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:
The Corner, MoJoBlog, SpyTalk, The Moderate Voice, Calitics, Danger Room, BrianFaughnan's blog, The Washington Independent, FP Passport, Hot Air, Jules Crittenden, Donklephant, Michelle Malkin, Swampland, The Daily Dish, Weekly Standard, MyDD, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Monthly, BLACKFIVE, A Blog For All, TIME.com, Firedoglake, The Opinionator, Pirate's Cove, Spin Cycle, D-Day, Macsmind, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Think Progress and TalkLeft
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Lauren Kornreich / CNN:
Feinstein slams Obama CIA head pick — (CNN) — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Senate's incoming Intelligence committee chair, slammed President-elect Barack Obama's choice of Leon Panetta as director of the CIA Monday. — “I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA Director.
Discussion:
MSNBC, SpyTalk, Buck Naked Politics, GayPatriot, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and The Corner
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
REALLY A MYSTERY — From an observer up on the Hill ... And from a career intel professional ... I used to do a lot of intelligence reporting. But I haven't really done any to speak of in a few years. So I'm coming at this cold. But I feel instinctively suspicious of the congressional reaction to this appointment.
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.
Los Angeles Times:
Panetta a surprise pick to run the CIA — Leon Panetta, a former congressman and Clinton chief of staff, would give Obama a political ally at the helm of the troubled spy agency. — Reporting from Washington — In choosing Leon E. Panetta to be the next CIA director …
Jennifer Rubin / Commentary:
Not Even the Clintons Would Have Tried This — President-elect Obama has made his first completely incomprehensible appointment: Leon Panetta for CIA Director. No, I'm serious. Clinton OMB Director and Chief of Staff to head a key intelligence agency. One can refer to him as an …
Drudge Report:
NBC BANS COULTER FOR LIFE; CUT FROM ‘TODAY’ SHOW OVER BOOK'S CLAIMS, NO MORE CABLE — The nation's top selling conservative author has been banned from appearing on NBC, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT. — Banned for life! — “We are just not going to have her on any more, it's over,” a top network source explains.
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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!”
Josh Kraushaar / Scorecard's Blogs:
Reid: Coleman will “never ever serve” — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid offered the toughest language he has ever used in arguing that Norm Coleman's career in the Senate is finished. — “Norm Coleman will never ever serve [again] in the Senate,” Reid told Politico's Manu Raju. “He lost the election.
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Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Senate recount: Franken's on top; Coleman to sue — The state Canvassing Board certified final results this afternoon in Minnesota's marathon U.S. Senate race, but that won't end the battle between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman, whose Senate term ended on Saturday.
Karen Travers / ABCNEWS:
Franken Declared Winner in Minnesota Senate Race
Franken Declared Winner in Minnesota Senate Race
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Corner, Donklephant, Macsmind, Runnin' Scared and Wall Street Journal
Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
REMEMBER LINCOLN? — Dave Weigel, now happily ensconced at the Washington Independent, is liveblogging the RNC chairman debate: … It's really weird that Republican candidates for high office almost never named Abraham Lincoln as their favorite Republican president. He was, after all, a Republican.
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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 …
Discussion:
The Confluence, New York Times, RedState, Runnin' Scared, The Swamp, Chicago Sun Times, Sister Toldjah, The Crypt's Blogs and PoliBlog
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Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Biden on economy: 'We're at war' — Vice-president-elect Joe Biden likened the country's economic crisis to the attacks of 9/11 Monday in a private meeting on Capitol Hill. — “We're at war,” Biden told congressional leaders of both parties during their sit-down with Barack Obama in the Capitol …
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WCBS-TV:
SHOCK POLL: Kennedy Trailing Cuomo Huge — Public Policy Polling Shows Princess Of Camelot Losing Grip On New Yorkers, Falls Behind 20 Points Among Dems — Caroline Kennedy appears to be losing momentum in her bid for Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat. — A new survey conducted …
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Josh Kraushaar / Scorecard's Blogs:
NRSC chair encourages King candidacy
NRSC chair encourages King candidacy
Discussion:
Swing State Project
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 …
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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 …
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Robert D. Kaplan / The Atlantic Online:
Iran's Postmodern Beast in Gaza — Israel has just embarked on a land invasion of the Gaza Strip after a week of aerial bombing. Gaza is bordered by Egypt, and was under Egyptian military control from 1949 through 1967. And yet in a startling rebuke to geography and recent history …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish
New York Times:
Ex-Detainee of U.S. Describes a 6-Year Ordeal — LAHORE, Pakistan — When Muhammad Saad Iqbal arrived home here in August after more than six years in American custody, including five at the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, he had difficulty walking, his left ear was severely infected …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? — Since my earlier post was more arch and cryptic, I wanted to expand on what seems to be the problem with the Obama stimulus plan, as revealed in the current round of leaks. I would point to three key issues. And I'm going to base these three on the premise …
Maayana Miskin / Arutz Sheva:
Zahar Claims Victory, Calls to Kill Jewish Children — (IsraelNN.com) Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Az-Zahar claimed victory for Hamas on Monday, saying Hamas had succeeded in “destroying Israel's sense of security” with its rocket attacks. Zahar made his proclamation in video footage sent from a secret hideout …
Discussion:
JOSHUAPUNDIT
Eugene Volokh / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Suing Cold Medication Manufacturers Because Drug Dealers Make Drugs out of the Medication: No, it's not some hypothetical offered by critics of lawsuits against gun manufacturers; it's a real case. From Ashley County v. Pfizer, Inc., decided today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit (some paragraph breaks added):