ALASKA: Per the Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens is in grave danger of losing re-election after Mark Begich widened his lead to 1,022 votes Friday. More than 90 percent of the votes are now counted, and Friday's count of absentee and questioned ballots could have been Stevens' best chance to make a comeback. That's because it included all the ballots left from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, where Stevens has enjoyed his most unwavering support." 

"There are about 24,000 ballots left to be counted, coming from Anchorage, Southeast Alaska and the Kenai Peninsula. The state will tally them all Tuesday." 

GEORGIA: "Georgia supporters of the fair tax turned out en masse Sunday to cheer the idea of a national sales tax, which has become a thorny issue in the state's high-profile Dec. 2 U.S. Senate runoff. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won Georgia's GOP presidential primary in February, joined about 2,000 people Sunday afternoon at the Gwinnett Civic Center in what became not just fair-tax rally, but a major campaign stop for Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Moultrie. Chambliss backs the fair tax, which would abolish the Internal Revenue Service and replace the federal income tax and most other federal taxes. Democratic challenger Jim Martin of Atlanta opposes it." 

According to the Martin campaign, Bill Clinton will rally for Martin in Atlanta on Wednesday.

ILLINOIS: Replacing Obama. "Congressman Danny Davis says he wants to replace Barack Obama as the junior senator from Illinois. The Democrat's declaration came at a news conference in Chicago on Sunday. ... A coalition of black Illinois politicians endorsed the 67-year-old Davis at the event. Davis is also black."

MINNESOTA: "Although he doesn't have a seat, Al Franken will have the floor Tuesday when he meets with Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate," the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "Franken, who is locked in a mandatory recount of the Nov. 4 balloting with Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, will update Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and others on the recount process, said his spokeswoman, Colleen Murray. The Senate leaders and the candidate also will talk about upcoming legislation, she said. 'If he should win this election, it would be irresponsible for him not to get ready to take office,' she said. 'Minnesota deserves a senator who is ready to take office on Day One.'"

"Franken, who was last in Washington in September, will skip a scheduled orientation for new senators also scheduled for this week. Attending that, Murray said, would be 'presumptuous.'Coleman's communications director, Mark Drake, upped that ante, calling it 'highly presumptuous for Mr. Franken to undertake such a visit when his real purpose appears to be fundraising and gaining partisan advantage from non-Minnesotans.'"

NEW YORK: Replacing Hillary? "Rep. Nydia Velazquez is the front-runner -- for now, at least -- to replace Hillary Clinton if she becomes the next secretary of state, a source close to Gov. Paterson said yesterday," the New York Daily News' Benjamin reports. "There are two other top contenders: Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo and Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island."

What could have been... Eliot Spitzer had a School of Hard Knocks prescription for Wall St. in a Sunday Washington Post op-ed. We noted when the economic collapse hit that had it not been for sex scandals, two Democrats stood to gain -- John Edwards and Spitzer. 

From NBC's Abigail Williams
Yesterday, President-elect Obama gave his first virtual fireside chat. The weekly Democratic radio address, also posted as a YouTube video on change.gov, is just a taste of the new style of open governing promised by the incoming Administration.

Seated at a simple desk with the American flag draped to the right, and thick leather bound books behind, the image first seems like all presidential addresses made from the Oval Office. But something seems off in the presentation -- Obama's torso as right of center as his tie and the camera left at an awkward distance forcing Obama to lurch forward towards his viewers. It seems, well, like a YouTube video. 
 
The uniqueness in this style of address is more than just its presentation; the video represents an adaptation to new generations who watch what they want, whenever they want, wherever they want. The video is one in a series of continuing efforts made by Obama to create a more transparent and connected democracy that brings the decision making of government directly to its citizens. The purpose of this e-government, according to Obama, is to "lift the veil" from Washington and allow people to become active participants in their own government.
 
Of course, the details of this citizen participation have yet to be explained and how integral a part the opinion of citizens will play in specific government proposals remains to be seen. For now the image of President-elect Obama projected on your iPod seated next to your gas-burning fireplace certainly gives the appearance of change.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
At a press conference today, Rep. Dan Lungren (R) announced a long-shot bid to unseat GOP Rep. John Boehner as House minority leader. Leadership elections are penciled in for next Wednesday.

Lungren says that the party is too arrogant; that it needs to return to fiscal discipline and small government; that it has become intoxicated by its own power to the detriment of conservative principles; and that it has lost touch with the kitchen table concerns of average Americans. He adds that he has nothing against John Boehner.

For his part, Boehner offers the following comment: "Dan Lungren is a respected member of our conference and a man deeply committed to the principles that have defined our party since the beginning."

Lungren is typically not among those mentioned as candidates for House GOP leadership. His presser today got off to an inauspicious start as Capitol Police had to lock down the hall in Rayburn where his office is located in order to investigate a suspicious package nearby, thereby delaying the Lungren announcement.

Once begun, the presser was sparsely attended.

From NBC's Abby Livingston
For those speculating that Obama will choose Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell to join his cabinet, you might want to think again.

Here's why: If Rendell is appointed, Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor would be sworn in as governor. However, Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll -- a Democrat -- passed away last week. As a result, the Pennsylvania Senate Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati will ascend to the lieutenant governor's office.

The catch here? Scarnati is a Republican. So Obama picking Rendell would result in a Republican becoming Pennsylvania governor.

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
Hillary Clinton, though her HillPAC, has sent a solicitation to supporters asking them to donate money to Al Franken during the recount in Minnesota's Senate race. "The Franken campaign is working hard to make sure every vote is counted -- but they need our help," she writes. "Al Franken needs to keep his campaign active to stop the Republican attacks and make Minnesotans' voices are heard."

Interestingly, Clinton has done this for Franken, but not for Jim Martin in his December 2 run-off in Georgia. Why? Here's maybe one reason: Clinton ad-maker Mandy Grunwald is working for Franken.

It's also worth noting that Clinton has already made a political investment into the race -- by cutting a TV for Franken, as well as campaigning for him in Minnesota.

From NBC's Mark Murray
NBC's Decision Desk has allocated the final electoral vote in Nebraska to Obama. 

The last vote comes from the 2nd Congressional District (Omaha), and now it divides the state's five electoral votes this way: McCain 4, Obama 1.

This makes the NBC electoral count Obama 365, McCain 173.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Yesterday, we clipped a Washington Post piece noting that there has been little oversight of the federal government's $700 billion rescue package for the financial industry. "Yet for all this activity, no formal action has been taken to fill the independent oversight posts established by Congress when it approved the bailout to prevent corruption and government waste," the article said. "Nor has the first monitoring report required by lawmakers been completed, though the initial deadline has passed."

Well, the Treasury Department has pushed back against that report, pointing out in a press release that the department has taken oversight steps.

Among them:
-- "Treasury worked with Congress to put strong oversight and transparency provisions in the bill and every reporting requirement in the statute has been fully met on time. All reports have been published on the Treasury's website.
-- The law created a new Special Inspector General for the program, and that position has to be confirmed by the Senate. The Administration has been working to identify a qualified candidate and will work closely with the Senate when a nominee is chosen.
-- GAO has been on site from the beginning as Treasury has implemented the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Within days of the bill being signed, the Acting Comptroller General spoke with Secretary Paulson and with Interim Assistant Secretary Kashkari. GAO has had a team of over a dozen specialists and senior executives working on all aspects of the program. GAO staff typically meets with Treasury staff several times a week. They have access to contract files as soon as each contract is completed, and they often begin their review of those files within 24 hours of a contract signing. Every contract is posted on the Treasury website."

From NBC's Mark Murray
Earlier this morning, Obama's transition office announced that the president-elect will meet with McCain in Chicago on Monday, and they will be joined by incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of McCain's closest friends and allies.

In fact, per an Obama transition official, Emanuel and Graham were instrumental in putting this Obama-McCain meeting together. Remember that Emanuel and Graham served as the negotiators for the presidential debates, and when other Republicans were criticizing Obama's selection of Emanuel as chief of staff, Graham praised it.

"This is a wise choice by President-elect Obama," Graham said in a statement. "Rahm knows Capitol Hill and has great political skills. He can be a tough partisan but also understands the need to work together. He is well-suited for the position of White House chief of staff. I worked closely with him during the presidential debate negotiations which were completed in record time. When we hit a rough spot, he always looked for a path forward. I consider Rahm to be a friend and colleague. He's tough but fair. Honest, direct, and candid. These qualities will serve President-elect Obama well."

From NBC's Mark Murray
If Obama selects Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State, it would be an ironic pick -- given that Team Obama downplayed her foreign-policy credentials (especially as first lady) during the Democratic primary season.

Video: NBC Deputy Political Director Mark Murray offers his first read on who President-elect Barack Obama is considering for his cabinet... and why.

Remember this December 2007 New York Times piece, which Obama supporters grabbed on to in the build-up to Iowa? "[D]uring those two terms in the White House, Mrs. Clinton did not hold a security clearance. She did not attend National Security Council meetings. She was not given a copy of the president's daily intelligence briefing. She did not assert herself on the crises in Somalia, Haiti and Rwanda. And during one of President Bill Clinton's major tests on terrorism, whether to bomb Afghanistan and Sudan in 1998, Mrs. Clinton was barely speaking to her husband, let alone advising him, as the Lewinsky scandal sizzled."

There was also the Bosnia sniper-fire story. "It's part of a troubling pattern of Sen. Clinton inflating her foreign policy experience," an Obama campaign spokesman said at the time.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann 
*** Hillary at State? As we've learned with anything regarding the Clintons, one never knows exactly how serious the speculation might be. But let's assume the news -- reported last night by NBC's Andrea Mitchell -- that Hillary Clinton is in the mix as a potential Secretary of State is as serious as it appears. (Because if it's not, and her name is being floated only to be rejected, it's going to make her more upset. But we digress…) The best reason for Obama to be looking for a place in his cabinet for Clinton is simple: to get her out of the Senate. Just ask George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter what it was like to have a once or future presidential rival in the Senate serving as a one-person Roman tribunal. Remember how easily the press gravitated to John McCain in '01 or Bob Kerrey in '93 or Ted Kennedy in '77 to allow them to be one-senator judge/juries on Administration proposals? The upside for Obama putting Clinton at State (or even the Pentagon) is that it gets her out of the Senate and gets her out of the domestic policy debates. Also, one other thing to keep in mind if Clinton does end up at State, she'll be off the political circuit; it's considered unseemly to practice politics while serving in one of the big cabinet posts, especially at State or Defense. So this would mean no more Hillary on the stump for candidates, no more Hillary raising money, no more Hillary collecting chits. OK, we will now take First Read away from Machiavelli and turn it back over to the current authors.

VIDEO: Advisers say President-elect Obama is considering Hillary Clinton for secretary of state. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

*** DNC debate: There's a fascinating story in today's L.A. Times about some hesitance by members of Team Obama to have the Democratic National Committee house the Obama political machine. Some, like Steve Hildebrand of Obama's field team, believe many of Obama's supporters will be turned off by having the DNC become the official political arm of the Obama Administration. Hildebrand thinks if Obama wants to cultivate his supporters to get them excited by various policy proposals, he should allow an independent group to be formed. But it appears Hildebrand's idea is a long shot, as the L.A. Times reports that Axelrod and Plouffe are leaning toward turning everything over to the DNC -- since they'll "own" the DNC.

*** In Da Club: As the Republicans gather all over the place to mull their future, one group wants to single out the conservative Club for Growth for hurting the party with moderates. In particular, the League of Conservation voters says it's finding it difficult to find moderate pro-environment Republicans to support, because the Club has been so successful knocking them off in GOP primaries. But the LCV notes the Club's record in general elections is not good. Club-backed candidates -- who defeated some Republicans the LCV would have supported or have supported -- lost congressional elections last week in MD-01, MI-07, and ID-01. In addition, their New Mexico Senate candidate also lost (and lost badly). Has the Club been too pure and ended up nominating candidates that are too conservative, allowing Democrats to win in places like, well, Idaho? The Club is going to have some defending to do (particularly with its donors) about how well the conservative purity game is playing out on the trail.

VIDEO: Sarah Palin was the media draw at the Republican Governors Convention, but the GOP shied away from embracing her. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports. 

*** If you can't beat them, co-opt their message? Charlie Crist closed out the Republican Governors Association meeting last night with a speech that could be the kind of message that not only paves the way forward for the party, but for his own career on a national stage. He was post-partisan, stressing inclusiveness, working together, and above all getting things done. It was a polished, practiced speech about expanding majorities, instead of being pigeonholed to the base. Frankly, there seemed to be a lot of Obama in it…

*** T. Boone does "Meet": On Sunday, Meet the Press has an exclusive interview with T. Boone Pickens -- the Texas oilman, energy-independence advocate, and Oklahoma State football patron -- as well as a roundtable with Tom Friedman and Tavis Smiley. Pickens also appeared on Morning Joe this morning…

*** Rockin' the suburbs: In 2004, many exit pollsters pointed to George W. Bush's five-point lift over John Kerry in the nation's suburbs as one of the keys to the Republican's victory. In this past election, however, Obama flipped that Democratic deficit in the 'burbs to a two point advantage. But how much did it help him state-by-state? Obama won EVERY state in which he got more than 50% of the suburban vote. In two traditionally red states -- Indiana and North Carolina -- Obama lost the suburbs, but he improved on Kerry's suburban performance by double digits to pull off narrow wins in those states. In fact, Obama outperformed Kerry in the suburbs in every battleground state except for Missouri. As Charlie Cook writes today in his newest column, "When Democrats win the suburbs, Republicans are in trouble."

*** Take me home, country roads: It's safe to say that, at the beginning of the presidential race, pundits were not trumpeting predictions that a black man named "Barack Hussein Obama" -- who even claimed that small-town voters were bitter, clinging to their religion and guns -- would do better than John Kerry in rural areas. Nationally, however, Obama outperformed Kerry in rural areas -- by just three points. But get this: His performance versus Kerry in low-population regions shot up in a few states like Pennsylvania (+5), South Carolina (+9), and Texas (+5), where extended primaries (and their accompanying far-flung field offices) certainly couldn't have hurt the campaign's efforts to turn out rural voters. And Obama did very well with rural voters in another handful of states: Colorado (+14), Virginia (+9), New Hampshire (+5), Missouri (+7), and New Mexico (+8). What do those have in common? They were battlegrounds where Obama had offices throughout each state.

*** Remaining races: Not many new developments out there. In Alaska, Mark Begich (D) remains in the lead over Ted Stevens (R), with more absentee and early ballots to be counted next week… In Georgia, 2,000 turned out to see McCain campaign for Saxby Chambliss (R), while the Democratic Senatorial Committee is up with a brand-new TV ad hitting the GOP incumbent… And in Minnesota, there's an excellent piece reminding us that the changing vote-count total in the Coleman-Franken race isn't that unusual. "The night that Sen. Norm Coleman defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale in the 2002 U.S. Senate race he piled up more than 1,062,000 votes. But when all the ballots were certified two weeks later, Coleman had 54,000 more votes. It's TRUE. Between election night voting numbers, and two weeks later when the State Canvassing Board certified official results, Coleman gained 54,429 votes. Mondale's vote total also went up 63,192 votes, but not enough to beat Coleman. It's what happens in Minnesota elections. We just don't pay attention when the race isn't close." 

VIDEO: All eyes are on Alaska, Georgia and Minnesota as contests continue. NBC's Lee Cowan reports.

Countdown to Georgia Senate run-off: 18 days
Countdown to Electoral Vote Count: 55 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 67 days

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Hillary as potential Secretary of State even makes the cover of the New York Post. "Hill Job!"

NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that Clinton's Senate office never confirmed to NBC that Clinton was in Chicago; it was another Clinton adviser who did so. Clinton's Senate office referred Mitchell to the Obama transition office.

The Wall Street Journal writes that New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has been added to the mix as a possible Treasury secretary. "Corzine received praise Thursday from Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union. Other handicappers are following Corzine because he has such a range of experience in both the public and private sectors. He's a former head of Goldman Sachs, the same position current Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson held. After more than two decades at Goldman, including turning the firm into a public company, he won a U.S. Senate seat. In 2005, he was elected governor. The latest polls have him at a 47% approval rating."

Meanwhile, Politico writes that Larry Summers may have fallen off the Treasury short list. "If Summers, who's been one of Obama's top economic advisers, is indeed out of the mix, the odds-on favorite for Treasury secretary is New York Federal Reserve Chairman Timothy Geithner. Another possibility is that former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker would take the helm for six months, with Geithner as his deputy, and Geithner would take over later."

Politico also reports that DNC Chair Howard Dean is not in the running for HHS secretary.

AP examines the role Biden will play in the Obama Administration. "Biden is proving to be a hands-on No. 2 to President-elect Barack Obama. He is carving out his own niche, specializing in foreign affairs, his area of expertise for decades in the Senate, and sticking close to Obama." More: "Biden has said he told Obama, before accepting the running mate slot, that he wouldn't want a peripheral assignment like reorganizing government, which Gore took on, along with other tasks. In a New Yorker interview last month, he said he told Obama: 'I don't want to be a vice president who is not part of the major decisions you make.'"

The New York Times looks at Obama's personal transition. Apparently Obama plans to keep his home in Chicago. As the article notes, Obama will be the first president since Nixon to be elected while residing in a big city.

Rahm Emanuel "apologized to the Arab-American community yesterday for remarks his father made to an Israeli newspaper."

Could a million people attend Obama's inauguration?

OUR OBAMA CABINET SPECULATION LIST:
Chief of staff: Emanuel NAMED / Deputy: Pete Rouse
Press Secretary: Gibbs
Biden chief of staff: Ron Klain
 
POTENTIAL CABINET MEMBERS:
Agriculture: Tom Vilsack, Tom Buis (Natl Farmers Union), Charlie Stenholm, Jim Leach
Commerce: Penny Pritzker, Kathleen Sebelius, Jason Furman, John Thompson (Symantec)
Defense: Robert Gates, Richard Danzig, Chuck Hagel, Sam Nunn, Jack Reed, Colin Powell, John Hamre
Education: Joel Klein (NYC), Linda Darling-Hammond, Kathleen Sebelius, Colin Powell, Jim Hunt, Arne Duncan, Inez Tenenbaum.
Energy: Kathleen Sebelius, Philip Sharp, Ed Rendell, Arnold Schwarzenegger (has said no), Al Gore, Jeff Bingaman, Jennifer Granholm
HHS: Tom Daschle, Howard Dean, Eric Whitaker
Homeland Security (priority): Tim Roemer, Ray Kelly, James Lee Witt, Tom Kean Sr, Jane Harman, Janet Napolitano
HUD: Jim Clyburn, Valerie Jarrett, Shirley Franklin (Atlanta mayor)
Interior: Bill Richardson, Inslee, Kitzhaber, Tony Knowles, Ken Salazar
Justice (AG): Eric Holder, Janet Napolitano, Charles Ogletree, Deval Patrick, James Comey, Patrick Fitzgerald, Artur Davis, Tim Kaine, Jamie Gorelick (but was vice chair of Fannie), Ken Feinberg
Labor: Andy Stern (SEIU), Richard Gephardt, George Miller, David Bonior
State: John Kerry, Bill Richardson, Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel, Richard Holbrooke, Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton
Transportation: Ed Rendell, Jane Garvey, Mortimer Downey, Earl Blumenauer, Steve Heminger, James Oberstar
Treasury (priority): Larry Summers, Tim Geithner, Paul Volcker, Robert Rubin, Jon Corzine, Warren Buffett, Michael Bloomberg, Laura Tyson, Jamie Dimon, Jacob "Jack" Lew, Sheila Bair
Veterans Affairs: Max Cleland, Tammy Duckworth
 
OTHER POSITIONS:
CIA: Tony Lake, John Brennan
DNI: Tony Lake, John Brennan
FEMA: James Lee Witt
EPA: Howard Learner (Pres, Exec. Dir, Environmental Law and Policy Center), Ian Bowles (MA), RFK Jr, Sebelius, Kathleen McGinty (former secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection), Mary Nichols (chair of California's Air Resources Board)
FBI: Robert Mueller (term expires 2011)
Fed Chair: Ben Bernanke (at least for first year)
FDA: Steven Nissen (Cleveland Clinic), Joshua Sharfstein (Baltimore health commissioner), Janet Woodcock (Big Pharma's choice), Susan Wood (GWU occupational and environmental health professor), Diana Zuckerman (president, National Research Center for Women & Families).
Joint Chiefs: Michael Mullen (term ends in late 2009, can expect to be appointed for second term, per tradition.)
Natl Economic Council: Jason Furman, Austan Goolsbee, Laura Tyson
NSA: Jim Steinberg
NSC: Dennis Ross, Greg Craig, Susan Rice, Tony Lake
OMB: John Spratt Jr, Gene Sperling, Furman
Peace Corps: Chris Shays
UN Amb.: Caroline Kennedy, Susan Rice
USTR: Cal Dooley (American Chemistry Council president), Daniel K. Tarullo (Georgetown University law professor), Lael Brainard (Brookings Institution vice president)
 
Other mentions for various White House staff posts: Patti Solis Doyle, David Wilhelm, John Rogers, Bill Daley, Cass Sunstein, Bob Bauer (WH counsel), Michael Froman, Federico Pena, Lawrence J. Korb, Carol Browner (Clinton's EPA head)

It looks like a bailout for the automakers is dead this year. Per the New York Times, "The prospects of a government rescue for the foundering American automakers dwindled Thursday as Democratic Congressional leaders conceded that they would face potentially insurmountable Republican opposition during a lame-duck session next week."
More: "[S]ome industry experts fear that one of the Big Three automakers will collapse before then, with potentially devastating consequences. Despite hardening opposition at the White House and among Republicans on Capitol Hill, the Democrats said they would press ahead with efforts to provide $25 billion in emergency aid for the automakers. But they said the bill would need to be approved first in the Senate, which some Democrats said was highly unlikely."

David Brooks makes the cases against bailing out Detroit.

Yes, Virginia there is a "Senate Auto Caucus." NBC's Ken Strickland reports that it's co-chaired by Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan and Republican George Voinovich of Ohio. And if financial assistance package for the auto industry is going to pass in the Senate, it's going to need the support from this bipartisan group, especially among Republican members. Yesterday, Voinovich signaled his support for using funds from the $700-billion rescue package Congress recently passed to assist US automakers. According to his senior aide Chris Paulitz, the senator is working with the Michigan delegation to pass legislation during next week's lame duck session.  "The senator believes helping the automakers remain viable is truly putting Main Street over Wall Street," Paulitz said.

While membership in the Auto Caucus may not translate into automatically supporting taxpayers' dollars to help the Big Three, Strick adds, it does make them people to watch as any legislation moves forward. On his Web site, Levin said the group "provides a forum for senators to exchange ideas and influence policy on issues affecting the U.S. automotive industry." According to membership list provided by the caucus co-chairmen, the Republicans are Kit Bond (MO), Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Mitch McConnell (KY), Jim Inhofe (OK), Arlen Specter (PA), Jeff Sessions (AL), Saxby Chambliss (GA), Richard Lugar (IN), Lamar Alexander (TN), and Susan Collins & Olympia Snowe (ME).  (At this point, Voinovich has been the only Republican to come out publicly in support assistance to the automakers.)

The White House is going to YouTube, the Washington Post reports. "Today, President-elect Obama will record the weekly Democratic address not just on radio but also on video -- a first. The address, typically four minutes long, will be turned into a YouTube video and posted on Obama's transition site, Change.gov, once the radio address is made public on Saturday morning. The address will be taped at the transition office in Chicago today." 

Obama's first post-election interview went to Ebony magazine. "In an interview to appear in its January 2009 issue, Obama spoke on issues including his historic election, international reaction to it and his hope to capitalize on the enthusiasm of millions of supporters, Ebony said in a statement."

Obama will appear on 60 Minutes Sunday night.

TPM's Greg Sargent reports that "a big pro-labor group headed by David Bonior is preparing to launch a three-week national TV ad campaign to push the new government to deliver on one of labor's top agenda items: The Employee Free Trade Act. This is significant, because it's the first of what will be many advocacy ads hitting the airwaves demanding action from the government that takes power in January -- or opposing such action, as the case may be. Bonior's group, which is called American Rights at Work, will be going up with the spot for three weeks on national cable -- CNN, MSNBC, and CNN Headline News -- a senior official with the group tells me. 'It's a significant buy,' he says."

Could the Obama campaign NOT turn their machine over to the DNC? The Los Angeles Times: "The Obama machinery relied heavily on idealistic political outsiders committed to breaking free from old ways of doing politics. The worry is that these enthusiastic activists might drift away if they are turned over to the Democratic National Committee, where the party might ask them to support Democrats and target Republicans."

More: "But one indication of where his senior advisors stand came this week, when campaign manager David Plouffe used Obama's vaunted e-mail list to ask for donations to help the DNC retire its debt. He even threw in an enticement that might appeal to Obama's universe of small-dollar donors: a Change Can Happen T-shirt for those who contribute at least $30. The e-mail suggests that at least one of the most senior advisors is not hesitant about melding the campaign and the party. 'We'll get to work transforming this country,' Plouffe wrote in the e-mail. 'But first, we need to take care of the DNC.'"

After looking at the vote totals and the exit polls, political analyst Charlie Cook fires off this warning to Republicans in his latest National Journal column: "Those who write off the 2008 election by saying that Republican candidates weren't conservative enough are in denial. They are political ostriches, refusing to acknowledge that the country and the electorate are changing and that old recipes don't work any more. Obama's message and agenda were a far cry from those of the Democratic Party of a generation or two ago, but the Republican Party's message and agenda haven't changed much other than becoming even more fixated on cultural issues and tax cuts. A top Republican pollster remarked privately to me after the election that he couldn't think of a single new idea generated on the Republican side during the 2008 campaign."

"The dialogue about what the Republican Party is and where it should go will be driven over the next couple of years not by Republican members of Congress or governors or the party apparatus, but by the GOP's presidential contenders for 2012, who will be fanning out across the country before the month is over. The question is whether the party's leaders and members will be listening. Will they be open to new approaches to dealing with a dramatically changed country? Or will they simply say, 'Back to the Future'?"

The Boston Globe: "With Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska in their midst, the nation's leading Republican governors used their annual conference to unleash some of their most furious criticism yet about the failed campaign she waged alongside presidential nominee John McCain. … Palin's colleagues rarely mentioned her by name, as the defeated vice presidential nominee swept through the conference, making a triumphal jaunt richer in nostalgia for her brief campaign than in prescriptions for a Republican rebound." More: "Palin's presence overshadowed the three-day conclave of elected executives that traditionally serves as a celebration of state-level policy successes, a partywide strategy session, and an audition for national candidates. It was at such a meeting in early 2008 that the Alaska governor first received McCain's attention, but her colleagues this week appeared at times miffed that even from under the wreckage, Palin's luster remained visible."

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is the host of the RGA meeting, not Sarah Palin, we swear. "Crist's centrist message, though, might appeal more to independents and Democrats than some Republicans, especially in light of quiet grumbling that's spread through conservative ranks over whether he did enough to help the presidential ticket carry a crucial swing state. 'We just need to be inclusive, we need to reach out, and do a better job leading by approaching issues with a common-sense view," Crist told the (Fort Lauderdale) Sun Sentinel in an interview Wednesday.'"

More: "Still, Crist has a clear vision for a new GOP national strategy, one that pushes divisive social causes to the side and embraces diversity. The party needs to do a better job reaching out to black and Hispanic voters, Crist said. He noted the Republican rhetoric on illegal immigration was 'less than friendly, shall we say' -- an assessment that hardly will endear Crist to the party's right wing."

Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele has become the second announced candidate for RNC chair, writes the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza. "'After two devastating election cycles, the party has reached a crossroads,' said Steele comparing the Republican Party to someone who has 'hunkered down' in a corner with no idea what to do next. 'I think I may have some keys to open the door, some juice to turn on the lights,' Steele explained."

NBC's Chris Donovan reminds us of Steele's appearance in the "Meet the Press" 2006 Senate debate series. "Couple things of note that were discussed re his being a Republican were his earlier comments that his 'R' for Republican was a scarlet letter; that the Washington Post pointed out that he didn't have the word 'Republican' on his campaign Web site; that his official bio omitted the fact he was formerly the Maryland GOP chair; and we even used a bumper sticker that Steele's campaign put out that said STEELE DEMOCRAT in such a way that made it look like he WAS a Democrat -- and Steele admitted that he wasn't aware that they had similar ones that said Steele Republican."

One interesting portion of the transcript:

MR. RUSSERT: You said, you said the R is a scarlet letter and that if this is a choice between Democrats and Republicans, you lose.
LT. GOV. STEELE: Absolutely, Tim. Absolutely, absolutely. And that's exactly what Ben Cardin wants this race to be about. That's exactly what the Democrats want this race to be about. Because when this race is about Democrats and Republicans in a state like Maryland, which is two to one, all they have to say is "The boogeyman's Republican and all you guys remember, you've got to vote for us D's." What I've tried to do is break through that noise and say I represent something different. I represent, represent, I think, a different challenge for my state and for my country.
MR. RUSSERT: But you will organize with the Republicans if you won. You would vote for a Republican majority leader?
LT. GOV. STEELE: Yeah, yeah, I guess, yeah. That would make sense, wouldn't it?
MR. RUSSERT: And would you--and would you be...
LT. GOV. STEELE: I wouldn't vote for Ben.
MR. RUSSERT: Would you be a reliable vote for President Bush?
LT. GOV. STEELE: I would be a reliable vote for the people of Maryland because, at the end of the day, I'm going to evaluate every issue as it comes to me and where my party is wrong, I'm not standing with it, I'm not voting with it. And I've been clear on that. I've disagreed with my party on the minimum wage. I've called for an increase with the minimum wage. I disagreed with my party on No Child Left Behind.

"In states won by President-elect Barack Obama, turnout was more than five percentage points higher than in states won by Republican John McCain, according to a Globe analysis of data compiled by a pair of researchers who study voting patterns in US elections."

GEORGIA: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that 2,000 showed up yesterday to see McCain campaign for Sen. Saxby Chambliss. "'I did not think I would be back on the campaign trail quite this early,' McCain said. 'But there is a lot at stake here. I'm asking you to go into battle one more time. 'The eyes of the country and the world will be on the state of Georgia Dec. 2.'" More: McCain never mentioned Obama's name during his 12-minute speech… [But] when Chambliss first used the words 'President-elect Barack Obama,' the partisan crowd booed loudly. 'Let me say, I will pray for him every day, just as I've prayed for every other president,' Chambliss said. Chambliss, however, warned that a Democratic supermajority would unleash a rash of 'liberal' initiatives."

The New York Times writes about the Georgia Senate run-off, casting the race as "the first test of Mr. Obama's coattails." (But is that a fair characterization when Obama lost that state by five points?) 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is up with a new TV ad whacking Chambliss. 

ILLINOIS: The Chicago Tribune reports that Obama's "decision to step down from his U.S. Senate seat Sunday has ratcheted up the pressure on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to name a successor more quickly than planned, sources close to the governor said Thursday. No decision is expected before the U.S. Senate begins its lame-duck session on Monday, sources familiar with the governor's deliberations said. Blagojevich has only said he would name a successor before the end of the year, and his office declined comment Thursday." 

MINNESOTA: "In the latest twist in Minnesota's continuing U.S. Senate race, the Al Franken campaign hit Ramsey County with a lawsuit Thursday, seeking the names and addresses of voters whose absentee ballots were rejected," the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. "The DFLer's campaign hopes to force counties across the state to turn over the lists of rejected absentee voters who, if later found eligible, could tip the balance in the closest Senate race in the country. With Republican Sen. Norm Coleman 206 votes ahead of Franken, a hand recount is scheduled to begin next week." 

"Minnesota is preparing to move a seemingly stalemated U.S. Senate election into the tedious process of a statewide recount as it readies an army of workers to sort through nearly 3 million ballots. Election workers at dozens of sites will examine ballots, one by one, building piles for Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. A separate stack of disputed ballots will fall to a state board for a final ruling."

Meanwhile, with his re-election status in limbo, Norm has decided not to run for chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "According to The Hill newspaper, Coleman on Thursday called Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to tell him that he was ending his bid and supporting Cornyn for the post. Cornyn, who is vice chairman, has no other opposition for the top job." 

NORTH CAROLINA: Winning solves lots of things. Kay Hagan dropped her libel suit against Elizabeth Dole for that "Godless" TV ad.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
MIAMI -- So what's the problem with the party? Rick Perry says it's that these Washington-types in the GOP have lost their way.

He praised Palin.  "We saw the impact" Palin had "when she joined the national ticket."

She represented the working man, Perry said.

"And Sarah, I want to say to you," he began, "I would rather be addressing you as vice-president-elect, but I am proud to call you my friend and proud to have you on our team. Thank you for the work you did."

He continued, "If we ever want to reclaim the majority, Republican governors must reclaim the restoration effort, and it begins now."

Perry earlier also praised Jindal for his leadership during Hurricane Gustav. Perry was at least the third to say so here.

Perry also had this for Obama: "We may have elected a president based on some pretty prose, but we all know it takes more than pretty words to govern."

Perry also announced that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will chair the annual RGA gala, the biggest fundraiser of the year.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
MIAMI -- Sonny Perdue said the Republican Governors Association had more private meetings than usual and called it "workman-like."

Then Perdue introduced outgoing Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and handed him, as a parting gift of sorts… a shotgun -- on behalf of the RGA.

"I'm not nearly the shot Sonny Perdue is," Blunt said. "I'll always remember the RGA, when I have the opportunity to see it and use it."

Perdue also introduced Texas Gov. Rick Perry. After calling him a "beautiful man," he handed him … a shotgun.

After Perry thanked Perdue for the gift, he said, "With how the new administration is going to treat the Second Amendment, let's just keep that a secret between me and you, all right?"

No word on how the governors will get their guns on their airplanes home.

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Two Obama advisers have told NBC News that Hillary Clinton is under consideration to be secretary of state. Would she be interested? Those who know Clinton say possibly.  But her office says that any decisions about the transition are up to the president-elect and his team.

Clinton was seen taking a flight to Chicago today, but an adviser says it was on personal business.  It is unknown whether she had any meeting or conversation with Obama while there.

Other Democrats known to want the State Department post are Sen. John Kerry and Gov. Bill Richardson. A possible compromise choice would be former Sen. Tom Daschle.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
MIAMI -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty chose his words carefully when talking about Palin's speech here at the Republican Governors Association conference.

"She was mostly sharing her reflections from the trail," he told NBC
News in a corner of this sleek Miami hotel. "It was interesting. It was
mostly a summation."

But asked whether it fit the billing of the panel she spoke before,
about looking toward the party's future, Pawlenty said, "Was that the
title of the speech? Well, she referred to energy."

Much has been made of a potential rift in the party, between reformists
(with Pawlenty at the head) and traditionalists (with Palin at the
front of that group). Pawlenty gave a speech laying out his vision
yesterday for where the party should go -- that it should be more
inclusive, more diverse and expand its ability to compete in the
Northeast, the Midwest and the West. He urged Republicans not to give
in to either side, but called for a merging of both a modernization and
an adherence to conservative values.

Tonight, he said he doesn't think there is a divide in the party.

"The press is creating a divide," he said. "It's not a choice between conservative and contemporary."

He added, though, there would be a "new crop" that would emerge in the Republican Party. He said to watch, in particular, Meg Whitman potentially running for governor of California in 2010.

NOTES: On what he'd like to see out of a potential RNC chair, Pawlenty said the person should be able to rebuild the party from a technological standpoint, in how money is raised and who can bring in new voices, like from businesses and non-profits. He stopped short, however, of saying that person shouldn't be current chairman Mike Duncan, who appears ready to make a push for re-election. Pawlenty stayed out of that fray, saying he didn't know of all the contenders.

From NBC's Abby Livingston
In his mission to crush a GOP filibuster, DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer feels the chance of 60 Democratic senators this cycle is "possible, but unlikely."

Briefing reporters this afternoon, the New York senator gave the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's outlook on the three outstanding Senate races: Minnesota, Alaska and Georgia.

With the race in Minnesota between Norm Coleman and Al Franken in a post-election dead heat, Schumer opened the news conference by directing his ire to the politics of the recount.  Invoking a nightmare familiar to political journalists of cycles past, he said, "Minnesota is the one state where we really see the same kind of effort to intimidate." He added,  "Democrats sort of let that happen in 2000 in Florida. We're not going let that happen again."

Proving that annoyance with the mainstream media can be bipartisan, Schumer also railed against the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal for "overheated rhetoric" and "fabricated" claims over the recount.

Schumer views the Georgia runoff between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin as part of the original DSCC plan. "We were able to hold an incumbent in a red state below 50% and get into a runoff, which was always our goal for the first round of balloting." He added that the DSCC is about to put up ads supporting Jim Martin. As for President-elect Obama stumping for the Georgia Democrat, Schumer played coy, saying, "You'll have to stay tuned. I'm not going roll out our strategy."

Because Mark Begich has taken the lead over incumbent Ted Stevens in the Alaska race, Schumer said that he's "cautiously optimistic" about the situation as it stands.

Schumer refused to address his future in party leadership, but did answer questions about whether or not his persona is helpful to his opposition. "I'd much rather they fire their arrows at me than our candidate," he chuckled. 

From NBC's Savannah Guthrie and Mark Murray
Obama announced that he will resign his Illinois Senate seat, effective Sunday.

"It has been one of the highest honors and privileges of my life to have served the people of Illinois in the United States Senate," he said, according to a statement from his transition team. "In a state that represents the crossroads of a nation, I have met so many men and women who've taken different journeys, but hold common hopes for their children's future. It is these Illinois families and their stories that will stay with me as I leave the United States Senate and begin the hard task of fulfilling the simple hopes and common dreams of all Americans as our nation's next president."

Now the speculation turns to whom Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will appoint to succeed Obama. That appointment will serve until 2010, when Obama's six-year term concludes.

Some of the possibilities include Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr., Jan Schakowsky and Melissa Bean; Tammy Duckworth, the unsuccessful 2006 House candidate who now heads the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs; Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan; and State Comptroller Dan Hynes.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
If the contested elections of the Minnesota, Alaska, and Georgia Senate races aren't resolved before the new Congress convenes in January, the Senate has the power to seat someone to the position until the matter is resolved. It's been done several times in Senate history, most recently as 1997 with Senator Mary Landrieu.

Article 1, Section 5 of the US Constitution states, "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of it's own Members..."

How does it actually happen? The Senate Historian's Office explains it this way:

"...a petition has been presented to the Senate or a resolution offered by a senator contesting the election of a candidate (in some cases a year or more after the election in question). The contest may relate to the actual conduct of the election (vote count, electoral irregularities, etc.) or electoral misconduct by candidate or supporters. Most, but not all, of these cases were referred to a committee for review."

There has only been one case in Senate history when the chamber actually reversed the final election results. That was in 1926 in a race between Daniel Steck and Smith Brookhart in Iowa.

"Brookhart was initially seated but was later unseated by the Senate and Steck seated in his place," the Senate Historian's Office writes. "This is the only occasion to date in which the Senate has actually reversed the results of an election, unseated a senator, and seated the challenger."

The responsibility of making such a judgment would likely fall the Senate Rules Committee, if warranted.

From NBC's Libby Leist and Courtney Kube
Barack Obama's transition teams for two key agencies -- the Departments of State and Defense -- are getting geared up to start work, but officials at both departments say that they are still awaiting details from the office of the President-elect.

State Department officials said today they are still awaiting word from the Obama camp about when their transition team will begin work at the State Department. No one has arrived yet to work in the office space on the first floor, State Department transition coordinator Pat Kennedy told NBC. Spokesman Robert Wood told reporters at today's daily briefing that the new Obama staff is expected to move into the building "soon."

Across the river, Pentagon spokesperson Bryan Whitman says that the Obama transition office has not yet notified the Department about who will be part of the DOD transition team -- despite yesterday's press release from the Obama Transition office listing John White and Michele Flournoy as the team leaders.

Whitman said that the Obama transition office would notify the Pentagon about the DOD team in writing, including a full list of names of those on the team.  He could not say whether any Obama Transition team members might visit the Pentagon today to see the new office spaces.

 

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
MIAMI -- At this afternoon's panel about the future of the Republican Party, Tim Pawlenty
picked up where he left off yesterday, delivering some tough medicine
for the party, calling for moderating the party's message and demeanor,
including McCain's.

"People don't want to just hear I'm against earmarks, and 'we need to
get back to things,'" Pawlenty said. That's nice, he added, but people
are want to know, 'How can I pay for college, fill up my gas tank,' he
added. "People are wondering, 'What are you going to do for me.' …
Enough's enough."

He criticized the Republican Party's perceived negativity.

"When did you see Reagan get angry," Pawlenty said, adding that the
1980s president was positive and strong. "People want to follow mostly
positive leaders; they don't want to follow cranks," he said, an
apparent reference to McCain, which was met with scattered laughs from
the crowd.

This came following Gov. Mark Sanford, who said, "There is going to be a big debate about what we're about."

There has been a focus at the conference on outreach tools and being outmanned by Obama via the Web.

"Outreach tools are important, but they're secondary to what the brand
is about," the South Carolina governor said, adding, that when John
Deere gets into trouble, it doesn't say let's build airplanes and boats.

Pawlenty seemed to swat that down, almost immediately picking up on the point.

"It's about substance, structure and tone," Pawlenty said. "We weren't even on the same level" as Obama was when it came to structure and tone, he said, adding that Republicans are "15 years behind" when it comes to technology and structure."

When it comes to the substance, Pawlenty has twice publicly said -- and several other times to reporters -- at the conference that the party needs more than a "comb over." He again during the panel also spoke of the need of expanding the party, of appealing to Sam's Club Republicans, proving fiscal responsibility by balancing budgets and helping lower the cost of colleges.

One thing that seems to be emerging here is a split between the Pawlenty, Jindal, Crist wing versus the Palin, Perry, Portman and Sanford types. (Though perhaps less so with Sanford). Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour remains a strong and reasonable voice, and appears willing to do what will win and keep unity.

It will be interesting to see on which side former eBay CEO Meg Whitman comes down if she runs and wins the California gubernatorial race in 2010. A member of the McCain campaign who traveled with Palin, she has defended her here. But ideologically, she seems like a prime target for a potential somewhat moderate, forward-looking, fiscal conservative alliance.

NOTES: Barbour posed to Mike Pence, who also sat on the panel, that once a month he'd like to see Republican governors go to Washington to meet with Republican Congressional caucus members to give input and hear what they are doing. "Would you be open to that?" Barbour asked of Pence. Pence said he would be. … On how to win over black voters, Crist said he has appointed African Americans, who are "even Democrats." He said it's about proving the party is inclusive.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
MIAMI -- Palin called for reaching out to the new Obama Administration,
but at the same time criticized Democrats in a speech that was, at
times, hotly partisan here at the Republican Governors Association
conference.

In this speech, which followed her earlier press conference, she hit Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid,
saying their names like they are bad words and referred to the
"Democrat" (instead of "Democratic") Congress -- a time-honored
Republican tweak. "Maybe they forgot why they were sent to Washington,"
Palin said of Democrats.

But for a speech that was supposed to be
largely focused on the future of the Republican Party, Palin showed no
signs early in her speech -- and for much of it -- of moving past the
2008 campaign.

Despite saying she had moved on, she delivered
some of the campaign's greatest hits. She lauded Joe the Plumber and
Tito the Builder again. There also was talk of campaign signs and
enthusiasm with crowds praise for what she called "prayer warriors" for
their good wishes on the trail. But unlike Gov. Tim Pawlenty's call for a more diverse party yesterday or Bobby Jindal
saying Republicans were fired with just cause, Palin didn't offer a
concrete pathway or even a vision for a party searching for its soul
and a way forward after its defeats last week.

She did call on Republican governors to show leadership, by focusing on governing, and indicated she is in the traditionalist camp of how to move on, saying, "If we are to lead again in Washington … let us reclaim our good name" when it comes to spending restraint, personal responsibility and other traditional conservative principles.

In her opening remarks, Palin joked about her experiences since she was last at the RGA. She said she had a baby, "very briefly expanded my wardrobe" and met Tina Fey. She also thanked God for George W. Bush. "Thank you, Mr. President," Palin said of the president whose woeful approval rating, many objective observers as well as Republicans here lay much of the blame for the party's losses.

She said she enjoyed her campaign experience. And said she wishes Obama well. "If he governs with the skill and grace of which he is capable, we are going to be just fine," she said. She added that Republicans needed to "reach out to this new Administration" so "he understands our perspective."

"Let's help show him and Congress the way," she said.

She spoke against the bailout, saying people were standing in line with their hands out and that we are addicted to OPM (she pronounced it as one would say opium) -- Other People's Money.

Despite her calls for reaching out to the Obama Administration, she delivered some partisan applause lines, like that governors don't vote yea or nay or present, which got laughs from this Republican crowd.

"We are the minority party, but let us not become the negative party," Palin said. She said Republicans shouldn't lose their way. Americans will look to governors, she said.

Let the "pundits" talk about 2012," she said. "Our focus should be" on our states and "how we serve."