Defense officials are urging President-elect Obama's Administration to act quickly to stabilize Afghanistan. The Chicago Tribune reports the "Pentagon and US national security officials are transmitting a battery of new information about the Afghanistan war" to Obama's transition team "in hopes that the incoming administration will act quickly to prevent US fortunes there from eroding further." Many military leaders "think a broad strategic shift is needed to reverse the growing violence and to turn back troubling advances by the Taliban and other extremists." The Los Angeles Times this morning runs an interview with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, conducted last week by Chicago Tribune correspondent Kim Barker in Kabul. Karzai said of Obama, "I find him a very capable person, and I'm sure he has an understanding of the needs and the difficulties of the Afghan people. I'm not treating his remarks as a criticism of me."
Pentagon To Announce Troop Increase The AP, meanwhile, reports that the Pentagon "is poised to announce the deployment of at least one more combat brigade to Afghanistan in the coming weeks, as the expected force buildup of US soldiers and Marines begins to take form." In total, the US "could nearly double its troop levels there to as many as 60,000, sending up to four combat brigades and thousands of support forces within the next year." In addition to US troops, AFP reports, the US "has asked South Korea to redeploy to Afghanistan the troops it has just withdrawn from Iraq."
US Expected To Fund Local Militias Against Karzai's Wishes The Wall Street Journal reports "the Afghan government will formally start a US-funded effort to recruit armed local militias in the battle against the Taliban in remote parts of the country, exporting the tactic to Afghanistan from Iraq." The Christian Science Monitor, meanwhile, reports the Pentagon is also "likely to send up to 20 Special Forces teams to Afghanistan this spring, part of a new long-term strategy to boost the Afghan security forces' ability to counter the insurgency there themselves."
But in the interview running in today's Los Angeles Times, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said, "If we create militias again, we will be ruining this country further. That's not what I want. I have been talking for a long time first of all about raising a proper police force." On talk of a "surge," the Afghan President argued, "Sending more troops to the Afghan cities, to the Afghan villages, will not solve anything. Sending more troops to control the border is sensible, makes sense." In addition to the interview, the AP reports "Karzai pressed America's top military leader Monday on the US strategy in Afghanistan and preparations to pour up to 30,000 more forces into the country, reflecting Karzai's concerns over civilian casualties and operations in villages."
The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reports "senior American officials have stepped up their criticism of...Karzai in recent weeks, making clear that they believe his government needs to do more to fight corruption and deliver basic services."
Last night and this morning, developments in the Blagojevich scandal saga continued to be reported by major media outlets. The stories, however, were shorter than in previous days -- and no longer appeared on front pages or led the evening news. Two network newscasts briefly noted that the Obama transition will release today its report detailing any contact between Obama aides and the embattled Illinois governor. The CBS Evening News reported that "sources close to the transition tell CBS News that that report will confirm what Mr. Obama said last week." NBC Nightly News reported the "internal review is expected to show that incoming Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had multiple contacts with the Governor's office, but did not engage in any kind of deal-making or wrongdoing." The AP also notes "sources have said Emanuel is not a target of prosecutors."
The New York Times reports Obama, "who is on vacation with his family here in Hawaii, is not planning to answer questions or speak publicly about the report." The Chicago Sun-Times reports "an official familiar with the internal review said the Obama team did not have access to transcripts of the FBI's taped conversations involving the governor and other people." The Washington Post briefly notes the release of the report as part of a news digest about the Obama transition, and The Politico, on its website, runs an updated version of its story (first published Monday) on the findings. The story was covered by Chicago TV stations WLS-TV, WMAQ-TV, and WBBM-TV.
Jackson Role Said To Have Been Exaggerated The Chicago Sun-Times reports there has "been a lot reported about" Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s "cooperation with authorities since Jackson's name surfaced in the investigation of Gov. Blagojevich." But "some reports seem to have drawn too much from Jackson's initial statements that he'd been helping federal authorities look into possible wrongdoing by the governor."
Blagojevich Fundraiser Talking To Feds? WGN-TV Chicago reported Raghuveer Nayak, a "Blagojevich fundraiser, might be ready to sing to the feds." Nayak was "allegedly pressured by the governor's office to raise $1 million in campaign donations in return for appointing Jesse Jackson, Jr. to the Senate." WMAQ-TV reported Nayak "was contacted by federal agents about his conversations with Blagojevich aides."
Madigan Not Interested In Senate Seat The Chicago Tribune interviewed Atty. Gen Lisa Madigan, who said he has "never asked to be considered for the Senate seat. And one of my issues always was with Gov. Blagojevich. . . . If I would get an appointment, he'd be able to appoint the attorney general, and I never had any faith that he would appoint somebody of integrity."
State House Panel Continues Impeachment WMAQ-TV Chicago reported the Illinois House impeachment "committee plans to hear testimony about the Governor allegedly giving state jobs and contracts to campaign donors" until it is determined by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald what information will be available for that committee. The New York Times notes Fitzgerald "did not respond on Monday to the committee's request for information." The Financial Times and Washington Times, meanwhile, run stories putting the scandal in the context of what they described as the particularly "corrupt" history of Illinois politics.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
The Washington Times reports Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates "has asked most Bush administration political appointees except those targeted for dismissal to stay on in the Pentagon until replaced by the Obama administration in the coming months." Gates also said "the chance to stay is 'available to all willing political appointees with the exception of those who are contacted individually and told otherwise,' he stated." The policy "affects some 250 political appointees in the department."
Army Secretary Announces Resignation McClatchy reports Army Secretary Pete Geren "said Monday that he will not stay on as head of the nation's largest military service once the Obama administration moves to Washington, D.C."
The New York Times reports on its front page that "even before taking office, Hillary Rodham Clinton is seeking to build a more powerful State Department, with a bigger budget, high-profile special envoys to trouble spots and an expanded role in dealing with global economic issues at a time of crisis." As part of the plan, Clinton "is recruiting Jacob J. Lew, the budget director under President Bill Clinton, as one of two deputies, according to people close to the Obama transition team." Lew and James B. Steinberg, "a deputy national security adviser in the Clinton administration, are to be Mrs. Clinton's chief lieutenants."
CNN's The Situation Room reported, "Some women's groups are disappointed" with President-elect Obama's cabinet personnel choices. Among Obama's "strongest backers during the election, now they say they don't have enough seats at the table. That's because, of Obama's 20 announced Cabinet-level posts, just five went to women." Kim Gandy, National Organization of Women: "When you're looking at a Cabinet, and you have such a small number of women in the room when the big decisions are being made, there need to be a lot more women's voices in this administration."
Meanwhile, The Hill reports some members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) "are disappointed President-elect Obama did not appoint more African-Americans to his Cabinet." Obama "tapped four blacks for Cabinet posts, including Eric Holder," but he "passed over black candidates in selecting Cabinet nominees for positions central to setting policy for urban America, such as the departments of Education, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development. Hispanic Americans, by contrast, have been nominated for three Cabinet positions, and politicians from that constituency have hailed Obama's nominations."
The AP reports that an attorney for Alaska Senator Ted Stevens on Monday "called for his conviction on corruption charges to be thrown out after an FBI agent bitterly complained about some Justice Department tactics during the trial, including not turning over evidence and an 'inappropriate relationship' between a government representative and the prosecutor's star witness."
The Legal Times reports, "The allegations the agent raises could ultimately substantiate claims by Stevens' lawyers that the government intentionally withheld evidence favorable to the Alaska senator." The Anchorage Daily News reports the whistleblower's "explosive allegations about misconduct by other members of the FBI and the prosecution suggest intimate, firsthand knowledge of the full investigation from the start, and of the activities surrounding Stevens' trial." The Washington Post reports that the "whistleblowing agent, who joined the bureau in 2003, also wrote that members of the prosecution team 'created a scheme' to send a witness home before trial and that they inappropriately altered a document later turned over to Stevens's attorneys."
The Washington Times reports that Judge Sullivan "noted the irony of that accusation, pointing out in his ruling 'that the defendant in this case was convicted for failing to disclose that he had accepted multiple things of value and, in fact, the trial included testimony about his receipt of artwork and employment for a relative.'" The Alaska News-Miner reports, "The chief allegations deal with handling Veco boss Bill Allen as a source and dealings with Stevens' defense during the trial."
The Hill reports, "The complaint charges that the official in question met with Allen in a hotel room and disclosed sensitive details about the federal investigation as well as an ongoing investigation of Allen by the Anchorage police department." Roll Call reports Judge Sullivan "on several occasions during the trial chastised the prosecution for failing to turn over evidence to the defense, and the prosecution apologized for making mistakes in handling evidence."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
The New York Times reports Caroline Kennedy, who's seeking appointment to Sen. Hillary Clinton's seat, "and who helped oversee the vetting process for Mr. Obama's possible running mates," has declined "to provide a variety of basic data, including companies she has a stake in and whether she has ever been charged with a crime. Ms. Kennedy declined on Monday to reply to those and other questions posed by The New York Times about any potential ethical, legal and financial entanglements. Through a spokesman, she said she would not disclose that kind of information unless and until she becomes a senator."
Poll Finds State Votes Split On Kennedy. A new poll out this morning from Quinnipiac University shows New Yorkers split on naming Kennedy to the Senate. The poll shows that 40% say that she is qualified to be a Senator, while 41% say she is not. Given a choice, 33% of those surveyed said Paterson should name Kennedy to the seat, while 29% said state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) should be tapped. Another 4% want Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D), while 24% want someone else and 10% are undecided. The poll surveyed 834 registered New York State voters from December 17-21.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports this morning that a "draft list" of the allocation of uncounted challenged ballots from the Minnesota Secretary of State's office shows challenger Al Franken (D) leading Sen. Norm Coleman (R) by 48 votes. However, the AP adds "the counting isn't over yet. ... The two campaigns and the Secretary of State's office still have to agree how to handle an estimated 1,600 improperly rejected absentee ballots." In addition, Roll Call notes that the Coleman camp "has filed a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court on 'double votes' that could affect another 150 ballots - the vast majority of which" Coleman's "attorneys believe went to Franken."
The Politico reports that if Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) wants to increase her national profile by moving to the Senate, she may have a "golden opportunity" in 2010. A new Research 2000 poll of 600 likely Alaska voters taken December 15-17 shows Palin leading Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) 55%-31% in a hypothetical GOP primary battle. The poll also shows her leading top state Democrats, including former Gov. Tony Knowles, whom she tops 53%-39%.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Jay Leno: Governor Rod Blagojevich "will apparently not fill Barack Obama's vacant senate seat any time soon. He says he's gonna wait until next summer when the prices improve."
David Letterman: "It's so cold today President Bush was ducking ski boots."
David Letterman: "Today is the second day of Hanukkah, John McCain made an appearance with Joe the Rabbi."
Conan O'Brien: "'In a recent interview, President Bush says that he's already begun thinking about his farewell speech. Yeah, which means he's only two years behind most Americans."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5advertisement
Get your POLITICALBULLETIN
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5Embed exclusive U.S. News headlines, rankings, columns, and blog postings to your Web site, blog, or social network.
advertisement
Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
