Top Items:
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Rick Warren to give inaugural invocation — (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony will feature big names like minister Rick Warren and legendary singer Aretha Franklin, the Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies announced Wednesday.
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John Aravosis / AMERICAblog News:
Obama picks homophobe pro-'Prop 8' evangelical preacher to give the invocation at inaugural — 5:22PM UPDATE: Warren compared abortion to the “Jewish Holocaust,” and said that making abortion “rare” wasn't enough, he's for outlawing abortion, period. So that would make pro-choice people …
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Ugh — Rick Warren will give the invocation at Obama's inauguration. Warren is a man who believes my marriage removes his freedom of speech and cannot say that authorizing torture is a moral failing. Shrewd politics, but if anyone is under any illusion that Obama is interested in advancing gay equality …
The Politico:
Gay activists furious with Obama — Barack Obama's choice of a prominent evangelical minister to perform the invocation at his inauguration is a conciliatory gesture toward social conservatives who opposed him in November, but it is drawing fierce challenges from a gay rights movement that …
Aretha Franklin / CBN.com:
Pro-Life Rick Warren to Give Invocation at Obama Inauguration — Pro-life pastor Rick Warren will give the invocation at President-Elect Barack Obama's inauguration. It makes a whole lot of sense. Even though Warren and Obama disagree on the life issue, they do see eye to eye on many social justice issues.
Katharine Q. Seelye / The Caucus:
Aretha Franklin to Participate in Inaugural Ceremony — Aretha Franklin and Dr. Rick Warren, an author and leader of the Saddleback Church, are among the select group of people who will participate in Barack Obama's inaugural swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20.
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch, Box Turtle Bulletin, PageOneQ, Firedoglake, Taylor Marsh, Blogging Faith, The Daily Dish, Feministing, The RBC and Booman Tribune
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Top Liberal Group Hammers Decision For Rick Warren To Deliver Obama's Inaugural Invocation — This isn't going to help dispel the “Obama stiff-arming liberals” narrative. The news today that bigoted pastor Rick Warren is going to give the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration is sparking …
Aretha Franklin / inaugural.senate.gov:
JCCIC ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL PROGRAM
JCCIC ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL PROGRAM
Discussion:
Chronicle of Higher Education
Matt Duss / Think Progress:
Anti-gay, anti-choice, pro-assassination pastor to give inaugural invocation.»
Anti-gay, anti-choice, pro-assassination pastor to give inaugural invocation.»
Kenneth Chan / ChristianPost.com:
Rick Warren Not Satisfied with Making Abortions ‘Rare’
Rick Warren Not Satisfied with Making Abortions ‘Rare’
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
Gateway Pundit:
IRAQI AMBASSADOR TELLS OFF CODE PINK WHACKOS (Video) — CODE PINK AMBUSHES IRAQI AMBASSADOR- AMBASSADOR FIRES BACK — “He's lucky he didn't try something like this under Saddam Hussein.” — Ambassador Samir Sumaida'ie: … The anti-American Marxist front group Code Pink ambushed Iraq Ambassador …
Discussion:
Moe_Lane's blog, Weekly Standard, The Raw Story, KFTY-TV, Brave New Films blog and PINKtank
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New York Times:
Kennedy, Touring Upstate, Gets Less and Less Low-Key — BUFFALO — The first day of Caroline Kennedy's tour through upstate New York on Wednesday was meant to be a low-key, decorous excursion, mindful of the skepticism surrounding her bid to be appointed the state's next United States senator.
Discussion:
The Daily Politics, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, Fausta's Blog, Spin Cycle, Althouse and Donklephant
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Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Report: Obama Campaign Manager Disdained Mark Halperin, Politico — The Huffington Post got an advance look at the forthcoming New York Times magazine profile of Robert Gibbs, the campaign spokesperson who will be White House press secretary. — Check out the disdain that Obama campaign …
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Mike Dorning / The Swamp:
LaHood to be Transportation Sec — Peoria Republican congressman Ray LaHood will be nominated Transportation Secretary for the Obama Administration, Republican and Democratic sources said today. — A spokesman for the Obama transition team declined to comment and LaHood's office did not immediately return phone calls.
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Associated Press:
Cake request for 3-year-old Hitler namesake denied — EASTON, Pa. - The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, denied a birthday cake with the child's full name on it by one New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance. Heath Campbell and his wife, Deborah …
Wall Street Journal:
Regulator Schapiro to Run SEC for Obama — President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Mary Schapiro, chief executive of a securities-industry regulator for securities firms, to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to two Democratic officials.
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Mark Preston / CNN:
Second GOP senator to announce retirement — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. Sam Brownback will announce Thursday he is retiring from the Senate when his term ends in 2010, allowing the Kansas Republican to explore a run for governor. — He will be the second GOP senator this year to publicly state …
Jennifer McLogan / WCBS-TV:
Nassau Cops: PTA Mom, Boy Found Half Naked In Car — Police Come Across Fogged Up SUV On Elementary School Grounds In Baldwin; Residents Shocked, Horrified — A prominent PTA official is facing some serious allegations involving a teenage boy. — Police arrested Joan Tuckruskye …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report
Media Matters for America:
Sean Hannity: Media Matters ' 2008 Misinformer of the Year — As Media Matters for America has demonstrated time and again, Fox News' Sean Hannity has been a prolific and influential purveyor of conservative misinformation. But never has he so enthusiastically applied his talents …
Patrick / FishBowlDC:
WaPo: Only Positive Obama Ads, Please — Hoping to make a little cash off of Barack Obama's inauguration (that's certainly nothing new...), Washington Post.Newsweek Interactive and the Washington Post's classifieds departments have launched “Welcome to the White House”, a classfieds …
Wall Street Journal:
Quick Ouster of Blagojevich Unlikely — SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Chances that Illinois would swiftly oust its governor faded Wednesday. — The combative new lawyer for Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrived at the state capitol with a host of objections to the impeachment process just getting under way.
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Chuck Goudie / WLS-TV:
Blagojevich was bookie, says federal informant — The ABC7 I-Team has learned that an attorney who went undercover for the FBI in the late 1980's says he told federal authorities years ago about wrongdoing by Blagojevich. — His name is Robert Cooley. — Cooley was a criminal defense lawyer …
Discussion:
Fox News, The Raw Story, The Note, Patterico's Pontifications and The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
White House:
President Bush Discusses National Security, Homeland Security and the Freedom Agenda at U.S. Army War College — Fact Sheet: President Bush Has Kept America Safe — THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Please be seated. (Applause.) Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm sorry I'm late.
Discussion:
The Washington Independent