Archive - November 11, 2008 - The Page by Mark Halperin

The Page

Politics up to the Minute

Gibbs' and Lieberman's Future

Wash Post's Kurtz and Kane attempt to assess the thoughts of the President-elect. Permalink

Obama Turns to Veteran Dems for DoD, State Handovers

AP: "President-elect Obama has hired former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sam Nunn to help shepherd his Pentagon transition" Permalink

Can Europe Produce an Obama?

NYT on Europeans asking themselves if there could be a French, British, German or Italian Obama. Answer? Not anytime soon. Permalink

Obama's Barber Pays a House Call

See how and why here. Permalink

Bush: Obama to Bring "Sense of Family" to White House

Speaking aboard the USS Intrepid Tuesday, the president tells CNN he had a "relaxed" meeting with Obama on Monday, notes the future president was interested in seeing where his daughters will sleep. "Clearly this guy is going to bring a sense of family to the White House and I hope Laura and I did the same thing." Adds that he called Bill Clinton before the meeting and remembered how "gracious" his own predecessor was in 2000. Read transcript here. Also defends his foreign policy. Watch video clip above. Permalink

Immigrant Advocates Call on Obama to Fulfill Campaign Promises

Dozens of immigrant advocates convene in Washington to demand Obama fulfill his promises to offer illegal immigrants in the U.S. a path to citizenship within his first year in office. Permalink

Palin: "I Do Not Know What is Around the Next Corner"

NBC releases more of Matt Lauer's interview with the Alaska governor, to air on Tuesday's "Nightly News" and Wednesday's "Today." Palin says she's "not planning" to run for the Senate if Alaska holds a special election, but adds, "I do not know what is around the next corner. I don't know what opportunities will be there." Plus: Says she's comfortable with Obama as commander in chief as long as his advisers understand the threat of radical Islam. Read the transcript here. And: Read earlier excerpts from the interview, and watch video here. Palin also appears Wednesday with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Larry King. Permalink

Sen. Clinton: Access to Emanuel Won't Be a Problem

On a conference call with reporters, the New York Senator suggests she'll have the ear of Obama's new chief of staff, a former staffer in her husband's White House. Asked if Emanuel will be accessible to New Yorkers, she replies slyly: "He's going to be accessible to me." Essential listening: Hear Sen. Clinton's classic comedy timing and tone here. Permalink

Pelosi: House Will Take Up Plan to Help Automakers

The Speaker of the House says Tuesday they will convene next week to vote on a lame duck plan to provide emergency cash to the U.S. automobile industry. Permalink

Lobbyists Not Allowed on Obama Transition Team

New ethics rules released Tuesday say federal lobbyists are prohibited from lobbying while working on the transition and cannot contribute financially. Anyone involved in the transition who later becomes a lobbyist isn't able to lobby the new administration for a year on matters on which they worked for Obama. Read more details on the stipulations here. Read about the restrictions in the Washington Post and the New York Times. Permalink

Obamarama

Associated Press/GfK poll: 72% are confident the president-elect will make the changes needed to revive the stalling economy. See more from the poll here. Permalink

Biden to Delaware: "You Own My Heart"

Speaking at an annual Veterans Day memorial service in New Castle, Delaware, the vice president-elect gets sentimental about his roots. "There is no title, including Vice President of the United States that will ever be as honorific to me as being the senator from the state of Delaware for so many years, and I thank you for that..." Permalink

TRANSITION UPDATE

Co-chair John Podesta holds a pen and pad briefing with the media on the latest transition developments from Washington, D.C. Announces new ethics rules, says by the end of the week they'll announce agency review teams to help Obama make strategic policy, budgetary and personnel decisions. Says Obama-Biden are "hard at work" at trying to select their Cabinet, adds that most president-elects don't make those announcements til December. Permalink

The Big Five: Tuesday Edition

HALPERIN'S TAKE: The five most important people in American politics right now -- who aren't Barack Obama. Permalink

"Thank You For Your Courage"

The outgoing commander in chief honors the nation's warriors at a Veterans Day ceremony on board the newly refurbished Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. Addressing veterans, says "I will miss being the commander in chief of such a fabulous group of men and women-- those who wear the uniform of the United States military." Read his full remarks here. Says earlier: "I was raised by a veteran. I appreciate the commitment to our country that the veterans have made." PHOTO GALLERY: See images of Veterans Day events here. Permalink