Top Items:
John Fund / Wall Street Journal:
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.
Discussion:
Sister Toldjah, Doug Ross, Flopping Aces, Outside The Beltway, Fausta's Blog, The Other McCain and Jack & Jill Politics
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Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Depends on how you define “contact”; Update: Blago newsletter photo included — Barack Obama has gone out of his way to make his incoming administration Clintonesque. Not only has he built 63% of his transition team from Clinton administration officials, he even picked Hillary Clinton for a Cabinet post.
Rasmussen Reports:
84% of Illinois Voters Say Blagojevich Should Resign — Eighty-four percent (84%) of Illinois voters say indicted Governor Rod Blagojevich should resign, according to a Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state Wednesday night. Just nine percent (9%) disagree.
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 …
Sabato's Crystal Ball:CORRUPTION MOST FOUL — Revisiting the Timeless Principles of Corruption in Politics
Washington Post:Rezko Is Talking With Prosecutors, Blagojevich Complaint Confirms
Discussion:
Hot Air, TIME.com, The Campaign Spot, Donklephant, The Note, Political Punch, Ben Smith's Blogs and The Crypt's Blogs
David Rogers / The Politico:
McConnell deals major blow to bailout — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell broke with the White House Thursday over a proposed $14 billion loan package for ailing automakers, all but assuring its defeat this week and forcing the administration to consider other emergency steps …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Associated Press, Trust, But Verify, Below The Beltway, Washington Post and The Politico
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Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
McConnell opposes auto bailout — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Thursday morning he would oppose a $15 billion bailout of the U.S. auto industry, dealing the package a substantial blow. — McConnell argued on the Senate floor that the package …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Think Progress, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Bloomberg, Telegraph and Los Angeles Times
New York Times:
Auto Bailout Appears Dead in Senate as G.O.P. Resists — WASHINGTON — The prospects of a $14 billion government rescue of the American auto industry seemed to vaporize Thursday morning as the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, spoke out forcefully against the bill …
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.
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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 …
Discussion:
Facing South, The Foundry, The Strata-Sphere, Don Surber, Gateway Pundit and American Thinker
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Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:
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 …
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.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Politico, Commentary, Democracy in America and Wonkette
Robert Pear / New York Times:
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 …
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David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
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 …
Discussion:
The Anonymous Liberal
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Aluf Benn / Haaretz:
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.
Discussion:
Dean's World, The Raw Story, Power Line, Israel Matzav, The Campaign Spot, International Herald Tribune and The Agonist
David Ignatius / Washington Post:
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.
Fredric U. Dicker / New York Post:
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.
The Daily Beast:
Could Detroit Trigger a New Global Meltdown? — Washington's Infamous Sex Blogger Gets Hitched by Jessica Cutler — Blogs and Stories — If history is any indication, bankruptcy filings by American automakers could have aftershocks around the world. — Would the auto industry …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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