Election Central Morning Roundup
Today: The Minnesota Canvassing Board Handles Challenged Ballots
It's a big day in the Minnesota recount, with the state canvassing board meeting today at 1 p.m. ET for their first day of adjudicating ballots that have been challenged by either campaign and thus taken out of the count until now. This process is expected to go until the end of the week, at which point we could finally have a clear picture of where Norm Coleman and Al Franken stand.
Obama Holding Presser, Announcing Sec. Of Education
Barack Obama is holding a press conference in Chicago at 11:45 a.m. ET. He is expected to announce the appointment of Arne Duncan, currently the CEO of the Chicago public schools, as his Secretary of Education.
Obama Meeting With Economic Team
Barack Obama is holding a meeting today with Joe Biden, Rahm Emanuel and many of his top economic advisors: Tim Geithner, Larry Summers, Peter Orszag, Christina Romer, Melody Barnes, Carol Browner, Jared Bernstein, Paul Volcker and Austan Goolsbee.
Report: Salazar Accepts Cabinet Post, Opening Up Senate Seat
Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) has reportedly accepted the role of Secretary of the Interior in the Obama Administration. A variety of names are being floated for appointment to his Senate seat in this newly-blue state: Reps. John Salazar (Ken's brother), Ed Perlmutter and Diana Degette; Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper; Denver school superintendent Michael Bennet, and quite a few more.
McCain Holding Press Conference Today, Too
John McCain has his own press conference today, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. It's not immediately clear what the subject matter will be.
Caroline Kennedy Picks Up Support Of Slaughter, Sharpton
Caroline Kennedy has been endorsed in her bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat by upstate Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and Al Sharpton. The real authority to fill this seat, rests with Gov. David Paterson, of course, but he can certainly take into account public pressure and consideration for his own 2010 campaign.
Blago's Wife Apologizes To Neighbors
Rod Blagojevich's wife Patti has sent a note to their neighbors, apologizing for the disruption that has been caused by the media swarming around them: "While we signed up for this kind of attention by choosing a life in public service, you didn't. All you did was choose to live in our wonderful neighborhood."
I find it interesting that Salazar is leaving the Senate for the Interior job. Obama obviously didn't love the Senate. The fact that Salazar is leaving the Senate says to me that he didn't love the job.
December 16, 2008 9:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
As a CO resident I have to say that I have never cared for Salazar as a Senator. I have never voted for Salazar and have generally viewed him as a milktoast republican-lite senator.
I am glad that we will get a new senator but unsure about how he will do as Secretary of Interior. I have never been impressed with this guy.
December 16, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good morning and for your entertainment a little reminder that all politics is always the same everywhere. (That's not too broad a brush to paint politics with is it?)
December 16, 2008 9:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
He broke the very first rule: If you are doing one illegal thing, keep it there and do not do anything else illegal.
In other words, either drink and drive or be in possession - not both. If you're carrying drugs do not give them any reason to stop you. You don't drink, you don't speed, you only break one law at a time.
What a fool!
December 16, 2008 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought everyone knew ya don't give 'em a reason when yer holding!
Gotta like a lawmaker who smokes a little herb once in a while! He fell off the (admittedly low) pedestal I'd put him on with this stunt tho...
December 16, 2008 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do not object to law makers indulging. The only people I really get upset about breaking the law like that are prosecutors and judges. That I will not tolerate because they prosecute and sentence people for doing the same thing.
legislators - unless they've actively fought against something they do themselves, I don't really care. I just care when someone is this stupid.
December 16, 2008 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
The guy is a former Libertarian turned Republican turned Independent who the D's put in as chair of Ways and Mean's for defying the Republicans. Sound's like a complete flake. Wisconsin borders Illinois. Maybe Blago can find a place for him in return for some stash.
December 16, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why are we still following what McCain does? He is no different than any other Senator at this point, so who cares if he is holding a presser? Alert me when he is arrested for public urination.
December 16, 2008 10:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Should he have been more supportive of Sarah Palin in his recent interview with George S.?
December 16, 2008 10:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
He was, he said there are a lot of contenders out there, a lot of young Governors. He said what you're supposed to say 4 years from the next election. I don't recall Al Gore coming out in December of 2000 endorsing Joe Leiberman...or Kerry coming out immediately for Edwards...
December 16, 2008 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're right, Wallace.
Somebody go check the temperature in hell - Wallace is totally correct.
;)
December 16, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ha ha...I thought it was getting cold down here...
December 16, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well put on you damn mittens and go tell the press
in their special section that McCain's comments on Palin are not news, his comments telling the RNC to quit chasing the Obama/Blago phantom is news. Tell them the shoe is a great visual, but Bush's admission to ABC that we created the Al Quaeda in Iraq problem with our invasion is bigger news. And go back to the beaning avatar.
Please?
December 16, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
By that logic, the cablenets didn't do anything wrong in their DNC coverage when they decided to treat America to an additional ten minutes of cable asshat blather in lieu of showing John Kerry's excellent speech. Similarly, Al Gore was just another citizen whose words were entitled to no particular attention from 2000-2008.
Defeated presidential candidates are entitled to at least a little more cred than their colleagues.
(Defeated vice-presidential candidates, however, are not. They deserve no cred, yet get more than the person who picked them.)
December 16, 2008 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
South end of a horse going north, for sure.
December 16, 2008 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Although I've been dishing out a lot of eye rolling to people who've been whining about his cabinet picks, I've got to say I'm beginning to get a little uneasy about the number of Democrats who are being pulled out of the Senate. Governors, I could care less, but besides interrupting their accumulation or Magic Seniority Bonus Points, sucking brains out the Senate seems problematic, given how short the supply of them is there.
December 16, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
...not to mention all those seats would come up in 2010...
December 16, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Delaware, Illinois, New York are not going to go Republican. Colorado could I guess. Napolitano could have gave McCain a run in Arizona, and Sebelius will battle for Kansas.
December 16, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know...we may be able to squeeze a Rino into NY.
December 16, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, those Magic Seniority Bonus Points will come in handy when Hawaiian's agree to accept the mumified remains of Senator Dan and we get a young guy in his mid 70's to direct federal spending.
December 16, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
A wonderful, wonderful, rat-infested neighborhood!
December 16, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink