CQ Politics' Web Picks

Springfield State Journal-Register: Blagojevich Not Crazy, Experts Say

Reporters have seen him grab cell phones from complete strangers, interrupting conversations to say, "Hi, this is the governor." When lawmakers unanimously reject his proposal to tax businesses, he says that's a vote of confidence. Is Gov. Rod Blagojevich crazy? The answer: Not exactly, according to experts in mental and personality disorders. But that doesn't mean Blagojevich qualifies as normal.

New York Times: Geography Is Dividing Democrats Over Energy

By coincidence or design, most of the policy makers on Capitol Hill and in the administration charged with shaping legislation to address global warming come from California or the East Coast, regions that lead the country in environmental regulation and the push for renewable energy sources. That is a problem, says a group of Democratic lawmakers from the Midwest and Plains States, which are heavily dependent on coal and manufacturing.

Boston Herald: Analysts Say Prez Erred in Singling Out Rush Limbaugh

Round One of the Right-Wing Talk Show Host vs. the liberal Leader of the Free World goes to . . . The Right-Wing Talk-Show Host! "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," Obama chided GOP leaders in negotiations about the economic stimulus package. A delighted Limbaugh, thrilled to see the president climb into his mudwrestling pit, launched a return barrage yesterday.

New Yorker: The President's Hero

After he was sworn-in as President, Barack Obama glanced to his right. He spotted there on the steps, a few feet away, John Lewis--squat, bald, hatless--the eleven-term representative of Georgia's fifth congressional district and the only one of the speakers at the March on Washington still among the living. Obama bent to embrace him. "Congratulations, Mr. President," Lewis whispered in his ear. At the luncheon following the swearing-in ceremony, Lewis approached Obama with a commemorative photograph and asked him to sign it. The President wrote, "Because of you, John. Barack Obama."

Financial Times: Obama Vows to Listen to Muslims

President Obama on Monday night granted an Arabic-language television channel his first formal interview as president - an unprecedented gesture that appeared aimed at offering the Muslim world a sharp contrast with his predecessor. He told the Al Arabiya television channel that his administration wanted listen to the Muslim world and re-examine America's "preconceptions" towards the region.

Los Angeles Times: After Cheney, Vice Presidential House Clearer on Google Earth

Once obscured by pixilation, Google Earth's aerial image of the vice presidential residence on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington is now nearly as clear as its view of the White House. his appears to be none of the White House's doing, however, even though the arrival of clarity coincided with the inauguration of the home's new occupant, Vice President Joe Biden.

Washington Post: Many Bush Officials Held Over at DHS

Wary of being caught short-handed in case of a domestic crisis, the Obama administration has asked nearly two dozen Bush administration officials in the Department of Homeland Security to stay in their jobs until successors can be named.

Wall Street Journal: Obama's EPA Move Likely to Spur Fight

In ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to consider allowing states such as California to regulate automobile emissions of greenhouse gases, President Obama served notice that his administration doesn't intend to let the worst year of U.S. auto sales in more than a decade deter him from his goals of reducing emissions and U.S. dependence on Mideast oil.

Mental Floss: The Million Dollar Office Redecoration - It Could Have been Worse

Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain spent $1.22 million in company dollars to redecorate his office in early 2008. The Daily Beast has a list of all the items on which he spent all that money. Shortly after, it became clear even outside the company that Merrill Lynch was headed for financial disaster. The company was taken over by Bank of America, who announced that Thain resigned his position last Thursday. But was $1.22 million really that extravagant? He could have spent much more on office furniture.