THE BACK STORY OF VALERIE JARRETT, ILLINOIS U.S. SENATE SEAT AND THE WHITE HOUSE  —  No one with President-elect Barack Obama's transition team has identified his close friend and adviser Valerie Jarrett as Senate candidate #1, as mentioned in the criminal complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich …

Franken Gets Big Win At Canvass Board  —  Al Franken's chances of winning the Minnesota recount may have just gone up astronomically.  —  The state canvassing board just voted unanimously that absentee ballots that were initially rejected because of clerical errors — and the current estimate …

GOP: ‘ACTION ALERT - AUTO BAILOUT’  —  Countdown has obtained a memo entitled “Action Alert - Auto Bailout,” and sent Wednesday at 9:12am, to Senate Republicans.  The names of the sender(s) and recipient(s) have been redacted in the copy Countdown obtained.

McCain Campaign Sells Info-Loaded Blackberry to FOX 5 Reporter  —  Exclusive FOX 5 Investigation  —  ARLINGTON, Va. - Private information at bargain prices.  It was a high-tech flub at the McCain-Palin campaign headquarters in Arlington when Fox 5's Investigative Reporter Tisha Thompson bought …

Chapter 11 is the right road for US carmakers  —  The debate about whether or not to bail out the Big Three carmakers has been mischaracterised.  It has been described as a package to help the undeserving dinosaurs of Detroit.  In fact, a plan to bail out the carmakers would benefit shareholders …

UK caused cholera, says Zimbabwe  —  The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe which has left hundreds dead was caused by the UK, an ally of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has said.  —  Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu described the outbreak as a “genocidal onslaught on the people of Zimbabwe by the British”.

Using the courts to oust Blagojevich on the theory that he's “disabled” from serving as governor.  —  Illinois AG Lisa Madigan makes the move to oust Blagojevich that we were talking about yesterday. … Oh, the irony!  Grabbing power to oust someone for grabbing power.

The Pragmatist  —  In case you haven't heard, Barack Obama is a pragmatist.  Everybody agrees on this.  Joe Biden, accepting Obama's nod as VP at his unveiling event in Springfield, Illinois, called him a “clear-eyed pragmatist.”  Describing Obama's rise through Chicago politics …

Sorry, We're Booked, White House Tells Obamas  —  Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama met Barack Obama's campaign plane in Colorado on Nov. 1.  (Photo: Damon Winter/The New York Times)  —  Updated |  3:12 p.m. CHICAGO—The White House has turned down a request from the family …

22 Pounds of UAW Rules and Regulations  —  Ever wondered what a UAW contract looks like?  Here is all 22 pounds of it (in this case, Ford's 2,215 page 2007 master contract; Coke can is for scale and because I was thirsty).  —  I'll tell you this much, those 2,215 pages don't include much regarding efficiency and competitiveness.

GOP warned to embrace technology or face ‘suicide’  —  (CNN) — When Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis decided to throw his hat in the ring to head the Republican Party, he announced his intentions on an unlikely forum: Twitter.  —  Not too long ago, the social networking Web site …

Blagojevich chief of staff Harris resigns  —  John Harris resigned this morning as Gov. Rod Blagojevich's chief of staff, his lawyer said.  —  Harris dropped off his letter of resignation today in person and will not be going back to the office, according to his lawyer, Terry Ekl.

A Bailout Plan the GOP Can Support  —  Inspired by a commenter, I have come up with an auto industry bailout plan.  For years, we have been treated to the following comments: … And this: … Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was even inspired enough to run the numbers:

Robin Toner, Times Reporter, Is Dead at 54  —  Robin Toner, who was the first woman to be the national political correspondent of The New York Times and who had a significant hand in the coverage of five presidential elections, innumerable Congressional and gubernatorial campaigns …