has been battling scandals and a federal indictment for the past three years, appears to have lost his bid for re-election.  —  Republican challenger Anh “Joseph” Cao …

Breaking: Obama unveils 21st Century New Deal  —  President-elect Barack Obama added sweep and meat to his economic agenda on Saturday, pledging the largest new investment in roads and bridges since President Dwight D. Eisenhower built the Interstate system in the late 1950s …

Bill Ayers: Please Go Away  —  For reasons best known to themselves, the NYT has published an op-ed by William Ayers: … Oh, for heavens' sake.  The Weather Underground might have gotten its new name in 1970, but Weatherman, from which it morphed, was founded in 1969.

Letter to Sean Hannity of Fox News  —  I sent the following letter to Sean Hannity recently in response to his misrepresentation of what I said on his show regarding the Mumbai terrorist attacks.  I have not received any response back from him.  Today I read it aloud on my Sirius-XM radio program …

The GOP's “Yes We Can”  —  NYU prof. Clay Shirky discusses the underappreciated impact of “Dear Mr. Obama,” which he calls “the single most affecting video of the election”:

New York Times Baffled How a Conservative, Oil-Drilling State Isn't in Recession  —  A real head-scratcher.  Let's see: They drill for oil, are a relatively conservative farming state and actually have jobs they can't fill.  —  So the Times considers this odd. … They obviously have good leadership.

Washington Post Changes Already Written Article on Obama Helping Paulson Get Bailout Money  —  The Washington Post appears to have changed an already published article without noting the change.  The original article started out: … This can be confirmed via Huffington Post …

Biden to limit role of vice president  —  Dialing back his predecessor's expansive view of the office, Vice President-elect Joe Biden plans on “restoring the Office of the Vice President to its historical role” as adviser to the president and tie-breaker in the Senate, an aide to Biden said Saturday.

In New Strategy, U.S. Will Defend Kabul Environs  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Most of the additional American troops arriving in Afghanistan early next year will be deployed near the capital, Kabul, American military commanders here say, in a measure of how precarious the war effort has become.

Terrible employment numbers  —  A slump, a weak recovery, a worse slump  —  Most commentary on the terrible employment report has focused on the establishment numbers, because the number from the household survey that usually makes headlines, the unemployment rate, didn't rise all that much.

Caroline Kennedy in Senate would extend legacy  —  (CNN) — Caroline Kennedy, who spent most of her life looking to steer clear of the spotlight, is capping off a year of unusually public — and political — activity with interest in the Senate seat that would vacated by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton.

When a Job Disappears, So Does the Health Care  —  ASHLAND, Ohio — As jobless numbers reach levels not seen in 25 years, another crisis is unfolding for millions of people who lost their health insurance along with their jobs, joining the ranks of the uninsured.  —  The crisis is on display here.

Limbaugh: “I love Sarah Palin”  —  From Baba Wawa's “10 Most Fascinating People of 2008″ special.  I assume it's his new contract and the lure of big ratings from righties that led ABC to put him on the list.  Otherwise, the logic of saluting the power of conservative talk radio …

Dems, White House Agree To Auto Bailout  —  Pelosi Bows To Bush Condition On Deal Granting $15 Billion In Loans To Big Three  —  (CBS/AP) After weeks of tense discussions with the heads of the U.S. auto industry, Democratic Congressional leaders have reached an agreement that may just clear …