Politico.com

Today's Quote 11.29.08

How will Obama use new media?

Obama transition spokeswoman Jen Psaki promised "one of the most open and transparent press offices in White House history." "Americans now get information in a broad variety of ways, and so we are expanding the ways we reach them," Psaki said.

Waxman win has ripple effects

The fallout from the House Commerce chairmanship fight will ripple through Washington for years. But some lawmakers are worried about more immediate aftershocks. Chairman Henry Waxman has a handful of personnel decisions ahead, and those calls will be based on policy as much as personal politics.

Waxman dethrones Dingell as chairman

Rep Henry Waxman (D-CA) on Thursday officially dethroned longtime House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-MI), upending a seniority system that has governed Democratic politics in the House for decades.

White House press corps likely more diverse

There's been a decline in the number of black White House reporters during the Bush years, with just four or five regularly in the briefing room. But as news organizations put the finishing touches on their White House teams and black-oriented publications look to ramp up their coverage of the first black president, that dynamic is poised to reverse.

Air Obama's not-so-friendly skies

On Thursday, Sen Barack Obama's campaign decided to pull the seats for reporters from The Washington Times, New York Post and Dallas Morning News — all papers that endorsed John McCain.

Tribune's DC bureau faces cutbacks

With the Tribune Company cutting back across its various holdings, Washington (DC) staffers expect major changes to rock the bureau after election day. Fiery owner Sam Zell believes the Washington operation is bloated, and needs to be streamlined to avoid coverage overlap between the company's papers.

As Commerce Committee chairman, McCain left mixed legacy

To those who express doubts about his economic acumen, Sen John McCain has a simple answer: "I was chairman of the Commerce Committee, which oversights all of the commercial aspects of America's economy," he said in a "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday.

Inouye: DTV transition could cost next administration

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee is sounding the alarm that the next president could be a victim of the current administration's handling of the digital TV transition.

McCain invented BlackBerry

Asked what work John McCain did as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that helped him understand the financial markets, the candidate's top economic adviser wielded visual evidence: his BlackBerry.