Report: Bill Clinton Has Agreed To Major Concessions With Obama Team
Bill Clinton has reportedly agreed with the Obama transition team to disclose the list of donors to his charitable foundation to allow the White House to vet his future overseas trips and speaking engagements, in order to smooth the road to Hillary being nominated for Secretary of State. The potential for a conflict of interest from Bill's foreign dealings has been the major roadblock to a Hillary nomination, and Bill's apparent new agreements could go a long way in fixing the situation.
Obama In Chicago; Biden Celebrating His Birthday In Delaware; Rahm Meeting With GOP On The Hill
Barack Obama is holding private meetings today in Chicago while Joe Biden will spend today -- his birthday -- in Delaware, with neither having any scheduled public events. Meanwhile, Rahm Emanuel is headed to Capitol Hill to meet with House and Senate Republicans, in order to discuss how the new Democratic White House might be able to work together with the GOP minority.
Napolitano Could Be Tapped For Homeland Security
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano's office is not commenting on the story that she will be picked for Secretary of Homeland Security, and reportedly no formal offer has yet been made, but multiple reports say an offer is likely and that she would accept. Napolitano's résumé does seem to fit the bill: She is a governor from along the Mexican border and previously served as a U.S. Attorney, and on top of that she was an Obama surrogate during a time when his campaign was on the ropes.
NYT: Daschle's Private-Sector Work Could Conflict With Health And Human Services Post
The New York Times points out that Tom Daschle's selection to be Secretary of Health and Human Services could create a conflict with Barack Obama's promises about lobbyist influence, as Daschle has served on the board of the Mayo Clinic and also advised a major legal/lobbying firm: "Although Mr. Daschle's work might not preclude his appointment, it could raise the possibility that the administration could require him to recuse himself from any matter related to either the Mayo Clinic or some of the clients he advised at Alston & Bird -- a potentially broad swath of the health secretary's portfolio."
Kerry Poised To Claim Foreign Relations Chairmanship
John Kerry will reportedly win the chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- the same committee where he shot to fame when he testified against the Vietnam War over 35 years ago -- as a result of Joe Biden vacating the chair to become vice president. The Boston Globe reports that Kerry is already working on an ambitious agenda for the committee, including oversight of plans to withdraw from Iraq, dealing with nuclear proliferation and the spread of other weapons, and focusing on the fight against terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Big DC Suburbs County Could Cancel School Day For Inauguration
A school board member in Montgomery County, Maryland (the DC suburbs), has proposed making Inauguration Day a school holiday so that students can watch the historic event that will be Barack Obama's swearing-in. The school superintendent has recommended against it, citing the limited number of allowed snow days on the calendar, but the school board president believes the motion will have majority support when brought up at the meeting in three weeks.
The Minnesota Recount Goes On
Today is the second day of the Minnesota Senate recount, as we find out whether or not Al Franken can overcome GOP Sen. Norm Coleman's paper-thin lead from the original totals. The major thing to keep in mind while watching this story develop is to not get too shaken up by the results as they come in, as there will be numerous small swings going in either direction -- instead, pay attention to the overall pattern.
Following on its scoop on Tim Geithner's taxes, the Journal reports today on 
