Top Items:
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Blagojevich questions censored on Transition site — President-elect Barack Obama's Transition today launched “Open for Questions,” a Digg-style feature allowing citizens to submit questions, and to vote on one another's questions, bringing favored inquiries to the top of the list.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Chicago Tribune, JammieWearingFool, Political Machine, Sister Toldjah, Wonkette, Balloon Juice, The Heretik, Publius Endures, Lost in Transition, Pejman_Yousefzadeh's blog, Don Surber, The Caucus, CNET News, Gawker, NO QUARTER, Mashable!, The Politico, Political Punch, Hot Air, Tim Blair, Sunlight Foundation, 24Ahead, Megan McArdle, PoliticalBase.com Blog, The Washington Independent and Brendan Nyhan
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Washington Post:
Rezko Is Talking With Prosecutors, Blagojevich Complaint Confirms — A footnote to the 76-page criminal complaint and affidavit charging Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) with soliciting bribes confirms what has long been rumored — that a former longtime friend and fundraiser …
New York Times:
Scandal Is an Early Test for Obama Team — WASHINGTON — When Representative Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, began exploring whether she might fill Barack Obama's seat in the United States Senate, she called Rahm Emanuel. They served in the House together and, more important …
The Politico:
7 Blago questions for Obama — Here are seven worth asking: — 1 - “Did you communicate directly or indirectly with Blagojevich about picking your replacement in the U.S. Senate?” — Obama issued a categorical statement Tuesday that he personally hadn't spoken with Blagojevich about the seat …
Washington Wire:
Blagojevich's Big Conference Call and Valerie Jarrett's Clean Break — Cam Simpson reports on Rod Blagojevich. — Among the hundreds of hours of conversations involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich secretly recorded by the FBI since Oct. 22, one phone call is drawing particular scrutiny among politicos …
Discussion:
Daily Pundit, The Strata-Sphere, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Other McCain and Sweetness & Light
Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
How the GOP Should Prepare for a Comeback — Organization and ideas are what matters. — What a difference a month makes. Since November's election, the GOP is three wins, no losses. — The first win came in Georgia, where Sen. Saxby Chambliss crushed his Democratic opponent by 15 points in a run-off election on Dec. 2.
Washington Post:
Nobel Physicist Chosen To Be Energy Secretary — Browner, Two Others to Get Climate Posts — President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who heads the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, to be the next energy secretary, and he has picked veteran regulators …
RELATED:
John M. Broder / New York Times:
Obama Team Set on Environment
Obama Team Set on Environment
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Matthew Yglesias, Gristmill, Wonk Room, Booman Tribune and The New Republic
Deborah Charles / Reuters:
Obama picks leaders of energy team
Obama picks leaders of energy team
Discussion:
CNN, Reuters, Chronicle of Higher Education, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, Boing Boing and Oliver Willis
Mike Allen / The Politico:
40 days to Inauguration — Daschle will also head White House Office of Health Reform — Exclusive: Podesta tries to mollify gay community — Obama inaugural festivities will be curtailed, though not austere, in deference to the times (4 days - one with just a prayer service …
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Mary Jordan / Washington Post:
British to Begin Iraq Withdrawal in March — Reports Say U.S. Troops Will Take Over Positions in Basra — Britain will withdraw nearly all of its troops from Iraq beginning in March and U.S. troops will take over their positions in Basra, according to several British newspapers citing military sources.
RELATED:
Yochi J. Dreazen / Wall Street Journal:
Pentagon Hoping for More Brigades in Afghanistan by Summer
Pentagon Hoping for More Brigades in Afghanistan by Summer
Discussion:
The Washington Independent, abu muqawama, New York Times, Telegraph and Associated Press
Categories / Washington Post:
House Decidedly Passes Autos Bailout BIll — The House just passed the $14 billion Detroit Big Three autos bailout bill by a vote of 237-170, sending it to a Senate where approval is no slam-dunk, thanks to the promised opposition of leading Republicans. — The bill was overwhelmingly endorsed …
Discussion:
Donklephant
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Chris Strohm / GovExec.com:
House Democrat urges Obama to keep Bush's intelligence chiefs — The House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat said Tuesday he has recommended that President-elect Barack Obama keep the country's current national intelligence director and CIA chief in place for some time to ensure continuity …
Discussion:
The Opinionator, Taylor Marsh, Townhall.com, Booman Tribune, Balkinization, Salon, Political Radar, The Washington Independent and Don Surber
RELATED:
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Top Democrat urges “continuity” for CIA, DNI and interrogation policies
Top Democrat urges “continuity” for CIA, DNI and interrogation policies
Discussion:
TalkLeft, DownWithTyranny!, Chris Floyd Online, NION, The Anonymous Liberal, Pajamas Media and Marc Ambinder
Marc Morano / U.S. Senate Committee …:
UN Blowback: More Than 650 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims — Study: Half of warming due to Sun! -Sea Levels Fail to Rise? - Warming Fears in ‘Dustbin of History’ — POZNAN, Poland - The UN global warming conference currently underway in Poland …
Wall Street Journal:
Europe OK's ‘Torture’ — Writing in Policy Review, John Rosenthal tells a tale of police abuse from 21st-century Germany: … Gäfgen broke and told police where he had buried Jakob's body. That was October 2002: … Also in October 2002, interrogators at Guantanamo Bay asked …
The Sun:
Fem-bot's my love machine — Inventor Le Trung, 33, created Aiko, said to be “in her 20s” with a stunning 32, 23, 33 figure, shiny hair and delicate features. — She even remembers his favourite drink and does simple cleaning and household tasks. — “Fem-bot” Aiko, who has cost £14,000 …
Discussion:
Hot Air
Center for Fiscal Accountability:
Featured Website: Fiscal.wa.gov — This week's featured website is Washington State's new spending transparency site which launched on December 3, 2008. Fiscal.wa.gov is the result of Senate Bill 6818, sponsored by Sen. Eric Oemig (D-Kirkland) and passed unanimously during the 2008 legislative session.
Discussion:
The Hill
Robert Block / The Write Stuff:
NASA has become a transition problem for Obama — CAPE CANAVERAL - NASA administrator Mike Griffin is not cooperating with President-elect Barack Obama's transition team, is obstructing its efforts to get information and has told its leader that she is “not qualified” to judge his rocket program, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
White House:
The President Participates in a Ceremony for 2008 Recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal — BACKGROUND — The Presidential Citizens Medal was established in November 13, 1969, to recognize U.S. citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for the nation.
RELATED:
Spencer S. Hsu / Washington Post:
Cleaning Service Used by Chertoff Calls Immigration Laws Unfair — Every few weeks for nearly four years, the Secret Service screened the IDs of employees for a Maryland cleaning company before they entered the house of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the nation's top immigration official.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Think Progress, Department of Homeland …, The Heretik, 24Ahead, On Deadline and PoliPundit.com