Democratic Chatter 1-2-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President-elect Barack Obama and family will move to D.C. this weekend - In the first of two moves prior to occupying the White House, they will stay at the Hays-Adams Hotel. Due to prior commitments they were unable to move into the government owned Blair House until January 15. The reason for the earlier move is the daughters begin school next week. CNN.com has more here.

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Obama to meet with Congressional leaders today to discuss his stimulus bill - He is meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) He will also meet with Republican Congressional Leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. Reuters .com has more here.

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Israel continues attack on Gaza - determined to defuse Hamas, Israel continued air strikes for the seventh day and were poised for a ground invasion. The NY Times has more here. Some reports have indicated the Israeli military favor a short term ground attack aimed at further rooting out Hamas supporters. Meanwhile, the Arab states in the region are condemning the air strikes and the French continue to negotiate a cease fire.

The last time this military action took place under the same circumstances, Hamas was able to gain favor with the innocent civilians by offering aid. Hopefully, that will be remembered and humanitarian aid is provided by Israel and the UN as soon as possible.

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Can Democrats stop Roland Burris from being seated as Senator? - embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) continues to cause problems for Democrats at a time when there is a lot to cheer about. His recent appointment of Roland Burris to the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama is sure to generate more angst among Democratic leaders who are saying they will not seat Burris if he shows up next week.

It promises to be a awkward situation for Democrats who would prefer to be putting their best foot forward after decisive victories on Election Day. A referral of the appointment to the senate credentials committee could take place, but that would involve up to a ninety day review, resulting in more testimony and attention. Failing to seat the only African-American Senator would also cause heartburn for many. The best move may be to seat him. Politico.com has more here.

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Another Illinois seat now open with Rahm Emanuel's resignation - he sent his letter of resignation to Governor Blagojevich effective today. The state Constitution requires the Governor to set a election date within 115 days. Interestingly, vacant Senate seats receive immediate appointment, while vacant seats of Representatives in Congress are filled by special election. TheHill.com speculates on who may run and you can read their take on the possible candidates here.

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