Daily Roundup

Leader: Inauguration Sensation

- Barack Obama was sworn in yesterday as the 44th president of the United States, calling in his inaugural address for "a new era of responsibility," and rejecting as false "the choice between our safety and our ideals. Despite stumbling during the swearing-in itself (as much the fault of Chief Justice John Roberts as Obama's), Obama did, in fact, accede to the presidency, and paraded his way to the White House, walking the final stretch to enter his new home.

- The vast throng of Americans assembled to witness the event numbered about 1.5 million, and stretched from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.

- No clear theme emerged from Obama's speech, which bore the burden of towering expectations from the start.  A call for responsibility and a marrying of pragmatism and ideals were two recurring emphases.

- The address hit several more bellicose notes, particularly in its occasionally scathing condemnation of the Bush presidency. As the NY Times points out, the experience was surely an odd one for the outgoing president, who has rarely been forced to sit and listen to a speech about how he took America off course.

- Barack hit his rhetorical high note in the peroration, recalling inspiring words delivered by George Washington at Valley Forge-- an analogy perhaps a touch highfalutin, but deeply effective in the moment:

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

- William Safire and other former White House speechwriters offer their take on the inaugural address at NYTimes.com. 

- Time has the day in photos.

Politics

- WhiteHouse.gov got a major makeover at 12:01 yesterday, and the Presidency 2.0 has begun.

- In one of his first acts as President, Obama halted all legal proceedings involving prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, suggesting the beginning of the end for the detention facility.

- The helicopter took off in dramatic fashion, and he's been spirited back to Midland, Texas.  Now what's next for George W. Bush?  It's hard to imagine.

Economy

- Wall Street delivered a less than friendly welcome to Barack Obama, as the Dow Jones tumbled four percent.  Stocks are regaining some ground this morning.

International

- President Obama is meeting today with his top military advisers, in what will likely mark the beginning of the shift of emphasis from Iraq to Afghanistan.

One More Thing

- Last, don't tell Barack I said this, but the most extraordinary oratory delivered yesterday was given by Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery as the benediction. Read along here, and watch: 

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we at NDN encourage all Americans to reflect on the life, work, and mission of Dr. King on this day. Whether by listening to one of his great speeches, re-reading his extraordinary letter written in Birmingham jail, or by  joining in the national day of service as Barack Obama has called on Americans to do.

- The Associated Press covers the National Day of Service here, and Chris Dodd has published a brief statement encouraging all to participate.

- On WashingtonPost.com, the children of Dr. King talk about how the election of Barack Obama intersects with the vision of their father.

- And if there's one non-MLK item you read today, I'd encourage you to choose David Maraniss's profile in the WaPo, in which he traces Barack Obama's unlikely journey to the presidency.

- Last, listening to Dr. King's last speech always gives me chills:

Leader: US Air in NY Waters

- Unless you've been under a rock (hiding from the cold?) you've probably seen the dramatic pictures of a US Airways Airbus A320 bobbing in the Hudson River with 150 frigid passengers huddled on the wings. Just a few minutes after taking off from LaGuardia Airport on his way to Charlotte, NC, the pilot had to ditch in New York harbor, attracting the alarmed attention of nearly everybody on the west side of Manhattan (and inspiring more than a few panicked 9/11 flashbacks). 

- Thanks to quick, professional work on the part of the US Air crew, all 155 people aboard the plane survived, with just some minor injuries and a few cases of hypothermia after a dip in the 40 degree Hudson. The plane's pilot, Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III has risen to hero status, after coolly executing a difficult maneuver, and ensuring the rescue of all his passengers. Sully for New York Senator?

- If you thought you hated Canadian Geese before (angry, dirty birds...), it appears the plane was brought down after a flock of birds undertook a suicide mission flying into the jet engines. Read more here on the growing hazard of bird strikes.

Politics

- Obama scored his first major legislative victory (before even taking office! what a guy...) yesterday, as the Senate approved the second half of the TARP funds to be spent at his discretion. The victory was a relatively narrow 52-42 roll call vote.

- CQ comments on the diversity of the 18 "real people" riding in the inaugural train with PEBO.  Only one major demographic group is unrepresented: The effete, liberal, New York Times-reading snobs of the coastal USA. You know-- me.

- Everybody's getting giddy looking forward to Barack's inaugural address.  Ted Sorenson thinks it will be the best we've heard in at least 48 years. Competitive by nature, Barack may be trying to top even the greatest.  Lincoln's second, anyone? Here's Ted Widmer on the history of inaugural addresses.  Mostly? Pretty lame.

- Sen. Rick Santorum expects a strong McCain-Obama alliance.  Interesting, and not improbable.

- Chris Cillizza takes a look at the many retiring Republicans, and the problems that will pose for the GOP in 2010.

Economy

- An $825 billion stimulus bill dropped in the House yesterday. We at NDN are overall quite pleased with its contents, which include major funding for clean infrastructure development, health IT systems, modernized education, and many more worthy programs.  But not everyone is pleased.

- Ever heard of James Oberstar?  That's what I thought.  He's the guy who will be spending $65 billion of your money on infrastructure. 

International

- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is urging Israel to call off their assault on Hamas in Gaza. The CS Monitor speculates that this could be Israel's last big offensive before a cease-fire. Time counts three ways the Gaza War, now three weeks old, could end.

- Zimbabwe will now issue a 100 trillion dollar note. American banks might like to get their hands on something similar.

One More Thing

- In one of his final acts as president, George Bush declared that January 18th would henceforth be known as "National Sanctity of Human Life Day."  I, for one, will be celebrating by attending the EMILY's List inaugural luncheon. How about you?

- In the race to prove how ridiculous our legislature is, Congress is acting upon Obama's statement of a few months ago in support of a college football playoff regime. Presumably, representatives from Utah and Oklahoma will be particularly supportive of this legislation.

- Sen. Orrin Hatch thinks Joe Biden has balls.  And I'm not talking about inaugural balls.

- Last, President Bush bid us farewell yesterday.  Time celebrates the occasion by looking back at the 10 best Bush-being-Bush-on-video of the past eight years. Remember this one?:

Leader: Broken Banks

- As another month's worth of losses for bank have been announced, demand for federal bailout dollars is fast outstripping supply. President-elect Obama is asking congress to release the second half of the TARP funding, but it's not at all clear that the full $700 billion will even be enough.

- Bank of America is the latest casualty-- like a homowner whose mortgage is more than the value of his home-- losses incurred by Merrill Lynch since BoA agreed to purchase the bank last year have made absorbing it a costly endeavor.

Politics

- Trouble has arrived in confirmation city: Daschle's confirmation has gotten stuck in committee,  Tim Geithner has a target on his back (though his confirmation is expected), his SEC nominee doesn't exactly have a history as a tough regulator, and the long-anticipated fight over Eric Holder's confirmation is set to begin today.

- What will become of the army of Obama, assembled during the campaign?  Details are gradually becoming clearer: A permanent, national political apparatus to advocate for legislation and wage a permanent campaign.  Pretty intense.

- Harry Reid could be in hot electoral water in 2010, and is gearing up for a fight.

- According to President Bush, the low point of his presidency was being called a racist in the aftermath of Katrina. Curiously, he chose that point, and not the point a week earlier when hundreds of Americans died because of poor planning and poor response under his watch.

- Caroline Kennedy's star is falling.

Economy

- IStockAnalyst writes on how green infrastructure spending intended for the stimulus has encountered hurdles.  Michael is quoted:  "Before you spend billions of dollars on new lines, you have to spend millions of dollars on design work. Nobody had been thinking about this much money [becoming available]. So the planning just has not been done."

- Steve Jobs announced he was taking six months off from Apple for health reasons.  Apple's investors freaked out.

International

- According to NY Times analysis, Israel's war in Gaza may have had the opposite of the intended effect, with Hamas weakened but not destroyed, and Fatah more irrelevant than ever. With officials from both sides working toward a truce in Cairo, the Palestinian death toll passed 1,000 yesterday. Not surprisingly, the two sides disagree as to whom is responsible for the death of about 500 civilians.

- Years after triumphantly nationalizing the oil production in his country, Hugo Chavez, dear friend of our own Comrade Dan Boscov-Ellen, is knocking sheepishly on the door of big Western oil companies, asking if they'd like to come back to Venezuela.

One More Thing

- Seyward Darby of TNR has gone hunting for the kitschiest of Obama kitsch. You might be interested in purchasing senseless t-shirts, bougie O-bling, or perhaps even an Obama dildo!

- Politico helps you out by giving you the full scoop on the party scene over the next week.  As a side note, Rihanna is rather alluring.

Leader: Secretary Clinton

- Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearings went swimmingly yesterday, and she appears flying toward a swift and painless confirmation. She talked about "smart power," asserted that she would seek to directly engage Iran, and took a relatively tough line toward Israel. Marc Ambinder describes the foreign policy she laid out as a marriage of principles and pragmatism.

- Some say the panel of Senators went a little too easy on their former colleague. The Hill calls it a "warm embrace," and Steve Clemons, despite fantasies of Hillary being pushed on discrepancies between her and Barack's worldviews, was disappointed. 

Politics

- Susan Crawford, the top Bush administration official in charge of deciding whether to bring Guantanamo detainees to trial, has concluded and announced that Mohammed al-Qahtani, a Saudi who purportedly intended to participate in the 9/11 attacks, has been tortured. As such, Crawford has refused to send him to trial.

- The Secretary-selectee of Energy, Steven Chu, said in his confirmation hearings that he would push both clean coal and nuclear as energy options.

- The House will vote today on whether to reauthorize SCHIP, the children's health insurance bill. Simon writes here on how the bill interplays with the immigration debate.

- Speaking of which, Hispanic congresspeople are talking about making anti-immigrant workplace raids one of the central targets in their next push for immigration reform.

Economy

- The word is that the banks will need more money-- a lot more money-- to stay afloat.  Citigroup is perhaps the most desperate. Once a "financial supermarket," the giant is breaking itself into parts, in an effort to ease the fears of investors. 

International

- Israeli intelligence asserts that Hamas has been damaged, but not yet destroyed, according to a NY Times report.  The conflict is stretching late into its third week, with casualties continuing to mount. Yesterday, several rockets were fired into Israel from Southern Lebanon.  This is the second time this has happened during the conflict.  The perpetrators are not known, and Hezbollah, which is up for elections in the coming months, and expected to do well, has denied responsibility.

- A new tape from Osama bin Laden urges Muslims to declare Jihad on Israel, and condemns Arab governments for making peace with the Jews.

One More Thing

- President Bush declared a state of emergency in Washington, DC in anticipation of next week's inaugural. If you've been out in the streets here recently, you know that the declaration is, if anything, coming a bit late.

- Can't get enough Barack Obama? Comcast has you covered with a 24-hour all-Obama all-the-time channel.

- In a recent interview, Sarah Palin lays into "bored, anonymous, pathetic bloggers who lie." Now, Madam Governor, I may be bored, anonymous, and pathetic...

- Last, this is, apparently, an important release from Nancy Pelosi's office:

Leader: I Can Has $350 Billion?

- President-elect Barack Obama is trying to get his hands on the second half of the TARP funds.  President Bush put congress on notice yesterday, and requested that our representatives make the funds available for Obama on his first day in office.

- He's running into unexpected difficulty in the House, where lawmakers are asking for more specific details on how Obama plans to spend the money. Says Rep. Barney Frank: “We should not allow our disappointment at the Bush administration’s poor handling of the TARP program to prevent the Obama administration from using the funds in more appropriate ways..." His bill "sets forth the conditions we believe are necessary to assure that the public gets the full benefit of these funds.”

Leader: The Streets of Gaza City

- Israeli troops have pushed further into the Gaza Strip, engaging Hamas in heavily populated parts of Gaza City. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert insists that Israel is growing closer toward reaching its goals, but precisely what those goals are is still ambiguous. Since Thursday, Israel has been sending reservists into the conflict, an indication that they could be seeking to expand the conflict.

- The conflict, now more than two weeks old, has killed almost 900 Palestinians, nearly 40% of them women and cildren. Thirteen Israelis have been killed, most of them soldiers, though the rockets that initiated this conflict continue to fly from Gaza into southern Israel.

- Some in the region are concerned that this conflict could put a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict on the back burner for a long time.

- Roger Cohen would like to see more diversity in Barack Obama's Middle East team. A few people of Middle Eastern descent would be good.

Politics

- John Heilemann has a great piece in New York magazine on the new politics and the dramatic break from the past Obama represents. Simon is quoted extensively: "This isn't 1933 or 1961 or 1981 all over again, it's 2009, and what Obama has done is create a redirect of the entire political culture-new media, new demographics, new electoral map, a whole new set of governing challenges that will be the basis of the next 20 or 30 years."

- The Roland Burris saga roils on, but he may yet find his seat in the Senate today. Jon Alter gives readers a guide to the sundry characters in the Blagodrama.

- Politico looks at five battles likely to erupt on the Senate floor during the confirmation process. There's the "Panetta Vendetta," and I'd add a few other monikers: the "Holder Cold Shoulder," the "Screw Chu," and the "Geithner Ankle-Beithner"

Economy

- Obama is working to garner Senate support for his economic stimulus package, and is willing to compromise with lawmakers to achieve it.

- Paul Krugman argues that the current stimulus proposal puts too much money into ineffective business and payroll tax cuts, and not enough into infrastructure development.

- Neil Irwin and Dan Eggen, writing in the WaPo, characterize the past eight years as the worst in decades for the US economy. The gains of 2003-2007 turned out to have been produced by nothing more than unsustainable bubbles.

- Frank Rich echoes this theme in his column "Eight Years of Madoffs," in which he describes our engagement in Iraq as "A sinkhole of corruption, cronyism, incompetence and outright theft that epitomized Bush management at home and abroad."

International

- David Sanger had a great piece in the NYT magazine looking at the potential for worst-case disaster in Pakistan-- a crumbling of nuclear security.

- Corruption charges against Jacob Zuma, the South African ANC's choice to become the next president, have been resurrected.

One More Thing

- In a political and culinary masterstroke, Barack visited DC institution Ben's Chili Bowl over the weekend to enjoy one of their notorious half-smokes.  But we shouldn't be surprised-- it turns out Obama is both a bit of a foodie and a great appreciator of homestyle cookin. This is perhaps part of Obama's effort to bridge the deepest gulf in this city: Between the power elite, and everybody else.

- All eyes are on Sasha and Malia, as the race for the doghouse has been narrowed to two contending breeds: The proud Portuguese Water Hound, and the majestic Labradoodle.

- Last, since this is a culturally highbrow blog, instead of a video today, we have a poem, penned by Alice Phillips on behalf of Crooked Rod Blagojevich:

Leader: Dissent in the Ranks

- Nancy Pelosi anticipates a House vote on Barack Obama's stimulus a week after inauguration, but despite Obama's speech pushing the plan yesterday, it's far from clear that he'll even have the full support of his own party. Some Senate Democrats complained that the package is not aggressive enough, and many take issue with the significant portion of the proposal devoted to tax cuts. 

- John Kerry, for one, doesn't object to the tax cuts so much as he thinks they're a lower priority than some other spending objectives that have been left out. Barney Frank agrees: "I have some difference because I think they may be doing too much tax-cutting and not enough direct spending from the standpoint of immediate job creation."

- Paul Krugman also thinks the plan falls short. In an occasionally wonky but excellent piece, he says the plan isn't nearly big enough.

Economy

- Tim Geithner is getting ready to retool the financial bailout, most notably by expanding TARP to cover small businesses, municipalities, and homeowners.  He may establish a bureau within his Treasury department to oversee TARP.

- Meanwhile, on the Hill, senators were negotiating with Citigroup on a deal that would permit bankruptcy judges to renegotiate mortgages in situations where the mortgage costs more than the house. This is an important step toward keeping people in their homes.

Politics

- In 2010, Sen. Kit Bond is done.  The race to replace is already begun.

- William Lynn, a former Undersecretary for Defense, and presently a VP at Raytheon, will serve as Robert Gates' deputy Secretary of Defense.

International

- A large roadside bomb in Afghanistan killed 18 people near Kandahar province, including five American soldiers. GeneralDavid Petraeus spoke in Washington yesterday, arguing that a major,sustained military push is needed in Afghanistan to prevent the countryfrom spiraling out of control and into violence.

- The UN and international aid groups have continued their criticism of Israel, saying they have not been able to reach injured civilians. Several aid workers have been killed, causing those same groups to curtail their activities. Also, this eerie account of an injured Palestinian fighter seeing paradise and martyrdom in the misery around him is a must-read.

- Ukraine agreed to let Russian inspectors monitor the westward flow of gas, and Moscow agreed to turn the nozzles back on.  A whole lot of Eastern Europeans will be warmer this weekend.

One More Thing

- Regarding his blackberry, Obama to Secret Service: You can pry it from my cold dead hands.

- News Flash: Belgians are lazy.

- Last, if you're like me, this will make you giggle:

Leader:Stimul8ing

- Despite dark projections of a $1.2 trillion deficit, President-elect Obama's stimulus plan remains, well, a plan. The CBO forecasts an additional $3 trillion in debt over the next decade, and so Obama is getting serious about reducing wasteful spending. He's promised to make reform of Social Security and Medicare programs a priority, and has hired a Chief Performance Officer, Nancy Killefer of McKinsey & Co, to scrub the budget clean.

- Obama will speak this morning, emphasizing the threat of rising unemployment rates, and will attempt to sell his stimulus plan to skeptics.  Jay Newton-Small at Time notes that the stimulus package looks an awful lot like a laundry list of Obama campaign promises, and the Blue Dogs are concerned (but persuadable) by the plans obvious abandonment of pay-go.

- David Rothkopf is worried that Washington-style groupthink has taken over in this crisis.  He supports the stimulus, but asks that we apply the Powell Doctrine to the bailout and stimulus process: Not just overwhelming force, but also clear goals and an exit strategy.

Politics

- Roland Burris is about to get his seat in the Senate, and the Democrats have come out of this kerfuffle looking pretty silly.

- Obama has had a few missteps of late, and lots of feathers are ruffled. Simon brushes it all off in the Washington Times: "Any time a new president comes to town it upsets the existing order, and that's hard for a lot of people."

- John McCain is starting a new PAC to raise money for other Republicans in his mold.  It will be called the "Country First PAC."  

- Diane Feinstein thinks Leon Panetta is a great choice to head the CIA.

International

- A troubling report from the International Red Cross detailed one horrific scene in Gaza, and accused Israel of failing to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law. As the conflict stretches to nearly two weeks, the Palestinian death toll is quickly closing in on 700, more than half of whom were civilians. 

- In the north, Hezbollah appears to be engaging in a limited manner, firing several rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel. Marc Lynch sees the conflict in Gaza as win-win for al Qaeda. Richard Haass may serve as a special envoy to the Middle East, joining Richard Holbrooke, who is almost certain to serve in the same capacity in the Indian subcontinent, and Dennis Ross, who will work in Iran.

One More Thing

- At least one segment of the economy is doing well (you'll have to click the link, this forum is too prurient to discuss the subject), though a related industry is asking for a bailout (ditto).

- According to Dick Cheney, Dick Cheney is a "warm, loveable sort." Uh huh.

- Last, can't watch Obama at 11 today? Here's a preview of what he'll say:

Leader: A Trillion

- President-elect Barack Obama has forecasted years of $1 trillion deficits, as tax revenue falls and government spending rises with the economic bailout and impending stimulus package. Obama says we're going to have to get serious about budget reform.

- Katrina Vanden Huevel at the Nation calls for a solid $1 trillion to be spent over the next two years to revitalize the economy, top to bottom.

- The current stimulus package clocks in around $775 billion.  Max Baucus will host a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee tomorrow to talk it over. 

- The healthcare industry could reap $100 billion in the stimulus package, mostly via state medicaid programs.

Politics

- Dr. Sanjay Gupta (yes, that Dr. Sanjay Gupta) will be the next Surgeon General.  Ezra Klein, for one, couldn't be happier with the selection.

- Poor Roland Burris was turned away from the Senate yesterday.  He's going back today, hoping to get a seat this time.

-  Dianne Feinstein has been raining the blows down on her fellow Democrats lately. First she blasted the choice of Leon Panetta to head the CIA (more specifically, she blasted the choice not to consult her), and now she's criticizing Dems for refusing to seat Roland Burris.  Is she positioning herself to run for governor of California next year?

- In an act of great compassion and powerful mercy, Jeb Bush announced yesterday that he would not seek the Senate seat that Mel Martinez plans to vacate in two years. That pretty well blows up Republican plans, and opens the race up to damn near anybody.

- Could Caroline Kennedy's appointment to the Senate cost Democrats the seat? 

International

- If you haven't checked it out, I strongly advise you go browse through Foreign Policy's new suite of blogs.  For a primer, some of the best commentary on Israel's incursion into Gaza has come from their sites: Marc Lynch, here;  Stephen Walt, here and here; David Rothkopf, here and here. And then you're just getting started.

- Joe Biden will be making a trip to "Southwest Asia" soon-- not as VP-elect, but in his capacity as a Senator.  Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan will all be on the itinerary.  The trip will show the governments and people of those states that the new administration is serious about their issues, while avoiding the rigmarole of organizing a vice presidential trip.  Steve Clemons thinks it's a great idea, even if Politico doesn't.

One More Thing

- Do you need a Sarah Palin calendar? Do you ever!

- Can we please have a Barack-themed ice cream flavor? Yes, Pecan!

- Last, finally Anderson Cooper gets serious about Sasha and Malia's new puppy: