Top Items:
Brian Ross / ABCNEWS:
Sources Say Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is ‘Senate Candidate #5’ — Feds Plan to Interview Chicago Congressman as Part of Blagojevich Probe — Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is the anonymous “Senate Candidate #5” whose emissaries Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered …
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times, The Fix, Firedoglake, Emptywheel, Hot Air, Power Line, Pantagraph, Marc Ambinder, Progress Illinois, Talking Points Memo, Ta-Nehisi Coates, TalkLeft, Chicago Tribune, NO QUARTER, volokh.powerblogs.com, Taylor Marsh, Scorecard's Blogs, Gateway Pundit, Flopping Aces, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Raw Story, The Campaign Spot, RedState, MyDD, Tennessee Guerilla Women, Political Machine, Gawker, Bloomberg, Don Surber and Sunlight Foundation
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The Trail / Washington Post:
Obama: Blagojevich Should Resign — Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2005. (James A. Finley/Associated Press) — By Anne E. Kornblut — President-elect Barack Obama believes that Gov. Rod Blagojevich should resign, his advisers said on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Firedoglake, TIME.com, Lynn Sweet and Donklephant
The Politico:
In scandal, risks for Obama — At first blush, Barack Obama comes out of the Rod Blagojevich scandal smelling like a rose. The prosecutor at a news conference seemed to give the president-elect a seal of approval, and the Illinois governor himself was caught on tape complaining that Obama was not interested in crooked schemes.
Jim Oliphant / The Swamp:
Breaking: Senate Dems ask Blago to quit — The office of Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, is circulating a letter Wednesday to the Senate Democratic Caucus for signatures that recommends Gov. Rod Blagojevich resign and under no circumstances make an appointment to fill Illinois' vacant Senate seat.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, TIME.com, The Capitol Fax Blog, The Politico, Slate and Hotline On Call
Chicago Sun Times:
Madigan may take him to high court — SPRINGFIELD — If Gov. Blagojevich refuses to relinquish power and avoids impeachment, Attorney General Lisa Madigan is prepared to force his hand, aides said Tuesday. — The state's chief law enforcement officer is prepared to invoke …
Chicago Breaking News:
Attorney: Rep. Jackson ‘completely guiltless’ — U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) is “completely guiltless” in the alleged scheme to corrupt the appointment of a new U.S. senator from Illinois and will meet with federal investigators as soon as Friday, the congressman's newly hired attorney said today.
Discussion:
The Swamp
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THE INEVITABLE PUSH.... It's only been 24 hours, and it's pretty obvious that reports like this one, from the AP's Liz Sidoti, are going to quickly become mind-numbing. … There's just no reason for reporting like this. Is Obama connected to Blagojevich's scandal? No, but the scandal is “threatening to dog him.”
Reid Wilson / The Hill:
Clues to identity of candidates #1-6 — Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D) arrest on criminal corruption charges raises new questions about those considered for appointment to replace President-elect Obama in the Senate, as Blagojevich weighed a handful of candidates for the job …
New York Times:Obama's Effort on Ethics Bill Had Role in Governor's Fall
Discussion:
The Caucus, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, New York Times, Power Line, NewsBusters.org, Marc Ambinder, protein wisdom, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blogs, Booman Tribune, Balloon Juice, Guardian, The Swamp, George's Bottom Line, Whiskey Fire, Sweetness & Light, Right Wing Nut House and Gawker
Ryan Keith / State Journal Register:Impeachment is an option, but it's complicated
Discussion:
The Capitol Fax Blog, Chicago Sun Times, New York Times, Progress Illinois, A Blog For All and ArchPundit
Susan Saulny / New York Times:Portrait of a Politician: Vengeful and Profane
Discussion:
Capitol Briefing, The New Republic, Freakonomics, CNN, Los Angeles Times, Likelihood of Success and The Volokh Conspiracy
Pam Spaulding / Pam's House Blend:
Jon Stewart slays the homophobic Huckabeast without breaking a sweat — UPDATE: Louise did a complete transcript of the segment in this diary - many thanks! — And entertains while doing so. Jon Stewart asked serious questions any hard-hitting progressive journalist or political commentator …
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Ali Frick / Think Progress:
Stewart Grills Huckabee On Gay Marriage: ‘At What Age Did You Choose Not To Be Gay?’ — For over seven minutes last night, Jon Stewart grilled former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee on his opposition to gay marriage. Huckabee is touring the country to promote his new book, “Do The Right Thing.”
Chicago Tribune:
Barack Obama plans to reach out to Muslim world — In exclusive interview, he says he plans to be sworn in like every other president, using his full name: Barack Hussein Obama — Barack Obama says his heart will remain in Chicago, even as he moves to Washington. (Alex Garcia / Tribune / December 9, 2008)
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Hill, TPM Election Central, Wonkette, Townhall.com, NewsBusters.org and Soccer Dad
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Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Text of Obama's first newspaper interview as president-elect — In his first post-election newspaper interview, President-elect Barack Obama doesn't spill all the beans about his intentions upon taking office on Jan. 20. — But he does reveal some interesting details.
Dave Orrick / TwinCities.com:
FBI reviewing allegations involving Norm Coleman ally, source says — Source: Inquiry involves alleged attempt to steer money toward senator — Federal investigators are looking into allegations that a longtime friend and benefactor tried to steer money to U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, the Pioneer Press has learned.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, Minnesota Independent, Gawker, MinnPost, Think Progress and Majikthise
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Jason Hoppin / TwinCities.com:U.S. Senate race: Error might mean 171 absentee ballots went uncounted …
Discussion:
TPM Election Central
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
$73 an Hour: Adding It Up — Seventy-three dollars an hour. — That figure — repeated on television and in newspapers as the average pay of a Big Three autoworker — has become a big symbol in the fight over what should happen to Detroit. To critics, it is a neat encapsulation …
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David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
One Word Snags Auto Bailout in Washington — WASHINGTON — Efforts by the Bush administration and Congressional Democrats to fashion a government rescue of the foundering American automobile industry hit an unexpected snag on Wednesday, as a dispute over the precise wording of the bill led …
Discussion:
Vodkapundit
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David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:Democrats and White House Close In on Auto Deal
Discussion:
Washington Post, Emptywheel, The Baseline Scenario, TIME.com, naked capitalism and The Foundry
Foreign Policy:
The 10 Worst Predictions for 2008 — Prognostication is by far the riskiest form of punditry. The 10 commentators and leaders on this list learned that the hard way when their confident predictions about politics, war, the economy, and even the end of humanity itself completely missed the mark.
Joseph E. Stiglitz / Vanity Fair:
Capitalist Fools — Behind the debate over remaking U.S. financial policy will be a debate over who's to blame. It's crucial to get the history right, writes a Nobel-laureate economist, identifying five key mistakes—under Reagan, Clinton, and Bush II—and one national delusion.
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