Top Items:
CNN:
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 …
Discussion:
Wizbang
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The Times-Picayune / New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Latest Metro New Orleans News — Updated 24 hours, every day — Anh ‘Joseph’ Cao beats Rep. William Jefferson in 2nd Congressional District — Political newcomer Anh “Joseph” Cao, a Republican, has beaten nine-term incumbent William Jefferson, a Democrat, in the 2nd Congressional District …
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Bill Jefferson Loses — Scandal-tarred Louisiana Democratic Rep. Bill Jefferson was defeated in his bid for a tenth term tonight by a little known Republican named Joseph Cao. — With 80 percent of precincts reporting, Cao led Jefferson 53 percent to 43 percent and the Associated Press had called the race for the Republican.
Washington Post:
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.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, James Fallows, Washington Monthly, ATTACKERMAN, American Street, Booman Tribune, TIME.com and MSNBC
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Steve Kraske / KansasCity.com Prime Buzz:
SHOCKER: Sebelius removes name from Cabinet consideration — Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who was a finalist for vice president last summer and under consideration for several Cabinet posts in a Barack Obama administration, today withdrew her name from the selection process.
The Politico:
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 …
Discussion:
RedState, The RBC, QandO, Gateway Pundit, Flopping Aces, Don Surber, Hot Air, Riehl World View, The Moderate Voice and Scholars and Rogues
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Deepak Chopra / The Huffington Post:
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 …
JammieWearingFool:
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.
Discussion:
New York Times
Hilzoy / Obsidian Wings:
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.
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
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 …
Ian Welsh / Firedoglake:
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 …
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
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”:
Paulburka / Burkablog:
Harris County tax assessor-collector Bettencourt to resign — Ordinarily, the resignation of a second-tier county official would not be big news. But Paul Bettencourt is a high-profile figure and a stalwart in conservative Republican circles. He has been a strong voice for the GOP concern …
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Mike Allen / The Politico:
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.
Paul Krugman:
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.
Kirk Semple / New York Times:
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.
Discussion:
The Agonist
Jonathan Cutler / Los Angeles Times:
The Big Three's real union problem — If there is hope for the Big Three and for the UAW, it rests in unionizing the foreign automakers' U.S. plants. — The Big Three are a mess, and there is plenty of blame to go around. Washington lawmakers pondering the bailout for Detroit …