Obama will call for culture of responsibility in his inauguration speech.
The Wall Street Journal reports Obama is expected to call for a "new culture of public service":
The time has come for a new culture of public service, as well as a new national unity after years of bitter partisan political division.
On ABC World News, George Stephanopoulos said "the theme will be responsibility, service, facing up to a very difficult moment in the country's history, but also pointing out that the country has pulled through challenges like this before."
Joe Biden's wife revealed that Biden had his pick of being vice president or secretary of state -- Hillary's eventual consolation prize:
"Joe had the choice to be secretary of state or vice president," she
said. Her husband turned to his wife with his finger to his lips and a
"Shhhh!" that sent the audience into laughter. "OK, he did," Jill Biden
said in her defense.
The vice president-elect blushed, grimaced and gave his wife a hug
while the audience continued to erupt in laughter. "That's right," he
finally said to his wife. "Go ahead."
Mrs. Biden said she told him vice president would be better for the family.
"If you're secretary of state, you'll be away, we'll never see you, you
know," she said. "I'll see you at a state dinner once in a while."
After the exchange aired on television three hours later, Biden
spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander denied Jill Biden's account in a
statement e-mailed to reporters.
"To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden
one job only - to be his running mate," the statement said. "And the
vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer."
While the statement denies that Obama ever offered Biden the secretary
of state job, it doesn't rule out that the two discussed the
possibility. Obama's transition office did not respond to questions
about their private discussions.
Jill Biden's comment came during an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," taped at Washington's Kennedy Center on the eve of Obama's inauguration.
Watch the following MSNBC video report:
Does Jill's slip mean Hillary might have vice president?
Even though it will take Barack Obama less than a minute to recite the oath of office, his lavish celebration will cost more than $160 million and required a state of emergency to be declared in the District of Columbia.
In 2005, the International Herald Tribune (the "global edition of the New York Times) found spending $40 million for President Bush's second inauguration to be "disquieting":
Still, aspects of the inaugural are disquieting. For instance,
historians have noted that the ceremonies have frequently been muted in
time of war, notably by Woodrow Wilson in 1917 and Franklin D.
Roosevelt in 1945. Two Democratic congressmen have informed colleagues
that Roosevelt gave a short speech in the White House and served guests
"cold chicken salad and plain pound cake."
The Associated Press reminds us that in 2005, Democrat Congress critters Anthony Weiner and Jim McDermott, asked President Bush to "show a little less pomp and be a little more circumspect at his party":
"President Roosevelt held his 1945 inaugural at the White House, making a short speech and serving guests cold chicken salad and plain pound cake," the two lawmakers wrote in a letter. "During World War I, President Wilson did not have any parties at his 1917 inaugural, saying that such festivities would be undignified."
The thinking was that, with the nation at war, excessive celebration was inappropriate. Four years later, the nation is still at war. Unemployment has risen sharply. And Obama pressed Congress to release the second half of a $700 billion bailout package in hopes of rescuing a faltering banking industry.
Where are the disquiet and the demands to be more circumspect now? We are still at war, and as Obama likes to say we are "in the midst of a crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime." Do we hear calls for a short speech and cold chicken salad? No, instead the Democrats' Obamafest requires a state of emergency and $170 million. As for the recession, the Democrats' solution is the same as their solution for every problem -- throw more money at it.
In this week's edition of what Obama use to call "Your Weekly Address from the President-elect," Obama notes America's tradition of the peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next.
Obama also previewed themes of his inauguration speech:
A celebration of the American people
We will carry the voices of ordinary Americans to Washington
Difficult days are upon us, and even more difficult days lie ahead
We can once again provide an example to the world, and move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and progress at home
You can watch "Your Weekly Address" in the following video:
Congress has officially declared Barack Obama the next President of the United States after tallying electoral college votes in a centuries old tradition.
The House and Senate met in joint session to hear their colleagues read off the electoral votes from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The outcome, never in doubt, was 365 votes for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and 173 votes for John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin.
It’s not always this easy. In 2001, Vice President Al Gore, acting in his constitutional capacity as president of the Senate,
supervised the Electoral College count that declared,
George W. Bush president.
An internal review conducted by President-elect Obama's transition team found "aides to President-elect Barack Obama had no 'inappropriate discussions' with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich or his staff concerning the search for a Senate replacement from Illinois."
But the Obama team won't release details of its review until the week of Dec. 22, "in order not to impede their investigation of the governor":
That's Christmas week, when few people will be paying attention and when Obama plans to be celebrating the holiday in Hawaii - not in Chicago, which has been the focal point of the federal investigation.
[. . .]
The brief statement did not address several issues raised over the past week since the criminal complaint against the governor was filed.
It did not say whether Obama's incoming White House chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, was heard on a wiretap providing the governor's top aide with a list of names that the president-elect favored. Nor did it say who, if anyone, on Obama transition's team had made contact with the governor or his aides concerning a replacement for Obama.
[. . .]
Pfeiffer said the review "affirmed the public statements of the president-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the president-elect's staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. senator."
Watch the following Associated Press video report:
The first step has been taken toward impeaching Illinois Governor Blagojevich. A committee has been appointed to recommend whether Blagojevich should be ousted after his arrest in the state's latest pay to play scandal - Blagojevich's alleged attempt to sell the appointment to President-elect Obama's senate seat.
"We're going to proceed with all due speed, but we're going to make sure that what we do is done correctly," said Speaker Michael Madigan, who often has clashed with fellow Democrat Blagojevich.
Watch the following Associated Press video report:
Blagojevich's spokesman Lucio Guerrero said talk of impeaching Blagojevich is nothing new:
"Impeachment talk's nothing new for this governor," Guerrero said. "They've been talking about it for a long time."
According to the Associated Press, Speaker Madigan's staff has been reviewing the legal possibilities for impeachment for about a year.
Not to defend Blagojevich's alleged plot to sell Obama's U.S. Senate seat, but there is something at least unseemly, about the various state officials trying to oust Blagojevich. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Speaker Madigan's daughter, asked the state Supreme Court to remove Blagojevich from office, arguing that he is unfit to serve.
Lisa Madigan is considered one of the top Democratic candidates for Illinois governor in 2010. She is also one of those Senate candidates (Senate Candidate 2) "considered" by Blagojevich. Some say that Illinois Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn, who would get to appoint Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate if Blagojevich is removed before he names one, would like to see Lisa Madigan appointed to the vacant Senate seat so she would not run for governor against Quinn.
Roll Call's "Heard on the Hill" column, reminds us that the Electoral College selects the neext president on December 15. Until then, Obama "has not technically been elected president. And therefore, calling him the president-elect is premature."
A recent Gallup Poll found only 34% of Americans
have a favorable view of the Republican Party. Just as bad, if not worse,
61% now hold an unfavorable view of the party. That is the highest unfavorable number recorded for the Republican Party since Gallup started polling on that question in 1992.
To find clues about the Republican Part can do to reverse this unfavorable trend, Gallup asked repondents:
"Over the next few years, would you like to see the Republican Party
and its candidates move in a more conservative direction, a less
conservative direction, or stay about the same?"
Most Republicans (59%) want to see the party become more conservative, another 28% want it to remain about the same and 12%
would prefer to see the party become less conservative.
In order to make gains in Congress or win the Presidency in 2012, Republicans must attract substantial support from political independents. According to Gallup, independents are split about the direction they would like the Republican Party to move. About a third say the party should become more conservative, an equal percentage say it should become less conservative, and just under one-quarter say it should stay the same.
Gallup Poll Editor in Chief, Frank Newport, covers the details in the following video report:
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