memeorandum: Scarborough: 'That's the silliest thing I've ever heard' that torture … (Ali Frick/Think Progress)

6:25 PM ET, January 12, 2009

Top Items:

Obama preparing order to close Gitmo — WASHINGTON (AP) — Advisers to President-elect Barack Obama say one of his first duties in office will be to order the closing of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. — That executive order is expected during Obama's first week on the job …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Think Progress, D-Day, Macsmind, TIME.com, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, ACSBlog, Riehl World View, Wonkette, The Raw Story, ATTACKERMAN and The Washington Independent

Ed Henry / CNN:

Obama to close Guantanamo Bay prison quickly — WASHINGTON (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama plans to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay as early as his first week in office to show a break from the Bush administration's approach to the war on terror, according to two officials close to the transition.

Discussion: Democracy in America

Martina Stewart / CNN: What will Obama do with his millions of online ‘friends’?

Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Ideas for Obama — Last week President-elect Barack Obama …

Discussion: The Washington Independent, Guardian, Matthew Yglesias, The New Republic, Portfolio, The Impolitic, Gristmill, The Jed Report, Blog entry and MSNBC

Alexander Burns / The Politico:
NYT reporter warns of one-term Obama

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Associated Press, Foreign Policy, The Swamp, Comedy Central, MyDD, The Politico and Reuters

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Obama to Address House Republican Conference

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and TIME.com

CNN: Obama's campaign rhetoric runs into reality

John Cushman / The Caucus:

A Money Request, and a Swan Song — Obama Requests Money | 11:28 a.m. President-elect Barack Obama asked President Bush to request the $350 billion remaining in the financial rescue package, the White House said Monday, shortly after Mr. Bush finished a news conference.

Discussion: Think Progress, Hotline On Call, CNN, Michael Calderone's Blogs, Fox News, Wonk Room, Lost in Transition, New York Times, James Fallows, David Corn, The Moderate Voice and Connecting.the.Dots

White House:

Press Conference by the President — James S. Brady Press Briefing Room — THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Tapper. We have been through a lot together. As I look through the room, I see Jake, Mike, Herman, Ann Compton. Just seemed like yesterday that — that I was on the campaign trail …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Think Progress, Gateway Pundit and Philly.com

New York Times:

In Final News Conference, Bush Strikes Elegiac Tone — WASHINGTON — A sentimental and occasionally defiant President Bush held his final news conference on Monday, conceding that the past eight years have dealt him some disappointments but declaring that, contrary to some critics of his policies …

Discussion: The Swamp, The Politico and TIME.com

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
At Obama's Urging, Bush to Seek Rest of Bailout Funds

Discussion: Democracy in America

CNN:
Bush admits mistakes in his final news conference

Discussion: The Swamp and The Impolitic

Washington Post:
Bush Defends His Tenure, America's Moral Standing

Discussion: Associated Press, The Daily Dish and marbury

Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Democrats Look for Ways to Undo Late Bush Administration Rules

Discussion: TPMMuckraker, The Washington Independent, ACSBlog and Change.org's Blog Network

Signorile / The Gist:

RNC Chair Candidate: “Homosexuality is a compulsion that can be contained, repressed or changed.” — Yes, that's what Ken Blackwell, the sketchy former Ohio Secretary of State who now has a good shot at running the Republican National Committee, told me a few months back, among some other very interesting and kooky things.

Discussion: TPM Election Central, The Raw Story, Pam's House Blend and Towleroad

The Directors / RedState:
If Not Ken Blackwell, Keep Mike Duncan

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Political Machine, The Washington Independent, Ben Smith's Blogs and The Campaign Spot

Michael O'Brien / The Hill's Blog Briefing Room:
Blackwell: Gay ‘Compulsion’ Can be ‘Restrained’

Discussion: The Daily Dish

Kate Phillips / The Caucus:

Burris Cleared to Take Senate Seat — Senate Democratic leaders today cleared the way for Roland Burris to be seated as a senator from Illinois, after more than a weeklong spectacle surrounding the state's corruption scandal and the questioning of Mr. Burris's credentials.

Discussion: Daily Kos and Hotline On Call

Manu Raju / The Politico:

Dem senators to swear in Burris — The Roland Burris saga is over, as Democratic Senate leaders have accepted his credentials and will swear him in as the junior senator from Illinois by the end of this week. — The decision ends an embarrassing chapter in Democratic politics and allows …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Washington Monthly, Political Machine and Lynn Sweet

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:
Senate Democrats to swear in Burris this week

Discussion: Reuters and Open Left

Agence France Presse:

Rice shame-faced by Bush over UN Gaza vote: Olmert — Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition — JERUSALEM (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was left shame-faced after President George W. Bush ordered her to abstain in a key UN vote on the Gaza war, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday.

Discussion: Associated Press, The Huffington Post, Think Progress, Commentary, Taylor Marsh, Phawker, Booman Tribune and Don Surber

Associated Press:

Israel bans Arab parties from running in upcoming elections — The Central Elections Committee on Monday banned Arab political parties from running in next month's parliamentary elections, drawing accusations of racism by an Arab lawmaker who said he would challenge the decision in the country's Supreme Court.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Haaretz, The Debate Link, ATTACKERMAN, Washington Monthly, TPMCafe, D-Day, Obsidian Wings, Reuters, War in Context and American Footprints

Lauren Kornreich / CNN:

Joe the Plumber: Ban media from war — Samuel Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, is in Israel. (Getty Images/Israeli GPO) — (CNN) - ‘Joe the Plumber’ Wurzelbacher told a group of journalists covering the conflict in Israel and Gaza that he didn't think the media should be allowed to report on war.

Discussion: The New Republic and Sadly, No!

Bill Roggio / Weekly Standard: A Media Ban Would Do Average Joes A Disservice

Bob Owens / Pajamas Media:
Pro-Joe: Plumber's Trip to Israel Scares the Establishment Media

Discussion: Firedoglake, The New Republic, The Daily Dish, The Washington Independent, At-Largely, pandagon.net and theheretik.us

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Voinovich Announces Retirement, GOP Problems Mount — Ohio Sen. George Voinovich is retiring in 2010, the fourth Republican to announce he is stepping aside at the end of his term. — Voinovich announced his retirement this morning after a weekend filled with speculation that he was planning to step aside.

Discussion: Washington Post, Hot Air, DownWithTyranny!, Writes Like She Talks and Washington Monthly

Josh Kraushaar / Scorecard's Blogs:
Portman running to succeed Voinovich

Discussion: Openers, The Caucus, Matthew Yglesias, MyDD, AmSpecBlog, Senate Guru, The Swamp, Swing State Project, Daily Kos and The Other McCain

Michelle Malkin:
I can't say I'll miss Crybaby George Voinovich

Discussion: Democracy in America and The Washington Independent

Mariana Cook / New Yorker:

A COUPLE IN CHICAGO … MICHELLE OBAMA: There is a strong possibility that Barack will pursue a political career, although it's unclear. There is a little tension with that. I'm very wary of politics. I think he's too much of a good guy for the kind of brutality, the skepticism.

Discussion: Spin Cycle and Wonkette

Telegraph:

Student auctions off virginity for offers of more than £2.5 million — A student who is auctioning her virginity to pay for a masters degree in Family and Marriage therapy has seen bidding hit £2.5million ($3.7m). — Natalie Dylan, 22, claims her offer of a one-night stand …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Other McCain and RedState

Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:

Obama climate czar has socialist ties — Group sees ‘global governance’ as solution — Until last week, Carol M. Browner, President-elect Barack Obama's pick as global warming czar, was listed as one of 14 leaders of a socialist group's Commission for a Sustainable World Society …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Wonk Room, Gateway Pundit, Salon, AmSpecBlog, Sister Toldjah, JammieWearingFool, Fausta's Blog, RedState, Vox Popoli and Lost in Transition

buffalobeast.com:

THE BEAST 50 MOST LOATHSOME PEOPLE IN AMERICA, 2008 — 50. Barack Obama — Charges: Beyond a few token acts of bipartisan marketing, Barry's major duty in the Senate was to avoid legislating, so he could pretend Washington-outsider status and nullify attacks on his non-existent policy positions.

Discussion: My Left Wing

Ali Frick / Think Progress:

Scarborough: 'That's the silliest thing I've ever heard' that torture doesn't work.» — Today on MSNBC's Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough waged an ardent, six-minute defense of torture, arguing with the Financial Times' Krystia Freeland that torture is always effective …

Discussion: Firedoglake and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!

James Fallows:

Refining the point about GW Bush's final press conference — I mentioned a few minutes ago, while GW Bush's final press conference was underway, that the president seemed unusually “self-aware.” — That's not quite right. On matters of policy, he revealed himself to be as isolated …

Discussion: Democracy in America, Kevin Drum and Talking Points Memo