memeorandum: Court refuses to hear Blagojevich fitness case (Chicago Breaking News)

4:25 PM ET, December 17, 2008

Top Items:

Person of the Year 2008 — INSIDE:

Discussion: Tennessee Guerilla Women, Liberal Values, The Reaction, Democracy in America, Wilshire & Washington, Anchorage Daily News, The Caucus, RedState, MyDD, The Gun Toting Liberal, AMERICAblog News, Daily Kos, Entertainment Weekly's …, The Curious Capitalist and Gothamist

Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:

First Read: Obama appeared on half of TIME's covers — From NBC's Domenico Montanaro — In light of Barack Obama (predictably) being named Time's Person of the Year, First Read took a look back to see which magazine — Time or Newsweek — won the battle of who put Obama on the cover the most in 2008.

Discussion: Time and Weekly Standard

Callie Shell / Time:
Person of the Year 2008 — INSIDE: — Why History Can't Wait

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Political Machine and Washington Monthly

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Time opts for the obvious

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Below The Beltway

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: Firedoglake, Right Wing Watch, Box Turtle Bulletin, Pam's House Blend and Ben Smith's Blogs

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.

Discussion: Box Turtle Bulletin and AMERICAblog News

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
WARREN TO GIVE INVOCATION.... Barack Obama is, for the time being …

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Spin Cycle and Box Turtle Bulletin

Aretha Franklin / CBN.com:
Pro-Life Rick Warren to Give Invocation at Obama Inauguration

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Salon and AmSpecBlog

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Republicans Revolt on RNC's Obama-Blago Strategy — As the Republican National Committee continues its attempt to tie disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich to President-elect Barack Obama, more high-profile GOPers are rebelling against the strategy. — Newt Gingrich (Ga.), the former Speaker …

Discussion: Gallup, Behind the Numbers, MyDD and Hullabaloo

Chicago Sun Times:

Blago drama for Obama — President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was pushing for Obama's successor just days after the Nov. 4 election, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times. — Emanuel privately urged Gov. Blagojevich's administration to appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett …

Discussion: NY Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Buck Naked Politics, The Politico, Newsweek, MSNBC, Pajamas Media, The Note and Political Punch

Mike Dorning / The Swamp:
Obama: Wait until Hawaii for answers

Discussion: The Politico

Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:
Blackwell's RNC bid gains steam

Discussion: Right Wing Watch and Ken Blackwell

Marc Ambinder:
Understanding Power In Washington: Who's Afraid Of Rahm Right Now?

Discussion: Commentary

New York Times:

In Appearance Upstate, Kennedy Says Little — SYRACUSE — In a carefully controlled strategy reminiscent of the vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, aides to Caroline Kennedy interrupted her on Wednesday and whisked her away when she was asked what her qualifications are to be a United States senator.

Discussion: The Daily Politics, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, Ben Smith's Blogs, Althouse and Taylor Marsh

Charles Mahtesian / The Politico:
Nepotism Nation: Dems embrace dynasty politics

Discussion: Agence France Presse, The Huffington Post, New York Times, NY Daily News, Outside The Beltway, The Next Right, Hot Air, Donklephant, Washington Monthly, The Note, Daily Kos and The Swamp

Syracuse Post-Standard:
CENTRAL NEW YORK NEWS

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, Weekly Standard, The Daily Politics, The New Republic, NY Daily News and Spin Cycle

Susan Crabtree / The Hill:

LaHood considered for Cabinet post — Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) is in discussions with the Obama administration to take a Cabinet-level post — most likely secretary of the Department of Transportation, according to knowledgeable GOP sources. — When reached on his cell phone …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

Mike Dorning / The Swamp:
LaHood asked to be Transportation Sec

Discussion: Washington Wire, Progress Illinois and The New Republic

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
LaHood, a Republican, Considered for Transportation Slot

Discussion: Gristmill

Charlie / Explorations:

US Bankrupt? — Glenn posts this: … They're not accurate: … They palmed a card, actually two cards: the first one is they're using household net worth ... but that leaves out corporate net worth, so they're ignoring, eg, Exxon. The second is that they're comparing future obligations …

www.dcexaminer.com:
Who Will Bail Out Uncle Sam?

Discussion: Right Wing News and TigerHawk

Eamon Javers / The Politico:
Four really, really bad scenarios

Discussion: Riehl World View

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Obama's Pressers: No Comment — and NoDoz — A month from now, the nation will say farewell to its sports-obsessed president who doesn't like tough questions. And it will replace him with, well, another sports-obsessed president who doesn't like tough questions.

Discussion: Michael Calderone's Blogs, The New Republic, DailyHowler.com, Taylor Marsh, Newshoggers.com and Wizbang

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: The Note, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Raw Story, Patterico's Pontifications and JammieWearingFool

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: The Raw Story, RedState, Brave New Films blog and JammieWearingFool

TSO / This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here:
Medea, Millard and Uranus [by TSO]

Discussion: Hot Air

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Prostitution vs. war crimes: The real moral offense — In October, the extremely pro-war, neoconservative New York Sun ceased operations, and its journalists are now finding a warm and welcoming home, appropriately and revealingly enough, at The New Republic.

Discussion: The New Republic, AmSpecBlog, The Daily Politics, The Washington Independent, NewsBusters.org, Guardian and Reason

Marc Ambinder:

Card Checkin' Across The Universe — That's.... 57 votes in favor of cloture now. In-cycle Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas formally opposes the Employee Free Choice Act. She says it's “not necessary” right now. BTW: Lincoln's potential GOP opponent? Tim Griffin, the former White …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Hot Air, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Weekly Standard and Blog entry

Associated Press:
Lincoln: ‘Card-check’ proposal not necessary

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Think Progress, Matthew Yglesias, Facing South and Wonk Room

Chicago Breaking News:

Court refuses to hear Blagojevich fitness case — SPRINGFIELD—The Illinois Supreme Court has rejected Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan's attempt to have Gov. Rod Blagojevich declared unfit to hold office, court officials said. — The high court issued the order without comment. — More details to come.

Discussion: Hotline On Call and The Reaction

San Francisco Peninsula / San Francisco Peninsula …:

Rep. Eshoo to push for Fairness Doctrine — Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (pictured), D-Palo Alto, said Monday she will work to restore the Fairness Doctrine and have it apply to cable and satellite programming as well as radio and TV. — “I'll work on bringing it back.

Discussion: Broadcasting & Cable, Commentary, Washington Monthly, Below The Beltway, Vodkapundit and The Campaign Spot

Associated Press:

Justice Kennedy rejects 2 more challenges to Obama — Featured Topics: — AP - President-elect Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in Chicago, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008, where ... - Slideshow: President-elect Barack Obama — Play Video U.S. Courts Video: N.C. Supreme Court hears year-round school case WRAL Raleigh

Discussion: Hot Air

Fox News:

Scientists Call AP Report on Global Warming ‘Hysteria’ — Scientists skeptical of the assertion that climate change is the result of man's activites are criticizing a recent Associated Press report on global warming, calling it “irrational hysteria,” “horrifically bad” and “incredibly biased.”

Discussion: Moonbattery, QandO and Hot Air