President Obama knocked as "shameful" Wall Street's decision to hand out $20 billion in bonuses as the government continued to bail out leading financial institutions. (New York Times)
Michelle Obama's fingerprints were all over the fair-pay legislation Obama signed into law Thursday -- a sign that the first lady could play an influential role in policy matters when she chooses to. (Washington Post)
Obama has stocked the White House with a coterie of prominent, left-leaning lawyers, part of an effort to roll back the legal doctrines cooked up under President Bush. (Washington Post)
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., is asking Obama to renominate three Bush judicial nominees as a sign of bipartisanship. (Roll Call -- subscription)
Some donors with access to Obama have expressed concerns that security around him is too lax. (Washington Post)
Despite blasting the power former Vice President Dick Cheney wielded as "dangerous," Vice President Joe Biden has made it clear that he still wants a seat at the table and a robust portfolio of responsibilities. (Wall Street Journal)
Newly minted Delaware Sen. Ted Kaufman (D), whom some deride as "D-Biden" for being seen as holding the seat for the vice president's son, already has his eyes on the finish line. (New York Times)
Name Games
The Congressional Black Caucus wants Obama to name John Thompson, CEO of Symantec and an African American, as the next Commerce secretary. (The Hill)
Meanwhile, Obama is considering Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., for the post, an appointment that would likely net the Democrats a Senate seat and dramatically shift the balance of power in Congress. (New York Times)
Obama has named Citigroup executive and friend Michael Froman to an "unusual, joint position with the National Security Council and the National Economic Council." (Wall Street Journal)
Confirmation Wrangling
Labor Secretary-designate Hilda Solis' nomination is in limbo after she failed to impress Republican senators with her answers about controversial pro-labor legislation, such as right-to-work laws and the Employee Free Choice Act. (Los Angeles Times)
The Senate Finance Committee will schedule a hearing for Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Daschle in the next few days, according to ranking member Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. (CongressDaily -- subscription)
Daschle's chief of staff, former lobbyist Mark B. Childress, adds another exception to the new administration's strict new ethics rules. (Politico)
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Grassley aren't happy with William Lynn, Obama's choice for deputy Defense secretary and are demanding more details about his record at the Pentagon and his lobbying background. (CongressDailyAM -- subscription)
Republicans are still uneasy about Attorney General-designate Eric Holder's refusal to rule out prosecuting intelligence agents for allegations of torture. (Politico)
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