memeorandum: Impeachment is an option, but it's complicated (Ryan Keith/State Journal Register)

1:20 PM ET, December 10, 2008

Top Items:

Brian Ross / ABCNEWS:

Sources Say Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is ‘Senate Candidate #5’ — Feds Plan to Interview Chicago Congressman as Part of Blagojevich Probe — Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is the anonymous “Senate Candidate #5” whose emissaries Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered …

The Trail / Washington Post:

Obama: Blagojevich Should Resign — President-elect Barack Obama believes that Gov. Rod Blagojevich should resign, his advisers said on Wednesday. “The President-elect agrees with Lt. Gov. Quinn and many others that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the governor to effectively …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Associated Press, Firedoglake, Chicago Tribune, Lynn Sweet, TIME.com, Donklephant and The Raw Story

Chicago Sun Times:
Madigan may take him to high court

Discussion: TIME.com, Political Machine, TPM Election Central and Chicago Business

Ryan Keith / State Journal Register:
Impeachment is an option, but it's complicated

Discussion: Chicago Sun Times, Progress Illinois, The Capitol Fax Blog, ArchPundit and Below The Beltway

Reid Wilson / The Hill:
Clues to identity of candidates #1-6

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Firedoglake, TIME.com, Taylor Marsh, Time, ArchPundit and The Note

The Politico:

In scandal, risks for Obama — At first blush, Barack Obama comes out of the Rod Blagojevich scandal smelling like a rose. The prosecutor at a news conference seemed to give the president-elect a seal of approval, and the Illinois governor himself was caught on tape complaining that Obama was not interested in crooked schemes.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, RedState, The Capitol Fax Blog, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, New York Times, Hot Air, Progress Illinois, Washington Post, Daily Kos, TPM Election Central, Gateway Pundit, Cold Fury and The Caucus

New York Times:

Obama's Effort on Ethics Bill Had Role in Governor's Fall — In a sequence of events that neatly captures the contradictions of Barack Obama's rise through Illinois politics, a phone call he made three months ago to urge passage of a state ethics bill indirectly contributed to the downfall …

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:

Text of Obama's first newspaper interview as president-elect — In his first post-election newspaper interview, President-elect Barack Obama doesn't spill all the beans about his intentions upon taking office on Jan. 20. — But he does reveal some interesting details.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, Political Punch and The Campaign Spot

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

THE INEVITABLE PUSH.... It's only been 24 hours, and it's pretty obvious that reports like this one, from the AP's Liz Sidoti, are going to quickly become mind-numbing. … There's just no reason for reporting like this. Is Obama connected to Blagojevich's scandal? No, but the scandal is “threatening to dog him.”

Discussion: The Heretik, Media Matters for America and The Campaign Spot

New York Times:

Calls Mount in Illinois for Governor to Step Aside — CHICAGO — Political leaders in Illinois joined growing calls for the resignation of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich a day after he was arrested and accused of putting President-elect Obama's former United States Senate seat up for sale.

Discussion: A Blog For All

Susan Saulny / New York Times:
Portrait of a Politician: Vengeful and Profane

Discussion: The New Republic, The Politico, CNN, Los Angeles Times, JustOneMinute, Likelihood of Success, The Volokh Conspiracy, protein wisdom, Slate and Connecting.the.Dots

Mike Allen / The Politico: Swearing in: Barack Hussein Obama

Michelle Malkin:
Boomerang: The Democrat culture of corruption

Discussion: Right Wing News

Hilzoy / Obsidian Wings: Blagojevich — Since everyone else has already noted …

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:
Analysis: Scandal threatens to dog Obama

Discussion: The Huffington Post, New York Post, Washington Post, Reuters, Pantagraph, Hot Air, Jules Crittenden, The Politico, A Blog For All and Gateway Pundit

Pam Spaulding / Pam's House Blend:

Jon Stewart slays the homophobic Huckabeast without breaking a sweat — UPDATE: Louise did a complete transcript of the segment in this diary - many thanks! — And entertains while doing so. Jon Stewart asked serious questions any hard-hitting progressive journalist or political commentator …

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Washington Monthly and Qnews

Ali Frick / Think Progress:

Stewart Grills Huckabee On Gay Marriage: ‘At What Age Did You Choose Not To Be Gay?’ — For over seven minutes last night, Jon Stewart grilled former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee on his opposition to gay marriage. Huckabee is touring the country to promote his new book, “Do The Right Thing.”

Jesse McKinley / New York Times: Gay Marriage Ban Inspires New Wave of Activists

Chicago Tribune:

Barack Obama plans to reach out to Muslim world — In exclusive interview, he says he plans to be sworn in like every other president, using his full name: Barack Hussein Obama — Barack Obama says his heart will remain in Chicago, even as he moves to Washington. (Alex Garcia / Tribune / December 9, 2008)

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Wonkette, Townhall.com, The Hill, Soccer Dad, TPM Election Central, The Swamp, Brian Beutler and TIME.com

Agence France Presse:
Obama plans major address in Islamic capital: interview

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Reuters, Associated Press and TPMCafe

Los Angeles Times:
Obama speaks out in his first newspaper interview

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, TIME.com, Boston Globe and George's Bottom Line

David Leonhardt / New York Times:

$73 an Hour: Adding It Up — Seventy-three dollars an hour. — That figure — repeated on television and in newspapers as the average pay of a Big Three autoworker — has become a big symbol in the fight over what should happen to Detroit. To critics, it is a neat encapsulation …

Discussion: Wonkette, Kevin Drum, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Buck Naked Politics, American Prospect, Comments from Left Field and Economist's View

Wall Street Journal:
The Bailout That Won't — Would you buy a car from Congress?

Discussion: Donklephant, Fraters Libertas and Betsy's Page

Tom Curry / MSNBC:
An all-American auto industry bailout?

Discussion: PoliPundit.com

Dave Orrick / TwinCities.com:

FBI reviewing allegations involving Norm Coleman ally, source says — Source: Inquiry involves alleged attempt to steer money toward senator — Federal investigators are looking into allegations that a longtime friend and benefactor tried to steer money to U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, the Pioneer Press has learned.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, Gawker, Think Progress, Sunlight Foundation, NewsBusters.org, MinnPost and Political Machine

Jason Hoppin / TwinCities.com:
U.S. Senate race: Error might mean 171 absentee ballots went uncounted …

Discussion: TPM Election Central

Erika Lovley / The Politico:

Browner to be named new energy czar — Former Clinton Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol Browner is expected to be named chief of energy and environmental issues in the new Obama White House, according to a published report. — The announcement, along with other top jobs …

Discussion: TIME.com

Peter Nicholas / Los Angeles Times:
L.A. deputy mayor reportedly sought for Obama environment team

Discussion: Washington Post and Gristmill

Foreign Policy:

The 10 Worst Predictions for 2008 — Prognostication is by far the riskiest form of punditry. The 10 commentators and leaders on this list learned that the hard way when their confident predictions about politics, war, the economy, and even the end of humanity itself completely missed the mark.

Discussion: Kevin Drum