CQ Politics' Web Picks

Washington Post: Facing Obama, Iran Suddenly Hedges on Talks

Since 2006, Iran's leaders have called for direct, unconditional talks with the United States to resolve international concerns over their nuclear program. But as an American administration open to such negotiations prepares to take power, Iran's political and military leaders are sounding suddenly wary of President-elect Barack Obama.

Slate: So When Will a Muslim Be President?

Which historically oppressed group will see one of its own take the oath of the presidency on a Bible/Quran/Analects/etc. next? We must admit that some groups are too small to have much of a chance--met any Zoroastrians lately?--and others seem too exotic. But plenty of others are in the running. Here, then, is a guide to which minority group will next see one of its own in the White House, in descending order of probability, and with possible candidates included.

New York Times: For a Washington Job, Be Prepared to Tell All

A seven-page questionnaire being sent by the office of President-elect Barack Obama to those seeking cabinet and other high-ranking posts may be the most extensive -- some say invasive -- application ever. The questionnaire includes 63 requests for personal and professional records, some covering applicants' spouses and grown children as well, that are forcing job-seekers to rummage from basements to attics, in shoe boxes, diaries and computer archives to document both their achievements and missteps.

Wall Street Journal: Obama Team Sheds Light on New Administration

The Obama transition team released the names of 13 people on Wednesday who will direct a top-to-bottom review of federal agencies and another six who will lead teams that will review Treasury, State and Defense department policy, budget and personnel issues. The group is filled with second-tier veterans of the Clinton administration and workers in the technology and financial sectors. It includes four former lobbyists, three top campaign fund-raisers and two former employees of troubled mortgage giant Fannie Mae, with some overlap among them.

Knowledge at Wharton: Dear President-elect Obama - Here's How to Get the Economy out of the Ditch

Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel, author of the book The Future for Investors, advises the Obama administration to move quickly on a large, one-time tax cut or rebate check program for low- and middle-income Americans as a way to keep the just-starting recession from worsening.

Salon: Obama's Plans for Probing Bush Torture

With growing talk in Washington that President Bush may be considering an unprecedented "blanket pardon" for people involved in his administration's brutal interrogation policies, advisors to Barack Obama are pressing ahead with plans for a nonpartisan commission to investigate alleged abuses under Bush.

National Review: Obama & Gitmo

For the American community, Gitmo was never the problem, and closing it will not solve anything. Candidate Obama called for a return of pre-9/11 counterterrorism thinking, meaning full-blown civilian trials for all captured terrorists. Come January 20, though, President Obama's principal task will be to protect the national security of the United States, not to secure the admiration of Human Rights Watch.

Of Arms and the Law: Keene - Obama Will Overreach

Dave Keene, president of the American Conservative Union, says, "Winners always misread the reason for their victory. Winners always assume that voters voted for them for the reasons they wanted them to vote for them. They always assume that the voters were saying: Do what you want to do... Clinton overreached, Gingrich overreached. And it's one of the reasons why the pendulum starts to swing pretty quickly."

Los Angeles Times: Political Junkies Struggle with Election Withdrawal

Across the country, election addicts are coping with withdrawal pangs. The 2008 race -- with its high stakes, dramatic twists and lightning-fast news cycles -- enthralled and exhausted news consumers. Now, hoping for strong interest in the new administration, media outlets are now serving up details about President-elect Barack Obama's transition and mapping out coverage beyond the White House.