From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Rod Blagojevich REALLY likes the attention.

NBC Chicago producer Leo Juarez has the statement from Blago on his reaction to his pick, Roland Burris, being turned away from the Senate today:

"The people of Illinois are entitled to be represented by two senators in the United States Senate," Blagojevich said. "As governor, it is my duty and obligation to appoint a senator when there is a vacancy. I have done that by appointing Roland Burris, a good and decent man with a long history of public service in Illinois. Any allegations against me should not be held against him and especially not the people of Illinois."

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum and Carrie Dann
It might have gotten rained on, but Roland Burris definitely had a parade today on Capitol Hill.
 
Swarmed by a sopping pack of reporters, the self-described "junior senator from the state of Illinois" faced a wet and jostled journey as he made his way around the rainy Capitol campus this morning.  Burris' path -- to the third floor of the Capitol and then across Constitution Avenue -- was marked by shouting television producers and officials who scrambled to usher Burris to an outdoor press conference site after his credentials had been officially deemed unacceptable by the Secretary of the Senate.
 
Under the cold rain, Burris delivered an uncharacteristically short statement (less than 35 seconds) to inform reporters, "I presented my credentials to the Secretary of the Senate and was advised that my credentials were not in order, I would not be accepted, nor will I be seated, nor will I be permitted on the floor." 
 
The former Illinois attorney general added he was "not seeking to have any type of confrontation" over taking the seat but said he was consulting with his attorneys for his options.
 
When Burris left the podium, taking half of the press conference's inquisitive audience with him,  the appointee's legal team argued that the rejection of Burris' credentials "was improperly done" and "against the law of this land." 
 
Attorney Timothy W. Wright used the example of Marbury vs. Madison, a case from 1803, as legal basis that the secretary of state does not need to sign Burris' appointment for it to be legal.  "We have a 203 year old case that says that in fact once every act that is supposed to be taken by the executive is taken, then in effect the appointment is made," he said. "And from that, which is Marbury vs. Madison, we have determined that Sen. Roland Burris is the junior senator of the state of Illinois."
 
Wright listed their options as filing in the district court and negotiating with the Senate leadership. While the legal team said it is "not likely" they would file anything today, they do plan to still meet with Reid tomorrow.
 
"We think there is never an end to discussion," Wright said. "There's always a point to see if we might resolve this impasse and move forward on behalf of the people."
 
Meanwhile, Burris was escorted to a waiting silver minivan to duck, at least for the moment, out of the rain.

From NBC's Pete Williams

Although the Senate today turned away Roland Burris, there's a growing number of legal scholars who believe that the US Senate does not have the authority to refuse to seat him.

The Democratic leadership argues that it has the duty to protect the Senate's integrity and that allowing a governor accused of corruption to appoint a senator would taint the body.  But that argument is rejected by a growing number of both liberal and conservative legal scholars.

Among the liberals, professor Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the law school at UC Irvine, writes in today's Los Angeles Times: "Allowing the Senate to exclude Burris on any except the narrowest of grounds would create a dangerous precedent. It could open the door to the Senate or the House overturning the will of the people and excluding representatives under one or another pretext. If Burris -- whose appointment meets the legal test, no matter what you think of Blagojevich -- is not seated, other properly elected or appointed representatives also are at risk."

Among the conservatives, Bruce Fein argues that Blagojevich is still the governor, despite the accusations. In today's Washington Times, he says: "That Mr. Blagojevich was under a dark criminal and impeachment cloud when he elevated Mr. Burris is beside the point. President William Jefferson Clinton did not forfeit his power to appoint, sign legislation, or negotiate treaties during his impeachment ordeal. And Democrats are not questioning Mr. Blagojevich's general authority to discharge his gubernatorial responsibilities until or unless he is impeached, convicted and removed from office. Mr. Burris' appointment has been made a lone exception for partisan political reasons."

Some constitutional experts are solidly on the side of the Senate Democrats, including such notables as Harvard's Laurence Tribe. But as this issue gets more attention among the scholars, there's an emerging view that the Senate is wrong.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira

Your U.S. House convenes today at noon for the 111th Congress.

Here is your tic toc:
-- Noon ET: The Clerk of the House, Lorraine Miller, calls the House to order. The former Archbishop of Washington, Theodore McCarrick, delivers the opening prayer.

-- 12:15ish: The House is called to a quorum by means of an electronic vote.

-- 12:30ish: Nominations for speaker are made. Dems will put forward Pelosi; GOP will put forward Boehner. A member-by-member voice vote is taken. This will take an hour and change.

--  1:45ish: The winner of the election for speaker -- if it's not Nancy Pelosi then we have our lead for the week -- is announced. Pelosi is escorted into the chamber.

-- Boehner introduces Pelosi. Pelosi speaks.

-- John Dingell, as Dean of the House, administers the oath to Pelosi (they aren't on completely friendly terms at this point, which makes that a mildly interesting item of trivia)

-- 2:15ish: Pelosi administer the oath of office to the House, en masse

- 3:00 pm: Pelosi begins "mock" swearing-in the members, wherein everyone stands in line with their family and friends, waiting for their turn to raise their hands with the speaker and have their picture taken individually.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Roland Burris and Al Franken will not be seated as U.S. senators today, nor will they be allowed on the Senate floor. This is because both men have yet to produce election certificates approved by Senate rules.

Under Standing Rules of the Senate, Rule II, the "recommended" certificate of election and appointment should include the signature of both the state's governor AND the state's secretary of state. (One Senate staffer made a point to note the word "recommended" and not "required" as a possible point of contention for Burris' argument to be seated.)

In Burris' case, the Illinois secretary of state has refused to sign the certificate because of the Blagojevich corruption scandal. Yesterday, according to Sen. Dick Durbin, Blago's chief of staff came to Washington and submitted Burris' "certificate of appointment." The secretary of the Senate rejected the paperwork, citing the absence of the IL secretary of state's signature.

As for Franken, Minnesota law requires that all legal proceeding challenging election results be completed before an election certificate is given. Franken's opponent, incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, has promised to file a lawsuit today. Senate Democrats believe Franken will ultimately prevail, but have to let the lawsuit(s) run their course.

Oddly enough, Coleman can be on the Senate floor today if he so chooses. Senate rules give former members floor privileges. Coleman's term officially expired at noon last Saturday, January 3rd. Coleman was in the Capitol yesterday.

Other tidbits: While Hillary Clinton and Ken Salazar are expected to be confirmed for the cabinet post in the Obama administration, neither has resigned his/her Senate seat. They are not expected to do so until they are confirmed. Therefore at this point, there is no vacancy to fill in New York or Colorado.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann
*** A bumpier 2009? You could chalk up the Richardson flap to a simple vetting mistake about the New Mexico governor's ties to an alleged pay-to-play scheme, or a lack of communication between the Obama and Richardson folks. Yet any big controversy ended as soon as Richardson withdrew his nomination over the weekend; it prevented a rough confirmation hearing. But now Obama's pick of Leon Panetta to head the CIA has drawn new criticism because of (1) Panetta's lack of intelligence experience and (2) the fact that Obama's team apparently didn't even consult the selection with incoming Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, who prefers a career intelligence official in charge of the CIA. The timing of this criticism isn't good for the Obama team, especially since it comes immediately after Richardson withdrawal. The 2008 transition was very smooth. The 2009 transition so far? Well, welcome to the big leagues. But as Ron Fournier writes, "While these are hiccups in what has otherwise been a smooth transition, Obama's response suggests that he is a patient and pragmatic politician, willing to trade time for consensus on legislation and to jettison allies who jeopardize his carefully built reformist image." 

*** Competence and ideology: One reason why intelligence has become such a tough nut for Obama to crack: There's a lot of Democratic rhetoric on intel from the presidential campaign, and it's something that Obama is allowing the intellectual left to have veto power over. Obama finds himself caught in this first intra-party vise between his instinct to pick competence over ideology. His first rumored choices for CIA were competent picks -- but both would have been eviscerated by the intellectual left because of their anger at Bush over interrogation practices. He's allowing ideology to trump competence for the first time in one of his major appointments. Now, the pick of Dennis Blair to be DNI is a tip toward competence, while the Obama folks hoped Panetta was a compromise between competence and ideology. (Panetta was praised as a smart manager during the Clinton White House years.) But it looks like it ain't being received that way...

*** Welcome back, Congress: When the 111th Congress officially begins today, it appears that the two men who may (or may not) be senator -- Roland Burris and Al Franken -- won't be seated, at least for today. Per NBC's Ken Strickland, Burris will show up to Capitol Hill at 10:30 am ET (and will hold a press conference at the Senate's appointment desk entrance), but he won't be allowed onto the Senate floor. No one expects there to be confrontation over the matter. Strickland adds that both Burris and Franken lack election certificates (Illinois' secretary of state won't sign Burris', while the Coleman campaign plans to challenge yesterday's declaration that Franken won the recount for the Minnesota Senate seat). One other thing: Vice President-elect Joe Biden also gets sworn in today. Per a Biden spokeswoman, he won't become the first VP-elect to do this: LBJ also was sworn in before officially resigning his Texas Senate seat to become vice president. So why is VP-elect Biden being sworn in today as senator? Well, one reason is to go on one final CODEL…

*** Rules "change"? Democrats released a new "rules package," intended as "Common-sense Reforms to Keep Congress Working for America, Continue to Restore Integrity to Institution," the press releases subhead reads. But one of those changes rescinds term limits from committee chairs. Is this really a reform? Is this a healthy thing for the Democratic Party? There are just six chairs who were elected with or after Clinton, while the other 16 came to Congress before Bill Clinton was even a twinkle in James Carville's eye, and six came to Congress before Jimmy Carter was elected! Is this change Democrats can believe in? Shouldn't the House Democrats want new blood running Congress not just serving in it?

*** 2009 vs. 1993: It was 16 years ago -- the last time (1993) that we saw a Democratically controlled Congress getting sworn in with a Democratic president on the way (Bill Clinton). But it's worth pointing out that Democrats today find themselves in a MUCH STRONGER position than they were in 1993. While Democrats back then held about the same number of House and Senate seats that they hold now, they were a party that was on the decline or stagnant. According to the Vital Statistics on Congress, they held 258 House seats on the first day of the 103rd Congress (1993-95), down from the 267 they had in the prior Congress. And in the Senate, they held 57 Senate seats, up one from the previous Congress. Of course, they lost their hold on both chambers after the 1994 election. But after this past November, Democrats have significantly increased their majorities in both the House and Senate, and Obama won his presidential contest with 53% of the vote (compared with Clinton's 43%).

*** The latest in New York: According to NBC's Andrea Mitchell, Democratic political sources say Gov. Paterson has asked the hopefuls to replace Hillary Clinton for their financial records, and Caroline Kennedy is expected to turn over her records -- as will Congress members Steve Israel and Carolyn Maloney, and potentially others. Until now, Kennedy has kept her finances private; she didn't disclose them when she took her NYC education post in the Bloomberg administration. The simple act of cooperating on this front should be a sign that she's probably still safe to call the front-runner for the appointment.

*** The party of Reagan: Perhaps our biggest takeaway after watching yesterday's RNC chair forum in DC was all the emphasis on Ronald Reagan. The six candidates vying for chairman -- Saul Anuzis, Ken Blackwell, Katon Dawson, Mike Duncan, Chip Saltsman, and Michael Steele -- mentioned Reagan frequently, much like the Republican presidential candidates did at all the GOP debates during the primary season. And when asked who their favorite Republican president was, all the RNC chair candidates said Reagan. But here's a little cold water to throw on that Reagan legacy: Your First Read authors, respectively, were 8 years old, 6 years old, 1 year old, and not even born when Reagan first won the White House in 1980. Think about that as the GOP tries to perform better among 18-29 year olds, a group Obama won 66%-32%. What's more, while conservatives remember Reagan's legacy as a tax-cutter and anti-communist hawk, he also had a much more pragmatic side. He raised taxes (!!!) and his administration worked through back channels with the Soviets to bring an end to the Cold War. 

*** Stimulus odds and ends: One news nugget that didn't get much play yesterday -- the TARP money. Part of the message that was bandied about during the larger meeting between Obama and bipartisan congressional leaders, according to one source privy to the meeting, was to move quickly to get the rest of the TARP money appropriated ($350 billion) before Bush leaves office. No doubt Obama would love to have the entire $700 billion appropriated on 43's watch…
 
Countdown to Electoral Vote Count In Congress: 2 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 14 days
Countdown to RNC winter meeting: 22 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 154 days
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Countdown to Election Day 2010: 665 days

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The Washington Post: "President-elect Barack Obama stunned the national intelligence community by selecting Clinton White House chief of staff Leon E. Panetta, a longtime Washington insider with little intelligence experience, to serve as the next head of the CIA. The decision -- which was also met with wariness on Capitol Hill -- reflects a desire to change the intelligence power structure, officials close to the selection said yesterday. Obama has chosen retired Navy Adm. Dennis C. Blair as the director of national intelligence, a job he intends to reinforce as the 'lead horse' on intelligence issues, an official close to the selection process said." 

The New York Times: "The choice of Mr. Panetta comes nearly two weeks after Mr. Obama had otherwise wrapped up his major personnel moves. It appears to reflect the difficulty Mr. Obama has encountered in finding a candidate who is capable of taking charge of the agency but is not tied to the interrogation and detention program run by the C.I.A. under President Bush. Aides have said that Mr. Obama had originally hoped to select a C.I.A. director with extensive field experience, especially in combating terrorist networks. But his first choice for the job, John O. Brennan, had to withdraw his name amid criticism over his alleged role in the formation of the agency's detention and interrogation program after the Sept. 11 attacks." 
 
One of the under-covered aspects to the Bill Richardson fallout is the fact that his downfall means there's yet another vacuum in the Hispanic Democratic community. Who is the future national Hispanic star of the Democratic Party if it's not Richardson?

Speaking of Richardson, the Washington Post has one of those fun blame-game stories between transition officials and Richardson defenders. But one comment from a Richardson defender has us scratching out head. "Sources within the transition and the Justice Department said that Richardson had played down the importance of the probe and did not reveal that his office and staff could be at risk. The seriousness of the matter became apparent after the FBI began its own background check on Dec. 2. But Richardson's longtime aides defended his disclosures, noting that subjects under examination by a grand jury are rarely aware of its secret deliberations."

"'This was out there, and he told them,' said a senior Richardson aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. 'I feel that they just missed the boat on it. The FBI or the campaign or something. I don't think it's fair that this is being portrayed as him holding anything back.'"

So the Richardson defense is that they didn't hold back, but the transition missed this? With friends like these, does Richardson need enemies? Seriously, read between the lines of the Richardson aide -- it's not as if they are claiming there was nothing to find in the vetting process. Oy.

Speaking of the Commerce vacancy, the New York Daily News has an interesting piece of speculation: moving Tom Vilsack from Agriculture to Commerce as they have a deeper bench of ideas for Ag apparently?

Meanwhile, Tom Edsall reports that Bill Daley, a former Commerce secretary, and Laura D'Andrea Tyson are on the Commerce list as well.

Other speculation: Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, attorney Scott Harris (managing partner at DC's Harris, Wiltshire and Grannis), Leo Hindery (former CEO of the YES Network in New York, who was an economic adviser to John Edwards), Oracle President Charles Phillips. Latinos also compiled a list of 10 names, per Politico, including: Xavier Becerra, Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. Others on the list: Federico Pena; former EEOC Chairman Gilbert Casellas, New York Rep. Nydia Velasquez, Antonio Perez (Eastman Kodak), Hector Ruiz (Advance Micro Devices), Paul Diaz (Kindred Healthcare), and Jose Maria-Alapont (Federal Mogul).

And the Boston Globe profiles Elena Kagan, Obama's pick to be solicitor general. "Kagan, who as an academic specialized in charting the limits of the president's regulatory authority and as an aide to President Clinton tested them, is expected to play a key role in Obama's efforts to redraw such powers. Obama has criticized the Bush administration for expanding the powers of the presidency."

The L.A. Times plays up the positive comments Congressional Republicans made about the tax cut plans within Obama's stimulus plan.

The Washington Post also led with Obama's efforts to woo congressional Republicans. "Obama officials said they tried to keep the package ideologically neutral, rejecting an option supported by many progressives to make people who are not working eligible for a 'refundable' tax credit. And they passed up conservative provisions such as estate tax relief and capital gains tax cuts that disproportionately benefit wealthier individuals. After a lunchtime session with his economic advisers, Obama rejected suggestions that the tax cuts were designed to win over GOP votes. 'The notion that me wanting to include relief for working families in this plan is somehow a political ploy, when this was a centerpiece of my plan for the last two years doesn't make too much sense,' he told reporters."

"Some prominent Republicans expressed reservations about the tax proposals' specifics. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), a member of the Senate Republican leadership team, said he hadn't studied the list of proposed cuts, but that he favored reducing corporate and capital gains taxes, and providing more generous small-business incentives. And, he said, 'These changes should be permanent, rather than just temporary.'"

Yesterday's meetings, the New York Times adds, "were a mix of symbolism and substance between the man who will be sworn in as the 44th president and the Congressional leaders who hold the fate of his agenda in their hands. The sessions, aides said, were particularly aimed at encouraging Republicans to buy into the plan and help ease resistance over a $775 billion price tag. Mr. Obama pledged to help advance the legislation in any way he could, participants said, including inviting skeptical members of Congress to meet with him at his transition headquarters or at his temporary residence, the Hay-Adams Hotel." 
 
Roll Call reports, "As Obama solicited ideas on the stimulus package, Democratic aides have been meeting with their Obama transition counterparts on the details. But sources on both sides of the aisle said aspects of the proposal -- particularly on the tax cut side -- were mainly drawn up by Team Obama. One top Republican aide said GOP officials had no substantive meetings with Obama advisers on the stimulus package before Monday."

USA Today does some fun stats about the new Congress. One interesting nugget: It's the oldest Congress on record. "The average age will be 57 in the House and 63 in the Senate, according to the chambers' historical offices. In each case, it's the highest on record. Despite the departure of such veteran lawmakers as Republican Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska and John Warner of Virginia, both in their 80s, the 111th Congress that convenes today is getting grayer. One reason: Some junior members also moved on -- including Obama, 47, and the youngest senator, 44-year-old John Sununu of New Hampshire, who lost re-election. The oldest member, 91-year-old Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, returns."

The New York Times on the latest regarding Burris: "Senate officials on Monday rejected credentials offered on behalf of Roland W. Burris, who nonetheless planned to arrive at the Capitol on Tuesday to be sworn in as the new junior senator from Illinois. After reviewing the appointment letter presented by a representative of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, Nancy Erickson, the secretary of the Senate, found that the paperwork did not comply with Rule II of the Senate's standing rules, which requires signatures of both the governor and the secretary of state."

"The Illinois secretary of state, Jesse White, has refused to sign, saying the appointment is invalid because of the federal corruption investigation surrounding the governor and what prosecutors describe as his efforts to sell the Senate seat, vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. 'Roland Burris is welcome to Washington; he is welcome to come to my office,' said Illinois's senior senator, Richard J. Durbin, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat. 'But he couldn't possibly be anticipating any official action until at least his papers are filed.'"  

The Hill: "A senior Democratic aide said efforts by [Rep. Bobby] Rush to win support for Burris behind the scenes seem to have met with limited success, as the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) does not appear to be rallying behind Burris. One aide said Rush's use of racial rhetoric at Burris's press conference last month hurt the effort more than it helped 'There is a sense that Rush is largely alone,' the aide said. 'He kind of sealed his fate with his incendiary talk.'"

Indeed, the L.A. Times has an intriguing story about how the Burris controversy is an example how Obama's election has changed the nature of racial politics. There's no unity, for instance, among key black political leaders on how to respond to the Burris issue.

The crux of Harry Reid's Franken problem? "... [W]ith Pawlenty refusing to sign a certification of the vote until Coleman's pending legal challenges are resolved, Reid found himself in the awkward position of potentially trying to seat Franken while refusing to seat embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D) pick of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris (D) to replace President-elect Barack Obama, in part because Burris' appointment has not been certified by state officials."

So why is VP-elect Biden being sworn in today as senator? Well, one reason is to go on one final CODEL… "The journey will also throw a spotlight on Mr. Biden, who has remained largely out of the public eye since the election, and reinforce his intention to play an important role in foreign policy in the new administration. With the selections of Senator Hillary Rodman Clinton as secretary of state and Gen. James L. Jones, a retired Marine commandant, as national security adviser, many in Washington have speculated about how much room would be left for Mr. Biden."

"Aides said Mr. Biden would not be speaking on behalf of the United States government or the incoming administration during the trip, although it seems unlikely that his hosts would make a distinction between Senator Biden and Vice President-elect Biden. His office declined to specify exactly when or where he would travel, citing security concerns, but Southwest Asia usually refers to a stretch of countries including Afghanistan and Pakistan, both very likely to be important hot spots for Mr. Obama."

MINNESOTA: The Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that "Al Franken's 225-vote lead in the marathon U.S. Senate recount was unanimously certified Monday by the state Canvassing Board, prompting attorneys for Republican Norm Coleman to immediately declare that they will challenge the results in court… The lawsuit that Coleman's attorneys said they would file today is called an election contest. It will prevent Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, under state law, from officially certifying Franken's election until the legal process has run its course."

"No one knows how long that might take, but Coleman attorney Fritz Knaak said their case will pivot in part on constitutional issues, such as the equal protection clause, that typically are decided by the U.S. Supreme Court." 

"After 62 days of careful and painstaking hand-inspection of nearly 3 million ballots, after hours and hours of hard work by election officials and volunteers around the state, I am proud to stand before you as the next senator from Minnesota," Franken said Monday.

The New York Times: "For Mr. Coleman … the political calculus of whether to contest the election legally involves both national and state considerations. A contested election could take months to resolve, which might earn him some points with national Republican leaders, even if he failed to overturn the canvassing board's decision, because it would keep one more Democrat out of the Senate through at least the early days of the Obama administration as immense issues like an economic stimulus and taxes are debated. Countering that is how much a continued battle could affect his political future within the state -- he is 59 years old -- if residents simply become fed up and blame him for having only one senator at a crucial moment in history." 

NEW YORK: At least six candidates, the New York Times says, have received a 28-page questionnaire from the Gov. Paterson, including Caroline Kennedy. "Representatives Steve Israel, Carolyn B. Maloney, Kirsten E. Gillibrand and Jerrold L. Nadler, as well as Thomas R. Suozzi, the Nassau County executive. The form appears to be similar to one filled out by executive branch job applicants; they were mailed to the Senate aspirants early last week and are due back on Thursday. Mr. Israel described the form as essentially indicating 'you are being considered by the governor for the position, enclosed are 28 pages. Fill them out.'"

CALIFORNIA: Meg Whitman, ex-EBAY CEO, is officially exploring a bid for California governor, setting up a high priced GOP primary between two moderates, as Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has been running for months.

COLORADO: The AP profiles Colorado's new senator, former Denver schools chief Michael Bennet, who fully intends to run for the seat in 2010, as he setting up a campaign Web site and will file papers in a few days. "A Yale-educated lawyer who made millions working as a corporate restructuring specialist before entering government work, Bennet was an aide to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper before taking over Denver's schools in 2005. A reform plan Bennet brought to the school district earned him national accolades in education circles. Bennet was among those who advised Obama on education during the presidential campaign...."

(CQ's Jonathan Allen counts the appointees who successfully ran for reelection, and the odds aren't all that good. "Since the 17th Amendment established procedures for filling vacancies in 1913, only 60 of the 180 men and women appointed to the Senate -- an even one-third ratio --have won the next election in their own right, according to records kept by the Senate.")

FLORIDA: One of the most plugged-in Florida political reporters, Adam Smith of the St. Pete Times, has an intriguing story quoting many Jeb Bush friends as saying the ex-Republican governor may be having second thoughts about a return to politics.

ILLINOIS: Good news, bad news for the Illinois GOP: A potential electable moderate may decide to run for the Senate seat in 2010, but if Mark Kirk runs, he leaves a House district that will be very difficult for the GOP to hold as an open seat.

VIRGINIA: Today, the day before Terry McAuliffe officially launches his gubernatorial bid, Democratic rival Brian Moran appears in "Arlington County, where he began his political career as a prosecutor two decades ago," the Richmond Times-Dispatch writes. "Moran expects to pick up the support of the majority of the county's elective officials. Though Moran is backed by big-name Democrats across the state, he is emphasizing his Northern Virginia roots ahead of McAuliffe's kickoff Wednesday. McAuliffe, too, is based in Northern Virginia."

From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Despite differences in age, background and region, all six candidates vying to be the next chairman of the Republican National Committee agreed on almost everything at today's candidate forum here.

They want lower taxes and less government. They want the party to do a better job of reaching out to minorities. They argue the GOP should pay more attention to the grassroots. They believe it needs to catch up to the Democrats when it comes to technology. They're waiting for Obama to overreach. And they responded -- every single one of them -- that Ronald Reagan is their favorite Republican president. (No one said Lincoln).

The major differences came in message and tone. Michael Steele, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, stressed that the party has to become more competitive in areas outside the South, while South Carolina GOP chair Katon Dawson highlighted his party's wins in the Palmetto State. (Ken Blackwell, Ohio's former secretary of state later joked, "We know how difficult it is to win in the swing state of South Carolina.")

As for Blackwell, he said the most important thing was "to reinvigorate our base." Yet Mike Duncan, the RNC's current chair who is running for re-election, promised to be the candidate "who will bring significant change to the Republican Party." (Although convincing people you represent change when you've held the job for the past two years could be easier said than done.)

Saul Anuzis, the Michigan GOP chairman, played up hailing from a blue battleground state, as well as his past Teamster membership and blue-collar upbringing. And Chip Saltsman, who was Mike Huckabee's campaign manager, emphasized that politics comes down to conservative principles, policy, and people. "If we put those together, we win."

Some other observations from the forum: In the hour we were there, we didn't hear a single negative -- or any -- mention of John McCain. We also didn't hear a single question or mention about Saltsman's controversial CD containing the song, "Barack the Magic Negro." There were criticisms directed at President Bush -- but only when moderator Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, which sponsored the forum, asked each candidate what the Bush administration's biggest mistake was. Blackwell cited the financial bailout; Anuzis said Bush had let government become too big; Saltsman noted the administration's failure to communicate; Duncan cited the prosecution of the Iraq war; and Steele mentioned three things: failure to communicate, Hurricane Katrina and the bailout. "I will stop there," he said.

Steele seemed to stack the room with supporters. There were Steele RNC campaign signs -- complete with those bolts from the '06 Maryland governor's race campaign -- plastered against the glass railing on the balcony level. And he received the only applause of the candidates while speaking. It happened twice, in fact -- once for his answer to a question on how to bring young voters back into the fold. "You can Facebook and YouTube," he said. "But you need real face time… Put them in the game and let them play." And another time for a call to action on how to appeal to minorities. "We've spent so much time talking about this," he said. "When are we going to start doing it?"

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
NBC News has learned that Senate Democrats -- including Dianne Feinstein and Jay Rockefeller, who are the incoming and outgoing Intelligence chairmen -- have privately recommended a career CIA officer to head the agency.

Democratic sources indicate that both have recommended deputy CIA Director Steve Kappes, a veteran CIA intelligence officer who is widely credited with getting the Libyans to give up their nuclear program. Kappes also was former Moscow station chief.

The senators have let the transition team know they believe that the agency has finally settled down under Michael Hayden and needs a real intelligence pro to make key decisions -- and get institutional support to make them stick. 

One potential downside for Kappes: Like former counter-terror chief John Brennan, some critics says he had line authority over controversial decisions involving interrogation and detention. Brennan was taken out of contention for the CIA job after criticism on the Web on that issue, even though he says he privately objected to the policies and was not in the chain of command at the time.

From NBC's Abby Livingston
An aide to current Chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, tells NBC News that while the senator has tremendous respect for Leon Panetta, the aide said he believes the CIA director should go to someone who has significant intelligence experience and someone from outside the political world of Washington D.C.

Like incoming Senate intelligence chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, the aide added Rockefeller was not contacted either about Panetta's appointment.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
It appears President-elect Obama forgot to tell the incoming chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee about Leon Panetta as his choice to head up the Central Intelligence Agency.

Here's the statement from Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office:

" 'I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA Director. I know nothing about this, other than what I've read,' said Senator Feinstein, who will chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 111th Congress.

" 'My position has consistently been that I believe the Agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.'"

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
After 62 days of counting and re-counting nearly three million ballots, the Minnesota State Canvassing Board today certified results showing Democrat Al Franken as the winner of the Minnesota Senate race.

The decision overturns the initial result from Election Day, Nov. 4th, when incumbent Republican Norm Coleman led by 215 votes and declared victory.

After an initial recount, Franken -- bolstered by the state's liberal voter intent law -- took a 46-vote lead. That lead then grew to 49 votes late last week and after absentee ballots, which were determined to be rejected improperly, were counted over the weekend, Franken expanded his lead to 225 votes.

But it's not over yet, as Team Coleman will likely take the decision to court.

Beyond that, the next fight will be in Washington and if or how Republicans try to block Franken from being seated before all litigation is decided on.

The Minnesota Senate recount has gone on 23 days longer than the 2000 Florida Presidential recount.

From NBC's Abby Livingston
Washington veteran Rep. Lee Hamilton said that his former Iraq Study Group colleague, Leon Panetta, will be a "superb" leader of the Central Intelligence Agency. 
 
Hamilton, a Democrat, spent 34 years in Congress and was the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence before taking the reins of the ISG alongside the former Clinton chief-of-staff newly named to lead Langley.
 
In an interview with NBC News, Hamilton discussed the reasons he thinks Panetta is a "superb choice" for the CIA. He sees Panetta as a consensus builder and expects the former Clinton chief-of-staff to work in tandem with the named director of intelligence, retired Adm. Dennis Blair, and with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. He described such cooperation as "crucial" and "hugely important" to the success of intelligence in an Obama administration. 
 
Hamilton stressed that, while it can be good to bring an outsider to the agency, the appointee will need the support of experienced hands to the complex agency.

When asked if congressional oversight will increase under Panetta, Hamilton said, "He will work to strengthen the oversight to the extent that he can."
 
The former Indiana congressman determined that Panetta's tenure at CIA would be successful "if he continues to improve the quality of intelligence, upgrades the status of the intelligence agencies, not just at the CIA, and improves the perception to the American public about the importance of role of intelligence in this country."

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
After withdrawing as Obama's nominee for Commerce Secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson insisted today he made the choice by himself and was not pressured by the transition team.
 
"It was my idea to withdraw," he said. "I withdrew because I felt I didn't want a possible inquiry going on to delay the enormous progress we need to rebuild this economy."
 
Richardson repeatedly said his desire to bow out of the appointment stemmed from not wanting his confirmation to be delayed because of the ongoing investigation.
 
"I had hoped that the CDR investigation would have concluded in December, with a clean bill of health to my administration," Richardson explained at a press conference in his home state. "Since the investigation was not finished in December, and as long as the CDR investigation is ongoing, I'm making the decision to withdraw as the President-elect's nominee for Commerce Secretary rather than ask for a delay in my appointment."
 
The federal "pay to play" probe asks whether Richardson or his staff gave state business to CDR Financial Products because the firm's founder made substantial contributions to the governor's PAC. Richardson emphasized his innocence.
 
"The deal handled by the New Mexico Finance Authority with CDR was thoroughly scrutinized through a rigorous procurement process," he said. "I've always fully expected that my administration would be cleared of any wrongdoing and it would be clear that nothing improper took place."
 
Richardson did not answer questions specific to the investigation, including those asking if he had conducted an internal investigation and if he has hired a lawyer.
 
He also compared his loss "minor" to the losses of many Americans. "Yesterday I was hurting over this decision. I lost a cabinet appointment. But I think we have to focus on what people are losing in this country. The American people, people in New Mexico are losing their jobs; they are losing their savings; they are losing their homes. That's the real tragedy. Mine is minor compared to that."

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie
President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Bill Clinton chief-of-staff and Iraq Study Group member Leon Panetta to be his CIA director.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
While exact details remain unclear about how and when Roland Burris will enter the U.S. Capitol tomorrow seeking Obama's vacant Senate seat, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer says it will be an orderly arrival.  "We do not anticipate some type of confrontation," said Gainer.  

Gainer has been in contact with Burris' staff and knows him from their days working together in Illinois goverment.  Before working in Washington, Gainer served as the Illinois State Police Director during Burris' tenure as the state attorney general.  Gainer's current position also gives him some oversight of the U.S. Capitol Police, which staffs every Capitol entrance.

"He's not that type of leader. This is not that type of institution," Gainer said of Burris and the body he seeks to join.  "I think we'll have a meeting of the minds as to what each party expects of the other and we'll work through that." 

The Senate convenes at noon tomorrow and will immediately begin swearing in new and reelected Senators.

From NBC's Carrie Dann
With a nod to the inauguration preparations underway outside, President-elect Obama started Washington DC's unofficial "back to school day" this morning by meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying that "the people's business can't wait" any longer for progress on an economic stimulus package.

"We have an extraordinary economic challenge ahead of us," Obama said at the start of his meeting with the Speaker. "We are expecting a sobering job report at the end of the week."

Although both Obama's staff and other House leaders have said that the big-dollar recovery bill is unlikely to have cleared Congressional hurdles by January 20, Pelosi indicated an optimistic timetable for forward motion on some form of legislation. Noting that Inauguration Day falls just two weeks from tomorrow, she said that "at that time we hope to have signed into law legislation that will improve the lives of the American people."

Pelosi pledged that Congress would work on the plan, which will likely include $300 billion in tax cuts and at least $500 billion in added spending, "with great civility, with great fiscal discipline."

Obama  - accompanied by Vice President-elect Joe Biden -- is expected to meet with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on the Hill later today after he sits down with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this afternoon.

From NBC's Pete Williams
President-elect Obama intends to nominate the dean of the Harvard Law School to be the first female full-time solicitor general, the government's top courtroom advocate. No woman has ever held the position in any but an acting role.

Elena Kagan is a former Clinton White House lawyer and policy adviser. She also clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall at the Supreme Court and, before that, for Judge Abner Mikva at the D.C. Court of Appeals.

Obama was also considering another woman -- Kathleen Sullivan, dean of the Stanford Law School -- for the job. 

Obama's transition said today the president-elect has chosen three other veterans of the Clinton Administration for other top Justice positions.

For deputy attorney general, the person who runs DOJ day to day, Obama wants David Ogden, who's been running the Justice transition. Ogden was an assistant attorney general in charge of the Civil Division under Clinton and also served as Janet Reno's chief of staff during part of the time she was attorney general.  He's a former Harry Blackmun clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court. 

For the No. 3 spot at DOJ, associate attorney general, Obama has chosen Tom Perrelli.  He was a counsel to Reno and an official in the Civil Division under Clinton. 

And for the person in the very sensitive job of heading up DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, Obama has chosen an academic -- Dawn Johnsen, a professor of law at Indiana University. She's an OLC veteran and was its No. 2 official there under Clinton and Reno.  In the Bush administration, opinions from OLC justified the use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods. Some of those opinions were later rescinded. A top priority for the Obama Justice Department will be sorting through the OLC opinions written during the war on terror and deciding which to declare void.

From NBC's Doug Adams
With the new Senate in the 111th Congress set to take office this week, it's worth noting the stunning amount of new faces in a chamber that rarely sees major change.
 
When all of the shouting and legal arguments are over (there are four Senate seats in currently in question or officially unfilled), this year's freshman class of senators will number 14. That is on top of the 10 freshman senators from the class of 2006, which means that nearly a quarter of the Senate has turned over in the last two years.
 
Some other random facts -- there are 17 women in the 111th Senate, which is a record. (That number includes Hillary Clinton). And Colorado finds itself in the position of having two brand new senators.
 
Here are the four Senate seats still in question at the moment, now that Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has chosen Denver Schools chief Michael Bennet to replace Ken Salazar:  
- Barack Obama's seat in Illinois, of course, and the saga of whether Roland Burris is allowed to take his seat.
- Hillary Clinton seat in New York, which will be vacant this month when she steps down to become secretary of state.
- Joe Biden's seat in Delaware -- Biden will be sworn in Tuesday, but will step down before taking office as Vice President on January 20th. Outgoing Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner announced that longtime Biden aide Ted Kaufman will take over his seat.
- And the disputed seat in Minnesota, where Al Franken seems poised to claim the seat after a contentious recount.
 
And here is the list of other freshman senators for 2009:
Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Mark Udall (D-Colorado), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), Kay Hagan (D-North Carolina), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Mark Warner (D-Virginia)

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann
*** Happy (and busy) New Year: What was perhaps the most entertaining and exciting presidential race of our lifetime now makes way for one of the busiest Januarys we can remember in politics. Just consider all of today's moving parts: Obama, on Capitol Hill, meets with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid -- and then later with other congressional leaders from both parties -- to discuss the economic stimulus; the six candidates for RNC chair gather at the National Press Club in DC for a forum sponsored by Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform; and the state canvassing board in Minnesota reconvenes to declare a winner (finally!) in the ongoing Coleman-Franken recount, which has Franken leading by 225 votes. Other things that will happen this week: Obama reportedly will deliver a major speech to sell the economic stimulus; the new Congress officially begins on Tuesday; Bush, Obama, and the other surviving presidents have lunch at the White House on Wednesday; and the electoral vote takes place in Congress on Thursday. And then later this month, we'll see Eric Holder's confirmation hearing (which will have the most fireworks now that Bill Richardson has withdrawn his nomination), Bush's last day, Obama's inauguration, New York Gov. David Paterson's eventual pick to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, and the election for RNC chair. Oh, and we haven't yet mentioned the names Roland Burris or Rod Blagojevich. Phew, what a way to begin the new year! 

Video: NBC's Chuck Todd and MSNBC's Chris Matthews discuss Obama's meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill today about an economic stimulus plan and the potential fallout from Gov. Bill Richardson's withdrawal from the new Cabinet.  

*** Stimulus odds and ends: Regarding the stimulus, some advancement was made yesterday on the timing of passage. With House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer saying a House vote won't happen before inauguration, and with the Obama folks agreeing with that timetable, it already pushes us into late January/early February for this legislation. Also, today's detail leak by the Obama team -- that the stimulus plans to include about $300 billion in tax breaks -- seems entirely focused on winning over Republicans and business groups. In addition, as mentioned above, Obama will apparently give a pre-inaugural address on the stimulus. What will the optics for this speech be? Will it be in DC or will it be outside the bubble in order to draw more attention? And finally, today's congressional meetings will largely be ceremonial and filled with talking points. The post-meeting press releases and newsers might be as interesting -- if not more so -- than anything said inside the meeting.

Video: Richardson has withdrawn his nomination as Obama's commerce secretary, citing an investigation involving one of his political donors. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

*** Collateral damage: Yesterday's big news -- first reported by NBC's Andrea Mitchell -- was that Bill Richardson withdrew his nomination as Commerce secretary, citing an ongoing pay-to-play investigation that might tie up his confirmation. Of course, we've seen this movie before when Obama aides or associates -- think Samantha Power or Jim Johnson -- have found themselves in controversy: Obama cuts the cord (although that doesn't mean that we won't see that person again). While some might view this as disloyalty, others might see it as smartly picking your fights when you have bigger fish to fry. What is most definitely true is that Richardson became collateral damage from the Blagojevich scandal. Does anyone think that Richardson's link to this investigation would have been a serious of problem if Blago's alleged pay-to-play scheme hadn't come to light?

*** Old politics vs. new politics: One other point about Richardson's withdrawal: There was always something about this appointment that didn't sit right. Neither side seemed overly excited about it -- neither Richardson himself, who had designs on a bigger cabinet post (State), nor with the Obama side, which seemed to act as if their hand was forced at the time. Remember that Richardson's selection to head Commerce came right after many of the big slots were handed out, and the Obama transition team was dealing with criticism from Hispanic supporters, who were upset that none of the big Cabinet slots were going to Hispanics. It seemed slapped together quickly and, well, reeked of the "old politics" that Obama campaigned against. Obama simply rewarded a political friend and maybe overlooked potential problems. What lesson will Obama personally take from this pick? Will he decide that he should have listened to his gut instincts on "old political" choices vs. his "new politics" mantra.

Video: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid discusses the appointment of Roland Burris to Obama's vacated Senate seat with NBC's David Gregory on "Meet the Press."

*** Reid vs. Burris: On Meet the Press yesterday, Harry Reid maintained that he had the authority to prevent Blagojevich's pick to replace Obama in the Senate -- Roland Burris -- from being seated. But he also gave himself plenty of wiggle room. "I'm an old trial lawyer, " Reid told NBC's David Gregory. "There's always room to negotiate." What's more, he made a little bit of news that he's agreed to sit down with Burris on Wednesday. (No doubt this meeting came about as a way to prevent a scene tomorrow on swearing-in day.) After Lieberman rolled over him after the November election, is Reid going to get rolled over by Blago? Or is it just an admission that Reid is on shaky constitutional ground to prevent Burris from being seated? On ABC yesterday, Reid's No. 2, Dick Durbin, also sounded like he's ready to compromise. "Sen. Reid said from the beginning, and I agree with him, we have to look at this carefully, because Rod Blagojevich has brought questions… Not reflecting personally on Roland Burris, but to make sure that in the end, the person representing the state of Illinois, serving with me ... was brought to that position properly." Will Reid-Durbin ask Burris to offer his resignation to a Gov. Pat Quinn? Will they promise to seat him if he says that publicly? What else is on the table? By the way, who now gets seated first -- Burris or Al Franken. Last week, the odds would have dramatically favored Franken. Now?

*** How not to help yourself with minorities: As mentioned above, at 1:00 pm ET today in DC, the six candidates for Republican National Committee chairman -- current RNC chair Mike Duncan, Michigan GOP chair Saul Anuzis, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, South Carolina GOP chair Katon Dawson, former Huckabee campaign manager Chip Saltsman, and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele -- participate at a forum sponsored by the conservative Americans for Tax Reform. The gathering comes after Saltsman's controversial mailing of a CD with a song entitled "Barack the Magic Negro." The most surprising thing in this controversy: With all of these RNC wannabes pledging to do a better job of winning over minority voters -- McCain lost blacks 95%-4% and Hispanics 67%-31% -- Blackwell and Steele (both who are black) defended Saltsman or downplayed the controversy. The two leading white candidates, Anuzis and Duncan, were much more critical of Saltsman.

*** Raising Kaine: Speaking of party chairs, Obama has tapped Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. The Kaine pick makes a lot of sense as far as the political story Obama likes to tell when it comes to the new politics: He's Obama's ideological soul mate, and his 2005 gubernatorial victory in Virginia was the first sign of things to come after the Democrats' presidential defeat a year earlier, both in Virginia and nationally. Kaine was the first major non-Illinois politician to endorse Obama in the primaries, and it seemed as if the entire transition was going to go by without Kaine in the mix. Of course, it wasn't clear what Kaine wanted (perhaps Education? Or maybe nothing because if he left early, he'd be handing the governor's office to a Republican). Then there's the too cute by half fact: Kaine is headed to the DNC, while ex-DNC head Terry McAuliffe is now running for Virginia governor. Who knew the posts were so interchangeable? The Macker has a long way to go before he's the nominee. But if he is, the pressure is on Kaine and McAuliffe to pull this off, and the potential for an interesting campaign partnership in Obama's first real presidential campaign test is going to fun to cover.

*** All quiet on the Middle Eastern front: Unlike the economy, with which Obama is happily sharing the burden (if not attempting to overshadow the current president), Obama and his foreign policy team have remained amazingly quiet on the Israel-Gaza front. Now, on foreign affairs, it's fully understandable that the "one president at a time" spin is used and believed. It's amazing discipline on the part of the new foreign policy team that we've heard so little from Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, Jim Jones, or any of the other key new players. The silence is probably being taken around the world as support for the Bush administration's stance. And with the Arab world surprisingly divided (at least on the leadership front), Team Obama is probably doing the right thing by not inserting themselves into this crisis as aggressively as they are on the economy. Speaking of, is anyone else surprised by the lack of official Arab nation condemnation of Israel's ground assault? There's lots of silence out there, which only feeds the notion that many in the Arab world are – perhaps -- rooting for Israel's success in wiping out Hamas.

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First reported by NBC's Andrea Mitchell, Bill Richardson yesterday withdrew his nomination as Commerce secretary.

The Washington Post says that Richardson "becomes the first political casualty in Obama's Cabinet, and his withdrawal marked the first visible crack in what had been one of the smoothest presidential transitions in modern history."

The New York Times adds, "People familiar with discussions between the two men said that while the president-elect did not press Mr. Richardson to step aside, neither did Mr. Obama try to talk him out of it."

Obama released this statement: "It is with deep regret that I accept Gov. Bill Richardson's decision to withdraw his name for nomination as the next secretary of Commerce… It is a measure of his willingness to put the nation first that he has removed himself as a candidate for the Cabinet in order to avoid any delay in filling this important economic post at this critical time. Although we must move quickly to fill the void left by Gov. Richardson's decision, I look forward to his future service to our country and in my administration."

Richardson had this statement: "[A] pending investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico state government promises to extend for several weeks or, perhaps, even months. Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact. But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process. Given the gravity of the economic situation the nation is facing, I could not in good conscience ask the President-elect and his Administration to delay for one day the important work that needs to be done."

Back in June 2007, CNBC's John Harwood did a piece on Richardson and fundraising. It was about how the process works -- and not about any particular scandal -- but here's an interesting bite from Richardson then: "Does somebody get a little bit of an edge because they helped a politician? Probably, because the politician remembers that person. I don't give any extra access to somebody that contributes. But I'll remember that person, and I'll say, 'Jeez, that guy helped me. Maybe I can help them.' "

Some more appointments expected this week, including the intel picks. While informed speculation indicates the DNI post will go to Dennis Blair, it's the CIA decision that's apparently delayed Blair's announcement. Will Obama keep Hayden (he can, even temporarily; there's no deadline) or will Obama look for, say, an ex-pol with lots of Washington experience to take over?

Obama landed in Washington yesterday and got choked up along the way. "I've got to tell you, I choked up a little bit leaving my house today," Obama said… Obama said pictures of his daughter, 10-year-old Malia, and her friends triggered the emotion. "Malia's friend had dropped off an album of the two of them. They've been friends since preschool. I just looked through the pages, the house was empty. It was a little tough."

The Boston Globe on Obama's upcoming inauguration: "The 1.2 million spectators who mobbed Johnson's inauguration - still a record -- are remembered today as little more than a trivia question and a crowd-control model. But as Barack Obama prepares to be sworn in Jan. 20 on Abraham Lincoln's Bible to inherit Franklin D. Roosevelt's economy -- while facing inevitable comparisons to John F. Kennedy's style and Ronald Reagan's rhetoric -- the 1965 event has begun to look like its own precedent: The only inaugural to compare to this one for sheer enthusiasm and participation by often-disaffected citizens."