CQ Politics' Web Picks

New York Times: A Rewired Bully Pulpit - Big, Bold and Unproven

After a campaign that Facebooked, Twittered, texted and YouTubed its way to victory, it is now fashionable in Washington to talk about how Mr. Obama will transfer his technological tricks from the campaign trail to the White House, and use his impressive social networking skills to rally support for an ambitious agenda.

Chicago Tribune: Will Clinton Be Obama's Frenemy of State?

From all outward appearances, Clinton and Obama have made peace. Yet they were rivals in the most protracted presidential primary in history, and that battle is certain to tint her arrival in the administration.

Slate: The Underminer?

By picking Clinton, Obama may be making some kind of special political play, removing one of his rivals to protect himself from political harm, but I think he's more serious than that. There's been no evidence over the last two years that he engages in this kind of overly clever bank shot. It's more likely he's picked Clinton because she's smart and because he wants to surround himself with people who will challenge him.

Washington Post: Some in Arab World Wary of Clinton

Arabs, particularly Palestinians, are nervous that Obama seems prepared to give the job of top diplomat to a senator from New York who has spent eight years cultivating her pro-Israel constituency and would continue, they think, a lack of U.S. evenhandedness in refereeing the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

Daily Beast: Circular Firing Squad - the Republican Suicide Watch

The GOP is wounded, perhaps mortally so. Then why did it reelect John Boehner, who has no future worth debating, as House minority leader?

National Review: What Went Wrong?

My sense is that most people -- who, after all, get a job, eventually buy a house and have to maintain it, have children, and respect the traditions of their families' past -- end up by necessity more conservative than liberal. The challenge is not to water down the conservative message, but to beef it up, even while making it more persuasive to those who are skeptical.

Newsweek: What Michelle Means to Us

At 44, Michelle Obama will be the youngest First Lady since Jacqueline Kennedy. And many are expecting her to usher in a similarly glamorous era in Washington. ("Bamelot," as some are already calling it.) But Michelle's influence could go far beyond the superficial. When her husband raises his hand to take the oath of office, Michelle will become the world's most visible African-American woman.

Los Angeles Times: White Extremists Lash Out Over Election of First Black President

Barely three weeks since America elected its first black president, noose hangings, racist graffiti and death threats have struck dozens of towns across the country. More than 200 such incidents -- including cross burnings, assassination betting pools and effigies of President-elect Barack Obama -- have been reported, according to law enforcement authorities and the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups.

NPR: How Will an Urban President Handle Farm Policy?

President-elect Barack Obama's past as an urban community organizer in Chicago makes some wonder how he could relate to farmers, ranchers and other rural people. But as a senator, Obama represented Illinois, which has farm and rural regions, and his journey to the presidency began with a win in the Iowa Democratic caucus. And it was during a campaign stop in Iowa that Obama released a farm and rural platform in October 2007.