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- Blagojevich/Burris roundup: The Illinois AG admits his power is limited to block the Governor's appointments, saying yesterday's posturing was merely "a moral stand." Fair enough. The Illinois Senate, meanwhile, has no plans to fast-track impeachment proceedings for Blagojevich and Patrick Fitzgerald has requested a 90-day extension before indicting the Governor. Illinois state rep. Danny Davis is apparently interested in Barack Obama's Senate seat, but refused an offer from Blagojevich, stating that "it would be difficult to generate the trust level people would have to have in me. I just decided there was too much turmoil, too much disagreement." Unfortunately, this was not the position taken by Burris, who has already constructed a large pre-mortem monument to himself.
- Alberto Gonzales, like Dick Cheney, is perplexed by the public perception of him. "What is it that I did that is so fundamentally wrong, that deserves this kind of response to my service?" the disgraced former attorney general asked in bewilderment. Recognizing his chronic amnesia (at least in front of Senate committees), I suggest he peruse this memory-exercising list.
- Barack Obama's transition team has dismissed 90 Bush appointees in the defense department while retaining Bob Gates and his staff. The cut represents less than half of roughly 250 appointees at the Pentagon, The Hill reports.
- Eve Fairbanks has a good forward-looking piece on where and how Congressional conservatives plan to draw a line in the sand next year, modeled after last August's hissy fit over offshore drilling. As a preview of coming attractions, Ben Smith looks at how "bailout politics" are affecting the race for RNC chair and The Anchorage Daily News notes that Sarah Palin has once again been invited to speak at next year's CPAC convention, although she hasn't committed yet.
- The Los Angeles Times reports that the Obama administration plans to campaign heavily for next year's economic stimulus package that will be crafted early in the 111th Congress and The Washington Post takes a crack at answering how the Obama campaign's use of technology will transition to the business of executive government.
- Confirmation dates have been set for Eric Holder and Arne Duncan, and Congressional Democrats have selected Douglas W. Elmendorf to head the Congressional Budget Office, replacing OMB director-designate Peter R. Orszag.
- Mike Tomasky gives us a year-end list: the 19 Worst Americans of 2008. Oh, MMVIII, we'll miss ya.
--Mori Dinauer
