The much-hyped G-20 summit accomplished little this weekend, as foreign leaders seemed content to defer action until a new administration is up and running (Politico).
President-elect Barack Obama may have resigned his Senate seat, but he's bringing a number of key aides from his Capitol Hill days to the White House (AP).
John Podesta, a leader of Obama's transition team, has experience fighting scandals and managing competing agendas, thanks to his time in Bill Clinton's White House (AP).
Team of Rivals
Emulating Abraham Lincoln's "team of rivals" approach, Obama is reaching out to primary opponents Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) about possibly playing a role in his administration (USA Today).
As Obama vets Clinton for the secretary of State position, the transition team is also looking into former President Clinton's business dealings to see what conflicts of interest they might pose (New York Times).
The odds of Defense Secretary Robert Gates staying on the job are higher if Hillary Clinton is tapped to be secretary of State, Democratic and Republican observers say (Bloomberg News).
Obama and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., meet in Chicago today to discuss how they can collaborate going forward (AP).
Tending the Base
Eager to influence Obama's first 100 days, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a "motley crew of corporations and environmental campaigners," is pushing for more legislation to curb global warming (Wall Street Journal).
Obama has a lot of work to do boosting the morale of nearly 2 million federal employees who say they feel lost after eight years under President Bush (Washington Post).
The president-elect started a charm offensive with federal employees in October when he was still searching for votes (Washington Post).
California lawmakers are already forwarding the president-elect their wish lists for his presidency, ranging from universal health care down to new storm drains for Long Beach (Los Angeles Times).
Stressing National Security, Defense
One of Obama's first priorities during the transition period is selecting a national security team, he said in an interview with 60 Minutes Sunday (AP).
Obama has already said that he needs to earn the military's respect, starting with following through on his promise to raise salaries and end the war in Iraq (Army Times).
The new administration is treading carefully vis a vis the Department of Homeland Security, a $40 billion, 200,000-worker bureaucracy that is in many ways still being shaped (Washington Post).
The Center for New American Security is developing into a favorite well of talent for the Obama administration (Wall Street Journal).
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that, despite differences over a proposed missile shield, he expects relations between the two powers to thaw under a President Obama (Wall Street Journal).
Inauguration Scramble
The demand for inauguration tickets has been so great that many lawmakers are no longer accepting constituent requests (AP).
While congressmen are allotted a few hundred tickets for their constituents, there are few rules instructing lawmakers on how they must distribute those passes (AP).
Lighter Side
Michelle Obama hopes the White House will be "full of life and energy" with two young children -- and a puppy -- running around, she said in a 60 Minutes interview that aired Sunday night (The Hill).
Obama will surrender his beloved BlackBerry in January because of the Presidential Records Act and security concerns (New York Times).
Obama is enjoying his last few weeks of "normalcy," hitting the gym, spending time with his daughters and planning the family's annual Christmas-time trip to Hawaii (AP).
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