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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

THOUGHTS ON THE BAILOUT FLAMEOUT  —  A few thoughts on this morning's news.  —  Not surprisingly, with this morning's news, we're getting more than a few emails arguing that the Democrats, in their new position of strength, should weaken or entirely do away with the filibuster — i.e. …

Evangelical Leader Quits Over Gay Union Remark  —  A prominent evangelical lobbyist resigned yesterday over his remarks in a National Public Radio interview, in which he said he supports permitting same-sex civil unions.  —  The Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs …

Exclusive: Norm Coleman's Renovation Project Coincides with Financial Lawsuit  —  ST. PAUL (FOX 9) — The timing and cost of Sen. Norm Coleman's home renovation has again raised questions about allegations that an Edina, Minn. businessman funneled money to Norm Coleman's wife Laurie.

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 …

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):

Gingrich Offers To Be Rep.-Elect Cao's Liaison To The African-American Community  —  Earlier this week, the Times-Picayune profiled the district's new congressman Joseph Cao (R-LA), who beat out the indicted Democratic incumbent William Jefferson.  As the first Vietnamese-American in Congress …

Rectitude Chic  —  The first Christmas in the age of restraint.  —  Is this the last Christmas of the old era, or the first Christmas of the new?  Will people spend in a way that responds to what's around them (Nothing seems changed!) or to what they know is coming (Did you see this week's jobless numbers?