AP - Senate Democrats struggled to avert a showdown steeped in race and corruption Monday as a defiant Roland Burris declared, “I’m a United States senator” despite boiling controversy over his appointment to President-elect Barack Obama’s seat in Congress.
Politico - Democrat Al Franken was officially declared the winner Monday in Minnesota’s Senate race, defeating Republican Sen. Norm Coleman by 225 votes, according to the state Canvassing Board.
Politico - With new unemployment numbers out Friday and growing concern about deflation, President-elect Barack Obama won bipartisan pledges from Congress on Monday that lawmakers will approve a major economic recovery bill by mid-February.
Politico - Under pressure from African-Americans in the House, Democratic leaders appear to be backing down from their vow to bar Roland Burris from the Senate under any circumstance.
Politico - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Monday that he dropped his bid for commerce secretary because a federal probe into his state office went on longer than expected without clearing him of wrongdoing.
CQPolitics.com - The incoming and outgoing chairs of the Senate Intelligence Committee signaled concerns about President-elect Barack Obama’s choice of Leon E. Panetta to head the CIA, primarily because of Panetta’s thin intelligence resume.
AP - Gov. Tim Kaine said Monday he will manage a Virginia budget crisis $3 billion and growing and head the Democratic National Committee in his spare time, largely as “an electronic gig.”
Reuters - With the economic outlook darkening, U.S. president-elect Democrat Barack Obama went to Congress two weeks before taking office to try to entice Republican support for a massive stimulus package with talk of big tax cuts.
AP - House Democrats unveiled internal rules Monday that would end Republican-imposed, six-year term limits on committee chairmen and make it harder for GOP lawmakers to offer alternative legislation.
AFP - The Twitter accounts of US president-elect Barack Obama, singer Britney Spears and other prominent figures were hacked on Monday and fake messages sent out in their names on the micro-blogging service.