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- The Obama economic team took shape today, and over the weekend Obama laid out the economic recovery plan his administration will pursue. Meanwhile, The Democrat-led 111th Congress, which convenes on January 6, plans to prepare economic recovery legislation in time for Obama's signature on Inauguration Day two weeks later. Finally, the incoming administration seems adverse to repealing the Bush tax cuts, signaling instead that it will simply let them sunset in 2011.
- On the foreign policy front, Susan Rice appears to be headed for Ambassador to the United Nations and The New York Times highlights the caveats behind the Hillary Clinton selection: "By this past Thursday, when Mr. Obama reassured Mrs. Clinton that as secretary of state she would have direct access to him and could select her own staff, the wooing was complete." Meanwhile, Adam looks at Michael Isikoff's Newsweek story on whether Obama will appoint a 9/11-style commission on the Bush administration's use of torture in acquiring terrorism intel, and The Wall Street Journal draws a link between the emerging Obama foreign policy cabinet and proteges of Brent Scowcroft.
- Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner has announced that she will name Ted Kaufman as Joe Biden's replacement until a special election can be held in 2010. Kaufman is a longtime advsier to Biden, and the pick is thought to leave the seat warm for Beau Biden, currently on a tour of duty in Iraq.
- The Minnesota recount continues to confirm a close race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken, with the former leading by 180 votes as of this writing. Nate Silver is bolder, predicting (with some caveats) that Franken will prevail by just 27 votes when every ballot has been recounted.
- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal gave a speech Saturday night at the Iowa Family Policy Center annual fundraiser, fueling speculation that the GOP rising star is poising himself for a presidential run in four years. Now, I'll be the first to admit that Jindal is probably the most dynamic figure in the GOP today, but that in no small part has to do with the fact that Jindal isn't politically clumsy -- he isn't going to run in 2012 if the Obama administration is perceived successful in its fourth year, just as he knew it would be political suicide to jump on the McCain ticket this year.
- In other Republican news, South Carolina GOP chair Katon Dawson has thrown his hat in the ring to succeed Mike Duncan as RNC chair. Greg Sargent reminds us that Dawson initially attracted attention back in September when he was forced to resign from a country club that had a whites-only policy. Sounds like just the right man to lead a party which looks less like the future and more like fellow Palmetto-stater and dixiecrat bigot Strom Thurman.
- The Washington Post takes a look at some of the sleazy criminals looking to get a presidential pardon from outgoing president-in-name-only George W. Bush, including fraudster and junk-bond peddler Michael Milken and Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.).
- After getting smacked down by Paul Krugman last week, George Will decides to appear on the same program to repeat the very same lie about the New Deal on This Week yesterday. "Before we go into a new New Deal, can we just acknowledge that the first New Deal didn’t work?," Will proclaimed in his inimitable, condescending tone. Unfortunately, Krugman wasn't around to challenge the lie and the rest of the panel simply deferred to Will. Now that's punditry you can believe in.
--Mori Dinauer
