Top Items:
Newsdesk / Clout St:
House votes to impeach Blagojevich — Posted by Ray Long and Rick Pearson a 10:25 a.m.; last updated at 10:40 a.m.; (for the live blog, scroll down) — SPRINGFIELD—In a historic vote, the Illinois House has impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich, directing the Senate to put the state's 40th chief executive …
RELATED:
Chicago Sun Times:
Change in Burris' story? — SPRINGFIELD — A potentially troublesome new detail emerged about Roland Burris' controversial U.S. Senate appointment Thursday after a state House panel voted unanimously to recommend Gov. Blagojevich be impeached. — For the first time, Burris indicated …
Chicago Breaking News:
House impeaches Blagojevich — SPRINGFIELD—In a historic vote, the Illinois House has impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich, directing the Senate to put the state's 40th chief executive on trial with the goal of removing him from office. — The vote by the House was 114-1 and marks …
Christopher Wills / Associated Press:Illinois House impeaches Gov. Rod Blagojevich
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Obama Gap — “I don't believe it's too late to change course, but it will be if we don't take dramatic action as soon as possible. If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years.” — So declared President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday, explaining why the nation needs …
RELATED:
The Politico:
O-bummer — Congressional Democrats are firing a surprising number of unexpectedly sharp brush-back pitches at President-elect Obama and his staff over policy plans and personnel picks, making him look embattled during what was to be a triumphant debut week in Washington.
Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Pelosi Urges Obama to Raise Taxes on Wealthy This Year — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is urging the incoming Obama administration to stick to its campaign pledge and immediately increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans, a position that President-elect Barack Obama has wavered on since winning election.
Marc Ambinder:
It's Time To Play Oddsmaker — CHANCES Sen. Barack Obama's stimulus package is sent to the Whte House by February 16, the day Speaker Nancy Pelosi has set as a goal for Congressional passage. 60% All the posturing headlines today notwithstanding, momentum, the politics, the urgency and public opinion are on Obama's side.
New York Times:
Senate Allies Fault Obama on Stimulus — WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama's economic recovery plan ran into crossfire from his own party in Congress on Thursday, suggesting that quick passage of spending programs and tax cuts could require more time and negotiation than Democrats once hoped.
Discussion:
The Swamp, The Hill, Washington Post, CBS News, TPM Election Central, Bloomberg, Gallup, The Politico, Climate Progress, Open Left, D-Day, Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Taylor Marsh, TIME.com, The Washington Independent, MSNBC, Hullabaloo, The Daily Politics and Los Angeles Times
Louis Uchitelle / New York Times:
Unemployment Hits 7.2%, 16-Year High — With the recession in full swing, the nation's employers shed 524,000 jobs in December, the government reported Friday, and a rapidly deteriorating economy promised more significant losses in the months ahead. December's job losses brought the total …
RELATED:
Brian Blackstone / Wall Street Journal:Jobless Rate Surges to 7.2% in December
Discussion:
Real Time Economics, USA Today, Think Progress, Maggie's Farm, Comments from Left Field and European Tribune
John B. Judis / The New Republic:
Not Doing Enough — Why I worry that Obama doesn't realize just how bad things are. — Does Barack Obama understand the seriousness of the economic crisis? Yesterday, he laid out his economic agenda, and it was filled with all sorts of important exhortations and proscriptions.
Discussion:
Kevin Drum, Sadly, No!, Obsidian Wings, Talking Points Memo, The Washington Independent, AMERICAblog News and The E&P Pub
RELATED:
Becky Nahm / KSTP-TV:
POLL: Coleman should concede — An exclusive Survey USA poll shows nearly half of Minnesotans surveyed say its time for Republican Norm Coleman to concede the U.S. Senate race to Democrat Al Franken. — But the survey does not hold good news for Franken either.
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Scorecard's Blogs, Weekly Standard and TPM Election Central
Michelle Malkin:
Who's afraid of Joe the Journalist? — My syndicated column today looks at the MSM sneering over Joe Wurzelbacher's trip to Israel sponsored by PJTV, recounts how The Fraternal Order of the Professional Journalist has squandered its own credibility, and exposes how liberal media elites …
RELATED:
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Endgame in Gaza — Israel's leaders have purposely obscured their war aims in Gaza. But there are only two possible endgames: (A) a Lebanon-like cessation of hostilities to be supervised by international observers, or (B) the disintegration of Hamas rule in Gaza.
Discussion:
War in Context, Commentary, Betsy's Page, Jules Crittenden, Lawyers, Guns and Money and Soccer Dad
Wall Street Journal:
Mere Presidents — American leaders are mortal, not magical. — He didn't seem distracted, like he was thinking about lunch, and he didn't seem to be deflecting responsibility, but taking it. This was a relief, and rather unusual in a Washington politician, or pretty much any politician.
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
Online, Sarah Palin Has Unkind Words for the Press — Sarah Palin, still smarting over coverage of her vice presidential run, calls the media's reporting on her family “very scary” and says there may be “a class issue” that explains the more sympathetic treatment of Caroline Kennedy.
Joby Warrick / Washington Post:
Jan. 1 Attack By CIA Killed Two Leaders Of Al-Qaeda — A New Year's Day CIA strike in northern Pakistan killed two top al-Qaeda members long sought by the United States, including the man believed to be behind September's deadly suicide bombing at a Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital …
David Brooks / New York Times:
The Confidence Surplus — Christina Romer is Barack Obama's choice to lead his Council of Economic Advisers. In 1994, Romer and her husband, David, wrote an essay entitled “What Ends Recessions?” In the first paragraph, the Romers noted that “economists seem strangely unsure …
Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
A Difficult Road Awaits Panetta at the C.I.A. — WASHINGTON — As every previous director could attest, succeeding at the helm at the Central Intelligence Agency requires an uneasy balance: being firm enough to impose a White House agenda without inciting a revolt, while winning allegiance …
Discussion:
The Washington Independent, USA Today, American Spectator, ATTACKERMAN, Taylor Marsh, TIME.com, SpyTalk and MSNBC
Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:
Mitch McConnell Lost His Testicles and Now Infects the Senate GOP With a Cancer — Allow me to be blunt: — There are some of you who have fallen under McConnell's spell in the same way the lefties have fallen under Obama's spell. McConnell can do no wrong.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
AN IMPORTANT CAUTION — From TPM Reader LG ... I think we're in a genuine crisis. One that is immediate and an overlapping one that is going to stretch far into the future. But we all, and I don't exclude myself, must be ever wary of the way our own egos and excessive regard …
Output Producer, CA — 
China Markets Correspondent, Shanghai — 
Senior Assignment Editor, DC — 
Breaking News Editor, Tokyo — 
Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — 
Reporter - Ottawa Bureau — 
Local Government Reporter, IA — 
Research Director, CA — 
Immigration Enforcement Reporter — 
Presque Island Reporter, ME — 
Contributing Parks Ed. - SW, CA — 
AI Content Editor, WA — 
Legislative Reporter, TN — 
Editorial Assistant, Remote US — 
Elon Musk Reporter, NY or CA — 
Government & Politics Editor, WA — 
Business & GA Reporter. VT — 
Sports Reporter, WA — 
Energy Reporter, TX — 
Senior Reporter, SC — 
Trade & Climate Correspondent, DC — 
Reporter, WI — 
Political Newsletter Writer, CO — 
Jackson Reporter, MS — 
Music Editor, AZ — 
Breaking News Reporter, NV — 
Fearless Reporter/Producer, IA — 
Reporter II - Technology, Remote — 
Editor, Remote US — 
City Reporter, WA — 
Executive Editor, OR — 
Education & Budget Reporter, CA — 
Senior Writer/Editor, FL — 
Media Editor, Remote — 
