Obama Is Under Fire Over Panetta Selection  —  Current, Ex-CIA Officials Criticize ‘Opaque’ Process  —  President-elect Barack Obama said yesterday that he has selected a “top-notch intelligence team” that would provide the “unvarnished” information his administration needs, rather than “what they think the president wants to hear.”

Obama to tap new position, meet with predecessors  —  (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday will announce his pick for “chief performance officer,” a newly created position that will work on the federal budget and to reform government, a Democratic official told CNN.

Hill aides: CBO to project $1.2T deficit for 2009  —  WASHINGTON - The federal budget deficit will hit an unparalleled $1.2 trillion for the 2009 budget year, according to a Capitol Hill aide briefed on new Congressional Budget office figures.  —  The aide says the CBO also sees a $703 billion deficit for 2010.