Thursday, January 15, 2009

Thursday Obama Mini Roundup (excerpts)

"US politicians debate Obama in Africa" (AP):
President-elect Barack Obama, soon to become the United States' first African-American leader, will focus greater attention on Africa, outgoing Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean said Wednesday.
"Obama Charms Even a Night's Grand Ol' Party" (Howard Kurtz-WaPo):
During a three-hour dinner conclave at columnist George Will's Chevy Chase home Tuesday night, Obama charmed eight of the right's most prominent commentators, mixing small talk and policy debate in a move that mesmerized the media elite.

Obama balanced the scales yesterday by sitting down with 11 liberal commentators, including The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson, syndicated columnist E.J. Dionne, Maureen Dowd and Frank Rich of the New York Times, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, CNN's Roland Martin, and a conservative -- Atlantic blogger Andrew Sullivan -- who strongly supported his campaign. That meeting took place in the less intimate setting of Obama's transition office, and lasted a little more than an hour. Both sessions were decreed off the record. (Howie: I wonder who the other five were.)
"Obama awaits vote in Senate for $350B bailout" (AP):
Not quite the president yet and Barack Obama is looking for his first legislative victory.

A wary Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday on Obama's request for $350 billion in financial bailout money — the first installment of his economic recovery plan.
Howie P.S.: The Obama family relocates today from the Hay-Adams to Blair House (see map above). Also, not exactly breaking news, but Holder just said the three words this morning: "Waterboarding is torture."

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