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- Barack Obama announced Gen. Eric Shinseki as his pick to run the Department of Veterans' Affairs on Sunday, Pearl Harbor day. Shinseki publicly condemned the Rumsfeld plan for invasion on the cheap in 2003, leading to his dismissal not long thereafter. Tara has more on Shinseki and the challenges he'll face.
- In other appointment news, Sen. Byron Dorgan will not be the next Energy secretary, Kathleen Sebelius has taken herself out of the running for an administration job, and Al Gore will meet with Obama on Tuesday to discuss climate change. Gore has expressed no interest in the rumored "energy czar" position that is being considered by the incoming administration.
- In his Saturday radio/YouTube address, President-elect Obama promised to quickly implement a public works program that recalls the early days of the New Deal and the interstate highway system.
- Disgraced incumbent Democrat William Jefferson (LA-02) lost in a special election Saturday to Republican Anh Cao, who will be the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress. In LA-04, Democrat Paul Carmouche narrowly lost to Republican John Fleming, and in Ohio Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy finally declared the winner in her close contest with Steve Stivers in the 15th district.
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made clear to The Las Vegas Sun that Vice President-elect Joseph Biden would be barred from participating in internal Senate deliberations and Democratic caucus meetings in order to "reassert [Congress'] constitutional independence from the White House." Biden appears happy to comply, stating through a spokesperson that he has "no intention of continuing the practice started by Vice President Cheney of regularly attending internal legislative branch meetings -- he firmly believes in restoring the Office of the Vice President to its historical role. He and Senator Reid see eye to eye on this." Steve Benen calls this "a return to institutional normalcy."
- Former Obama deputy national campaign director Steve Hildebrand's Sunday piece in The Huffington Post, intended to assuage Obama's "progressive critics," has predictably left some on the left even more unnerved. I think Tim has exactly the right take on this, and in light of the fact that Obama is openly supporting a strike, making a progressive agenda his administration's top priority, and enjoying the overwhelming support of Democrats, it seems a bit premature to panic. By all means keep the pressure on, but judge this administration by its eventual policies, not its designated appointees.
- Republican Rep. Tom "deport 'em" Tancredo is retiring in Colorado, Chris Matthews has inked a contract extension with MSNBC, presumably quashing rumors that he'll run for the Senate in Pennsylvania, and The Boston Globe reports that Mitt Romney is already laying the groundwork for a 2012 presidential run. The eternal campaign, indeed.
- The Independent (UK) gets some face time with Mark Penn, leading the reader to wonder why anyone would take his advice. On Hillary's message: "Hillary ran on a theme of ready for change, ready to lead. Change was always a central and important part of her message." Uh-huh. Asked about the "unelectable Obama" memo: "Huh. No. It doesn't say that at all." Sure you want to stick with that story, old boy?
- IL-Sen watch: Sam is skeptical that Jessee Jackson Jr. will get the nod for Obama's Senate seat and Fox News has a source that claims state Sen. Emil Jones is the one.
--Mori Dinauer
