Clinton Possible Secretary of State & More

NYT: The end of the presidential campaign seemed to signal the completion of the Obama-Clinton drama. But now it turns out there could be a surprise ending.  Advisers to the onetime rivals for the Democratic nomination confirmed Friday that President-elect Barack Obama had met with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday afternoon at Mr. Obama’s transition office in Chicago and discussed the secretary of state job.  The prospect of Mrs. Clinton as secretary of state, perhaps the most prestigious cabinet position in any administration, sent people buzzing.  More...

WP: 5 Myths About an Election of Mythical Proportions... The 2008 presidential election ended less than two weeks ago, but the mythmaking machine has already begun to churn. President-elect Barack Obama transformed the face of the electorate! The Republican Party will be a miserable minority in Congress for the next century! Cats and dogs are now living together! We explode the five biggest myths that have already sprung up around the election that was.  More...

NYT: Sorry, Mr. President. Please surrender your BlackBerry.  Those are seven words President-elect Barack Obama is dreading but expecting to hear, friends and advisers say, when he takes office in 65 days.  More...

WSJ: Global leaders showed a united front against the financial crisis at an emergency summit here Saturday, but offered mostly promises of future cooperation to nudge the world out of its economic funk.  More...

AP: Senate will debate $25 billion bailout of the auto industry Monday.  More...

WP: The day after the 2008 election ended, the 2010 cycle began for political junkies.  A quick glance at the playing field, however, suggests that Republicans could -- yet again -- be in for a difficult time in 2010.  More...

Dome: Is U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler gearing up for 2010?  The Waynesville Democrat told the Hendersonville Times-News that he hasn't ruled out running against Sen. Richard Burr in two years.  More...

A Meeting in the Oval & More

NYT: Emotional President George W Bush thought Obama's election triumph was 'pretty cool.'  The outgoing President sees the election of America's first black commander in chief as a "pretty cool" tribute to the strength of American democracy, and believes the image of his successor in charge will help spread freedom around the globe.  More...

The Hill: President Bush on Saturday used his first post-election radio address to praise Democratic President-elect Barack Obama, saying that he “represents a triumph of the American story.”  Bush added that the Illinois senator’s victory is a “testament to hard work, optimism, and faith in the enduring promise of our nation.”  More...

The Hill: White House press secretary Dana Perino said the president described his meeting with Obama as “good, constructive, relaxed and friendly,” adding that the two men discussed both domestic and international issues.  More...

WSJ: President-elect Barack Obama met at the White House Monday with the man he will succeed in January, and pressed President George W. Bush to take immediate action to help stave off the collapse of the U.S. auto industry and to aid the economy more broadly.  More...

Pearce: GM CEO and Duke Dad Rick Wagoner says GM is in dire need of federal aid.  More...

The Hill: “If you look at the roiling global financial situation, if you look at the fact that much of this country distrusts its government, if you look at the fact that we’re still fighting in two wars, I think that the Republicans in Congress will stand ready to work with this new president,” Cantor said on “Fox News Sunday.”  More...

CNN: Palin on running for president in 2012... "If there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door."  More...

WSJ: What would Reagan do... "Our principles can flourish only if our policies resonate with average Americans who deal with concrete problems and who are resistant to radical change. One thing is certain: A conservatism that abandons freedom is not American; and a conservatism that ignores reality will not win."  More...

Duke Chronicle Column: We lost an election, but there's another in two years, and you'll probably live to see it. Most of all, keep in mind the one advantage we have that neither speeches nor platitudes nor rabid fans will ever be able to take away: At the end of the day, we're the ones in the right.  More...

Dome: The aftermath of last week's historic presidential election has led many national commentators to speculate that North Carolina and Virginia are no longer part of "the South."  More...

Dole Up & McCain Still Surging

Pearce:  A brand new poll shows Senator Elizabeth Dole regaining a solid lead after being down to her challenger Kay Hagan following an onslaught of negative advertising by the DSCC.  It was also a great day for the top of the ballot in NC as John McCain jumped from a 3 to a 20 point lead over Barack Obama in the state.  Elsewhere around the country, McCain continues to enjoy a surge following his pick of Palin and a convention that clearly grabbed the attention of the electorate.  He has taken a 15 point lead among independents and gained in the key battleground states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, New Hampshire, Missouri, Montana and Wisconsin.  This has been a stellar week for Republicans as excitement for the historic presidential ticket trickles down, but will it last?  We could be seeing the major turning point in the 2008 election cycle.

Weekly Extras

Election 2008:

NYT: An adviser molds a tighter, more aggressive McCain campaign

Guardian: Storm as Oprah says no to Palin interview

Telegraph: Barack Obama 'wanted to join US military'

Wash Times: Obama's verbal slip fuels his critics (Pearce: I do not believe BHO is a Muslim; I take him at his word that he is a Christian.  This was a particularly unfortunate blooper given the vicious smear campaign against him.)

US Economy:

WSJ: U.S. Seizes Mortgage Giants

NYT: Mortgage crisis has Washington putting aside free-market ideology

AFP: Detroit's sputtering Big Three turn to Washington for help

North Carolina:

N&O: Tolerance wears thin: Johnston's sheriff says Hispanics spread crime and dodge taxes. Yet he respects their hard work and expresses pity for their plight

*McCain Opens Up 10-Point Lead*

Pearce: Just released USA Today/Gallup poll shows a 17 point Convention bounce for McCain-Palin.  The last poll, released one week ago, had Obama leading by 7 points; McCain now leads by 10.  This bounce far exceeds anyone's expectations.  There is now no doubt that the pick of Palin as the GOP's veep nominee has been a major game-changer.  This is McCain's dream come true and exactly what his advisers hoped for.  They had to shake things up and infuse excitement into their side.  Boy did they.

More... http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-07-poll_N.htm

WSJ: 'Panic Time in North Carolina'

WSJ: Sarah Palin thrilled the GOP this week in St. Paul, reminding more than a few GOP veterans of how Elizabeth Dole wowed them at the 1996 Republican convention in San Diego. Too bad Mrs. Dole wasn't there to enjoy it. She skipped this week's festivities to focus on her re-election battle against state Senator Kay Hagan in what has become a must-watch race.

More... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122067865245406641.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Palin & the RNC Push McCain Past Obama in Latest Zogby

Zogby: The McCain/Palin ticket wins 49.7% support, compared to 45.9% backing for the Obama/Biden ticket, this latest online survey shows.

More... http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1548

Palin Power: The Colorado Springs crowd

Pearce: With Palin, McCain sees crowds explode. This picture taken today in Colorado Springs. You might say he made the right pick. Palin has electrified McCain's conservative base, allowing him to be the Maverick he is and go after the Independents. Things are getting very interesting as the polls close fast.