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Associated Press:
$14B auto bailout dies in Senate — WASHINGTON - A bailout-weary Congress killed a $14 billion package to aid struggling U.S. automakers Thursday night after a partisan dispute over union wage cuts derailed a last-ditch effort to revive the emergency aid before year's end.
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Wall Street Journal:
Rescue Bid for Detroit Collapses in Senate — WASHINGTON — A frantic, last-ditch attempt to forge a relief package for the auto industry collapsed in the U.S. Senate, dealing a giant blow to the immediate hopes of the Big Three. — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada suggested …
New York Times:
Auto Suppliers Share Anxiety Over a Bailout — DETROIT — With Congress failing to agree on a bailout for Detroit, the odds that General Motors and Chrysler will be insolvent by year's end are growing rapidly. — The companies have been warning that they would run out of money for some time …
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
‘THE PARTY OF HERBERT HOOVER’.... On Wednesday, Dick Cheney met with Senate Republicans and emphasized the importance of keeping the American automotive industry afloat. “If we don't do this, we will be known as the party of Herbert Hoover forever,” the vice president said.
Dana Bash / CNNMoney.com:
Bank bailout funds could be used for Detroit
Bank bailout funds could be used for Detroit
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Emptywheel, Guardian, Alas, a blog, Firedoglake, Oliver Willis, American Street, Pam's House Blend and Hullabaloo
Chicago Sun Times:
Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel ducks reporters' questions — President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, refused to take questions from reporters this morning about whether he was the Obama “advisor” named in the criminal complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
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New York Times:
Obama to Air Any Staff Talks About Senate Seat — CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama pledged Thursday to disclose any interaction between his transition team and the office of besieged Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, while declaring again that he and his staff had no involvement …
The Politico:
Obama damage control — He was elected president on a promise of “transparency” but barely five weeks later, Barack Obama is scrambling to meet his first big test on openness. — Obama's campaign lawyer Bob Bauer is taking a leading role in conducting what one top aide described as …
Discussion:
protein wisdom, TIME.com, Associated Press, The Note, The Politico, Reuters and The Corner
New York Times:
Prominent Trader Accused of Defrauding Clients — On Wall Street, his name is legendary. With money he had made as a lifeguard on the beaches of Long Island, he built a trading powerhouse that had prospered for more than four decades. At age 70, he had become an influential spokesman …
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Bloomberg:
Madoff Charged in $50 Billion Fraud at Advisory Firm — A A A — Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) — Bernard Madoff, founder and president of a New York firm that invested funds for wealthy individuals, hedge funds and other institutions, was charged with operating what he told employees …
Discussion:
Mercury Rising
Chicago Tribune:
Blagojevich fundraiser held by Jackson allies Saturday — As Gov. Rod Blagojevich was trying to pick Illinois' next U.S. senator, businessmen with ties to both the governor and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. discussed raising at least $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign as a way to encourage …
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New York Times:
Report Blames Rumsfeld for Detainee Abuses — WASHINGTON — A report released Thursday by leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee said top Bush administration officials, including Donald H. Rumsfeld, the former defense secretary, bore major responsibility for the abuses committed …
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
McCain pollster: Wright wouldn't have worked — John McCain's top pollster, Bill McInturff, said this evening that attacking Barack Obama over his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright would not have helped McCain's campaign and could have destroyed his presidency, had he been elected.
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marbury
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CNN:
Powell: GOP ‘polarization’ backfired in election — (CNN) — The Republican party must stop “shouting at the world” and start listening to minority groups if it is to win elections in the 21st century, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday. — In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria …
Discussion:
Wizbang, Right Wing News, Gawker, AMERICAblog News, Macsmind, The Moderate Voice, Donklephant and American Street
TwinCities.com:
In Senate recount, wrongly rejected votes seem more numerous than first thought — At least 358 Minnesotans did everything right on their absentee ballots — they sent them in on time, signed them where they should have and were properly registered — but their votes were not counted.
Discussion:
TPM Election Central, Buck Naked Politics, MyDD, The RBC, MinnPost and Real Clear Politics
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
The Real Obama — Barack Obama has garnered praise from center to right — and has highly irritated the left — with the centrism of his major appointments. Because Obama's own beliefs remain largely opaque, his appointments have led to the conclusion that he intends to govern from the center.