CQ Politics' Web Picks

Washington Post: Obama Expands Stimulus Goals

President-elect Barack Obama has expanded his goals for a massive federal stimulus package to keep pace with the increasingly grim economic outlook, aiming to create or preserve at least 3 million jobs over the next two years. Obama last week presented congressional Democrats with a proposal to dedicate $675 billion to $775 billion over the next two years to middle-class tax cuts, aid to strapped state governments and investments in domestic priorities.

New York Times: The Reckoning - White House Philosophy Stoked Mortgage Bonfire

Eight years after arriving in Washington vowing to spread the dream of homeownership, Mr. Bush is leaving office, as he himself said recently, "faced with the prospect of a global meltdown" with roots in the housing sector he so ardently championed. The story of how we got here is partly one of Mr. Bush's own making, according to a review of his tenure that included interviews with dozens of current and former administration officials.

Daily Beast: Questions for Caroline Kennedy

Where does Kennedy stand on Wall Street? Raising taxes? Gambling? Harry Siegel on why her refusal to answer policy questions is an insult to New York. The article notes that several after The Daily Beast article appeared, Caroline Kennedy's responses to questions submitted by The New York Times and Politico were published. The Times reported: "Most of the answers were brief. Some of them did not fully address the questions." Politico described her answers this way: "Some of Kennedy's responses were brief and vague."

Los Angeles Times: Making a Point in Washington? You'll Need a Prop

When it comes to making your point heard, Washington loves its props. "A picture is worth a thousand words," said Don Wolfensberger, a former congressional staffer who is director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Congress Project. "Unfortunately, with the congressional gimmick press conferences, you get the visual and the thousand words."