Top Items:
Associated Press:
Richardson withdraws as Commerce nominee — New Mexico governor cites pending investigation of business dealings — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation …
Discussion:
The Fix, Washington Monthly, The Field on the Narcosphere, BitsBlog, MSNBC, Change.org's Blog Network, Reuters, Michelle Malkin, Don Surber, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Wizbang, PoliGazette, Firedoglake, Think Progress, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Hotline On Call, NewsBusters.org, Swampland, TPM Election Central, Booman Tribune, Riehl World View, The Economic Populist, QandO, Fox News and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!
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Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:
Va. Governor Kaine to Become DNC Chairman — Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will become chairman of the Democratic National Committee later this month, serving as the top political messenger for Barack Obama's administration even while he finishes his final year in the governor's mansion, several sources said.
Discussion:
Scorecard's Blogs, Political Machine, Daily Kos, Commentary, Booman Tribune and Donklephant
Fox News:
Bill Richardson Withdraws as Commerce Secretary-Designate — The commerce secretary-designate has withdrawn his nomination because of an investigation into whether Bill Richardson exchanged New Mexico state government contracts for campaign financing. — FOXNews.com
Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:
Richardson Withdraws Name as Commerce Secretary-Designee — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name from consideration as commerce secretary for President-elect Barack Obama, citing an ongoing investigation about business dealings in his state.
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Video: Richardson withdraws from Obama Cabinet; Update: AOL Hot Seat poll added
Video: Richardson withdraws from Obama Cabinet; Update: AOL Hot Seat poll added
Siun / Firedoglake:
Gaza Update: Cluster Bombs — There's more evidence today of Israeli use of cluster bombs, originally noted by Laura Doty at Oxdown. The Times of London features a photo in it's coverage (see Gaza Conflict slide show) with the following description:
Discussion:
Financial Times, Think Progress, Newshoggers.com, Stop The ACLU, AlterNet.org and Associated Press
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Times of London:
Israel splits Gaza in three as soldiers battle Hamas — James Hider on the Gaza border and Azmi Keshawi in Gaza City — Israeli troops fought heavy battles with Hamas fighters in two densely populated Gaza towns today as the Army sought to split the strip into three sections to cut off the Islamist group's supply lines.
Chris McGreal / Guardian:
Why Israel went to war in Gaza — ‘Are you a target if you voted for Hamas?’ Last night Israel sent its ground forces across the border into Gaza as it escalated its brutal assault on Hamas. As a large-scale invasion of the Palestinian territory appears to be getting under way …
MSNBC:
Jan. 4: Harry Reid, Richard Engel, roundtable — Harry Reid, Richard Engel, Jeffrey Goldberg, Katty Kay, Hisham Melhem, Andrea Mitchell, David Sanger — MR. DAVID GREGORY: Our issues this Sunday: Just two days until the 111th Congress convenes and the legislative agenda is already packed …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, RedState, The Crypt's Blogs and The Capitol Fax Blog
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J. Taylor Rushing / The Hill:
Reid cracks Senate door open for Burris
Reid cracks Senate door open for Burris
Discussion:
The Swamp, Top of the Ticket, Associated Press, TPM Election Central and Political Machine
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Orwell, blinding tribalism, selective Terrorism, and Israel/Gaza — (updated below) — Former McCain-Palin campaign spokesman and current Weekly Standard editor Michael Goldfarb notes that Israel, a couple of days ago, dropped a 2,000-pound bomb on a Gazan home which killed a top Hamas leader …
Discussion:
THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Daily Dish, protein wisdom, Eunomia, AmSpecBlog, Right Wing News, Balloon Juice and The Tank
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Ryan Powers / Think Progress:
George H. W. Bush: I'd like to see Jeb elected president.» — This morning on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked former President George H.W. Bush about the possibility of his son, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, running for Senate. The former president expressed his hope …
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, AMERICAblog News and The Moderate Voice
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John / Power Line:
THE HONEYMOON: OVER BEFORE IT BEGAN! — Many liberals have what strikes me as a touching faith that the election of Barack Obama will cause America to be better loved by people around the world, including those who are ideologically hostile to the United States.
Discussion:
Townhall.com
John Harlow / Times of London:
Charity homes built by Hollywood start to crumble — RESIDENTS of a model housing estate bankrolled by Hollywood celebrities and hand-built by Jimmy Carter, the former US president, are complaining that it is falling apart. — Fairway Oaks was built on northern Florida wasteland by 10,000 volunteers …
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, BitsBlog, The Strata-Sphere, Balloon Juice, Right Wing News, Don Surber, RedState, Althouse and Macsmind
New York Times:
The End of the Financial World as We Know It — AMERICANS enter the New Year in a strange new role: financial lunatics. We've been viewed by the wider world with mistrust and suspicion on other matters, but on the subject of money even our harshest critics have been inclined to believe that we knew what we were doing.
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to head DNC — Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has been chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to head the Democratic National Committee, a Democratic official said. — The pick is a bet that an energetic younger leader will help the party capitalize on the historic enthusiasm that swept Obama to his landslide win.
Ynetnews:
Pro-Israeli rally draws thousands to Paris — French capital sees 12,000 demonstrators gather in show of support for Israel, Operation Cast Lead. 'Israel is simply fighting for its freedom, the survival of its people," says France's chief rabbi — Several thousand demonstrators waved Israeli flags …