No word, however, on whether Obama wants Lieberman to keep his committee chairmanship.

Lieberman is also third in line for chairmanship of the Armed Services Committee behind Byrd and Kennedy? Oof. I think Jim Webb is in position for a meteoric rise in the party.

All I get from clicking on the "Change Comes to the White House" is a Washington Post log in page. Help??

Wasn't the DHL merger deal lobbied by one of McCain's campaign guys? I remember that coming up and how McCain said it was legal and everything. Now 8,000 jobs are gone. It obviously doesn't make electoral difference now, but it's interesting.

I saw Valerie Jarrett on Meet the Press and I think she would be an awesome senator. Good choice, there.

steelhead - I am not having the problem you are, but often when I click on WaPo articles I have to scroll way down the page to see the story.

Obama to Joe: What we need here Joe is some of the same awesome oversight you provided for the Bush administration. And can I count this as going against the party leadership?

A little deja vu surrealism seems to be creeping into my consciousness here. Something like this happened in the not too distant past but I just can't seem to place it.

I'm appalled by the comments from Poland, but not too surprised. They were arguably as despicable as Germany during the Holocaust--certainly as neighbors, they turned a huge deaf ear and blind eye to all that was going on when they had every opportunity not to.

I think this is carry-over. Folks like to think that was then, and this is now, but no--I beg to differ.

I don't know if you saw this Wapo story of the famous White House Butler, but the last half page is absolutely heart breaking...

Nice to see the Scapula Herald can afford to piss off readers and advertisers. Most papers are too deep in the red for such a mavericky move.

I wonder if they're going to ignore everything Obama does or refer to him as President That One.

I never understood why the transfer of power (yes, I know it used to be even longer) has to take so long. Six weeks is just ridiculous. It should be more like two. Goodness, we are in such crisis what with the economy tanking worse every day as well as being fully engaged in two wars!!!

The Senate just sickens me. Just a mutual-masturbation club. Fuck.

i thought we didn't do Polish jokes anymore.
oh, wait,,, you mean he wasn't joking?

* Change comes to the White House. -- Benen

I had no idea Michelle was *that* tall

* China's stimulus package sounds pretty good. -- Benen

What's amazing is not just that they'd think about spending those oodles of money on things like infrastructure and social welfare; after all, that's what you'd, kind-a, expect from Red China (though I remember oodles of money being spent on social engineering, heavy industry which was going nowhere and military, when I was growing up in Red Poland). What's amazing is that they're going to do it as a *preventive* measure, without waiting to implode first. Could it be that the free market USA might be able to learn something from them?

* A right-wing leader in the Polish parliament condemned Obama's election last week, insisting that it "marks the end of white man's civilization." -- Benen

Don't know anything about that Gorski guy, but, his party... They're as good as Bushies at coining catchy phrases, which don't, quite, mean what you think they do (like Bush's saying "Clear Skies", when he meant "No Tree Left Behind"). They call themselves "Law and Justice" party. But, by "law", they mean "law of the bigger stick" and, by "justice", they mean "vendetta".

They're ones I was writing about last night... They want protection of Catholicism (not just any Christian religion, either) written into the Constitution. They're the ones who pushed for abortions being criminalized (both for the doctor and the woman), at *all* stages of pregnancy. They're the ones who want everyone who'd ever worked for the communist govt (1945-1989) deprived of their pensions and barred from ever being elected to *any* official position, beginning with city councils and ending with the House and Senate (as well as being barred from teaching in school). They're the ones who organise militant-religious youth groups and whose rallies draw in the same kind of people that Palin whipped into a frenzy -- eerily reminiscent of neo-nazis...

They're out and out nut-jobs. But they appeal to certain segments of the population... The Duck Twins, one of whom is President and the other used to be Prime Minister (or, maybe, the other way around; can't remember off hand) are from that party. Their stranglehold was broken late last year, with the election of Donald Tusk, but they're still much too powerful for my taste (and that of most of my friends).

Just as a bit of a background, to where Gorski "is coming from"...

meant to say TEN weeks (not six) is ridiculously long time to wait to transfer the power...

Is it just me or does the third week in January seem like a date in our distant future?

The "adjustment" to AIG's bailout, no matter how well explained, leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

None, nada, none of the stimulus/bailouts over the past year have addressed the real problems in our economy. Piecemeal, arbitrary, and geared towards rewarding idiots who thought a grand pyramid scheme was forever.

I am seriously beginning to think that the collapsing economy was somewhat "engineered."

I guess we are all inDEPTed to George who wished he was a Dictator.

Big shock that the racist newspaper was in OK. I have to go there sometimes for travel, the place makes my skin crawl. It's pretty bad when you're a step down from Texas.

As for Lieberman, look it's painful to pull the knife out, but it's definitely better than walking around with the knife in your back. Joe is the knife, for people not following this metaphor. Obama may need to appear above the fray by asking for him to stay, that doesn't mean the caucus can't fry him.

in DEBTed... (I goofed)

Hell, Oklahoma's even a step down from Arkansas. I've been saying for years that we should chop off Ft. Smith (in extreme western Ark.) and give it to Oklahoma, because it's every bit as reactionary.

It seems to me that keeping Lieberman in the caucus is a savvy move.

Think about the choices this way:

(A) Kick Lieberman out, and have the GOP absorb and rebrand him into a political martyr on the war issue. Even if they end up losing the political battle over Iraq, Lieberman is a net plus for them.

(B) Keep Lieberman around, and put him in repentance mode. He'd owe Obama big, especially if he keeps seniority on some committees. The Dems can rebut the right-wing hysteria on a radical left dominating the Democratic party, and you have a way to quietly maneuver a replacement for him in CT.

I'd agree with Steve Clemons, though, that we should finesse this and remove Lieberman from access to national security or domestic security issues. He can be a political tool in the box, but he can't be allowed to have authority over security hearings.

My two cents.

Sapulpa, OK -- what a bunch of ignorant morons. Then again, I guess that's considerted a virtue in the republican party. I emailed a friend of mine in Tulsa on Monday 11/3, reminding her to vote on Tuesday. The reply I received was nothing short of stunning:

"Independents don’t get to vote in Oklahoma ’s primary"

Man, the Kool-Aid must be pretty strong in the Greater Tulsa area...

I meant to write "considered" -- I lost IQ points just watching that story...

Am I, uh...the only one who found this a bit crass?

Here's how Obama tells the story:

"Obama!" the President said, shaking my hand. "Come here and meet Laura. Laura, you remember Obama. We saw him on TV during election night. Beautiful family. And that wife of yours -- that's one impressive lady."

"We both got better than we deserve, Mr. President," I said, shaking the First Lady's hand and hoping that I'd wiped any crumbs off my face. The President turned to an aide nearby, who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitizer in the President's hand.

"Want some?" the President asked. "Good stuff. Keeps you from getting colds."

Ok, first off, this whole "Laura, you remember Obama" business. WTF? But the absolute crassest thing is the hand sanitizer. Swear to God, what popped into my mind was Steve Martin staring at his hand to see if any black had "rubbed off" after that "slap my hand, black soul man!" bit he used to do with Garrett Morris in the SNL skits about the Wild N' Crazy Czech Brothers who cruise successfully for foxes in tight slacks that show their bulges.

God, what a moron. I pray we survive the next 2 months.

Pics and transcript of how meeting "might" have gone!

A right-wing leader in the Polish parliament condemned Obama's election last week, insisting that it "marks the end of white man's civilization."

That's not a bug!

As the tension of the last eight years finally starts to wind down after the election, I can start to see that it's going to get a lot less intense with just basic governing by grown-up adults being the order of the day after January.

In fact, the only real excitement is going to be wondering what Joe Lieberman is going to do and listening to the now-irrelevent wingnuts foam and spew about how awful Obama is. No one will care.

Personally, I want JoeLie gone.

But if Obama wants to show off how magnanimous he can be and make the arrangements for him to remain in the Caucus, well, I voted for him so I'll live with it.

That said, with a large majority, we ought to be able to finesse some Senate rules and give ol' Joe a co-chair, and make it clear that if the co-chairs disagree on an issue it goes to the Leader's office so Joe cant go rogue with his powers. And someone needs to watch his back everytime he gets useful info from a caucus meeting.

What does Lieberman have to do to get kicked out of the party? Plot to overthrow the government? I doubt even that would be enough.

So, how big of a fine is the FCC going to hit "moanin Joe" with?

Another item is Circuit City's bankruptcy filing. I have a strong suspicion that store closings will go well beyond the 20% announced last week. In fact, complete liquidation of the chain is not out of question.

So, how big of a fine is the FCC going to hit "moanin Joe" with?

MSNBC is a cable/satellite network and thus beyond FCC control.

The machine Democrats really can't seem to grasp how offensive Lieberman is.

During the last election Lieberman supported McCain. And you know what? If Clinton doesn't care whether Lieberman supported Obama, I don't see why I should care if I support Obama.

The Democrats should try to remember that two of the most brain-dead repulsive people in America came within a few points of winning the last election. If the Dems can't grow some spine they just might lose the next election.

If the "leaders" don't care who supported the party, why should I care?

Ref. the right-wing hack in the Polish Parliament: a lot of the E. European nations have such hacks, racist/nationalist and skeptical of global warming, and also scientists like "Lumo." Comparison: Russian press or some leaders, I forget details, said it was a sign of "weakness" that USA elected a black man! What retrograde hacks.

When I read about gw (sic) using the handsanitizer after shaking Mr. Obamas hand, I was immediately thinking the same like Jennifer. I also thought a bit farther: RACIST PIG! You can bet your sweet a$$ that gw (sic) did not 'sanitize his hands' after shaking white guys hands!

Our hometown newspaper didn't have the first article or comment about the outcome of the presidential election either. I live in a deeply red county in a fairly blue state where both local papers in our town and one in the neighboring town are owned by the same guy. The racism runs deep.

Obama has pointed the way to the approach here. He called for Lieberman to remain in the caucus but refrained from offering an opinion on the committee chairmanship. That in itself is a gracious gesture of reconciliation, and the natural step for Lieberman would be to back down and reciprocate this act of presidential forgiveness by agreeing to remain in the caucus, but to resign his chairmanship. If Lieberman now rejects that gesture because he wants it all, then he is clearly the one who is being a selfish, arrogant turd, and President-elect Obama can’t be blamed for any vindictiveness or lack of generousness.

Nice move Barack!

This guy is a real dickwad, Georgia Rep. (R) thinks Obama will impose Gestapo fascism:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iRxZox4GFoIweckPDP1oRhKBlHOwD94CCDU00

Also, dig this reading of minutes from a Sarah Palin Council meeting in Wasilla, May 1996:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMocEINn-E8

"Gee, Linda, you don't gotcher own pen"?

"I mean, it's new business about old business, I don't know"

She's tired of getting refreshments.

Eddie had about half "them chips ahoys"

and so on.

So Rachel Maddow, just talking about the possibility of there being 4 congressmen from Ohio named Steve added that she has nothing against Steves, after all "who doesn't love Steve Benem" - nice!

why is Joe Scarborough's idiiotic rantings news? Shut this idiot out he's interviewing plagarist Mike Fucking Barnicle. The biggest joke in New England is Barnicle. He lives in a 10 million dollar house and has 5 (I've seen them with my own eyes) SUVs in his driveway. He is the ultimate fraud. I imagine Scarborough is the penultimate fraud.

More importantly the Gov. of Michigan was on Diane Rheams today and she was laying it out really well. She's exuding confidence in the face of crisis. It begs the obvious question raised in a very subtle and indirect way and that is why does Wall St. get to dictate to the American worker to take up the ass for a good 4 decades, bleeding America dry with the goal of maximizing profits for a very select few and moving jobs elsewhere.

Finally the chickens come home to roost and now Wall St. has their hand out while taking multimillion dollar trips and giving out golden parachutes.

American Labor and manufacturing finally says "Enough" we need to fix the fundamentals of the economny (according to John McCain that is the American Worker).

What will republicans do? Act like the frauds that they are I suppose and whine and moan about tort reform and deregulation.

The reason Barnicle is such a fraud besides being a lifelong plagarist is that his entire schtick is based on this image of him as a sleeves up hardworking stiff from a milltown who roamed the beat getting stories from the underbelly. A wannabe Jimmy Breslin. The thing is Barnicle made most of it up. A good portion of the stories were fakes or outright stolen from other writers (alot more than just Carlin). Now he's somehow allowed to still to this day present himself as some kind of populist and he lives in total absolute wealth never ever hinting or talking about the irony.

He's a complete symptom of the mainstream media's demise.

How about the advice from Bush that Obama's own party would tear him down as if GW every had to worry about his own party giving him his medicine. I took Bush to be saying to Obama "Nobody likes a N**** so watch out. Hey wears the hand sanitzer I just shook this one's hand?! YOu want some yourself Obama?"

oops, spelling.

Also, don't believe a word the Republicans running around playing possum on all the news networks and saying they are a fractured party. Although David Brooks candor sounds honest most of them just sound like they are playing rope a dope and know they've handed the dems a powder keg and the Republicans are just waiting to light the match and probably getting off on the idea of burning the country down in the name of God.

The logical conclusion of running a party based on winning elections is that eventually you do whatever it takes. A Republican fueled high tech race war in a time of economic uncertainity will be their first and last moves.

"A Republican fueled high tech race war in a time of economic uncertainity will be their first and last moves"

A chilling vision of things to come.

On Mr. Lieberman, it really is up to Harry Reid. And judging by everything he's done in Senate leadership, he'll back down like an absolute coward and give in completely to Joe's demands. Really not impressed with the Democratic Congressional leadership.

The President Defect meets the President Elect.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bi50yHPGzys/SRi1m3vPjyI/AAAAAAAABYI/qWyMmRyhWIU/s1600/ovaloffice.jpg

Valerie Jarrett is a great choice for Senator, but I'd rather see her a White House Counsel. The bench for this pick is deep, and I think it's a sad commentary that Obama will be the first black president with an all white Senate, should Val replace him.

And yes, I am pro affirmative action. Especially in the US Senate.

Re: Leiberman

This is more simple than you think, and i am pretty sure that I know exactly why the big dog has come to Leiberman's defense and urged Obama to do the very smart thing of keeping Leiberman exactly where he is.

If you remember at the beginning of Clinton's term, he had this ambitious agenda, with helathcare at the top of the list. And what happened? Well, right out of he gate, his agenda was highjacked by gays in the military. So immediately, he lost control of the conversation, and therefore also the agenda. And healthcare was screwed because of that initial weakening by the Republicans,under Newt,, and he first eighteen months were a political disaster in terms of agenda with a majority control.

The midterms, leadby Newt, were a bloodbath, and Clinton was on defense until the game was reset when Newt overplayed his hand with the budget impasse.

So here's what's happening right now, IMHO. Clinton is urging Obama to neutralize Leiberman. Let him keep his committee, make him a total non-issue, and don't let the agenda conversation be highjacked with tales of party political power infighting. Pass EVERYTHING you can, and THEN you screw Lieberman when he starts to run for re-election. maybe you tell him that his mea culpa has been satisfactory, and string him along with a bit about maybe dangling Sec Def after Gates leaves after his extension. So then maybe Joe doesn't raise so much money for his reelection, and he gets caught flatfooted.

And then you go in for the political kill.

Maybe I'm all wet here, but this is exactly how I would handle Leiberman. Use him. Use him. Use him. And then dangle something tasty, and then pull his whole career out from under him.

In the meantime, I'd also watch carefully and see how crappy the Republicans are treating John McCain, and if they are going to try to shuffle him off into the sunset before he's ready to go. And for every public diss, I'd have tom Daschle whispering sweet nothings into his ear, just like in 2001. And I'd use Joe to help that along. The possibility of political redemption is very appealing to someone like John McCain, who thinks he will never have to get offstage.

Like I said, call me crazy, but there's a lot of room and a lot more nuanced power playing available here to be made in nuanced ways that can be of tremendous benefit to Democrats. There's always time to settle scores. You have to choose your moment, and that moment is not now. There are far better moments, but it requires great patience to wait until you get everything you want from the person you plan to wreak havoc upon. Fortunately, Obama has great skill, cool and patience.

At any rate, I think the first part of the advice about Leiberman is surely along the lines of what Clinton is telling Barack and Barack is agreeing with.

I'd like to hear feedback on this post if anyone is interested in discussing the ideas within. Feel free to flame it, just please try to be specific and constructive in your criticism or agreement, and let me know something of your thinking. I'd appreciate the feedback, since this situation is something I've have rolling around in my head for a couple of months now, and waiting to see how it would play out.

> and the Bush gang keeps losing.

Please don't whine when people start talking about "the Obama gang", OK?

And if you call it racist, you will be laughed at. Again.

WTF??? :
Mystery of lost US nuclear bomb

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7720049.stm

>"marks the end of white man's civilization."

Heh, makes me think of Gandi's observation about "Western" civilization.

Sapulpa, OK -- what a bunch of ignorant morons. Then again, I guess that's considerted a virtue in the republican party. I emailed a friend of mine in Tulsa on Monday 11/3, reminding her to vote on Tuesday. The reply I received was nothing short of stunning:

"Independents don’t get to vote in Oklahoma ’s primary"

Man, the Kool-Aid must be pretty strong in the Greater Tulsa area...

Posted by: Mark B. on November 10, 2008 at 7:18 PM

And to think this is the state that gave us Will Rogers and Kristin Chenoweth. No wonder both of them left.

Not Okay. Bullshit reasons provided.

If ever there was a time when we needed to face cynicism head on, it was Nov. 4, 2008.

That's cowardice, Mr. Olbermann.

I'm a long time fan and deeply saddened you copped out.