Free Republic

*snip* The Obama transition team released the names of 13 people on Wednesday who will direct a top-to-bottom review of federal agencies and another six who will lead teams that will review Treasury, State and Defense department policy, budget and personnel issues. *snip* It includes four former lobbyists, three top campaign fund-raisers and two former employees of troubled mortgage giant Fannie Mae, with some overlap among them. Four people in the group have ties to the consultant McKinsey & Co. and two have experience leading high-tech start-ups. Mr. Obama's transition advisers include Tom Donilon, a top lobbyist for Fannie Mae,...

DUBAI DUETS Late Friday, Department of Justice lawyers in the Office of Legal Counsel were attempting to determine if former President Bill Clinton had registered as an "Agent of a Foreign Principal." Federal statute requires that anyone -- even a former President -- doing political or public affairs work on behalf of a foreign country, agency or official must register with the Department, and essentially update his status every six months. It was not clear the Clinton had done so. If his status is less clear, here is what we do know: If Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton did not know...

Weekend Talk Show *Preview* for 7/8 and 7/9/06 (not the live thread)The main message is the Sunday Shows and message 1 will be the Saturday Shows,  then I'll post the ping list.  I've changed the format as a test this week and put the links to articles and background on the guests in with their listing in the shows.  It struck me that it might have been getting less helpful to have to jump back and forth.  Let me know which format works better.ABC This Week (George Stephanopoulos) Meme: Bush is all wrong about (Korea/Iraq/Immigration) and even Republicans think soNo...

TOKYO (AP) Japanese broadcaster NHK says North Korea has test-launched a missile.

Bush administration faces wide choices, none guaranteed to offset nuclear threat By BARRY SCHWEIDThe Associated Press12/25/02 1:28 AM WASHINGTON (AP) -- North Korea's decision to abandon its policy of nuclear restraint leaves the Bush administration with a range of options, none of which is guaranteed to stem the threat from Pyongyang. Distracted by its fixation on Iraq and that country's suspected caches of biological and chemical weapons, the administration is trying to regroup and sort out its choices on the escalating North Korea crisis. They range from a U.S. military attack to full-fledged unconditional negotiations. Top administration officials are signaling...