Several media outlets are discussing how Obama plans to keep his political machine humming while in office. The Baltimore Sun looks at his Obama's political operation in the White House and the Los Angeles Times look at his efforts to keep young voters engaged.
Also, a short profile of Raúl Grijalva for those who may not know much about our potential Secretary of the Interior.
And, Obama may plan a 9/11-style commission to deal with the Bush Administration's policies on counterterrorism, torture, and detainments.
In an article for the Baltimore Sun, columnist Paul West compares Obama's political organization to a Maserati and asks how he'll keep it humming while in office:
Veteran strategists see considerable merit in keeping Obama's political operation outside the party structure. He could use it to help communicate the merits of his initiatives - for example, a health care overhaul plan - both through his own network and, potentially, by raising money to promote his ideas with television ads, radio, direct mail, the Internet and other avenues of communication.
"I don't think anybody's done anything like this before, certainly nothing as sophisticated as this and nothing as capable of actually having an impact on public opinion," said Bill Carrick, a Democratic consultant in Los Angeles.
I'm sure the Obama team recognizes the value of keeping that HUGE list of supporters engaged and active. I hope they continue reaching out to us throughout his administration.
:::::::
The Los Angeles Times also takes a look at how Obama will try to keep his young supporters engaged:
Networking technology could also help younger voters stay interested in -- and possibly get involved in lobbying -- an issue when legislation is moving through various committees on Capitol Hill.
Sites such as YouTube also can help the Obama administration reach out to tech-savvy youth. Obama's transition team, whose YouTube channel is called ChangeDotGov, posted the president-elect's first Saturday radio address on the site, where it was viewed more than 800,000 times in three days.
::::::
I'm glad Obama is showing leadership on the economy right now, because Bush sure as hell isn't:
Obama has asked his economic team to craft a plan to create 2.5 million jobs over the next two years, including some in the field of alternative energy. His original plan was for one year.
The president-elect wants quick congressional approval so that he can sign legislation soon after taking office.
::::::
Thomas Friedman is continuing to sound the alarm on the economy:
Right now there is something deeply dysfunctional, bordering on scandalously irresponsible, in the fractious way our political elite are behaving — with business as usual in the most unusual economic moment of our lifetimes. They don’t seem to understand: Our financial system is imperiled.
In the same op-ed, his message to young people:
This financial crisis is so far from over. We are just at the end of the beginning.
::::::
Lawrence Summers will be director of the National Economic Council, where he will serve as Obama's top economic advisor.
::::::
The New York Times is reporting the names that have been floated for HUD Secretary:
Adolfo Carrión Jr., the Bronx borough president, is being considered for a senior position in the Obama administration, possibly as secretary of housing and urban development, people involved in the transition said on Saturday.
also:
Besides Mr. Carrión, the others being considered for housing secretary are believed to be Manny Diaz, the mayor of Miami, and Saul N. Ramirez Jr., the former mayor of Laredo, Tex., who was deputy housing secretary in the Clinton administration.
::::::
So just who is Raúl M. Grijalva? Yesterday, we talked about the speculation that the Arizona congressman will be appointed Secretary of the Interior. For those who don't know much about him, I thought I would offer you some links and reading on my former Congressman. From the Arizona Republic:
Grijalva, 60, is a Tucson native and son of an immigrant Mexican farm worker. He served as Hispanic co-chair for Obama's presidential campaign and has been a fierce critic of the Bush administration's environmental policies. He serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources and chairs the national parks, forests and public lands subcommittee.
Just a few days ago, Grijalva was elected as the co-chair for the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He has been a leading voice for environmental issues in Southern Arizona, including an advocate for the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. He has written a blistering critique of the Bush administration's land policies (PDF), in which he wrote:
Over the last seven and half years, the Bush Administration has pushed a concerted strategy of reducing the protections for our public lands, parks and forests, and opening up these lands for every type of private, commercial and extractive industry possible.
As Chairman of the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee, Grijalva conducted numerous oversight and investigatory hearings on the Bush Administration's lands policies.
Grijalva initially endorsed John Edwardsin the Democratic primary, but switched his support to Obama early in January 2008. He has a 100% rating by the League of Conservation Voters, the AFL-CIO, NARAL, HRC and NAACP.
::::::
High Country News has an interesting profile on Grijalva from 2006:
Grijalva is a lonely figure in Congress. Democrats like him are few — he is a champion of unions, the environment, immigrant rights and strong social programs — and even moderate Republicans are far to his right.
Nonetheless, the two-term congressman can point to significant victories. "I’m most proud that we’ve been able to return some land that was stolen from the Colorado Indian Tribe," he says. A 1915 executive order by President Woodrow Wilson took more than 15,000 acres away from the tribe, whose reservation lies about 200 miles west of Phoenix, and put it in the hands of mining companies. In 2003, Grijalva took up the cause, finally prevailing last year. In 2005, he was instrumental in restoring environmental justice funding to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget.
And, for more insight from fellow Kossacks, check out MaryContrary and Screechowl. And via raatz, Progressivepunch.org listed Grijalva #4 on its list of Top 20 House Progressives.
::::::
Totally switching topics - the Pentagon has released information on the juveniles being held at Guantanamo Bay to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Raw Story's Andy Worthington claims the Pentagon is vastly underreporting the true number:
On Sunday, the Pentagon admitted that 12 juveniles -- those under the age of 18 at the time their alleged crimes took place -- have been held at Guantanamo Bay (as opposed to the figure of eight that was submitted to the UN in May). But a RAW STORY count, drawn from the Pentagon's own records, reveals that the total number of juveniles held at Guantanamo is at least 22 -- nearly double the official Pentagon figure.
If you think 22 is bad, Worthington reports that the Pentagon reported back in May that it is holding "approximately 2,400" juveniles in Iraq.
::::::
The AP is also reporting that the Supreme Court will hear the case of Ali al-Marri on Tuesday:
Ali al-Marri has been held in virtual isolation in a Navy brig near Charleston, S.C., for nearly 5 1/2 years. He is challenging President George W. Bush's authority to subject a legal resident of the United States to indefinite military detention without being charged or tried.
::::::
Michael Isikoff reports at Newsweek that Obama is seriously considering a commission to make public information on counterterrorism policies and torture used by the Bush administration:
But one idea that has currency among some top Obama advisers is setting up a 9/11-style commission that would investigate counterterrorism policies and make public as many details as possible. "At a minimum, the American people have to be able to see and judge what happened," said one senior adviser, who asked not to be identified talking about policy matters. The commission would be empowered to order the U.S. intelligence agencies to open their files for review and question senior officials who approved "waterboarding" and other controversial practices.
::::::
And, finally my nomination for quote of the morning, courtesy of Stephen Goldstein in the Sun-Sentinel (FL):
Earth to Republicans, whatever planet you're on: Your agenda is dead and cannot be resurrected. A party that looks to yesterday cannot hope to have a successful future.
Frankly, I want Republicans to keep looking backwards. They keep me in columns and belly-laughs. Unless they take a long hard look in the mirror, in two years we'll elect a Democratic governor and more Democrats in the state Legislature — and turn Florida from bittersweet for Republicans into bitter blue.