Top Items:
Matthew Jaffe / ABCNEWS:
Emanuel: I'm Getting Death Threats Over Blagojevich Scandal — Obama's Chief of Staff Refuses to Go to Work Because of Media Stakeout — The President-elect's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said today he won't go to the Chicago Presidential transition offices in order to avoid reporters seeking …
RELATED:
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Contact: Emanuel spoke with Blago “on multiple occasions” about Senate seat — The attempt by President-elect Barack Obama to distance himself from the scandal erupting in Illinois took a big hit last night with this exclusive report from Chicago's Fox affiliate.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blogs, The Moderate Voice, Riehl World View, Sister Toldjah, RedState, Stop The ACLU and The Strata-Sphere
Eli Saslow / Washington Post:
Obama Worked to Distance Self From Blagojevich Early On — Like every other politician in Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich waited for Barack Obama's call this summer. He told colleagues that he expected a speaking role at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, a nice bit of payback …
RELATED:
Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Rendell slams Obama over Blago — Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell today criticized Barack Obama for not being more upfront about the Illinois corruption scandal. — Now, he said, the story will continue to dominate the media's attention. — “They have never been in an executive position before …
Discussion:
Washington Post, NewsBusters.org, Associated Press, JammieWearingFool, Taylor Marsh, The Swamp and No More Mister Nice Blog
Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
Friday O'Blagging — Rahm ducks questions and McQ wonders why:
Friday O'Blagging — Rahm ducks questions and McQ wonders why:
Discussion:
QandO
Joseph Stiglitz / Financial Times:
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 …
RELATED:
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 …
RELATED:
Eric Kleefeld / TPM Election Central:
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 …
RELATED:
Josh Kraushaar / Scorecard's Blogs:
Franken camp wins two key rulings
Franken camp wins two key rulings
Discussion:
The Washington Independent
Chicago Breaking News:
Madigan to court: Remove Blagojevich — Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan speaks at a news conference at the Thompson Center today. (Tribune / Zbigniew Bzdak) — Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan called on the Illinois Supreme Court today to temporarily remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Washington Monthly, Salon, TIME.com, AMERICAblog News and The Capitol Fax Blog
RELATED:
Dave McKinney / Chicago Sun Times:
Madigan launches legal attack to oust Blagojevich — SPRINGFIELD — Attorney General Lisa Madigan today opened an unprecedented legal attack against a sitting Illinois governor, taking the formal steps to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to declare Gov. Blagojevich unfit to hold office.
White House:
Statement by Press Secretary Dana Perino — It is disappointing that while appropriate and effective legislation to assist and restructure troubled automakers received majority support in both houses, Congress nevertheless failed to pass final legislation. The approach in that legislation provided …
RELATED:
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Bush changes mind, may save auto giants
Bush changes mind, may save auto giants
Discussion:
The Politico, Reason, Wizbang, Below The Beltway, theheretik.us, The Swamp, Reuters and Wake up America
Chicago Breaking News:
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.
Discussion:
MSNBC, Associated Press, Hot Air, Firedoglake, MyDD, TIME.com, A Blog For All, MarketWatch and Chicagoist
Todd S. Purdum / New York Times:
Robin Toner, Times Reporter, Is Dead — 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 …
New York Post:
DEM KNOCK ON CAROLINE — By FREDRIC U. DICKER IN ALBANY and MAGGIE HABERMAN IN NEW YORK — Attorney General Andrew Cuomo yesterday repeatedly refused to say whether Caroline Kennedy is fit to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate, while a top Clinton political ally insisted she's clearly not.
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Top Broker Accused of $50 Billion Fraud — Sons Turned In Madoff After He Allegedly Told Them His Investment-Advisory Business for the Wealthy Was ‘Giant Ponzi Scheme’ — Bernard L. Madoff, a former chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market and a force in Wall Street trading for nearly 50 years …
Discussion:
New York Times, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, Moonbattery, Reuters, TPMMuckraker, Bloomberg and Pajamas Media
Ta-Nehisi Coates:
Pragmatism and evil — Chris Hayes offers up a must-read analysis of the Obama apparatchiks, the media stenographers, and acolytes of perceived wisdom who claim pragmatism has won out over ideology: … It's funny how that works. I can remember in 2003 when the anti-war nutty left …
Discussion:
Alas, a blog
RELATED:
Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
Powell lashes out at Palin: I'm from the South Bronx, 'and there's nothing wrong with my value system.' — In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria that will air this weekend, former Secretary of State Colin Powell sharply criticized the Republican party and its “value system,” taking particular aim at Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK):
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.