"News Roundup"

Nancy Scola provides a condensed holiday political update for the time-challenged political junkie:

As I just finished wrapping my last gift I had the thought that some of us might be unusually busy -- perhaps doing some last minute holiday preparations or otherwise enjoying this Saturday night -- and not so much on the computer this weekend. Thought I might highlight a few of the news bits and such that have caught at least my attention of late:

* JOHN EDWARDS has emailed his list to ask if his supporters are ready to "take this effort to the next level," bringing his message of fighting poverty and standing up for working families to the presidential stage. Thoughts on the topic? Communicate them to John via JohnEdwards@readytochangeamerica.com.
* $53 MILLION: the record for the largest single year-end bonus ever awarded to a Wall Street executive, set by the CEO of Goldman Sachs this week.
* THREE GREAT GUYS -- Kombiz Lavasany, Matt Browner-Hamlin, and Matt Ortega -- lift the veil on their new blog project called The Right's Field. They aim to make it a one-stop shop for the latest on 2008 Republican presidential contenders, including McCain, Romney, Guiliani, Brownback, and Hunter.
* DAVE EGGERS' new fictional autobiography of one Lost Boy of Sudan is called "an extraordinary work of witness, and of art" by aptly-named book reviewer and author Francine Prose.
* INCOMING SPEAKER PELOSI has denied CSPAN's request to control its own cameras on the House floor, stating that "the dignity and decorum of the United States House of Representatives are best preserved by maintaining the current system of televised proceedings" in which the cameras are directed by the Speaker. CSPAN had asked for permission to run cameras (pdf) that would allow them to pan the chamber and take action shots of floor activity.
* SIR BONO. (Actually: Bono, Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Irish-born, he's not eligible for the "sir.")
* BARACK OBAMA is reportedly reviewing mock travel schedules of a presidential candidate.
* FREE PRESS, one of the organizers of the Save the Internet campaign, is gearing up for its annual National Conference on Media Reform in Memphis on January 12-14.
* JIM WEBB is the latest subject for Deborah Solomon, she of the weekly Q&A in the New York Times Magazine in which she asks a famous person probing questions about his or her life. Solomon asks the senator-elect about a reported White House incident in which Webb responded to an inquiry from President Bush about his son by saying that he'd like to see the troops out of Iraq, and Bush snapped back "I didn't ask you that. How's your boy?" Says Webb of reports of the back-and-forth: "This is something that emanated from the White House...I said nothing publicly about it at all." Webb reveals what he'd really like for Christmas -- "the day off."

What else are you hearing and following tonight? I'm getting into the Christmas spirit, despite it being a balmy high of 60 degrees today in New York. This is it for me until next weekend. Have a great night and happy holidays.

Howie, however, will remain on duty through the holiday period.