CQ Politics' Web Picks

New York Times: Obama Friends Form Strategy to Stay Close

Last Sunday night, President-elect Barack Obama's three closest friends -- Valerie Jarrett, Martin Nesbitt and Dr. Eric Whitaker -- sat down in the study of Mr. Nesbitt's house in Chicago for one of their increasingly frequent heart-to-hearts. They were puzzling over a new question: how the Obamas, who hope to remain close to their Chicago friends, will spend time with them while living in the isolation chamber of the White House.

Slate: Which State is the Most Crooked--Illinois or Louisiana?

With the unmasking of Gov. Rod Blagojevich as a kleptocrat of Paraguayan proportion, Illinois now has a real chance--its first in more than a generation--to defeat Louisiana in the NCAA finals of American political corruption. Illinois boasts some impressive stats, but don't count Louisiana out.

Los Angeles Times: Lobbyists Bid for a Piece of the Economic Stimulus Pie

Since President-elect Barack Obama laid out plans for the largest injection of federal spending into the economy since the New Deal, just about everyone has started angling for a piece of the action. A long list of industries have deployed lobbyists to Capitol Hill in hope of benefiting from the spending spree.

Washington Post: Obama Makes a Point of Speaking of the People, to the People

In the 26 years since the weekly radio address became a modern White House staple, presidents have often treated the speech to the nation as a task to be endured rather than an opportunity. Not so with President-elect Barack Obama, who has been using his four minutes of weekend airtime not only to speak directly to the American people, but also to create news. (Transcript of Saturday's radio address).

Wall Street Journal: Condi on the Record

As the Bush administration prepares to hand off foreign policy to Barack Obama, it has become an article of faith that our new president is inheriting something akin to a global Superfund site. It isn't clear if Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is reading these epitaphs. But over lunch in the State Department, it's clear she has a different view of the world.

Salon: Meet the GOP's Wrecking Crew

Why did a small group of Southern Republicans turn the auto bailout into a demolition derby? This week Southern Republicans had a chance to go to bat for foreign automakers while simultaneously busting a union. Not coincidentally, nearly all of their states -- except Kentucky -- are also "right-to-work" states, which means no union contracts for most of the employees at the foreign plants. The Detroit bailout fell victim to a nasty confluence of home-state economic interests and anti-union sentiment among Republicans.

Weekly Standard: The Other American Auto Industry

Plenty of car makers make a go of it in this country--they're just non-union and not headquartered in Detroit.