Election Central Morning Roundup
Today: Possible New Vote Numbers From Minnesota
Minnesota could potentially finish today the process of counting the ballots that either campaign had challenged during the course of the recount but later withdrew the challenges, taking them out of the count until now. The Franken campaign has claimed they will be ahead by 35-50 votes when this step in the process is over, while the Coleman camp claims they'll be ahead -- but they've failed to give any specific number range.
Obama In Hawaii, But Still Working
Barack Obama and his family are on their annual vacation in Hawaii, where reporters are getting to see him play golf and go to the beach -- but he's still working on the transition from there. The Los Angeles Times reports that Obama will be joined by Valerie Jarrett.
Obama Team Expected To Release Blago Report Today Or Tomorrow
The Obama transition is expected to release their internal report on the Blagojevich scandal, which will say that Rahm Emanuel only had one single direct contact with Blago and that no deals were discussed for the Senate seat. The release will reportedly come no later than Tuesday.
Inauguration Crowd Estimate Cut In Half
Officials in Washington have cut the estimates of the expected crowd size for Barack Obama's inauguration, originally ranging from four to five million, to around half that size. "The fact is, earlier it was speculation," said city administrator Dan Tangherlini. "Now we're beginning to flesh it out and what the physical capacities of the system are."
WaPo Profiles Obama's Scheduler
The Washington Post has a new profile of Alyssa Mastromonaco, Barack Obama's scheduler during the campaign and his incoming scheduler in the White House, depicting a savvy manager who helped run a massive operation with no room for error, and effectively became Obama's backstage coach through the whole process. "We were so efficient," said Mastromonaco. "That's why the government feels a little weird right now."
Obama's Election Expected To Energize Talk Radio
Republican politicians may have taken a beating last month's elections, but there's one branch of the conservative movement that is expected to see a real resurgence now: Talk radio. Maja Mijatovic, a national media-buying executive, said that even though talk radio usually has a drop-off the year after the election, "I think people are going to tune in more than ever."
"Obama's election expected to energize talk radio." Yeah, they're purring Fred "Sleepy" Thompson on to energize the base. That should work.
December 22, 2008 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
"putting," not "purring"
December 22, 2008 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I know right, what a surprise? conservatives energized by a democratic President.
December 22, 2008 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Could the Minnesota recount be like a mirror looking into a mirror? There could be no end? Challenge the recount - then challenge that recount - never ending!
December 22, 2008 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Strib reports the Canvassing Board won't reconvene until Tuesday.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/36547579.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUqyE5D7UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
December 22, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Righty talk radio will follow the usual pattern: the host will lie and twist and then take calls from the chorus of bent-up venom. They will all feel better by the time the program ends.
Lefty talk radio will examine the topic du jour. There will be many critical voices about whatever the new administration does. However, if the general direction is center left and no-drama Obama stays pragmatic, we will feel better too. After all Bush is at the ranch and the Republicans have formed their own circular firing squad. Pax vobiscum!
December 22, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Josh Marshall spins like a top at times. Cheney = Biden??...whoa. Obama is like 10Xs more intelligent than Bush. Bush just stood back and let Cheney run things. Got his own daily intelligence briefing and sat in on the president's briefing and was the last one to talk to Bush everyday. Bush could not function without Cheney. Not so with Obama.
Cheney's boasting about approving illegal spying, torture techniques, and rendition...keeping it secret is an admission of war crimes. Not to mention fixing the intelligence that led to war/invasion of Iraq, resulting in all the death and destruction of innocents for profit and power without remorse should be enough to get him hanged.
No wonder impeachment is off the table as Pelosi would have to go too due to her complicity. Jane Harman, Tom Daschele, and Jay Rockefeller were all apart of these illegal activities and should also be charged for their complicity for they are just as guilty. Cheney wants to make sure the people know this.
This begs the question...Is this why investigations are never started or halted in progress?? We elect democrats to make sure there is accountability and consequences for this rampant lawbreaking only to find that several of our dem leaders in positions to block such efforts are guilty as well...but not all.
Next...Why doe it take Josh so long to come to the conclusion that this bailout has never been for the "public good" but only to protect the holdings and the business of the wealthy and multinational corporations. In a time of economic collapse of wall street they still give out $18 million CEO packages.
Ist step is to confiscate all their holdings and property because so far they stand to lose nothing except future profits. Sell their yachts, malls, jets, houses, hotels etc., then see how willing they are to give out $18 million CEO compensation packages if the money came from them. Making sure the rich stay rich and any financial inconvenience should be paid for by taxpayers??? Meanwhile the middle class become the poor and the poor are multiplied into total poverty. No more unions...only 'paid' slave labor. The wealthy remain unaffected...just what they've planned for, every since Col. Smedley Butler exposed their treachery and prevented an "armed" takeover, they then planned on a slow "economic" takeover...and here we are.
Of course they don't want us to know where the money went or how it is being used because they know we would throw a fit about it if we knew.
Now Biden on Warren...He says he doesn't want to keep the country divided so he approves of inviting a loud voice for our division to encourage and placate the very group causing our country to be divided. Were there no white supremacist ministers available or is Obama prejudiced. Can't help being born black anymore than you can help being born gay but I doulbt Obama (with Biden's approval) would allow a "negras are immoral and sinful because they're black" preacher to give the Invocation..
I'm sick of let's just forget the horror they created and all just get along when it is so one sided. Time for Obama to stand up for what he says he stands for and stop compromising away the change we hired him to bring.
During the height of the civil war a wise politician stood up and said:
"Wait a minute...we are not Blue states of America...and we are not Gray states of America....we are the "United" States of America.
To which the man who shot him replied:
"Not right now we ain't....Right now we're at war.
And we will never be "United" till somebody wins and their side leads the way forward for all of us."
The republican conservative way has failed so stop including them to decide how to fix the country as they can only keep us in failure.
So screw Rick Warren and the Jeebus he rode in on.
December 22, 2008 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink