Blog Buzz: Joe Lieberman in Limbo, Barack Obama Wants to Close Guantánamo Bay, Obama Cabinet Questions

Our daily look at stories and topics that are lighting up the Internets:

Lieberman in Limbo

The debate rages on over whether Joe Lieberman should keep his chairmanship or even his spot in the Democratic caucus. Last night, on Countdown With Keith Olbermann, Howard Fineman said that Sen. Dick Durbin is leaning toward letting Lieberman keep his chairmanship, but Greg Sargeant at TPM questions why he would want that and whether it's even true. Other liberal bloggers firmly oppose allowing Lieberman to retain his seniority and his chairmanship, saying he hasn't earned it and it would represent a new "low standard" for the Democratic Party.

Obama Wants to Close Gitmo: Good Luck With That

The Washington Post reports today that closing Guantánamo Bay is one of Barack Obama's top priorities. Nicholas Kristof at the New York Times counts it in the top three things he thinks Obama should do upon taking office and Greg Sargeant at TPM thinks it will demonstrate Obama's "commitment to changing the way national security is approached in this country." Byron York at National Review Online and Ann Althouse sarcastically note the myriad problems that will be involved, and Althouse predicts that in the end, Obama will keep Gitmo open.

Obama Cabinet Questions

Yesterday, our Washington Whispers posted an Obama transition flowchart listing potential candidates for top cabinet posts. Today, HotAir has some serious questions about those candidates, particularly Al Gore as climate change "czar" and Colin Powell for the Department of Education. Jonathan Martin wonders if Obama has a duty to appoint minorities to high-ranking positions. Marc Ambinder says that so far, Obama's transition has avoided the mistakes of the Clinton transition. Our Bonnie Erbe at the Thomas Jefferson Street blog warns that many women could be disappointed by Obama's cabinet choices.

—Gretchen Hannes

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