EARLYBIRD

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 8:30 AM

Top Transition News - 12/17

For Agriculture secretary, President-elect Obama will tap former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who briefly ran for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and vigorously supported Hillary Rodham Clinton's candidacy. (Des Moines Register)

The Bush administration is preparing "more than a dozen contingency plans" that could help guide Obama through disastrous scenarios soon after taking office. (New York Times)

Obama's "charm offensive" against Republican congressmen seems to be working. (The Hill)

Betty Currie, the personal secretary who went to bat for former President Bill Clinton in five grand jury hearings related to the Monica Lewinsky investigation, is now working for the Obama transition team. (New York Times)

Obama is likely to undo a range of abortion and reproductive-health measures. (Wall Street Journal)

The e-government agenda Obama touts is already on the march at the Commerce Department. (NationalJournal.com)

Obama has been using his e-mail list to tap supporters for more cash, leading to early signs of donor fatigue. (Politico)

Despite early complaints from the Latino community that it was not properly represented in Obama's Cabinet, the transition team argues that Obama's senior leadership actually has the largest number of Hispanics in history. (Politico)

Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., has removed his name from contention for the U.S. trade representative post, complaining to the Spanish-language press that trade didn't seem like it would be "priority number one, and it might not be number two or three." (Politico)

Assessing The Nominees

Commerce Secretary-designate Bill Richardson's nomination may be headed for trouble after a federal grand jury began investigating allegations of pay-to-play politics in New Mexico. (AP)

Plenty of drilling issues face Interior Secretary-designate Ken Salazar, who, as a Colorado senator, opposed oil-shale exploration but supported offshore drilling. (Wall Street Journal)

Special Interests Strike Back

A green activist group is blasting Obama's infrastructure plans, which are designed to jump-start the economy by building more roads, as likely to result in "more pollution and more dependence on oil." (Washington Times)

Obama is being bombarded by special interest group demands, from card-check legislation to health care to making federal workplaces smoke-free. (USA Today)

Early childhood education advocates are "atremble" with anticipation over Obama's interest in funding childcare and preschool. (New York Times)

Inauguration Conflagration

Worried that it might be too heavy a strain on the city's budget, Los Angeles County will send 112 sheriff's deputies to the inauguration, fewer than the 500 the county sheriff originally requested. (Los Angeles Times)

The D.C. City Council voted to shave an hour off inauguration nightlife laws, making last-call in the city 4 a.m. from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21. (New York Times)