memeorandum: Hawaii stands ready to become the Big Kahuna in Washington (Walter Alarkon/The Hill)

1:05 PM ET, November 19, 2008

Top Items:

Giving Up on God — As Republicans sort out the reasons for their defeat, they likely will overlook or dismiss the gorilla in the pulpit. — Three little letters, great big problem: G-O-D. — I'm bathing in holy water as I type. — To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing …

Discussion: Townhall.com, The Mahablog, Right Wing News, The Anchoress, TBogg, Incertus, The Heretik, Greg's Opinion, Right Wing Watch, The Opinionator, The Raw Story, Eunomia, skippy the bush kangaroo, First Draft, Stop The ACLU and The Other McCain

Jonah Goldberg / The Corner:

Quit It Kathleen — To my friend Kathleen Parker — This act is getting really old. … Me: I don't know what's more grating, the quasi-bigotry that has you calling religious Christians low brows, gorillas and oogedy-boogedy types or the bravery-on-the-cheap as you salute — in that winsome way …

Discussion: Don Surber and Democracy in America

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

KATHLEEN PARKER TAKES ON THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT.... In September, Kathleen Parker, a conservative syndicated columnist, raised quite a few eyebrows when she explained that Sarah Palin had no business running for national office. “If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself,” …

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and No More Mister Nice Blog

Brendan Miniter / Wall Street Journal:

No Room for RINOs — Who will resurrect the GOP? — South Carolina's Mark Sanford is one of three GOP governors now being widely mentioned as potential saviors of the Republican Party between now and 2012. All are conspicuous for calling on their own party to live up to its principles.

Discussion: protein wisdom

David S. Broder / Washington Post:

A Force for Good — but Not at State — It may be moot and it certainly is presumptuous, but I would be less than honest with readers if I did not say what I believe: Making Hillary Rodham Clinton the secretary of state in Barack Obama's administration would be a mistake.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Weekly Standard, New York Times, Commentary, PoliBlog (TM), Political Perceptions, TIME.com, MyDD, normblog and American Power

The Politico:

Exclusive: Bill may give up foreign income — Negotiations between the Clintons and President-elect Obama's transition team are rapidly moving toward a formal offer of secretary of State for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), with both sides expecting a formal announcement in the next seven days …

Discussion: The Caucus, TalkLeft, Reuters, TIME.com and Political Radar

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:

Madam Secretary? — So President-elect Barack Obama is considering Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. How should we feel about that? — Mrs. Clinton is a serious person. She is smart, tough, cunning, hard-working and knows the world — all key qualities for a secretary of state.

Discussion: marbury and Commentary

Noam N. Levey / Los Angeles Times:

Ted Kennedy asks Hillary Clinton to head Senate healthcare team — She has not indicated whether she will take the job if she does not become Obama's secretary of State, but expanding coverage has been one of her goals for years. — Reporting from Washington — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton …

Discussion: The Heretik, Taylor Marsh, TIME.com, MyDD, Ben Smith's Blogs, Truthdig and TPM Election Central

Associated Press:
Dem sources: Clinton to help wife get State job

Discussion: Associated Press, Donklephant, ATTACKERMAN and TPM Election Central

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Two for the Price of Two — Bill Clinton was feeling grumpy toward Barack Obama.

Discussion: Whiskey Fire, Commentary and rubber hose

Media Matters for America:
For second day in a row, NY Times falsely suggested Bill Clinton …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money

Jonathan D. Salant / Bloomberg:
Clinton May Need to Pay Off Debt Before Accepting Cabinet Post

Discussion: TIME.com

Noemie Emery / Weekly Standard:
An Exceedingly Strange New Respect

Discussion: Power Line and American Power

Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:
State: HRC's ticket to debt forgiveness?

Discussion: The Swamp and Wonkette

Wall Street Journal:
Bill Clinton Seeks to Smooth Wife's Path

Discussion: The Huffington Post, TalkLeft, Commentary, Washington Post and New York Times

Malcolm X / MSNBC:

Al-Qaida No. 2 says Obama betrays race — In first video since election, he says president-elect does bidding of whites — CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader used a racial epithet to insult Barack Obama in a message posted Wednesday, describing the president-elect in demeaning terms that imply he does the bidding of whites.

Discussion: democracyarsenal.org, Michelle Malkin, The Moderate Voice, Commentary, On Deadline, Telegraph, Obsidian Wings, Jules Crittenden, VOTE and This ain't Hell …

CNN:
Al Qaeda message castigates Obama

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Washington Independent, The Debate Link and Donklephant

Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
AL QAEDA'S MOST EPIC FAIL EVER.

Discussion: The Washington Independent

Time:
Al-Qaeda No. 2 Insults Obama in Audio Message

Discussion: The New Republic and TIME.com

Mitt Romney / New York Times:

Let Detroit Go Bankrupt — IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won't go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed. — Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself.

Jonathan Weisman / Wall Street Journal:

Emanuel Sets a Challenge — President-elect Barack Obama's incoming White House chief of staff challenged chief executives and other business leaders Tuesday night to join the new administration in a push for universal health care, saying incremental increases in coverage won't be acceptable.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Los Angeles Times, Think Progress, TPM Election Central, The Washington Independent, The Jed Report, Eschaton and The Foundry

CNN:

Daschle the choice for Health and Human Services — CHICAGO (CNN) — Three sources close to the transition and in a position to know tell CNN that former Sen. Tom Daschle is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be Secretary of Health and Human Services and the former Senate Majority Leader has indicated he wants the job.

ABCNEWS:

Big Three CEOs Flew Private Jets to Plead for Public Funds — Auto Industry Close to Bankruptcy But They Get Pricey Perk — The CEOs of the big three automakers flew to the nation's capital yesterday in private luxurious jets to make their case to Washington that the auto industry is running …

Discussion: The New Republic, Marc Ambinder, Matthew Yglesias, Hot Air and GretaWire

Washington Times:

EXCLUSIVE: Steele chastises ‘country club’ GOP — Vows to help transform party — Republican National Committee Chairman candidate Michael S. Steele castigated Republican Party leadership Tuesday for having a “country club” mentality and being out of touch, and said if he is chosen to represent the party …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Gateway Pundit, www.redstate.com and TIME.com

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

ABOUT THAT CHENEY INDICTMENT.... At first blush, the headline looked pretty extraordinary: “Texas Grand Jury Indicts Cheney, Gonzales on Charges Related to Prisons.” Wait, Dick Cheney's been indicted? It sounded too good to be true, in large part because it is.

Discussion: Philly.com, Associated Press, The Sideshow, NEWSCHANNEL5, Harper's, The Impolitic, Patterico's Pontifications and Talking Points Memo

Mike Allen / The Politico:

62 days to Inauguration — Senator Clinton likely to be named SecState in next seven days — Good Wednesday morning. Katie Couric, anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News,” will speak with Senator Joe Lieberman today in Washington in an exclusive interview to be broadcast tonight.