Apparently Hillary Clinton met with Obama yesterday. Since then Washington has been abuzz with the possibility of a "Team of Rivals". The Washington hacks cannot wait to make Doris Kearns Goodwin’s excellent book about Abraham Lincoln play out live.

It is worth noting that Obama met with Bill Richardson today. Richardson is a top contender for Secretary of State. He is an experienced diplomat, solid Obama supporter, and unlikely to create a separate power center - with its own agenda separate from the president of the United States - at Foggy Bottom. It is also worth noting that there have been no leaks about whether Obama has offered anything to Richardson.

It seems to me that Hillary Clinton’s supporters are jumping up and down a little too much trying to push the story about Obama offering Clinton the position. Maybe they think they can publicly pressure Obama into giving Clinton the job. Something similar occurred before Obama picked his vice president. If there is so much public advocacy before she gets the job, one wonders what kind of shenanigans will go on after she gets the job. It is all too much drama and not enough substance - too much ambition and not enough diplomacy.

If I had to bet, I’d bet on the quiet guy getting the job. The guy who doesn’t leak before getting the job is likely to be just as diplomatic and loyal after he gets the job.

So, I’d bet on Bill Richardson.

Sarah Palin held a 3 minute press conference today at the Republican Governors Association meeting. It was…fun.

I know, I know. The election is over. But apparently a wing of the Republican party believes this trainwreck is their future leader. Others don’t. Either way, this trainwreck aims to entertain us for as long as she can.

This was one of the more entertaining congressional races of this election cycle. Virgil Goode ran on The Fear. Here’s a Goode ad meant to scare the bejeezus out of the voters. Apparently Perriello is some scary bearded Muslim/Jewish/Black/Possibly Mexican liberal guy from New York come to raise your oil prices, marry gays, and let Mexicans and Muslims take over this God fearing nation:

Here’s Tom Perriello, the guy Virgil Goode actually lost to. It turns out Perriello was born and raised in Virginia and he looks like this:

Dahlia Lithwick of Slate says Goode Riddance, and I wholeheartedly agree.

As of this morning, Republican Senator and convicted felon Ted "Tubes" Stevens was leading Democrat Mark Begich by over 3000 votes. As the vote count stands this evening, Begich leads "Tubes" by 3 votes. Many more votes remain to be counted, but it is likely that Begich’s lead will grow. It appears that Alaska may have decided by a hair to not have a convicted felon represent them in the United States Senate. The fact that this race is even close is disturbing.

As "Tubes" goes down the drain, so goes Sarah Palin’s hopes of climbing into a US Senate seat. Aw shucks!

I just watched a hit job on Barack Obama on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360. In their "Keeping Them Honest" segment Tom Foreman looked at Obama’s press conference and said that Obama was pulling back on his campaign promises. This was news to me since I had listened to the entire press conference and did not notice this at all. So, I went to the transcript to make sure.

It turns out Foreman made use of some fancy editing to create facts for his news story.

Tonight, this is what Foreman claimed about Obama’s tax plan:

Foreman: Time and again out on the trail he said we need tax reform right now.

[Plays campaign video of Obama talking about giving the middle class a tax break.]

Foreman: And he said again today early in his press conference tax relief cannot wait. But when asked later on in that press conference, does that mean he will pursue tax reforms in 2009, he dodged the direct question and repeated again that he still wants to help the middle class.

[Video] Obama: But, obviously, over the next several weeks and months, we’re going to be continuing to take a look at the data and see what’s taking place in the economy as a whole.

Foreman says Obama was asked about whether he would pursue tax reform in 2009, and he suggests Obama dodged his commitment to tax cuts for the middle class. But that is not what Obama was asked. This is the actual exchange:

Question: Mr. President-elect, do you still intend to seek income tax increases for upper-income Americans? And if so, should these Americans expect to pay higher taxes in 2009?

Obama: The — my tax plan represented a net tax cut. It provided for substantial middle-class tax cuts; 95 percent of working Americans would receive them.

It also provided for cuts in capital gains for small businesses, additional tax credits. All of it is designed for job growth.

My priority is going to be, how do we grow the economy? How do we create more jobs?

I think that the plan that we’ve put forward is the right one, but, obviously, over the next several weeks and months, we’re going to be continuing to take a look at the data and see what’s taking place in the economy as a whole.

But, understand, the goal of my plan is to provide tax relief to families that are struggling, but also to boost the capacity of the economy to grow from the bottom up.

He was asked whether he would initiate tax increases on upper-income Americans in 2009. In response he reiterated his commitment to tax cuts but did not say he would raise taxes on the wealthy in 2009. He wasn’t asked about "tax reforms" in 2009. Of his commitment to lower taxes for middle income Americans Obama was forceful in the press conference:

Finally, as we monitor and address these immediate economic challenges, we will be moving forward in laying out a set of policies that will grow our middle class and strengthen our economy in the long term. We cannot afford to wait on moving forward on the key priorities that I identified during the campaign, including clean energy, health care, education, and tax relief for middle-class families.

On Iran, Foreman claimed that Obama was backing away from his position of direct talks:

Foreman: During the campaign he strongly called for talks with Iran. His website, which is still up by the way, says "Obama supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions. Now is the time to pressure Iran directly to change their troubling behavior." Asked today, however, if he will launch those talks as soon as he takes office he said this:

[Video] Obama: Obviously, how we approach and deal with a country like Iran is not something that we should, you know, simply do in a knee- jerk fashion.

Again, Obama was not asked the question Foreman claims he was asked. Here is the actual exchange about the letter sent by Iran:

Question: Senator, for the first time since the Iranian revolution, the president of Iran sent a congratulations note to a new U.S. president. I’m wondering if, first of all, if you responded to President Ahmadinejad’s note of congratulations and, second of all, and more importantly, how soon do you plan on sending low-level envoys to countries such as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, to see if a presidential-level talk would be productive?

Obama: I am aware that the letter was sent. Let me state — repeat what I stated during the course of the campaign.

Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon I believe is unacceptable. And we have to mount a international effort to prevent that from happening.

Iran’s support of terrorist organizations I think is something that has to cease.

I will be reviewing the letter from President Ahmadinejad, and we will respond appropriately. It’s only been three days since the election. Obviously, how we approach and deal with a country like Iran is not something that we should, you know, simply do in a knee- jerk fashion. I think we’ve got to think it through.

But I have to reiterate once again that we only have one president at a time. And I want to be very careful that we are sending the right signals to the world as a whole that I am not the president and I won’t be until January 20th.

Obama was referring to Ahmadinejad’s letter when he said you should not respond in a "knee-jerk fashion". Obama also reiterated that President Bush is still President and he did not want to send mixed signals before he is inaugarated. Foreman simply made up a question and answer that did not happen.

Foreman concludes with this bit of nonsense about what would be "unfair" and perhaps these "changes" are due to Obama now having a "deeper understanding of the issues":

Forman: Now, no one should expect him to deliver on his pledges until he takes the oath. That would be completely unfair. And, maybe these slight changes reflect a deeper understanding of the issues from his briefings. Maybe the situation will really change by the time he takes the oath. But, keeping them honest we will keep watching to let you know if the promises he ran on survive intact until Inauguration Day.

Perhaps Tom Foreman needs a deeper understanding of journalism. Or perhaps he should actually read the transcript before he broadcasts disinformation over cable news.

CNN should be ashamed of themselves. "Keeping Them Honest", my ass.

Has neo-con Bill Kristol ever been right about anything? I mean, seriously. Sarah Palin’s biggest cheerleader is spinning himself silly. Next, he’ll be telling us Palin will be greeted as a liberator and there will be dancing on the streets of Wasilla.

More popcorn please.

If I had any say in the matter, here is who I’d like to see in Obama’s cabinet:

Secretary of State: Bill Richardson

Secretary of Defense: Chuck Hagel

Secretary of Treasury: Larry Summers

Attorney General: Eric Holder

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Tom Daschle

Secretary of Education: Colin Powell

Secretary of Homeland Security: Janet Napolitano

Secretary of Energy: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs: Max Cleland

And other key positions:

National Security Advisor: Samantha Power

United Nations Ambassador: Susan Rice

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Robert Kennedy Jr.

Council of Economic Advisors Chairman: Austan Goolsbee

 And, yes, the cabinet list above contains three Republicans.

NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin’s shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain’s top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.

A Palin aide said: "Governor Palin was not directing staffers to put anything on their personal credit cards, and anything that staffers put on their credit cards has been reimbursed, like an expense. Nasty and false accusations following a defeat say more about the person who made them than they do about Governor Palin."

McCain himself rarely spoke to Palin during the campaign, and aides kept him in the dark about the details of her spending on clothes because they were sure he would be offended. Palin asked to speak along with McCain at his Arizona concession speech Tuesday night, but campaign strategist Steve Schmidt vetoed the request.

Joe Lieberman,

Lanny Davis,

Ralph Nader…

Go fuck yourself.

There, now I feel better. Back to being a family friendly blog.

Randy Scheunemann, a senior foreign policy adviser to John McCain, was fired from the Arizona senator’s campaign last week for what one aide called "trashing" the campaign staff, three senior McCain advisers tell CNN.

One of the aides tells CNN that campaign manager Rick Davis fired Scheunemann after determining that he had been in direct contact with journalists spreading "disinformation" about campaign aides, including Nicolle Wallace and other officials.

"He was positioning himself with Palin at the expense of John McCain’s campaign message," said one of the aides.

Senior campaign officials blame Schuenemann specifically for stories about the way Wallace and chief campaign strategist Steve Schmidt mishandled Palin’s rollout — stories that the campaign says threw them off message in the critical final weeks of the campaign.

Another aide said McCain personally was "very disappointed by Randy," who worked for McCain for many years in the Senate.

Scheunemann became close with Palin during her debate prep process.

I am sure if things don’t work out with Sarah Palin, Randy can always get a lobbying gig with the government of Georgia.

Comedy gold.

Get your popcorn ready. The show is about to begin.

I write tonight from the Old Dominion, not far from what was the capital of the Confederacy. I write tonight from a changed Virginia.

As Ohio was called, I kissed my daughter good night last night and whispered to her that Barack Obama would be our next president. Then I wept briefly. Then I composed myself and watched history unfold.

I woke up early this morning with little sleep. I woke up restless and then I broke down crying. The world is changed.

Last night Barack Obama said that this election was not about him. It was about us. He had not asked America to elect him because he was an African American. And indeed America did not elect him because he was an African American. America’s challenge was to elect a man not a color. America collectively and resoundingly declared yesterday that the content of Barack Obama’s character was worthy of our vote. We wanted him to lead us. In doing so, America looked beyond color or hue and elected its first African American president.

The world is changed.

More than three decades ago my father voted in an election that led to the birth of a nation. That vote and the collective wish of a people to govern themselves was met with a nine month long genocide that took three million souls. Yet, the people prevailed. The vote counted and a democracy was born.

Throughout the nine months of genocide my parents kept me safe. I lived when many others did not. And on the day that the guns fell silent, my father took me to stand with a million people to bear witness to the signing of a document that gave birth to a democracy.

I learned as a child the price of freedom and the value of a vote. It can change the world.

I took my 8 year old daughter to the polls with me yesterday. I wanted her to bear witness to the vote I cast for Barack Obama, to bear witness to the power of democracy - that with the filling in of a circle next to a name, or the push of a button on a screen, we in America change the world. I wanted to give her what my father gave to me 37 years ago.

So, this morning I wept. I wept for my mom and I wept for my dad. I wept for the three million that gave their lives because they voted their will. I wept with my friends - Americans of all hues and colors. I wept because America is beginning to be truer to the opening words of its founding document. And I wept for my daughter because an uncertain future is suddenly less menacing.

The world is changed.

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama—as prepared for delivery

Election Night

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Chicago, Illinois

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

What impact the victory of the US presidential elect senator Barack Obama had on Bangladesh? Back to Bangladesh is a blog of a Bangladeshi who came back to the country after living many years in the US. The blogger writes about the sentiments this great victory produced:

Today was a very special day for anyone who loves America.

Grown men cried tears of joy, not just in America, but also in many other parts of the world.

Dhrubo Hasan writes a poem in his blog at the Bangla blogging platform Sachalayatan:

বারাক ওবামা, আমার এই ক্ষুদ্র ৩২ বছরের জীবনে
সবচেয়ে বড় আশাজাগানিয়া মানব তুমি!
…তোমায় স্বাগতম!!

Lipna, a Bangladeshi expat in USA writes in her blog:

When I woke up today, walking on my way to office, I felt different, nothing was literally different, same people, same crowd, same city, same roads…still I smell something different in the air, I felt a change has started happening. I don’t know if it’s the believe that things will change with Obama’s powerful presence as a President or something is really around! But I strongly felt a vibe, I could foresee a better nation, a better future for America - the land of opportunities.

Tanim from Bangladesh writes in My Bangladesh about the amazing phenomena this election revealed:

“In this match of Donkeys vs. the Elephants, we saw an optimistically turbulent evolution where many recognized red states turned blue. And this was because, it was a win for people who seek change, a win for the youth deeming a message of unity from Obama, a change for US citizens from all the different color, creed, race, belief and communities – I haven’t seen a more unified United States of America until now.”

Tanim adds that this will have an impact in the coming parliamentary elections in Bangladesh on December 18, 2008:

He motivated and engaged young people from all walks and the middle-class of the United States, successfully mobilized them and created such an inspirational upsurge of youth takeover worldwide that I believe that this effect will be strongly felt in the upcoming polls here in Bangladesh as well.

Now we can proudly say that it’s not only ‘Obama for America’ but Obama for the World and let me be hopeful and emotional while saying ‘Obama for Bangladesh’ as well.

People say that the Obama story is possible in America, and only in America. Can it be replicated in Bangladesh? But then again Bangladesh needs a leader who can unite the parties.

Back to Bangladesh reminds what lessons Bangladesh could learn from this election:

And let's hope the Bangladeshi politicians learn a little from the grace that McCain showed:- none of that “hey to churi koira jitya gesey (to the opposition -he has won by vote-fraud)” stuff in December, ok?

I voted this morning at my local polling station in Loudoun County. The line was long but the voters were determined. If Barack Obama takes Virginia, Loudoun County will have much to do with it.

I took my daughter with me. I wanted to share with her what I believe will be the most consequential vote I will ever cast in my lifetime.

In the afternoon, after an urgent call for umbrellas went out from the Obama campaign, I dropped one off at the Obama office near my place of work. The Obama office was buzzing with volunteers, and it seemed like every street corner in Arlington had a Obama volunteer on their way to get out the vote. Northern Virginia is Obama country - perhaps enough so to flip Virginia to the Democrats for the first time since 1964.

There is a palpable excitement here in Northern Virginia. In 30 minutes, the polls close in Virginia. We will soon know if Virginia will propel Barack Obama to the White House.

Live blogging below:

7:03pm No surprises. Kentucky called for McCain. Vermont called for Obama. Virginia too early to call at poll closing.

7:05pm NBC news is projecting Mark Warner is the new Senator from the state of Virginia Indiana is too close to call - a very bad sign for McCain (Bush won this state by 20 points in 2004). Still waiting for Virginia returns.

7:16pm Early county by county returns from Indiana are looking very good for Barack Obama. Obama is performing well in surprising parts of the state. A long way to go - we will see.

7:26pm In early numbers from deep red counties in Virginia, Obama is doing as well as Jim Webb did in 2006.

7:30pm Polls close. North Carolina is too close to call - a very good sign for Barack Obama. Ohio is too early to call.

7:36pm MSNBC lets slip that Obama is ahead in Ohio even though it is too early to call.

7:45pm Obama doing much better than Webb in Culpeper. This is a sign of how much the demographic push outward from Northern Virginia has helped Democrats. This bodes well for Northern Virginia counties which have not reported in yet.