Marc Ambinder, The Atlantic.com

Transition officials confirm that President-elect Obama has asked Dennis Ross, Richard Haass, and Richard Holbrooke, to serve as his chief emissaries

to world hot spots.

It's expected that Ross will get the Iran portfolio, that Holbrooke, the hard-headed architect of the Dayton Peace Accords, will take the tough (and tougher) Southwest Asia portfolio, which includes India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and that Haass will deal with the Middle East. Read article.

Tony Blankley, Prairie Pundit.blogspot.com

With two weeks still left in President-elect Barack Obama's transition, the alleged corrupt conduct of several people in his proximity, his own passivity and public silence (and the inherent drama of current events) has already made his has become the most dramatic presidential transition in memory.

The phrase "No Drama Obama" was born March 12 when retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak, who had been campaigning for Mr. Obama, labeled him: "No Shock Barack, No Drama Obama." It is fair to say that this useful and rhyming campaign slogan was finally and formally laid to rest Sunday, when - after weeks of Illinois transition opera bouffe and colorful Caroline Kennedy Senate snatching efforts - Mr. Obama's designated commerce secretary, Bill Richardson, withdrew his name one step ahead of a New Mexico grand jury.

I think Obama was insensitive to his Richardson problem because it was not that different from the issues facing most of his buddies in Chicago. Pay for play is a way of life there. Obama was probably also focused on Richardson being his token Hispanic in the cabinet. He had also looked at a failed senate candidate from Texas for some role in the Veterans Administration, but passed on him once Richardson looked nailed down. Now with most of his slots filled, losing Richardson means one of the Democrats' big constituent groups does not have a guy at the table. Read article.

Jay Nordlinger, NRO.com

Well, at least the matter of the Illinois Senate seat hasn’t gone racial, right? Pyaah — right. The classic Bobby Rush said, “Let me just remind you that there presently is no African American in the Senate.” Then he warned against hanging and lynching. (Really.) (Seriously.)

In his blog, David Frum quoted Michael Tomasky, who said, “It must be said that Rush made an entirely fair point. In 2004, when they elected Obama, the voters of Illinois chose an African American senator. And so, in determining who should fill out his term, it’s reasonable that race count as a factor.”

Are we all ready to concede this? Are we all ready to be (old) South Africa, or India? A black officeholder must be replaced by a black officeholder? A white one by a white one? A left-handed Hispanic lesbian by a . . .

The racialism of this country is maybe its creepiest, most lamentable element. Read article.

Guy Benson, Townhall.com

As far as bizarre, borderline-surreal political theater goes, this critic gives two enthusiastic thumbs-up to last week's hilarious press conference starring disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, his appointment to the US Senate, Roland Burris, and various supporting characters. Set in Chicago, this "dramedy" was a smash hit with most audiences, despite testing poorly with some Congressional leaders and the quasi-fictional "Office of the President Elect." 

Blagojevich appeared to relish his role in this masterpiece, appearing to delight in jarring this wacky train right off the predictable tracks of a standard political announcement. His opening salvo featured an unexpected appeal to certain targeted demographic audiences in which he extended holiday wishes in both English and Spanish. A "Feliz Navidad" in the first ten seconds? Pure gold. Read article.

David Catron, American Thinker.com

The Governor of Illinois, for all his well-documented faults, has performed at least one valuable public service. He has made it clear to the meanest intelligence that our new President-elect emerged from a hopelessly corrupt political culture. Barack Obama oozed from the same stinking Chicago swamp that produced Blagojevich, and a man whose formative years were spent wallowing in the muck with such creatures isn't likely to be long in White House before the stench of pay-to-play politics begins to pervade the place.

That this has important implications for the future of health care in this country has already been demonstrated by a brazen episode of cronyism involving one of America's most prestigious health care institutions, the University of Chicago Medical Center.

It is no secret that, immediately following Obama's election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, UCMC created a new position called "Vice President for Community and External Affairs" and bestowed it-along with a lavish salary-upon Michelle Obama. Read article.

Jonathan Martin, Politico.com

Republicans normally have never seen a tax cut they didn’t love – but that doesn’t seem to be the case with the economic package being prepared by President-elect Barack Obama.

Key GOP members on the Hill are responding warily to word that Obama’s stimulus plan will include about $300 billion worth of tax cuts, expressing tempered support for providing relief but unease about the size of the overall stimulus plan and who will benefit from the cuts.

Republican congressional leaders would like to ensure that the relief includes middle-class and upper-middle class individuals and families – not just those who pay little or no taxes.

A central part of Obama’s tax cut proposal will include a tax credit – $500 per individual or $1,000 per family – that fulfills his campaign’s aim to eliminate taxes for about 10 million low-income workers and offer relief to those who pay no taxes at all. Read article.

Morris & McGann, Vote.com

It now looks like half of President-elect Barack Obama's stimulus package will take the form of "tax cuts" for 95 percent of all Americans. Yet this wouldn't so much boost the economy as trigger a massive, unhealthy shift in American politics.

Under Obama's plan, the majority of American voters would pay no federal income taxes, but would get money from the government instead. That is, these "refundable tax credits" are basically welfare checks - and Obama's plan would leave the most of us collecting, not paying.

A $200 billion giveaway won't do much to get a $14 trillion economy rolling again. But the plan would leave any future taxpayer revolt no hope of majority support.

Today, the bottom 50 percent of US taxpayers pays a total of $30.6 billion in federal income taxes on a combined income of about $1 trillion. So about 3 percent of all federal income-tax payments come from the poorest half of the country. (The top 1 percent pays 40 percent; the top 25 percent pay 85 percent of the federal income tax.)

Obama's plan - he'd give all couples a $1,000 refundable tax credit and all single people $500 - would funnel more than $50 billion to the lowest half of the country, thereby completely wiping out their total federal tax liability. In most cases, it would trigger a "refund" welfare check.

In one stroke, this would transform the majority of voters from taxpayers into tax eaters - and leave an increasingly small minority to pay the bill. Whether or not this is good economics, it is very dangerous politics. Read article.

NWV.com

Are Americans responsible for the welfare of everyone in the world? "Obama and Biden think so!" claim many US conservatives. According to conservative activists, there is a clandestine senate bill that awaits signing by President Barack Obama once he's sitting in the Oval Office.

This legislation requires the President of the United States "to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day."

"While Champagne glasses clink and bubbly is flowing, a secret Bill is hiding in the background ready to spring to life. The Obama/Biden honeymoon will be the prefect time to launch this lurking monster. They are hoping not a soul will notice," said conservative strategist Michael Baker.

Senate Bill 2433 is said to be so devastating, that it will strip America of all its sovereignty and dignity. Read article.

Victor Davis Hanson, NRO.com

If it was true that when the Republicans enjoyed majorities in the House and Senate and ran the White House, there was no one to object when they overspent, grew the government, and ran up the debt, who now will police the Democratic police in matters of corruption?

Rep. Rangel oversees (on Ways and Means) U.S. tax policy, but is himself a tax offender, among other, far greater charges and allegations about his behavior and character. Sen. Dodd simply cannot tell the truth about his cut-rate, quid pro quo mortgage deals.

His actions and the Barney Frank-Franklin Raines exchange are metaphors for the entire subprime mortgage crisis. It would take a genealogist to sort out all the tribal ties, inside pay-offs, and pay-for-play deals involved in the selling of Obama's Senate seat; meanwhile, we await the tapes of Jesse Jackson Jr., Rahm Emanuel, and co. Al Franken simply relied on Minnesota Democratic officials to keep counting until they came up with the right result. Read article.

Connie Hair, Human Events.com

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to re-write House rules today to ensure that the Republican minority is unable to have any influence on legislation. Pelosi’s proposals are so draconian, and will so polarize the Capitol, that any thought President-elect Obama has of bipartisan cooperation will be rendered impossible before he even takes office.

Pelosi’s rule changes -- which may be voted on today -- will reverse the fairness rules that were written around Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America.” Read article.

Lynn Stuter, NWV.com

In my last article, I quoted 3 USC, Title 3, Chapter 1, Section 15 governing the convening of Congress on January 6, 2009 to certify the vote of the Electoral College. On October 15, 2009, P.L. 110-430 was signed into law, changing the date set for the convening on Congress in this matter, from January 6, 2009 to January 8, 2009. P.L. 110-430 has yet to be codified (added to the United States Code), leaving people, including myself, confused about the conflicting dates seen in numerous articles on the subject.

In my last article, I put down, in succinct order, with as much clarity and simplicity as possible, twenty undisputed facts of why Barry Soetoro (a/k/a, Barack Hussein Obama) is not eligible to the office of president. I received e-mails from many that these twenty undisputed facts, along with the supporting evidence, were sent to U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives. U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives cannot claim ignorance of the facts.

A recent AOL.com poll shows that the American public is becoming increasingly concerned with the prospect that Barry Soetoro (a/k/a, Barack Hussein Obama) is not eligible to the office of president. With 108,503 votes registered, all but three states — NY, CT and DC — show a majority of those voting are concerned about Obama’s eligibility. Read article.

David Limbaugh.com

Barack Obama, itching to implement his gigantic stimulus package as soon as possible, is dangling the idea of combining his spending package with a tax cut in hopes of securing another kind of stimulus: Republican support for his package. Republicans should remember that when you polish manure, you still have manure.

Obama went to Capitol Hill Monday to promote his stimulus plan of between $675 billion and $775 billion. An estimated 40 percent of the package (between $270 billion and $310 billion) would consist of tax cuts.

Obama strategists say the proposed tax cuts are based on historical and empirical evidence of what works, not ideology. But despite his denials, Obama's intention to target the cuts to the "middle class" and exclude higher-income earners, whose stimulated activity has been shown to have the greatest economic impact, betrays his crippling bondage to ideology. Read article.

Bob Pappas, USMC Ret., Gulf1.com

Hamas, along with just about all other Arab/Muslim countries, the most vociferous of which is Iran (a non-Arab, Muslim State) has long advocated the destruction of Israel. (It is notable that Obama has remained silent from the outset of the current conflict. That is not surprising given Hamas' support of Obama.) So, when the ceasefire that was negotiated a little over six months ago expired, Hamas declined to extend it and began launching rockets into Israeli settlements that are situated in relatively close proximity.

Obama knew that President Bush would stand with Israel and that anything he (Obama) would say, could and would be held against him by his Hamas/Arab/Muslim supporters on the one hand, or by Israel and other Jews on the other. So, being a "leftist-career-politician," while running his mouth often and loud during his Campaign, he is smart enough to know that now is not the time to run it again. Read article.

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