Top Items:
CNN:
Blagojevich's pick has résumé chiseled in stone — (CNN) — Anyone who doubts Roland Burris' qualifications to serve as the next senator from Illinois may want to head to Chicago's Oak Woods Cemetery. — There, Burris, whom embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed …
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Chicago Breaking News:
Burris goes to court for Senate seat — Democrat Roland Burris went to the Illinois Supreme Court today to fight to be seated in the U.S. Senate. — Burris, appointed by disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday to the seat once held by President-elect Barack Obama, asked the justices …
Roni Sofer / Ynetnews:
Gaza: Hamas gunmen hide in hospitals — Shin Bet chief briefs cabinet on day five of Gaza offensive, says terror operatives hide in hospitals, mosques. IDF: Hamas increases use of densely populated areas for launching pads — According to Diskin, “ — Diskin also noted that large numbers …
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Evan Perez / Wall Street Journal:
Gonzales Defends Role in Antiterror Policies — WASHINGTON — Alberto Gonzales, who has kept a low profile since resigning as attorney general nearly 16 months ago, said he is writing a book to set the record straight about his controversial tenure as a senior official in the Bush administration.
Discussion:
Think Progress, ATTACKERMAN, The Gun Toting Liberal, Political Machine, American Street, Firedoglake, American Power, Paul Krugman, Wonkette, Law Blog, Liberal Values, TPMMuckraker, Colorado Independent, D-Day, Washington Monthly, Raw Story, On Deadline, At-Largely, Lawyers, Guns and Money and The Reaction
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Robert MacMillan / Reuters:
Government aid could save U.S. newspapers, spark debate — NEW YORK (Reuters) - Connecticut lawmaker Frank Nicastro sees saving the local newspaper as his duty. But others think he and his colleagues are setting a worrisome precedent for government involvement in the U.S. press.
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Obama dismisses Bush Pentagon appointees — Despite keeping Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the Pentagon, President-elect Obama's transition team informed 90 Bush appointees their services will not be needed after Inauguration Day. — Scott Gration, a senior official on Obama's transition team …
James Joyner / Outside The Beltway:
Katharine Webb Joyner — My wife Kimberly woke me a little before 2 yesterday morning to inform me that her water had broken and that it was time to drive her to the hospital. After 12 hours of trying naturally, another 14 of trying with the aid of an inducing drug, and two hours of hard labor …
Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Atheists Sue Over Inaugural Prayer — Michael A. Newdow, who led the failed charge to get the words “under God” out of the Pledge of Allegiance, is now heading an effort to keep religion out of President-elect Barack Obama's swearing in. — Newdow's group, consisting of 18 individuals …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
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Michael Gormley / Associated Press:
NY Democratic advisers talk up ‘caretaker’ senator — ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Sen. Bill Clinton? Sen. Mario Cuomo? Don't completely rule it out. The former president and the former New York governor are among several boldface names being touted as possible “caretakers” for New York's Senate seat …
Barak Ravid / Haaretz:
Arab youths open fire on Israelis working at mall in Denmark — A group of Arab youths opened fire Wednesday evening on a number of Israelis working at a mall in the Danish city of Odenza, some 200 kilometers north of Copenhagen. — The Israelis, who were operating a stall in the shopping center, were lightly wounded in their legs.
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Paul Steinhauser / CNN:
Poll: Obama viewed as a strong leader — CNN Deputy Political Director — WASHINGTON (CNN) — A national poll suggests that three-quarters of the public thinks President-elect Barack Obama is a strong and decisive leader, the highest marks for a president-elect on that characteristic in nearly three decades.
Discussion:
The Swamp
Satyam Khanna / Think Progress:
O'Reilly questions whether ‘Barack the Magic Negro’ song is ‘mean-spirited.’ — O'Reilly questions whether ‘Barack the Magic Negro’ song is ‘mean-spirited.’» — Yesterday, Bill O'Reilly discussed the controversy surrounding RNC chair candidate Chip Saltsman's Christmas greeting …
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Torture prosecutions finally begin in the U.S. — (updated below - Update II) — While fiercely loyal establishment spokespeople such as The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus continue to insist that prosecutions are only appropriate for common criminals ("someone breaking into your house") …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, the talking dog, Harper's, Chicago Tribune, Firedoglake, Washington Post and Unqualified Offerings
Seth Borenstein / Associated Press:
NASA chief's wife to Obama: Don't fire my husband — WASHINGTON - Late on Christmas Eve, one last wish was sent, by e-mail: Please let NASA Administrator Michael Griffin keep his job. It was from his wife. — Rebecca Griffin, who works in marketing, sent her message with the subject line “Campaign for Mike” to friends and family.
Bill Mears / CNN:
Chief justice pleads for higher judicial salaries — CNN Supreme Court Producer — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts renewed his call for higher judicial pay on Wednesday, warning of long-term damage to the fabric of the courts.
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight.com:
Franken May Be Ceding Ground on Absentee Ballots — In St. Louis County, one of the bluest areas in Minnesota, the Coleman campaign succeeded in blocking more than a third of absentee ballots set aside by the state for potentially being wrongfully rejected from being counted — including one ballot from an elections judge.
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Larry Oakes / Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Election judge is dumbfounded her ballot was rejected
Election judge is dumbfounded her ballot was rejected
Discussion:
TPM Election Central
Megan McArdle:
The problem with Israel-Palestine blogging — Everyone engaged in it is interested in proving that one side is righter than the other. Since no action in the region has occurred without plausible provocation for 4,000 years or so, this requires constantly shifting the metrics by which you measure whichever side you happen to favor.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
No end in sight — More evidence? A weak case? Behind-the-scenes negotiations? — Anyway, it goes on: