CBS News Politics: 29 November 2008
November 30th, 2008 • CBS News, Politics
- Official: Clinton Nomination Coming Monday
Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama will nominate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to be his secretary of state on Monday. - MSNBC’s Chris Matthews For U.S. Senate?
A Pennsylvania Democratic party leader says MSNBC pundit Chris Matthews may be considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2010. - Obama Says “Help Is On The Way”
President-elect Barack Obama chose former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker Wednesday to head a new White House panel to help create jobs and bring stability to the ailing financial system. - U.S.-Venezuela Rift Won’t Stop With Obama
The arrival of a Russian naval squadron in Venezuela this week is an unequivocal message to President-elect Barack Obama that his most nettlesome challenge in the Americas will be Hugo Ch vez, reports the Washington Post. - Gates May Remain As Defense Secretary
Seeking experience in a time of war, President-elect Barack Obama appears likely to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates in that job - if only temporarily. - Potential Pick For CIA Chief Withdraws Bid
President-elect Barack Obama’s top pick to head the CIA blamed his sudden withdrawal from consideration on critics who blamed him for harsh Bush administration policies on interrogations, detentions and secret renditions. - Barbara Bush Has Surgery For Ulcer
Former first lady Barbara Bush was “resting comfortably” in a Houston hospital following laparoscopic surgery for a perforated ulcer, a family spokesman said. - A Market-Oriented Economic Team
Barack Obama is assembling a team of economic advisers who believe in limited government spending and free markets, writes the Washington Post. But they will take over at a moment that Obama says requires the opposite. - Judge Called Mukasey “Tyrant” At Speech
State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders says he was speaking his conscience when he stood up and yelled “tyrant!” at U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey last week, during a speech in which Mukasey later fainted. - Obama, Dems Plan $500B Economic Package
President-elect Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are laying the groundwork for quick enactment in January of a giant, two-year economic rescue package that will total about a half-trillion dollars. - Georgia Senate Seat Still Up For Grabs
The Georgia Senate contest has narrowed into a sprint in which both parties recognize there is only one path to victory, and that is mobilizing the base to vote in the Dec. 2 runoff, writes Politico. - Russia’s Medvedev’s Tough Guy Act
Putin had a reputation for being tough, but it was under Dmitry Medvedev, that Russia used excessive force against Georgia, occupying part of its territory and crushing its military. - Obama Vows To Cut Wasteful Spending
President-elect Barack Obama named Peter Orszag as his budget director on Tuesday and said his job will be to conduct a thorough review of federal spending programs and eliminate programs that are not needed. - Obama Says Goodbye To Former Life
Friends say Obama is savoring these final weeks in Chicago and spending as much time as possible with his family before he takes the oath of office Jan. 20, reports the Washington Post. - Obama May Not Repeal Bush Tax Cuts
President-elect Barack Obama may be backing away from a campaign pledge to roll back the Bush tax cuts for Americans who make more than $250,000 as economists warn that tax increases could stifle an economic recovery. - Obama Introduces Economic Team
President-elect Barack Obama tapped New York Federal Reserve President Tim Geithner as his treasury secretary on Monday, turning to a veteran of financial crises at home and overseas to lead the rescue of the nation’s swooning economy. - President Bush Pardons 14 Individuals
President George W. Bush has granted pardons to 14 individuals and commuted the prison sentences of two others. - Little Known About Geithner’s Views
Timothy Geithner”s views on a variety of fronts remain a mystery, reports the Politico. A career civil servant, he”s had a front seat to the financial rescue efforts but not the tight control he”ll wield as Obama’s choice for treasury secretary. - Franken Hopes May Turn On Absentee Issue
One of the closest elections in U.S. Senate history is hurtling towards a critical juncture in its ongoing recount this week, Politico reports. - Democrats’ Stimulus Plan May Reach $700B
President-elect Barack Obama and other Democrats are rapidly ratcheting up plans for a massive fiscal stimulus program that could total as much as $700 billion over the next two years, the Washington Post reports. - Some Big Names Seeking Term-End Pardons
High-profile criminals increasingly are appealing directly to President Bush for special consideration on pardons and clemency, according to people involved in the process, reports the Washington Post. - Pelosi: No Auto Aid Without Accountability
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that accountability and austerity are required of the auto industry if they are to receive any public funds to help them in their time of crisis. - Minn. Senate Race Tightens In Recount
With a re-examination of about 66 percent of the state’s ballots complete, Sen. Norm Coleman (who entered the recount with a 215-vote edge over challenger Al Franken) saw his lead drop to 167 votes. - Obama Moves Swiftly Toward Economic Rescue
President-elect Barack Obama signaled Sunday he will move urgently and aggressively to rescue the plunging economy, demanding swift passage by Congress of a massive two-year spending and tax-cutting recovery program. - Left Cuts Obama Slack For Now
Politico: Most liberals implicitly trust Obama more than any Democrat in recent memory, and they understand that not every compromise he makes is a sellout. - Would-Be Appointees Quizzed On Guns
Politico: President-elect Barack Obama”s transition team is asking potential appointees detailed questions about gun ownership, and firearms advocates aren”t happy about it. - Karzai: Obama Promises To Fight Terror
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama pledged in a telephone conversation with Afghan President Hamid Karzai that fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and the region would be a top priority during his administration, Karzai’s office said. - Obama Outlines Plan For 2.5M New Jobs
President-elect Barack Obama promoted an economic plan he said would create 2.5 million jobs by rebuilding roads and bridges and modernizing schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars. - Bill Richardson To Join Obama’s Cabinet
A Democratic official says President-elect Barack Obama will name N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson as commerce secretary. CBS News has also confirmed Obama’s picks of New York Fed President Tim Geithner and Lawrence Summers to his team. - Witness in Ted Stevens Trial: I Lied
A government witnesses against the Alaska Senator says he didn’t tell the truth on the stand about an immunity deal with the Justice Department in exchange for his testimony. But federal prosecutors dispute his claim. - Team Obama Takes Shape
CBS News has confirmed that Sen. Hillary Clinton is very likely to accept the offer to join President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet as Secretary of State. Plus: A round up of Mr Obama’s top cabinet picks. - Clinton To Accept Secretary Of State Job
CBS News has confirmed that Sen. Hillary Clinton has decided to accept the offer to join President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet as Secretary of State, according to a senior Clinton adviser. - New York School Renames Itself For Obama
A school on Long Island has been renamed Barack Obama Elementary School in honor of his historic rise to the presidency. The move is among the first in what will appears to be a growing wave of name changes around the world in honor of Mr. Obama. - Obama Kids To Attend Private D.C. School
President-elect Barack Obama and his wife have chosen private Sidwell Friends School in Washington for their two daughters. - Obama Team Springs Leaks
Barack Obama was famously able to impose discipline and control over his presidential campaign, but it didn’t take long for him to discover that running a transition is something quite different, the Washington Post reports. - AG Mukasey Given Clean Bill Of Health
Attorney General Michael Mukasey was given “a clean bill of health” and hoped to check out of the hospital after extensive medical tests following his collapse, the Justice Department said. - Palin Interviewed As Turkeys Killed
Gov. Sarah Palin has granted the traditional Thanksgiving pardon to one lucky turkey, but the video that shocked some viewers captured what was happening in the background. - Bob Jones U. Apologizes For Racism
Bob Jones University is apologizing for racist policies that included a one-time ban on interracial dating and its unwillingness to admit black students until 1971. - Wall Street Boosted By Cabinet Pick News
Wall Street got a boost of confidence following a report that President-elect Barack Obama plans to name New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary. The Dow rose almost 500 points. - Bush Extends Unemployment Benefits
The White House says President Bush signed into law a bill that Congress approved to keep unemployment checks flowing to jobless Americans through the holiday season. - Report Blasts “Joe The Plumber” Probe
An agency director improperly used state computers to find personal information on a McCain supporter who became known as “Joe the Plumber” during the presidential campaign, Ohio’s government watchdog has said in a report. - Aid For Carmakers Stalls; Now What?
Democratic leaders in Congress have put off a vote on bailing out the auto industry until next month, and want the top companies to present a plan showing the money will make them financially viable. - Clinton Pick Would Be Big Gamble For Obama
If he picks Hillary Clinton for secretary of state, President-elect Obama is making his first great presidential gamble, reports the Politico. - Clinton On Track For State Department Nod
An aide to Barack Obama’s transition team says the president-elect is on track to nominate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. - Long-Time Rep. Replaced On Key House Panel
Rep. Henry Waxman - a liberal ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi - will take over the chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee when the next Congress convenes in January. - Inauguration Housing Is Risky Business
There is a property frenzy in Washington as homeowners seek to rent to those wanting to come for Barack Obama’s inauguration. But the arrangements are fraught with peril on both sides, reports the Washington Post. - Dems Put Auto Bailout Vote On Hold
Democratic leaders in Congress have put off a vote on bailing out the auto industry until next month, and want the top companies to present a plan showing the money will make them financially viable. - Lieberman On Obama, Post-Campaign Politics
Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks out in an exclusive interview - his first since supporting Republican Sen. John McCain - about the presidential campaign and post-election politics. Katie Couric sat down with the Independent senator. - Napolitano Eyed For Homeland Security Role
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is “under consideration” by President-elect Barack Obama’s administration for the relatively new role of Secretary of Homeland Security, CBS News has learned. - Huckabee Says He’s Envious Of Palin
Mike Huckabee won’t rule out a 2012 run for president, but he acknowledges it could be hard to take back the spotlight from fellow Republican Sarah Palin. - Will Clinton Pardons Mar Cabinet Pick?
The Republican National Committee yesterday highlighted the role of attorney general candidate Eric H. Holder Jr. in controversial 2001 pardons, but GOP senators avoided direct attacks on Barack Obama’s leading choice to lead the Justice Department. - “Uncle Ted” Delivers Senate Swansong
“Uncle Ted” Stevens, an old-style Senate giant and the chamber’s longest-serving Republican, delivered his swansong address and yielded the floor for the final time Thursday. He was saluted by his colleagues as a staunch friend and teacher. - Ark. Shooting Case Closed With No Answers
City and state police have closed their investigations into last summer’s shooting of Arkansas’ Democratic Party chairman without offering an explanation of why the attack occurred. - 2 Months Left, Bush Says Goodbye, Quietly
Two months from today, the White House packs up the Bush Family belongings and moves in those of the Obama”s. CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller says Mr. Bush is saying goodbye in good spirits, and largely out of sight. - Paulson Warns Against Regulation Overkill
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson called the financial crisis now plaguing the world economy a “once or twice” in a 100 years event, even as he warned Thursday against imposing too-strict regulations to prevent a repeat calamity. - Obama Calls For U.N. Reforms
President-elect Barack Obama is urging the United Nations chief to embark on “far-reaching reform” of the world organization to help it address pressing global issues. - Clinton Warms To Secretary Of State Job
Associates of Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband say the former first lady is weighing whether to leave the Senate and become secretary of state, believing the job is hers if she wants it. - Desperate Automakers Launch PR Campaign
The Big Three automakers are taking a page out of their unions’ playbooks as they deploy grassroots tactics to drum up public support for the proposed $25 billion auto industry bailout. - Obama Taps Tom Daschle For Cabinet Post
Democratic officials say former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has accepted President-elect Barack Obama’s offer to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. - Stevens Concedes Alaska Senate Race
Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has lost his bid for a seventh term. The longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate conceded the extremely tight race Wednesday to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. - Bush Set To Ease Endangered Species Rules
Preisdent Bush is set to install new rules that would exclude input of wildlife scientists when federal construction projects are proposed. Bush hopes to enact them before Friday, preventing President-elect Obama from easily reversing them. - National Security Team Key For Obama
If President-elect Obama follows the pattern of most of his predecessors, one of the first documents to bear his signature after he takes office will be a directive laying out his national security structure, reports the Washington Post. - Bush Official: Mortgage Aid Not Working
Two government programs designed to help hundreds of thousands of delinquent borrowers avoid foreclosure are having negligible effects, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston said. - Holder Is Obama’s Attorney General Pick
CBS News has learned that long-time Washington insider Eric Holder is President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to be attorney general. After some initial hesitation, Holder has now told the Obama team he wants the job.
