Obama Calls For Major Public Works Initiative
In his newest Presidential YouTube Address, Barack Obama announced a major policy initiative: A massive public-works program in order to simultaneously update the nation's infrastructure and create what he predicted would be 2.5 million new jobs by January 2011.

"These aren't just steps to pull ourselves out of this immediate crisis; these are the long-term investments in our economic future that have been ignored for far too long," Obama said. "And they represent an early down payment on the type of reform my Administration will bring to Washington - a government that spends wisely, focuses on what works, and puts the public interest ahead of the same special interests that have come to dominate our politics."

No Obama Or Biden Public Events today
Neither Barack Obama nor Joe Biden have any public events scheduled for today.

Franken Gains In Recount, But Still Needs More Swing
With 64% of ballots recounted in Minnesota, GOP Sen. Norm Coleman's lead has been cut from 215 votes down to 120 votes, according to the latest numbers from the Star Tribune -- but Al Franken will need a better pace than that for the remaining 36% of ballots, mostly from Democratic areas, if he is to erase the lead. The other remaining issue is the large number of challenged ballots, over 1,600 of them and climbing, that will ultimately decide this race at the state canvassing board.

Martin Out-Raising Chambliss In Runoff, But Still Lags In Cash On Hand
Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin, who is in a tough fight against incumbent GOP Senator Saxby Chambliss in the Georgia Senate runoff, out-raised Chambliss from October 16 to November 12 by $2.3 million to Chambliss' $1.9 million. However, Chambliss still has a hefty cash-on-hand advantage of $1.5 million to Martin's $617,000.

Bobby Jindal In Iowa Today
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) is in Iowa today, a state that often sees potential presidential candidates even this early in the cycle. Jindal will be raising money to aid flood victims, and is then off to give a speech before a key social-conservative activist group, the Iowa Family Policy Center.

Verizon Fires Employees In Obama Security Breach
Verizon Wireless has fired an unspecified number of employees believed to have improperly accessed the records on a personal cell phone belonging to Barack Obama. Luckily for Obama the phone account itself had been inactive for months, and it did not provide any access to e-mails or other secure data.

Obama's Books Top Political Chart
Barack Obama's two books, Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hopes, have shot to the top of the New York Times' sales list of political books. Audacity is at number one, followed by Dreams, for sales from October 25 to November 15, and the remainder of the list includes quite a few books about the president-elect.

Rahm: Obama Sets The Tone For Bipartisanship
In an interview on ABC's This Week, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sought to downplay his reputation as a partisan bulldog, instead citing Barack Obama's frequent calls for bipartisanship. "So that is the tone. That is the policy," said Rahm. "And that is exactly how we're going to go forward."

New Obama Administration Eyeing Bush Policies To Be Reversed
The incoming Obama White House is already getting ready to quickly reverse various George W. Bush policies by executive order: The ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research, the prohibition against California settings its own emissions standards, and the global gag-rule that prevents international groups that receive federal funding from counseling women about abortion, among others.

Over 81,000 Votes Left In Alaska
The Juneau Empire reports that over 81,000 ballots are left to be counted in the Alaska Senate race, made up of mostly early votes plus absentee and disputed ballots. With convicted felon Sen. Ted Stevens (R) leading Democratic opponent Mark Begich by only 3,257 votes in the current count, the result could easily shift depending on how those 81,000 votes turn out.

GOPers Already Eyeing 2012
The Politico reports that some top-name GOPers already seem to be laying the groundwork for 2012 campaigns for president, now that the 2008 race is officially over and lost. Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee will be visiting Iowa this month, and the upcoming annual meeting of the Republican Governors Association could also serve as an audition for multiple potential candidates.

FRC's Perkins: GOP Should Reach Out To Minority Groups On Social Issues
Tony Perkins, president of the Christian-right Family Research Council, says the Republican Party should expand its presence among minority groups by targeting them on social issues, citing the fact that these groups voted for Barack Obama but also favored state amendments to ban gay marriage. "If Republicans want to reach into those ethnic groups, really the only bridge they can cross over are the social issues," Perkins told the Associated Press.

Inaugural Committee: Don't Fall For Fraudulent Ticket Sales
The committee overseeing the presidential inauguration is warning the public against any online vendors claiming to sell inaugural tickets -- in fact, no tickets have been issued to anybody yet, and will not be issued until a few days before the event itself. "Anyone claiming to have tickets to sell right now, or saying that they will guarantee tickets, is not telling the truth," said a spokesperson for the committee.