Obama Was Mute on Illinois Corruption  —  The president-elect could use his bully pulpit to drive a clean-up.  —  This week Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on charges that he conspired to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, among other misdeeds.

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.

Surprise flurries warm Houston hearts  —  Fluffy flakes bring delight to some, consternation to others — and tie a 64-year-old record  —  Falling snowflakes glimmered in streetlights, so wide that they billowed to the ground like parachutes, and so tantalizing that even awestruck adults reached …

Daschle Will Lead Health Care Overhaul  —  WASHINGTON — Calling an overhaul of the health care system a basic element of his administration's economic recovery programs, President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday presented former Senator Tom Daschle as his choice to become secretary of health …

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.

FIRST THOUGHTS: NO ORDINARY HONEYMOON  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann  —  *** No ordinary honeymoon: While the political world continues to focus on the Blagojevich scandal, which at this point has been only a headache for the incoming Obama administration …

A VERY RAW DEAL  —  It's looking increasingly like Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., was truly uninvolved in Rod Blagojevich's alleged Senate-seat-for-sale scheme, other than expressing the usual interest in getting the appointment.  Most telling was the report from Jackson's lawyer today …

A Spy CEO for Obama  —  What should President-elect Barack Obama do about the intelligence community?  He has appointed the other top members of his national security team, but intrigue still surrounds his choices for director of national intelligence and director of the CIA.

CAROLINE ‘EQUALS J.LO’: DEM  —  REP. TAKES SWIPE AT CAMELOT CELEB POWER  —  ALBANY - A prominent New York Democratic congressman publicly questioned Caroline Kennedy's credentials to replace Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying she's no more qualified to hold office than Jennifer Lopez.

Filling Obama's seat  —  Okay, so it's obvious we don't want Rod Blagojevich choosing a replacement to fill Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.  But is it obvious we want any governor to have that power?  —  Of all the things a governor has the authority to do, this is the one that reeks most of King George III.

Obama's atomic umbrella: U.S. nuclear strike if Iran nukes Israel  —  U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's administration will offer Israel a “nuclear umbrella” against the threat of a nuclear attack by Iran, a well-placed American source said earlier this week.

Hawaii man charged with threatening to kill Obama  —  HONOLULU (AP) — Federal agents have arrested a Hawaii man after he allegedly threatened to attack and kill President-elect Barack Obama when he visits Hawaii on vacation this month.  —  Mark Miyashiro allegedly made the threats Dec. 3 …