Top Items:
The Caucus:
Panetta to Be Named C.I.A. Director — President-elect Barack Obama has selected Leon E. Panetta, the former congressman and White House chief of staff, to take over the Central Intelligence Agency, an organization that Mr. Obama criticized during the campaign for using interrogation methods …
Discussion:
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Obama's impressive new OLC chief — The Office of Legal Counsel, inside the Justice Department, is probably the most consequential federal government office that remains relatively obscure. The legal opinions which it issues become, more or less automatically, the official legal position of the Executive Branch.
Marc Ambinder:
Panetta On Torture — Here's Central Intelligence Agency director-designate Leon E. Panetta, writing about torture, in the Washington Monthly. Actually, no — he's writing in the Washington Monthly about torture:
Brian Faughnan / BrianFaughnan's blog:Obama's CIA Designee Sought CIA Cuts, Threatened Director
Discussion:
The Opinionator
Wall Street Journal:
Funny Business in Minnesota — In which every dubious ruling seems to help Al Franken. — Strange things keep happening in Minnesota, where the disputed recount in the Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken may be nearing a dubious outcome. Thanks to the machinations …
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Pat / Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Court rejects Coleman bid to consider rejected absentee ballots — The ruling clears the way for election officials to certify results showing Democrat Al Franken in the lead. — The Minnesota Supreme Court today rejected a bid by Norm Coleman in the disputed U.S. Senate election …
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Minnesota elections board says Franken won — The Minnesota Board of Canvassers certified Democrat Al Franken as winner of the state's Senate race, but incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman's (R) attorneys have vowed to challenge the decision. — After two months of political and legal wrangling …
Pat Doyle / Minneapolis Star Tribune:Recount results certified with Franken on top
Discussion:
The Swamp
New York Times:
Restore the Senate's Treaty Power — THE Constitution's Treaty Clause has long been seen, rightly, as a bulwark against presidential inclinations to lock the United States into unwise foreign commitments. The clause will likely be tested by Barack Obama's administration …
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William Kristol / New York Times:Why Israel Fights — The Israeli assault on Hamas in Gaza …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, CFR.org, Hot Air, Eunomia, Wonkette, Swampland, TPMCafe and Soccer Dad
John R. Bolton / Washington Post:The Three-State Option — War in the Gaza Strip demonstrates yet again …
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Marc Lynch, Daily Mail, Wall Street Journal, Think Progress, At-Largely, bastard.logic, Tammy Bruce, BLACKFIVE and Commentary
CNN:
Secretary of the Senate rejects Burris appointment — (CNN) — An aide to Secretary of the Senate Nancy Erickson tells CNN that this morning she rejected Roland Burris' certificate of appointment to the Senate. — Robert Baxter says Erickson rejected Burris' appointment because it does …
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Connie Hair / Human Events:
Pelosi Erases Gingrich's Long-Standing Fairness Rules — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to re-write House rules today to ensure that the Republican minority is unable to have any influence on legislation. Pelosi's proposals are so draconian, and will so polarize the Capitol …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
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Michael Calderone / Michael Calderone's Blogs:
Coulter's ‘Today’ show interview canceled — Ann Coulter was scheduled to appear on the “Today” show Tuesday morning to promote her new book, “Guilty.” But it's now been canceled, according to her website. — Coulter wrote: “TODAY SHOW AND TODAY SHOW FOURTH HOUR: CANCELLED!”
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
SNAKES — We're watching the Republican leadership's press conference on the Stimulus bill. I think I got about all I needed to know watching Mitch McConnell (R) talking and seeing a smirking Rep. Eric Cantor (R) hovering over his shoulder. McConnell's angle seemed about what you'd expect.
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Change.gov:
President-elect Obama announces key Department of Justice posts — WASHINGTON—Today, President-elect Barack Obama announced that he intends to nominate the following individuals for key posts at the United States Department of Justice: David Ogden, Deputy Attorney General; Elena Kagan …
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Judy Lin / Associated Press:
Ex eBay CEO prepares run for Calif. governor — Former eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman has edged closer to a run for California governor, with a spokesman confirming on Monday that she has resigned from three corporate boards. — Whitman's spokesman, Henry Gomez …
Discussion:
TechCrunch
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Bob Barr / Los Angeles Times:
No defending the Defense of Marriage Act — The author of the federal Defense of Marriage Act now thinks it's time for his law to get the boot — but for political reasons, not in support of gays. — In 1996, as a freshman member of the House of Representatives, I wrote the Defense of Marriage Act …
Eric Kleefeld / TPM Election Central:
Poll: Caroline Kennedy's Support Collapses — The last month's publicity hasn't been kind to Caroline Kennedy, with a new survey from Public Policy Polling (D) showing that she's now being trounced by state Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo as the choice of New York voters.
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Ben McGrath / New Yorker:
CORRECTING CAROLINE — In 2001, shortly after being sworn into the Senate, Hillary Clinton gave a press conference to address questions related to her husband's Presidential pardons. The Times observed that she used the word “disappointed” ten times, in reference to her brother, Hugh Rodham …
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