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Obama Leaves Senate
President-elect Obama resigned from the U.S. Senate today and published a letter to constituents in many Illinois newspapers.

An excerpt: “Today, I am ending one journey to begin another. After serving the people of Illinois in the United States Senate — one of the highest honors and privileges of my life — I am stepping down as senator to prepare for the responsibilities I will assume as our nation’s next president. But I will never forget, and will forever be grateful, to the men and women of this great state who made my life in public service possible.”

LLN FDL: Putty Tat Trouble
Putty Tat Trouble, starring Tweety.  This 1951 Warner Bros. Inc. Merrie Melodies cartoon was directed by I. Freleng.  Story by Warren Foster.  Animation by Arthur Davis, Manuel Perez, Ken Champin, and Virgil Ross.  Backgrounds by Paul Julian.  Layouts by Hawley Pratt.  Voice characterizations by Mel Blanc and others.  Musical direction by Carl Stalling. 

What’s on your mind tonight?

Putty Tat Trouble, starring Tweety.  This 1951 Warner Bros. Inc. Merrie Melodies cartoon was directed by I. Freleng.  Story by Warren Foster.  Animation by Arthur Davis, Manuel Perez, Ken Champin, and Virgil Ross.  Backgrounds by Paul Julian.  Layouts by Hawley Pratt.  Voice characterizations by Mel Blanc and others.  Musical direction by Carl Stalling. 

What’s on your mind tonight?

Boxer Aide Facing Child Porn Charges
Jeff Rosato, a senior staffer for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), has been fired after he was charged by authorities late last week with distributing and receiving child pornography. Roll Call reports (subscription required): He was arrested after he sent more…

Heartening
According to this post by Matt Stoller at OpenLeft, every major Democratic senate challenger this year (judged by very expansive criteria) supports Net Neutrality….

Obama Pledges To End Torture To Help ?Regain America?s Moral Stature In The World?
In recent weeks, there has been rampant media speculation that President Barack Obama would back off his campaign pledges to end torture. The Wall Street Journal recently wrote, “President-elect Barack Obama is unlikely to radically overhaul controversial Bush administration intelligence policies.” In addition, some in the blogosphere have raised concerns about the fact that a key […]

In recent weeks, there has been rampant media speculation that President Barack Obama would back off his campaign pledges to end torture.

The Wall Street Journal recently wrote, “President-elect Barack Obama is unlikely to radically overhaul controversial Bush administration intelligence policies.” In addition, some in the blogosphere have raised concerns about the fact that a key intelligence adviser to Obama has supported the Bush administration’s enhanced interrogation techniques.

Tonight, in his interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Obama bluntly and directly clarified his incoming administration’s position:

CBS: There are a number of different things you can do early on pertaining to executive orders.

OBAMA: Right.

CBS: One of them is to shut down Guantanamo Bay. Another is to change interrogation methods that are used by U.S. troops. Are those things that you plan to take early action on?

OBAMA: Yes. I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that. I have said repeatedly that America doesn’t torture, and I’m going to make sure that we don’t torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America’s moral stature in the world.

Watch it:

Obama also emphasized that “capturing or killing” Osama bin Laden is a critical aspect of his national security strategy of stamping out al Qaeda. “He is not just a symbol, he is also the operational leader of an organization that is planning attacks against U.S. targets,” Obama said of bin Laden.

Bill Clinton’s Global Reach Would Have Pluses and Minuses for a Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
If Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is named the next secretary of state, she and her husband could be positioned to lead a public-private partnership on the global stage unlike any before it, one that experts say would bring with it a host of potential benefits and pitfalls for the new president.

The Tattlesnake – Miller Shills for the Wasilla Chinchilla on Billo and Other Atrocities Edition
Plus a Weird Election 2008 Factoid and a Plea to the GOP “In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.” – H.L. Mencken Gov. Snowjob said on Larry King Nov. 12th that there is nothing wrong with “calling people out” […]

Craig Picked as White House Counsel
Gregory Craig, “a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clinton’s impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Obama,” according to Politico.

“The choice gives the president-elect both experience and loyalty. During the primaries, Craig was an early Clinton alumni defector to Obama…”

“Craig was an Obama foreign policy adviser during the campaign. At the start of the Clinton administration, he had been the State Department’s Director of Policy Planning, the head of State’s in-house think tank. He also was senior adviser on defense, foreign policy and national security to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA).”

Late Late Nite FDL: Weekend Serenade
Featuring the music of The Buena Vista Social Club and Robert Kasprzycki.

Buena Vista Social Club “Chan Chan”

Robert Kasprzycki “Niebo Do Wynaj?cia”

What’s on your mind tonight?

Begich Expanding Lead Over Stevens — Little By Little
Some more ballots have been counted in the exhausting Alaska Senate race, with Democrat Mark Begich’s lead over GOP Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens increasing just a little bit more. Begich’s lead has gone from 814 votes to 1,022…

Don’t Hide the Fudge!
Okay, this one’s just for fun. You know, John McCain’s been having a rough few days on the image and message front. Had to cancel the visit to New Orleans and the Gulf Oil rig because of the recent oil…

10,000 gays march on NYC Mormon church
Activists rally at NYC Mormon temple to protest Calif. gay-marriage ban.

Obama delivers first Democratic video address.
Yesterday, President-elect Barack Obama recorded the “Democratic Radio Address” using video as well as audio. The New York Times notes, “It may seem like a political no-brainer in the age of YouTube, but as aides to Mr. Obama pointed out, it is a first for a president or president-elect.” In the message, Obama urges Congress […]

Yesterday, President-elect Barack Obama recorded the “Democratic Radio Address” using video as well as audio. The New York Times notes, “It may seem like a political no-brainer in the age of YouTube, but as aides to Mr. Obama pointed out, it is a first for a president or president-elect.” In the message, Obama urges Congress to “pass at least a down-payment on a rescue plan that will create jobs, relieve the squeeze on families, and help get the economy growing again.” Watch it:

Nation’s Economic Crisis Forces Democrats to Focus More Intensely on Creating Jobs
For most of his campaign, President-elect Barack Obama’s economic message was a call to restore balance to an off-kilter system, with investments in health care and education and reforms to the tax code and labor laws.

Republicans Trash The Economy, Again!
Republicans were in charge and caused the Panic of ‘73. Republicans were in charge and caused the Crash of ‘29 Republicans were in charge and caused the S&L Collapse The DotCom Bubble was predicted by every one but Intel Phil Graham wrote just about every piece of legislation that has back-fired in this current crisis. McLame still holds his hand when they cry for the less fortunate. They cried for the poor homeowners and small investors when Lincoln Savings folded, too. Who would have guessed that the same opaque instruments would have folded in exactly the same way four different times across 135 years?

Did Clinton Meet With Obama?
Though Sen. Hillary Clinton was in Chicago yesterday — at the same time buzz of her consideration for Secretary of State escalated — there’s no proof she actually met with President-elect Obama.

However, there is this hint from the pool report: “Several minutes before President-elect Obama’s motorcade emerged from the basement garage beneath his transition headquarters, another unidentified motorcade of approximately three SUVs left the garage.”

Update: Marc Ambinder has sources that confirm Clinton met with Obama mid-afternoon yesterday and that Rahm Emanuel sat in on at least parts of the meeting.

Just Say It, Bobo — “Union”
A howl is arising among conservatives, which David Brooks echoes this morning — the Big three auto makers must be allowed to die. Not so long ago, corporate giants with names like PanAm, ITT and Montgomery Ward roamed the earth. They faded and were replaced by new companies with names like Microsoft, Southwest Airlines and Target.

A howl is arising among conservatives, and David Brooks throws back his head this morning — the Big three auto makers must be allowed to die.

Not so long ago, corporate giants with names like PanAm, ITT and Montgomery Ward roamed the earth. They faded and were replaced by new companies with names like Microsoft, Southwest Airlines and Target. The U.S. became famous for this pattern of decay and new growth.

PanAm, union airline.  Southwest, non-union.  We get it.

It’s amazing that even now Brooks cannot name the pig he is tasked with lipsticking, he must speak in conservative code.  He never says the UAW needs to be broken, instead we’re treated to “politically powerful crony capitalists who use their influence to create a stagnant corporate welfare state.”

At least the Wall Street Journal is more forthright:

Detroit’s demands are meanwhile pressing in a postelection environment where Big Labor and greens are presenting their own bills for political services rendered.

There were no labor union folks on Obama’s transition council of economic advisors.  Wanting people to keep their jobs and the healthcare protection they earned from a lifetime of work, and not foot the bill for poor corporate management, is not exactly a demand for “payola.”

Here’s more Republican honesty:

“The financial straits that the Big Three find themselves is not the product of our current economic downturn, but instead is the legacy of the uncompetitive structure of its manufacturing and labor force,” said U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).

As Marcy notes, Shelby’s anti-union carping may have more to do with the fact that his state is home to the non-union auto factories of Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Mercedes that crank out SUVs and giant pickups.

McConnell supported easing access to the $25 billion loan to the auto industry that Congress made earlier this year, largely because the loan was made to encourage fuel economy and environmental standards.  But yesterday, Chris Dodd said it probably wouldn’t happen because they can’t get any Republican cooperation (though Reid and Levin, it should be noted, quickly yanked his chain).

I guess the GOP is now fighting about who they’d like to screw over more in the waning days of the Bush administration — the environmentalists or the unions.

Well, at least we know where David Brooks comes down.

Blackwater Busted? Six Guards May Be Charged in Iraq Massacre
Critics still fear reckless behavior by the 140,000 private corporate contractors in Iraq will continue.