Top Items:
Eli Lake / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Panetta faces rendition queries — Panel eyes CIA pick's role in shaping policy during the Clinton era — President-elect Barack Obama's choice for CIA director, Leon Panetta, served as White House chief of staff during the time the Clinton administration accelerated a practice …
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Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
Parties Brace for a Fight on Justice Dept. Choice — WASHINGTON — The Senate hearing that starts Thursday for Eric H. Holder Jr., chosen to be attorney general by President-elect Barack Obama, may be as much a trial as a confirmation, but just who is on trial will depend on who is asking the questions.
Discussion:
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Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
GOP senators target two Obama nominees — Partisan lines have formed around President-elect Obama's two most embattled Cabinet picks, with Eric Holder and Tim Geithner facing increasing criticism from Republicans. — Democrats, who have not shied away from attacking Obama's economic team …
Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
After Tax Errors Raised, GOP Leaders Defend Treasury Nominee — But Some Call Geithner's Actions Serious Missteps — Was he cheating on his taxes or just sloppy with his finances? Lawmakers vetting the nomination of Timothy F. Geithner to serve as Treasury secretary say they may never be sure.
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Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
Geithner's Skill May Trump Tax Issue
Geithner's Skill May Trump Tax Issue
Discussion:
MyDD, Los Angeles Times, RedState, Talking Points Memo, The Other McCain and Wall Street Journal
New York Times:
Israel Strikes U.N. Complex in Gaza Strip — GAZA — Amid reports that a United Nations building had been hit, Israeli forces shelled areas deep inside Gaza City and edged forward toward the city center Thursday, sending thousands of panicked residents fleeing from their homes, witnesses said.
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Associated Press:
Israel Shells UN Headquarters In Gaza — GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel shelled the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, engulfing the compound and the main warehouse in fire and destroying thousands of pounds of food and humanitarian supplies intended for Palestinian refugees.
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Biden Outlines Plans to Do More With Less Power — WASHINGTON — He was in the Senate for 36 years and visited the White House under seven presidents. But Joseph R. Biden Jr. has never seen the inside of the vice president's office in the West Wing. “I never thought a lot about the vice presidency …
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
Playing to the Pundits — If you think the chattering classes were chattering about the Osama tape or the fate of the second $350 billion in bailout money yesterday, let me enlighten you. — It was all about the dinner party. — To wit, which members of the conservative commentariat were invited to dine with Obama?
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Andrew Roberts / Telegraph:
History will show that George W Bush was right — The American lady who called to see if I would appear on her radio programme was specific. “We're setting up a debate,” she said sweetly, “and we want to know from your perspective as a historian whether George W Bush was the worst president …
Discussion:
theheretik.us, Sister Toldjah, No More Mister Nice Blog, Samizdata.net, Gateway Pundit, Power Line, Macsmind and protein wisdom
Isabel Kershner / New York Times:
War on Hamas Saps Palestinian Leaders — JERUSALEM — Israel hoped that the war in Gaza would not only cripple Hamas, but eventually strengthen its secular rival, the Palestinian Authority, and even allow it to claw its way back into Gaza. — But with each day, the authority, its leader …
Discussion:
Yourish.com, Jeffrey Goldberg, rubber hose, Newshoggers.com, Jules Crittenden, Commentary and Firedoglake
Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
Intelligence Court Rules Wiretapping Program Legal — WASHINGTON — A federal intelligence court, in a rare public opinion, is expected to issue a major ruling validating the power of the president and Congress to wiretap international phone calls and intercept e-mail messages without a court order …
Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Democrats Finishing Up Stimulus Proposal — President-Elect Is Expected to Tout Plan Tomorrow — Congressional Democrats are putting the final touches on an economic stimulus package worth almost $850 billion, hoping to have the details ready in time for President-elect Barack Obama …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, LiberalOasis, MSNBC, USA Today, Marginal Revolution, Wonk Room and AMERICAblog News
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Mark Murray / MSNBC:
Poll: Solid support for Obama's economic plan — NBC/WSJ poll also shows concern for the cost of the stimulus package — WASHINGTON - A solid plurality of the American public supports the economic stimulus plan that President-elect Barack Obama has proposed, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Discussion:
AMERICAblog News
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Michael Stokes Paulsen / Wall Street Journal:
The Minnesota Recount Was Unconstitutional — There's still plenty of time for the state to get it right. — You would think people would learn. The recount in the contest between Norm Coleman and Al Franken for a seat in the U.S. Senate isn't just embarrassing. It is unconstitutional.
Washington Post:
Bank Losses Complicate U.S. Rescue — Pressure Grows on Obama to Allocate More Money for Distressed Financial Firms — A new wave of bank losses is overwhelming the federal government's emergency response, as financial firms struggle with the souring U.S. economy, the rapid deterioration …
Discussion:
Swampland
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Joel Mowbray / Fox News:
U.N. Agency That Runs School Hit in Gaza Employed Hamas and Islamic Jihad Members — The United Nations agency that administers a school in Gaza where dozens of civilians were killed by Israeli mortar fire last week has admitted to employing terrorists to work at its Palestinian schools in the past …
Discussion:
Power Line, Hot Air, Israel Matzav, protein wisdom, Infidel Bloggers Alliance and Israellycool
Wall Street Journal:
Bush and the Libby Pardon — As the curtain closes on the presidency of George W. Bush, the one loose end dangling is the pardon of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby. In 2007 Mr. Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, was convicted for perjury and obstruction of justice.
David Ignatius / Washington Post:
Best of All Possible Presidencies — What a sunny view Condoleezza Rice took in a valedictory conversation with Post journalists this week. She could have been Dr. Pangloss's daughter in her steadfastly upbeat account of the world. Asked about policies she regretted, she offered the cheerful retort …
Del Quentin Wilber / Washington Post:
Citing Weak Evidence, Judge Orders Guantanamo Detainee Freed — A federal judge ordered the release yesterday of a detainee at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ruling that the government's evidence is too weak to justify the man's continued confinement.
Christopher Buckley / The Daily Beast:
Inaugural Freak Show — Blogs and Stories — You'll never believe how a Christian right congressman and two anti-abortion protestors have prepared the Capitol for the Obama's inauguration. — On January 7, second-term Republican Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia and two friends prayed over a door.
Clifford Krauss / New York Times:
Where Is Oil Going Next? — HOUSTON — From the Indian Ocean to the South Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico, giant supertankers brimming with oil are resting at anchor or slowly tracing racetrack patterns through the sea, heading nowhere. — The ships are marking time, serving as floating oil-storage tanks.
Discussion:
Don Surber