Gaza Crisis Posing Tough Questions For Obama And Bush
The fighting in Gaza is shaping up to be the first international crisis facing Barack Obama -- and he hasn't even been sworn in yet, while the Obama transition team is thus far deferring to the Bush Administration on the question. "As the fighting in Gaza shows, however," the New York Times points out, "events in the world do not necessarily wait for Inauguration Day in the United States."

Obama Goes To The Bathroom
The traveling press pool on Barack Obama's attempted Hawaii vacation have thus far documented the president-elect visiting a high school friend, getting some food -- and going to the bathroom.

Klobuchar: Senate Should Seat Recount Winner, Pending Litigation
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is calling for the Senate to provisionally seat the winner of the state's recount -- who at this point looks like it will be Al Franken -- even though the race won't be officially settled due to an expected post-recount election contest in court. Minnesota law officially prohibits a full certification of a victory until a contest proceeding is over, which could prevent the seating of a Senator for weeks or perhaps even a month or two.

Terry McAuliffe -- And His Money -- Making Mark On Virginia Gov Race
The Washington Post reports that Terry McAuliffe's fundraising operation is making a big impact on the Virginia gubernatorial race, with many observers believing that he could spend up to $80 million on the race. Randal Kirk, major state Democratic fundraiser who has committed to supporting McAuliffe, said that McAuliffe can instantly appeal to voters: "He has an astonishingly strong personality."

RNC Members Call Special Meeting To Host Candidates
In the latest sign that the race for RNC chairman is really heating up, committee members have for the first time ever called their own special RNC meeting, without orders from the national party. The meeting is being held as a forum for the candidates now running for the chairmanship, so it shouldn't come as a shock that it was called outside the auspices of the national leadership -- after all, the current party chairman Mike Duncan is in a tough fight for re-election against a wide field of challengers.

Caroline Kennedy: "You Know"
Ben Smith points out that during her interview with the New York Times, Caroline Kennedy used the phrase "you know" to fill in pauses a total of 142 times.