Obama Promises Entitlement Reform, Action On Health Care
In an interview with the Washington Post editorial board, Barack Obama promised that his administration will make tough choices on entitlement spending. "Social Security, we can solve," said Obama. "The big problem is Medicare, which is unsustainable...We can't solve Medicare in isolation from the broader problems of the health-care system."

Obama Hitting The Sort-Of Campaign Trail For Stimulus Plan
Barack Obama is holding an event today in the Cleveland suburb of Bedford Heights, Ohio, where he'll be touring a factory that makes parts for wind turbines, in order to promote his economic stimulus plan. His meeting with factory workers to discuss the benefits of his plan is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.

Biden's Senate Replacement To Be Sworn In Today
Senator-Designate Ted Kaufman (D-DE) is set to be sworn in today as Joe Biden's replacement. A political unknown, Kaufman served as Biden's Senate chief of staff from 1973-1994, and will only serve as a caretaker and not seek a full term in 2010 -- at which time Biden's son Beau is expected to run for the seat.

Steve King: Obama Can Say "Hussein," But I Can't
In an interview with Politico, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) criticized Barack Obama for saying he will use his middle name when he is sworn into office. King says it's a double standard that people on the right are attacked for referring to "Barack Hussein Obama," but Obama can do it himself: "Is that reserved just for him, not his critics?"

Blago Won't Attend Inaugural
Rod Blagojevich's office says he will not be attending Barack Obama's inauguration next week. Under most circumstances, it would be considered unusual for a governor to not attend the inauguration of his state's favorite son as president, but Blago's spokesman said the governor does not want to be a distraction.

With Small Numbers, House GOP Whip No Longer Whipping
The Hill reports that House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) is refocusing his job away from counting votes and ensuring party loyalty -- the official job of the whip -- and branching out into formulating policies and a party message. The reason: With only 178 members and having lost the presidency, House Republicans aren't in a position to win many votes.

GOPer Has Big Money For Virginia Gubernatorial Race
The new year-end fundraising reports from the candidates for governor of Virginia show that Republican nominee Bob McDonnell has more than $2 million in cash on hand. In the three-way Democratic primary field, state Sen. Creigh Deeds leads with $891,000, former state Del. Brian Moran has $770,000 on hand, Terry McAuliffe has $718,000 on hand -- an impressive amount, considering Terry only just recently got in the race.

Rod Blagojevich has been impeached -- again.

The Illinois state House voted today by a 117-1 margin to re-enact their articles of impeachment against Blagojevich. This was legally required because the impeachment last week was passed by the lame-duck legislature, not the new legislature that was sworn in today.

The two legislators who voted against impeachment last week were both lame ducks, leaving the only dissenting vote this time to be cast by freshman state Rep. Deb Mell (D-Chicago) -- Blago's sister-in-law.

Dick Durbin just made a very bold announcement, in the wake of the Illinois Supreme Court decision that Roland Burris does not need the Secretary of State's signature on his certificate: As far as the Senate is concerned, Burris still needs that signature for his appointment to be legal and valid, and the seat will just have to stay vacant.

"At this point we've clearly reached an impasse," Durbin told reporters in Chicago.

Most legal scholars at this point believe the Burris appointment to be legal, and that an attempt to keep Burris out can be successfully challenged in court. But it's become obvious by now what Durbin's and the whole Democratic leadership's strategy is: Keep stalling on this thing long enough for Rod Blagojevich to be kicked out of office.

Give Rod Blagojevich credit: This man simply does not back down on health care -- the issue that is the true reason the legislature is trying to remove him from office.

Blagojevich just responded to his impeachment by holding a press conference surrounded by supporters, some of whom were sick or disabled, discussing everything he's done to help people, and how the legislature has stood in his way. "So the House's action today, and the causes of the impeachment," Blago explained, "are because I've done things to fight for families who are here with me today."

Here are just nine ways he is great and good:

• He has been pushing the House to pass a capital construction program, a jobs program that would create 500,000-750,000 jobs.

• His commitment to health care comes from a religious conviction, and learning the Golden Rule back in Sunday school.

• He has pushed for the House to expand the breast and cervical cancer program, on behalf of the 261,000 uninsured women in Illinois, and to "keep moms alive to care for their children."

• He has saved senior citizens 30-50% off the cost of their medications.

• He saved a woman from breast cancer.

• He saved a young man with kidney disease, getting him a transplant.

• "And in many cases, the things we did for people have literally saved lives," Blago said. "I don't believe those are impeachable offenses."

• While the legislature is trying to throw him out office, he's trying to pass a bill to stop people from being thrown out of their homes.

• And finally, he quoted the great poet Alfred Tennyson:

though we are not now that strength which in days of old
moved heaven and earth --- that which we are, we are;
one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate,
but strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

This really demonstrates the dynamic with Blagojevich, which has to be recognized if he is to be truly understood: He is a proud and strong progressive...and a complete megalomaniac.

Late Update: Here's the video:

The Illinois Supreme Court has just handed down its decision on Roland Burris' lawsuit to force Secretary of State Jesse White to sign Burris' certificate of appointment to the Senate. Their decision is that they won't honor Burris' wish to force the signature -- because they say he doesn't need it:

...Petitioners are not entitled to an order from this court requiring the Secretary to perform those Acts. Under the Secretary of State Act, the Secretary's sole responsibility was to register the appointment (15 ILCS 305/5(2) (West 2006)), which he did. No further action is required by the Secretary of State or any other official to make the Governor's appointment of Roland Burris to the United States Senate valid under Illinois law.

Remember that the Senate chose to make an issue of the lack of a signature in their decision to turn Burris away this past Tuesday. Had the court ordered the signature, then this mess would have been over. But what it means now is that the ball has been kicked right back into the Senate's court, which is on its way to seating Burris anyway -- after all, as the court and many others have pointed out, this appointment is clearly legal.

Meet Illinois state Reps. Milton Patterson and Elga Jefferies -- the only members of the state House to vote against impeaching Rod Blagojevich.

As it turns out, both of them are lame ducks. Patterson didn't seek re-election last year, and Jefferies was defeated in her Democratic primary.

Why did they do it? Patterson, who voted No, told the CBS affiliate for southern Illinois that he had "no first-hand knowledge of any of the evidence," and that he had to go with his "gut feeling" and leave it up to prosecutors, not legislators, to charge the governor.

I had the chance to speak briefly on the phone with Jefferies, who voted Present -- which is essentially the same as a No vote, because it counts towards defeating a motion.

"I voted Present because I did not completely agree on a Yes vote, and I didn't agree on a No vote," Jefferies said. "I felt that the reason all this had come about has been blown out of context."

Jefferies said that she felt that the investigation against Blagojevich had become personal, with the legislators digging in on hirings that went back years. "I think there's a lot of things that he could have done differently," said Jefferies. "I'm not saying he's been 100% right. And he'll have his day in court."

Jefferies concluded: "I voted my conscience."

The Illinois state House has voted to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Here are the vote numbers: 114 Yes, 1 No, 1 Present.

Blago's impeachment now proceeds to the state Senate for a trial, in the same process as the federal constitution uses. He is widely expected to be out of office as soon as early February, if not sooner.

Late Update: For those who would like to find out, the person who voted No was Chicago Democrat Milton Patterson, and the Present vote -- which is essentially the same as a No vote -- was Chicago Dem Elga Jefferies.

Today: Illinois House Set To Impeach Blago
The Illinois state House is expected to vote today to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, after the special impeachment committee approved its full report yesterday evening. Assuming that Blagojevich is impeached by the House, the case will then proceed to the state Senate for a trial.

Obama Press Conference This Morning
Barack Obama is holding a press conference at 10:30 a.m. ET, officially billed as an "announcement." Specifically, Obama is expected to announce the appointment of Leon Panetta as head of the CIA, and retired Adm. Dennis Blair as Director of National Intelligence.

Joe Biden In Pakistan
Joe Biden has arrived in Pakistan, accompanied by Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), where they will be meeting with government officials. The Pakistan trip is the first part of a longer South Asian tour.

Pelosi: Bush "Did Great Harm To America"
In an interview with PBS, Nancy Pelosi declared: "I think the Bush presidency did great harm to America, with this war, with the enormous budget deficits, the challenges to the Constitution of the United States, the financial crisis that we are in." Pelosi also found it very curious that Bush recently said his attempt to privatize Social Security was his proudest achievement -- even though he didn't succeed at it.

Geithner Preparing Overhaul Of Wall St. Bailout
The Washington Post reports that incoming Secretary of the Treasurer Timothy Geithner is working on a reformulated second half to he Wall St. bailout, a necessity if Congressional authorization for the additional $350 billion is to be obtained. The new package would expand aid well beyond Wall St. itself, giving aid to municipalities, small businesses and homeowners.

Blunt, Talent Looking At Missouri Senate Race
House Minority Whip Roy Blunt and former Sen. Jim Talent are reportedly among the Republicans who are considering a run for the Senate seat of retiring GOP Sen. Kit Bond. Both have their strengths in terms of experience and popularity with the party base, but both have their drawbacks -- Blunt's son Matt just retired after one term as an unpopular governor, and Talent lost re-election in 2006.

Chris Christie Running For New Jersey Governor
U.S. Attorney Chris Christie has announced that he is running for governor of New Jersey against Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine. Christie starts out as the immediate frontrunner for the Republican nomination and should be taken very seriously, thanks to his record of putting corrupt politicians from both parties in prison.

Campaign Spending Hit Record High In 2008
Bloomberg reports that campaign spending by candidates and political parties for all federal offices reached a record high of $4.1 billion in 2008, blowing away the $3 billion from 2004. This statistic can be viewed in different ways: Is it a matter of too much money in politics, or a good sign that so many more people were contributing to campaigns and getting involved, or a combination of both?

The special Illinois House impeachment committee has just voted unanimously to send their full report to the chamber as a whole, clearing the way for Rod Blagojevich to be impeached as early as tomorrow.

Assuming that House vote occurs tomorrow and is successful -- a safe bet, to say the least -- the next step will be for the state Senate to hold a full trial, which could take a few weeks. Blagojevich will probably be out of office as soon as early February, if not sooner.

Each individual member, before voting, made a short speech explaining how seriously they took the job of throwing out a legitimate, democratically-elected official -- but also how it has become necessary at this point.

The sentiment was perhaps best expressed by state Rep. Mary Flowers (D): "I would have appreciated if the governor could have just merely stepped aside, so we would not have been made the laughingstock of the country."

Here's an interesting moment from Roland Burris' testimony today before the Illinois House impeachment committee: While he was being grilled by GOP state Rep. Jim Durkin, Burris was asked whether he gave Harry Reid and Dick Durbin an answer yesterday about whether he was running in 2010.

His response: The question never came up.

In addition, Burris revealed that he had been "running" for this seat for quite a while, having spoken with a former Blago aide and indicating his interest in the seat even before Barack Obama was actually elected President.

He also said that he never offered any quid-pro-quo to Blagojevich about the appointment, nor was he aware of any deal being made on his behalf by anyone else.

Obama: Stimulus Could Grow To Over $1 Trillion
Barack Obama told CNBC that his stimulus package potentially could grow well beyond its initial target of $775 billion. "We've seen ranges from $800 (billion) to $1.3 trillion," said Obama. "And our attitude was that given the legislative process, if we start towards the low end of that, we'll see how it develops."

Obama Delivering Economic Speech Today
Barack Obama is delivering his big economic speech at 11 a.m. ET this morning in Fairfax, Virginia. Obama will make the case that his stimulus is absolutely necessary, while also promising efficiency and accountability.

Obama Rolling Out Tim Kaine For DNC Chairman
Barack Obama and Tim Kaine will be holding a 3:30 p.m. ET press conference at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, obviously the official announcement of Kaine as the next chairman of the DNC. Kaine was elected governor of Virginia 2005, endorsed Obama's presidential candidacy very early on in 2007, and did a lot of work to help turn Virginia blue this past November.

Burris Testifying To Impeachment Panel
Roland Burris is scheduled to testify today before the Illinois House's special committee to impeach Rod Blagojevich. Burris' job here is to make it clear that even if there are allegations that Blago tried to sell the Senate seat, there were nevertheless no shenanigans in the actual selection of Burris himself.

Daschle Up For Confirmation Hearing Today
Tom Daschle is scheduled to appear today before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the first Obama cabinet nominee to face a confirmation hearing. Daschle's nomination is likely to get through the Senate very easily.

Congress To Officially Certify Obama's Victory Today
Congress will count the electoral votes today, officially certifying Barack Obama's win and bringing the 2008 presidential election to an end.

Obama Site Getting Questions About Bush Administration's Torture Policies
The New York Times reports that the Obama transition team's "Open for Questions" site has received heavy support in favor of one particular subject: Whether the Obama Administration will appoint a special prosecutor to investigate George W. Bush and other officials for policies such as torture. This comes after liberal blogs endorsed the question and asked readers to vote for it.

Cheney Expects Total Retirement From Public Life
In an interview with CBS radio, Dick Cheney said he expects to fully retire from public life after he leaves office. "I've got a lot of rivers to fish," said Cheney. "So I don't think anybody will feel sorry for me. They shouldn't."

Roland Burris just held another fascinating press conference, in which he voiced his optimism about becoming a Senator after some initial questions are cleared up.

Burris also said he spoke on the phone with Jimmy Carter, who told him, "When you're in the Senate, Roland, you will make a great Senator."

"And I said, 'Thank you very much, Mr. President,'" Burris said with pride.

He also talked about the process that led to his appointment, having encouraged supporters to write to Rod Blagojevich and urge his appointment after he had announced that he wanted it. At that point, he invited a supporter at the back of the room to stand up. The supporter then said how proud he was to have known Burris, and how many signatures he lined up from people to ask for Burris' appointment.

At their press conference just now, Harry Reid and Dick Durbin announced that there is no action being taken on Roland Burris' appointment to the Senate -- at least not yet.

"There's going to come a time when the entire Senate is going to have to act on this," Reid said. "And that day I hope would come sooner rather than later."

Reid and Durbin both went to great lengths to say how much they like and respect Burris, and how constructive the meeting they just had with him was. But for now, they're waiting on two things: A ruling from the state Supreme Court on whether the missing signature of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is required for the appointment to be valid, and for Burris' testimony tomorrow before the Illinois House impeachment committee.

The two of them also tried to defuse one touchy issue that's been in the press, saying Burris told them he understood fully well that the controversy surrounding his appointment had nothing to do with race.

It's official: Roland Burris came to the Senate, he saw the Senate -- and he was turned away at the door.

Burris just made a brief statement to reporters, after his credentials were rejected by the Secretary of the Senate. "Members of the media, my name is Roland Burris, junior Senator from the state of Illinois," Burris said, in an effort to establish his legitimacy. "I presented my credentials to the Secretary of the Senate and was advised that my credentials are not in order, I will not be accepted, and I will not be seated, I will not be permitted on the floor."

He then added that he was not seeking any kind of confrontation -- but did not expressly rule out any lawsuit. Instead, he said he would be consulting with his attorneys on what his next step will be.

Late Update: Burris' lawyer Timothy W. Wright III declared that the rejection of Burris "was improperly done and is against the law of this land." Wright added: "We will consider our options and certainly let you know what our decisions will be soon thereafter." So it sounds like we're looking at a lawsuit -- or at least the threat of one, as a bargaining chip.

Today: Congress Being Sworn In, Biden At The Senate
This is the day that Congress will be sworn in. Joe Biden will be on Capitol Hill to be sworn in again for a seventh term in the Senate -- which he will resign within the next two weeks or so, to become vice president.

The Big Event: Burris At The Senate
With Congress being sworn in, of course, this means Roland Burris will be showing up at the Senate, and is expected to be turned away. Burris has said he won't make a scene or cause any confrontation -- but any scenario in which he's turned away from the door would inherently be a scene, no matter how civil it might be.

No Senator Franken Today
Senate Democrats will not make any attempt today to swear in Al Franken as the new Senator from Minnesota, instead leaving that seat vacant for now. There is some speculation that they might be planing to try it soon -- but they would encounter a promised Republican filibuster, while Norm Coleman pursues his legal challenges to the election result.

Obama Meeting With Economic Team Today
Barack Obama is meeting with his economic team, this afternoon at his D.C. transition office. The subject of the meeting will be to plan ahead for the 2010 budget, and how they will bring the deficit down as the economy recovers.

Gregoire D.C. Trip Sets Off Speculation About Commerce Department
Gov. Christine Gregoire (D-WA) is reportedly on a trip to Washington, after having cancelled a lunch appearance back home -- setting off speculation that she is being vetted as a last-minute choice for Secretary of Commerce after Bill Richardson's withdrawal. Gregoire was re-elected by six points this past November, and if this is true she would be succeeded by Democratic Lt. Gov. Brad Owen. (Late Update: Gregoire is visiting troops in Iraq, and is apparently not lining up for a cabinet post.)

Laura Bush Lands Book Deal
Laura Bush has secured a book deal, to publish her memoirs about her years as First Lady. The book will be published in 2010.

Former eBay Head And McCain Surrogate Preparing California Gubernatorial Run
Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who hit the campaign trail in 2008 as a surrogate for John McCain, is considering a campaign for governor of California in 2010, when Arnold Schwarzenegger will be term-limited. Whitman has already made a key staff hire in lining up campaign strategist Jeff Randle, who has worked for Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson, and she has stepped down from three corporate boards.

Brownback Running For Governor Of Kansas
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has filed paperwork to run for governor of Kansas in 2010, after having made good on his previous pledge to not run again for Senate. Brownback is actively aligned with the state GOP's Christian-right faction, and should be viewed as the frontrunner going into this race.

While speaking to reporters earlier today, after the Secretary of the Senate rejected his certificate of appointment, Roland Burris seemed dumbfounded that there's so much controversy.

"Why don't you all understand that what has been done here is legal?" said Burris. "That's legal, I am the junior senator from Illinois and I wish my colleagues and the press would recognize that. All the drama, I guess it keeps you all in a job."

Burris is probably right -- this does appear to be legal. But the circumstances of an appointment by Rod Blagojevich mean that people will be looking for every loophole they can.

Here's the video:

Today: Minnesota To Certify Franken's Victory -- But Lawsuit Awaits
The Minnesota state canvassing board will be meeting at 3:30 p.m. ET today to certify their results showing a super-thin Al Franken win for Senate, currently at 225 votes out of over 2.9 million. But Franken will not be able to receive an official certificate of election -- and therefore probably won't be able to take his seat -- because the Coleman campaign has indicated that they will challenge the result in court.

Report: Obama Economic Plan To Include Huge Tax Cuts
The Wall St. Journal reports that Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are preparing a tax cut package totaling $300 billion over two years -- a larger dollar figure per year than anything George W. Bush ever did -- as part of his potential $775 billion stimulus package. The move could make it easier to win necessary support from Congressional Republicans.

Obama In Washington, Working On Economy
Barack Obama is meeting on Capitol Hill this afternoon with the Congressional leadership from both parties, with his economic plan expected to be the top order of business. He will also hold a meeting with his own economic team, at his D.C. transition headquarters.

Biden Speaking At Pell Funeral, Then Heading To Washington
Joe Biden will be speaking this morning at the funeral of former Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI) in Newport, Rhode Island. He will then head down to Washington to join Barack Obama's meeting with Congressional leaders. He will also be in Delaware tonight, for a "Salute to Governor Ruth Ann Minner" event, sending off the state's departing Democratic governor.

Burris Heading To Washington
Roland Burris is heading to Washington later today, as he seeks to be seated as the new Senator from Illinois against the backdrop of the Blagojevich scandal. "We are hoping and praying that they will not be able to deny what the Lord has ordained," Burris told a send-off event last night at the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago.

Bobby Rush: Refusal To Seat Burris Is "Plantation Politics"
At the sendoff event for Roland Burris last night, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) continued to present the controversy around Burris' appointment in strictly racial terms. Rush declared that the resistance of the Democratic leadership to seating Burris was "the last bastion of racial plantation politics in America."

Obama To Hold "Neighborhood Inaugural Ball"
The Presidential Inaugural Committee has announced that Barack Obama will hold a first-ever "Neighborhood Inaugural Ball" at the Washington Convention Center, with a portion of the tickets set aside just for D.C. residents.

Tim Kaine To Be DNC Chair, But At First Only Part-Time
Barack Obama is expected to announce soon that he has picked Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who had endorsed his candidacy in early 2007 when it looked like a long shot, to be the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Kaine will only serve on a part-time for his first year, until his term as governor expires, with former Obama campaign strategist Jennifer O'Malley running the day-to-day operations.

Bush 41: Jeb Should Run For President -- But Probably Not Right Now
In an interview on Fox News Sunday, George H.W. Bush said that his son Jeb should run for president. That said, Bush the Elder did seem to allude to the current status of the Bush name: "I mean, right now is probably a bad time, because we've had enough Bushes in there."

Obama Family Spending First Full Day In Washington
Barack Obama and his family have now moved to Washington, in order for the children to start school on time. The family have travelled separately and are temporarily staying in a Washington hotel, while Obama himself is preparing to work on his economic stimulus package.

Reid On Blago Phone Call Story: Blago's Behavior "Regrettable And Reprehensible"
Harry Reid released a statement Saturday night tearing into Rod Blagojevich, in the wake of media reports that he had called Blago shortly before the scandal broke and asked him not to appoint Jesse Jackson Jr., Emil Jones or Danny Davis to the Senate. "Gov. Blagojevich appears to be trying to distract attention from his daunting legal problems and damaged credibility by distorting information about private phone calls between himself and other public officials," said Reid. "It is regrettable and reprehensible."

Burris Not Ruling Out Lawsuit, Reid Leaves Senate Door Slightly Open
Roland Burris says he is not ruling out a lawsuit to force the U.S. Senate to seat him in the Senate. Meanwhile, Harry Reid says the Senate is on firm legal ground in denying Burris his place in the Senate -- but did seem to leave the door open to negotiation on this point.

Cheney: "We've Done Some Very Good Things"
In an interview on Face The Nation, Dick Cheney demurred when asked whether the country is better off after the last eight years: "We've done some very good things over the course of the last eight years." Cheney was also asked about warrant-less surveillance, Guantanamo Bay and torture/interrogation techniques, and said he would do it all again.

NYT: Europe More Willing To Work With Obama -- But It Could Still Be Tough
The New York Times reports that European leaders are ready to work with Barack Obama in a much better way than they interacted with George W. Bush, but many challenges still lay ahead. Two major sticking points will be the current American plans to establish missile defense bases near Russia, plus the matter of resettling Guantanamo Bay prisoners in other countries.

McAuliffe Officially Running For Virginia Governor
Terry McAuliffe made it official on Saturday that he is running for governor of Virginia. McAuliffe faces two other Democrats in a contested primary, but could be a very serious candidate, as he is expected to raise tens of millions of dollars for the campaign and to put forward his résumé as a businessman.

Obama Pushes Stimulus Plan In YouTube Address
In Barack Obama's latest Presidential YouTube Address, the president-elect discusses his economic stimulus plan -- and the very serious urgency of getting it passed:

"These are America's problems, and we must come together as Americans to meet them with the urgency this moment demands," says Obama. "Economists from across the political spectrum agree that if we don't act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double digit unemployment and the American Dream slipping further and further out of reach."

Today: More Ballot-Counting In Minnesota
Minnesota election officials are meeting today to sort through about 950 more ballots, in a process described below. Al Franken is favored to hold on to his slim lead, currently at 49 votes, or possibly even expand it slightly. A live video feed is available at The Uptake.

Norm Coleman's Term Expires
Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-MN) term will officially expire today, as the recount continues in Minnesota. Senate Republicans have vowed to filibuster any attempt to seat Al Franken on a provisional basis, assuming he wins the recount, so this seat will become vacant and probably stay that way for a while.

Today: Michael Bennet To Be Announced As Colorado Senator
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) is holding a 4 p.m. ET press conference, where he is expected to announce that he will appoint Denver schools superintendent Michael Bennet to the seat being vacated by Ken Salazar. Bennet is considered to be a dark horse pick -- while he is considered to have been a very successful superintendent, pursuing merit pay and other reforms, he has never run for public office.

Obama's Win Brings Big Changes To Black Press
The Politico reports that Barack Obama's victory is spurring some big changes in the country's African-American press towards more political coverage, with magazines like Essence and Ebony adding White House reporters: "In some ways, the moves mark a return to a time when the black press -- particularly magazines -- were newsier. Jet first published photos of the battered and swollen body of Emmett Till, sparking outrage and galvanizing a still-young civil rights movement."

Blagojevich's Newest Antagonists: The Department Of Homeland Security
The Chicago Tribune reports that the Department of Homeland Security has cut off Rod Blagojevich's access to classified security information. Other state officials still have access, but the federal government apparently doesn't trust Blago with the information under his current ethics cloud.

Burris: "We Are The Senator"
Roland Burris expressed a high degree of confidence in his legitimacy as a Senator, telling Lynn Sweet, "We are the Senator." Burris says he wants to avoid any confrontation when he shows up in Washington next week, but he also apparently has no aversion to using the royal "we."

The train wreck that is the Illinois Senate seat scandal continues apace today.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer, a former chief of the Capitol Hill police, told the Associated Press that he does not expect any trouble from Roland Burris should Burris be turned away from the Senate door next week. "He is a good man," said Gainer, who has known Burris for years. "He plays by the rules. I don't think there's going to be a confrontation."

At the same time, you have to think that any potential situation where Burris is turned away from the Senate would by definition be a real scene, even if it happened to go smoothly and civilly.

Meanwhile, the Illinois House is being called back for a potential impeachment vote against Rod Blagojevich next week. An aide to a top legislative Democrat tells Election Central that the speed of the vote depends on a ruling Monday by a federal judge on whether Patrick Fitzgerald can release to them the tapes of Blago's wiretaps, and how long it would take for any necessary edits and redactions to be made.

"If he says you need a week, then maybe they'll wait," the source told us. "If the judge says you need three months, well they probably won't wait for that." At this point, it appears that Blagojevich is still on track to be removed from office around early February.

With Roland Burris getting ready to go to Washington, the Senate's goal here now seems pretty obvious: To keep Burris out for as long as possible, until some other resolution to this whole mess is somehow accomplished.

The Democratic leadership's current contingency plan for next week is reportedly for Burris to be met at the chamber by a doorman telling him he's not allowed inside. If he still tries to go in, armed police officers could intervene to get him away. Burris told the Los Angeles Times that he wants to avoid a scene and have all of this negotiated before he arrives, but it's unlikely that he could negotiate his way towards actually being seated.

And even if Burris does manage to physically enter the chamber, there are still a whole lot of avenues to keep him from being sworn in. The Senate is expected to launch a Rules Committee investigation to determine the legitimacy of his appointment, thus delaying him from being seated. They'll look at everything from the facts of the Blagojevich scandal to Illinois Sec. of State Jesse White's refusal to sign the certificate of appointment. Every undotted "i" and every uncrossed "t" will be scrutinized.

At that point, Burris might just be able to go to court and force the Senate to admit him. Many legal scholars believe he has a genuine case here. But even this could take a while -- which would appear to be the whole point.

Read more »

Senate Leaders Plan To Block Burris From Entering Senate Chamber
This could be fun: If Roland Burris shows up at the Senate on Tuesday to be sworn in, Senate leaders have a plan for Burris to be greeted by the doorman -- and possibly armed police officers -- who will tell him he is not allowed in. For his part, Burris says he wants to avoid a scene and have this business sorted out before he arrives.

Today In Minnesota: Absentee Ballot Sorting Scheduled To Finish
Today is the deadline for the Franken and Coleman campaigns, along with local election officials, to finish sorting through and approving absentee ballot envelopes that are found to have been wrongly rejected, and then send them on to the state for counting over the weekend. But any number of wrinkles could happen today -- for one thing, Coleman is suing at the state Supreme Court to restart the whole process and get some rejected ballots put in that he wants.

Obama's Vacation Over
Barack Obama and his family have finished their vacation in Hawaii, and arrived back in Chicago this morning. They are set to move to Washington this weekend, so that the children can start school on time after the Christmas vacation.

Obama To Meet With Congressional Leadership On Monday
Barack Obama will reportedly meet with Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle on Monday, in order to discuss his economic stimulus plan. Also lined up for next week is a meeting with former presidents on Wednesday.

Biden Could Still Cast Votes In The Senate
CQ reports that Joe Biden could potentially still be casting important votes in the Senate as Congress gets to work on an economic stimulus package, due to his official resignation date not yet being determined. "If a critical vote comes up and Sen. Biden is needed, he will vote," said Biden spokeswoman Annie Tomasini.

Rahm Resigning Congress Today
Rahm Emanuel's resignation from Congress will take effect today, as he prepares to become Barack Obama's Chief of Staff. A special election will be called within a period established by state law, and whoever wins the Democratic primary will be nearly guaranteed to hold the seat.

Paterson: No Caretaker Senator
New York Gov. David Paterson says he will not appoint a caretaker to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat because this would deprive the state of two years to build up seniority. Paterson also had some tough words for people telling him who to appoint: "I am amazed by the willingness of my colleagues, who know this is a difficult decision, to comment on it so much. I'm not saying they shouldn't. I'm just amazed by it."

Republicans Fleeing Washington During Inauguration
Millions of people are expected to come to Washington for Barack Obama's inauguration, but Jonathan Martin reports that one group is actually leaving: Republican lobbyists and staffers, who have made various plans to get out of town. "I will be pondering the future of my party at a remote location, aided in the conversation by my friend Jack Daniels," said lobbyist Greg Crist.

A spokesman for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White (D) confirmed to Election Central that White knows he does not truly have the authority to stop the appointment of Roland Burris to the Senate, but he withheld his signature from it earlier today in order to make a statement. But the door does appear to be open to some legal ramifications.

"His feeling is we studied the constitution of Illinois, we looked at the statutes, and there was nothing there that said he had to sign the paperwork," said David Druker, White's press secretary.

"We don't believe he has the authority to hold up the appointment or veto it, to put it that way," Druker added. "How the U.S. Senate views the action, that would be for the U.S. Senate to determine."

As for whether the lack of a signature on Burris' certificate of appointment would be a real basis for the Senate to hold an investigation and delay seating Burris, Druker said he was deferring any of those legal questions to the Senate itself.

Late Update: Reid spokesman Jim Manley just told Election Central in an e-mail: "Yes- the lack of a signature from the secretary of state may be a separate ground on which we could refuse to seat."

So even though White's office says Blagojevich can go around them under state law, it should be pretty clear by now what he's doing.