memeorandum: The Politics of the Federal Bench (Jerry Markon/Washington Post)

4:45 AM ET, December 8, 2008

Top Items:

Tribune Prepares for Bankruptcy Filing — Tribune Co. is preparing for a possible bankruptcy-protection filing as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter, opening a new front of trouble for the newspaper industry. — As Tribune continues discussions with its lenders …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Portfolio and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

New York Times:

Tribune Co., in Debt, Could Be Flirting With Bankruptcy — The Tribune Company, the newspaper chain that owns The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times, is trying to negotiate new terms with its creditors and has hired advisers for a possible bankruptcy filing, according to people briefed on the matter.

Discussion: Eschaton and The Moderate Voice

DealBook:
Tribune Hires Advisers to Help Stave Off Bankruptcy

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, Gawker, the talking dog, Blue Crab Boulevard and JammieWearingFool

James Nash / The Columbus Dispatch:

Kilroy is headed to Congress — Democrat defeats Stivers in 15th Congressional District — Now it's official: Mary Jo Kilroy will be going to Washington as the first Democrat to represent any part of Franklin County in Congress in a generation. — Final vote tallies released this evening …

Discussion: Political Machine, TPM Election Central and MyDD

James Nash / The Daily Briefing:

Kilroy wins — Now it's official: Mary Jo Kilroy will be going to Washington as the first Democrat to represent any part of Franklin County in Congress in a generation. — Final vote tallies released this evening by the Franklin County Board of Elections show that Kilroy defeated Republican state …

Discussion: WBNS-TV, DownWithTyranny!, Daily Kos, Hotline On Call, Whiskey Fire, Firedoglake and Swing State Project

Associated Press: Democrats Pick Up House Seat

KSLA-TV:
Recount expected in 4th Congressional District Race

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight.com, JammieWearingFool, Talking Points Memo and MyDD

Malin Rising / Associated Press:

Krugman: US auto industry will probably disappear — STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — Nobel economics prize winner Paul Krugman said Sunday that the beleaguered U.S. auto industry will likely disappear. — “It will do so because of the geographical forces that me and my colleagues have discussed …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Outside The Beltway, Below The Beltway, Open Left and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

John Bresnahan / The Politico:

Shelby warns of filibuster of auto bailout — With job losses mounting and Detroit's Big Three automakers facing a battle on Capitol Hill over emergency federal aid, President-elect Barack Obama on Sunday predicted more hard times for the U.S. economy before it starts to turn around …

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics, Wizbang, RedState, Commentary, The Raw Story and New York Times

Steve Hildebrand / The Huffington Post:

A Message to Obama's Progressive Critics — Five short weeks ago, Barack Obama won a decisive victory against John McCain - winning 365 electoral votes to McCain's 162 and winning the popular vote by 9 million - the largest popular vote margin since.... After a strategy of expanding the electoral map …

Discussion: The Reaction and Open Left

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Obama Deputy Steve Hildebrand: Liberals Need To STFU

Discussion: AMERICAblog News

CNN:

Obama: Days of ‘pork ... as a strategy’ are over — (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama issued a warning Sunday to officials around the country who want to fund projects with federal dollars: no more business as usual. — In an interview on NBC's “Meet the Press,” Obama said …

MSNBC:
‘Meet the Press’ transcript for Dec. 7, 2008

Discussion: Commentary, Althouse, Newshoggers.com, Connecting.the.Dots, NewsBusters.org and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!

MSNBC:
Obama warns economy to get worse

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Washington Post, Corrente, Don Surber, DownWithTyranny!, Below The Beltway, TPM Election Central and Associated Press

Brian Knowlton / New York Times:
Obama Warns of Further Economic Pain

Discussion: The Heretik, The New Republic and The Jed Report

R. Jeffrey Smith / Washington Post:

Ideological Warfare Rages on Federal Appeals Courts Dominated by Republican Appointees — GOP-Appointed Majorities Winning Ideological Battles at Appellate Level — Seven of the 16 full-time judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, based in Cincinnati, were appointed by President Bush.

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications and The RBC

Jerry Markon / Washington Post:

The Politics of the Federal Bench — Obama's Appointments Are Expected To Reshape the U.S. Legal Landscape — The federal judiciary is on the verge of a major shift when President-elect Barack Obama's nominees take control of several of the nation's most important appellate courts, legal scholars and political activists say.

Discussion: TIME.com

Adam Nossiter / New York Times:

History and Amazement in House Race Outcome — NEW ORLEANS — Soft-spoken, retiring and diminutive, Anh Cao does not appear to fit the role of dragon-slayer. — Yet a day after he defeated Representative William J. Jefferson, the once-untouchable incumbent here, Mr. Cao was being approached …

Discussion: Roger Ailes

CNN:
First Vietnamese-American elected to House

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy

New York Times:

Pakistan's Spies Aided Group Tied to Mumbai Siege — WASHINGTON — Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant group suspected of conducting the Mumbai attacks, has quietly gained strength in recent years with the help of Pakistan's main spy service, assistance that has allowed the group …

Discussion: Booman Tribune and The RBC

The Independent:

Mark Penn: The man who blew the presidency — Hillary had a huge lead in the polls, and a genius running her team. So how did ‘The Master of the Message’ get it so wrong? And will he ever admit his mistakes? Cole Moreton meets... Mark Penn — Hillary Clinton was going to be president.

Chicago Breaking News:

Wright visits Trinity pulpit, lashes media — For the first time since his retirement last spring, Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. returned to the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ this morning with two goals: glorifying God and vilifying the media. — In honor of Trinity's 47th anniversary …

Discussion: Don Surber, BLACKFIVE and CANNONFIRE

Clifford J. Levy / New York Times:

In Hard Times, Russia Moves In to Reclaim Private Industries — BEREZNIKI, Russia — In late October, one of Vladimir V. Putin's top lieutenants abruptly summoned a billionaire mining oligarch to a private meeting. The official, Igor I. Sechin, had taken a sudden interest in a two-year-old accident …

Discussion: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

New York Times:

Detroit Bailout Is to Bring On U.S. Oversight — WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats were drafting legislation Sunday for tight government control of the crippled American auto industry, including the possible creation of an oversight board made up of five cabinet secretaries and the head …

Discussion: TIME.com