Progressive Circle Forming Around Obama

While liberal critics sound increasingly uneasy with President-elect Barack Obama’s nominations of centrist, Clinton-era Democrats to Cabinet positions, some are overlooking how Obama has also been assembling a tight progressive cadre to serve with him in the White House.

Progressive blogs are buzzing about Obama’s Cabinet picks, including big-name hires More…

Palin to Stump for Chambliss

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is already planning a trip back out on the campaign trail. TPM Election Central’s Eric Kleefeld reports the Alaska governor is heading down South to stump for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) in a run-off election with Democrat Jim Martin for a U.S. Senate seat from More…

Lucky 14 Pardoned by Bush, Not Big Donors

I wouldn’t have guessed it, but after looking into the names of 14 people pardoned and another 2 who had their sentences commuted by President George W. Bush yesterday, it appears that none is a major political donor to Bush or the Republican Party.

Running the last names of More…

MSNBC: Geithner Favored for Treasury Pick

MSNBC reports that barring last minute changes, Timothy Geithner, a career Treasury official under three administrations, is likely going to serve as the next secretary of the Treasury Dept.

A Petty Ending to Stevens’ Career

In the end, failing to properly fill out a form ended the career of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), one of the most powerful senators in U.S. history — famous, or maybe infamous, for wide-ranging scandals involving money, family and power.

The usually gruff and even cantankerous Stevens, 85, gave a More…

Applauding Stevens?

I’m still thinking about Sen. Ted Stevens’ farewell speech he gave on the floor of the Senate this morning. When he finished speaking, Stevens received a standing ovation from the mostly Republican crowd there and a nice send-off from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

On the one hand, More…

Stevens Bids Farewell

Sen. Ted Stevens, who conceded defeat to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich yesterday, spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate this morning for the last time in his 40 years serving in the upper chamber.

To sum up four decades of work in just a few minutes is tough, as More…

White House Denies ‘Burrowing’

Yesterday I blogged The Washington Post’s story on political appointees slyly sliding into career positions. One expert on the subject I spoke with said the practice has the potential to make it difficult for the incoming administration to carry out its policy vision.

Stevens Loses Seat to Democrat Begich

Democratic Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich defeated Sen. Ted Stevens in the drawn-out race for Stevens’ Senate seat, the Anchorage Daily News reports.

Begich is ahead by 3,724 votes, with only 2,500 overseas ballots left to be counted.

On Election Day, Stevens appeared to have won by 1.5 percent of More…

Begich Lead Over Stevens Widens

With all precincts now reporting, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich has significantly widened his lead over Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) today in the vote tally, according to the Alaska Divisions of Elections.

Begich appears to be up by 2,374 votes. At last count he was up by 1,022. The Anchorage More…