One very smart thing Obama’s team is doing is documenting what is going on behind the scenes so if the American public wants to find out more, they can.
First, take a look at this piece about the environment and energy team…

Note how they’re talking about how their policies will help create jobs, but still be [...]

It’s Hardball time, and the panel discusses the lineup of superstars that will be joining Obama in his administration…

I don’t know about you, but this lineup seems like a great team. So many talented people, with Obama at the center making the final decision.
Consider me genuinely hopeful.

If you don’t know why this is good news, imagine paying for the internet as if it were cable. Sounds ridiculous right? Paying for specific websites within the internet?
Well, that’s been pushed by folks inside and outside of the FCC and now it seems like those who want to keep the internet free and [...]

Well, they didn’t wait until the last minute to pass this thing, and thank god for that. The last thing Bush needed was not getting this agreement in place and having to deal with troops being in Iraq illegally.
From MSNBC:
BAGHDAD – Iraq’s Cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact with the United States that will [...]

I speculated about this earlier today, and Marc Ambinder has some thoughts today.
Here’s the one I think is the most prescient:
6. The CW in Washington is that Obama wants Clinton in his cabinet more than Clinton wants to be in the cabinet, the theory being that the moment she steps into the administration, she [...]

You know, it’s a small thing, but it’s just another reason why I think Obama “gets it.” Maybe that will be proven wrong in the years to come, but for right now my hope is definitely being sustained.
From CNET:
For the first time ever, the president’s weekly address to the nation will be delivered via video [...]

Just got mine a few minutes ago.
Originally they were just going to give it out to voters, and they said as much in this commercial…

However…
They ran into some problems when folks thought they were violating campaign laws by offering incentives for voting.
From Newsweek:
Election laws prevent individuals and organizations from offering monetary incentives to get [...]

Well how about that? First Todd Palin agrees to testify and now her team jumps on board.
In any event, while I think the delay was a strategic move, I’m happy Palin and her staff are finally cooperating.
From CNN:
The seven, including Palin’s chief of staff, had tried to fight subpoenas issued by the state Senate Judiciary [...]

Basically, if they don’t get access to ask her questions, they’re telling the McCain campaign they can’t expect coverage because there’s no news value in that.
Personally, I think that’s fair. Let People and Us Weekly cover her then. They’ll put those pictures on the cover. But if McCain really won’t let anybody grill her, [...]

Finally, somebody who doesn’t take the easy way out.
From Reuters:
(Reuters) – American International Group Inc’s (NYSE:AIG – News) former Chief Executive Robert Willumstad has rejected a $22 million severance payment, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the decision.
Willumstad e-mailed his successor, Edward Liddy, of his decision to forego the severance since [...]

I was watching 60 Minutes tonight, which featured long segments with both candidates, and the following stuck out to me too…as highlighted by Politico:
Certainly knowing that it would raise eyebrows, McCain told CBS’s Scott Pelley in a “60 Minutes” interview broadcast Sunday night that he might look to New York Attorney General and former Clinton [...]

Another month, another bailout, and this one is a biggie.
From NY Times:
Mr. Paulson’s plan begins with a pledge to provide additional cash by buying a new series of preferred shares that would offer dividends and be senior to both the existing preferred shares and the common stock that investors already hold.
The two companies would be [...]

Despite my repeated and patient explanations, Justin continues to be confused about the reason for the Palin pick and is wondering again “what exactly was McCain thinking?”.
Since JG has also expressed his admiration for Chuck Todd as an analyst (something on which we agree), perhaps Chuck’s explanation will be helpful. I think Chuck [...]

As hinted at yesterday, it’s happening and this decision will no doubt have far reaching consequences…
The announcement came after North Korea handed over a long-awaited accounting of its nuclear work to Chinese officials on Thursday, fulfilling a key step in the denuclearization process.
Bush called the declaration a positive step along a long road to get [...]

Remember my post today about McCain’s $5,000 a car tax break giveaway to the auto manufacturers who make and sell zero-carbon emissions cars?
If so, do you recall how I said it was a bad idea, and that he should instead be proposing giving consumers tax breaks because incenting consumption is the only way we [...]

A good decision and I’m looking forward to his even-handed commentary…
Beginning June 29, Brokaw will replace Tim Russert, who died earlier this month from a heart attack, NBC News President Steve Capus said in a statement Sunday.
“A lot has been said in recent days about what ‘Meet the Press’ means to NBC News and to [...]

She’ll privately tell all of her closest advisors and supporters about her plans on Friday, and then hold a public rally the following day.
From NY Times:
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will endorse Senator Barack Obama on Saturday, bringing a close to her campaign for the White House, aides said. Her decision came after Democrats urged her [...]

About a week ago I wrote about Thomas G. Loeffler, a lobbyist who was being promoted to a top position in the McCain campaign. However, he’d done some serious lobbying for Saudi Arabia, and I raised the question of whether or not this was a smart move by McCain.
Apparently Loeffler has stepped down, a signal [...]

Politico reports there’s progress on the “partisan hack” front…
John McCain’s campaign asked a prominent Republican consultant, Craig Shirley, to leave his official campaign role Thursday after a Politico inquiry about Shirley’s dual role consulting for the campaign and for an independent “527″ group opposing the Democratic presidential candidates. The campaign also released a new conflict [...]

When you hear McCain talk about how he has no control over swift-boat like groups, he may be right, but you’d also do well to remember this story.
From TPM:
A few weeks ago, Media Matters’ David Brock announced to great fanfare that he was taking over Progressive Media USA, a third-party group that would, he vowed, [...]