CQ Politics' Web Picks

Chicago Sun-Times: Emanuel Wanted to Keep His Seat ‘Warm’

In addition to talking with Gov. Blagojevich about who would fill President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat, Obama’s newly minted chief of staff had something else on his mind: his own congressional seat. An Obama transition team report released Tuesday indicates Emanuel talked with the governor days after the election. Sources said Emanuel broached with Blagojevich the subject of finding a candidate to temporarily fill the seat. But Emanuel isn’t accused of promising something in return.

NPR: Is Bush Planning Pardons For His Administration?

When it comes to clemency, presidents have absolute power; Congress and the courts cannot overrule them. President Bush issued more pardons Tuesday, and now there’s intense speculation that he might issue last-minute pardons to officials of his own administration.

Wall Street Journal: Biden Says Stimulus Won’t Include Earmarks

Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Lawrence Summers, who is slated to head the National Economic Council, say the Obama stimulus plan would have measures to track spending on the Internet and ensure funds are spent effectively. “There will be no earmarks in this economic recovery plan,” Mr. Biden said, referring to pet projects that are often slipped into spending measures by members of Congress. “I know it’s the Christmas season, but President-elect Obama and I are absolutely determined that this economic recovery package will not become a Christmas tree.”

Dallas Morning News: Tuskegee Airmen Invited Onstage at Inauguration

Tuskegee Airmen healthy enough to make the trip will be sitting on the stage next to members of Congress when Barack Obama takes the oath of office. The barrier-busting black pilots who flew to victories over Germany in World War II will receive two nontransferable tickets for on-stage seats. “To a certain extent, we Tuskegee Airmen opened up the doors for some of these improvements in integration and opportunities for black folk,” said Robert McDaniel, 85, a retired elementary school principal from Fort Worth and a member of the famed fliers. “So they are riding on the shoulders of the Tuskegee Airmen.”

New York Times: Resistance to Kennedy Grows Among Democrats

Resistance is emerging among Democratic officials against Caroline Kennedy as she pursues Hillary Rodham Clinton’s seat in the United States Senate, with Gov. David A. Paterson bristling over suggestions that her selection is inevitable, according to his advisers, and other leading Democrats concerned that she is too beholden to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

Politico: Obama Pays Tribute to Late Grandmother

More than a dozen friends and family joined Obama, who was dressed casually and wearing sunglasses, along a rocky shoreline as he scattered his grandmother’s remains.Madelyn Dunham died at age 86 just two days before her grandson won the election. Tuesday was the first time Obama has been able to formally mourn her death, surrounded by friends and family in his home state.

Fox News: Is Obama the Next Lincoln?

Besides the Illinois roots and the skinny frames they share, how similar is Obama to Lincoln? The 16th president was taller and their challenges are much different.