Internal Battles Divided McCain and Palin Camps  —  PHOENIX — As a top adviser in Senator John McCain's now-imploded campaign tells the story, it was bad enough that Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska unwittingly scheduled, and then took, a prank telephone call from a Canadian comedian posing as the president of France.

Dems lower expectations  —  Democratic leaders are tamping down on expectations for rapid change and trying to signal they will place a calm hand on the nation's tiller.  —  “The country must be governed from the middle,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday.

Lawrence Summers: Africa Is “UNDER-Polluted”  —  Lawrence Summers is on a very short list of possible nominees for Secretary of Treasury.  His selection has been complicated, however, by his destructive performance as president of Harvard University, a rocky term he finally sabotaged …

How the President-Elect Did It  —  The new voters changed the game.  —  Intense and gripping, the 2008 election was also historic.  The son of a Kenyan immigrant and an American mother has risen to the presidency of history's most powerful nation.  Who was not moved by the sight …

Exclusive: Gibbs will be WH press secretary  —  Robert Gibbs, a top aide to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on his campaign and in his Senate office, will be named the White House press secretary, a top Democratic official said.  —  Gibbs was usually the senior official on Air Obama, the campaign plane.

Obama campaign workers angry over unpaid wages  —  Updated:  —  Indianapolis - Lines were long and tempers flared Wednesday not to vote but to get paid for canvassing for Barack Obama.  Several hundred people are still waiting to get their pay for last-minute campaigning.

‘Impeach Obama’ groups pop up on Facebook … Barack Obama has not even been sworn in yet as the 44th president of the United States but groups are springing up online calling for his impeachment.  —  On Facebook, an “Impeach Barack Obama” group has attracted more than 700 members …

McCain at ease after loss  —  On the day after his victory, Barack Obama faced a world in financial crisis, shooting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a nation that expected him to deliver on all his promises.  —  John McCain faced a barbecue.  —  “I got nine racks of ribs,” McCain told his closest aide and co-author, Mark Salter.

Rahm Emanuel: Time for a new contract with America.  Rahm Emanuel is widely rumored to be Barack Obama's choice for White House Chief of Staff.  As a Chicagoan, I've seen a fair amount of news coverage of this local congressman.  The picture that emerges is remarkably consistent: very smart …

Exit poll: Black voters back Calif. marriage ban  —  California's black and Latino voters, who turned out in droves for Barack Obama, provided key support for a state ban on same-sex marriage.  Christian, married and older voters also helped give the measure the winning edge, according to exit polls for The Associated Press.

MoveOn — How Do You Like them Now?  —  diggs  —  digg it  —  It was only a short time ago that every Democrat in the Senate was trashing MoveOn, refusing to stand up for them as the right tore them apart.  Many of us argued that it was really stupid and irresponsible to help dismantle …

The Straight-Ticket Youth Vote  —  As a sidenote to Obama's 66-32 blowout among 18-29 voters, check out how these same voters voted for the House.  Not much different: 63-34.  —  So, in casting an identity politics vote for Barack Obama, a hip young (by political standards) African American …

McCain aide disputes sources, denies firing  —  (CNN) — In another sign of drama and disarray inside camp McCain, former campaign senior adviser Randy Scheunemann responded late Wednesday to CNN and insisted he was “not fired and never [have] been fired.”  —  In addition, Michael Goldfarb …

We Need Sustainable Capitalism  —  Nature does not do bailouts.  —  When greeting old friends after a period of absence, Ralph Waldo Emerson used to ask: “What has become clear to you since we last met?”  —  What is clear to us and many others is that market capitalism has arrived at a critical juncture.