CQ Politics' Web Picks

Daily Beast: Five Ways Obama Has Already Changed Washington

In a few short weeks, he has ended the score settling tradition, eased Congress' inferiority complex--and made Stephen Colbert welcome again.

Salon: Is Obama President Yet?

At this point in the Bush era, the number of people who wish Obama could simply take over already -- even suggesting, in the paper of record, that Bush just up and quit -- is growing faster than the number of Fortune 500 companies applying for federal bailouts.

Weekly Standard: Obama's Debt of Gratitude to George Bush

As the transition progresses and Barack Obama's inauguration draws closer, it's a good moment to mull the gifts George W. Bush has left for the incoming president. Bush has made the world a better place, and if Obama wants to do the same, he will take the good things Bush has done and move forward with them.

Foreign Policy: Decoding al Qaeda's Attack on Obama

Last week, al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, released a provocative video commenting on the election of Barack Obama. "You were born to a Muslim father, but you chose to stand in the ranks of the enemies of the Muslims." To decode Zawahiri's words, Foreign Policy's Blake Hounshell spoke with French scholar Gilles Kepel, chair of Middle East studies at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris.

Slate: Put a Sock in It, Uncle Fred

It happens every year, and this Thanksgiving will be no exception. Someone in the family will start talking politics. If you can't shake free of a political debate, you may find yourself embracing Loudon Wainwright's Thanksgiving prayer: "If I argue with a loved one, Lord, please make me the winner."

Mental Floss: Why Do the Lions and Cowboys Always Play on Thanksgiving?

You hear the same phrases every Thanksgiving. "Please pass the gravy." "Actually, can I have the gravy again? I missed a spot." And "Ugh, why do we have to watch the Lions play again this year?" And what about the other Thanksgiving NFL stalwart, the Dallas Cowboys?