For the majority of the U.S., the 2008 elections are over. But for residents of Georgia, it's just getting started. Because Senator Saxby Chambliss did not receive 50 percent of the popular vote on November 4, he and Democratic challenger Jim Martin are headed for a runoff election on December 2.

As the Democrats inch closer and closer to the filibuster-proof 60-seat voting majority, this race becomes even more critical. Both sides are bringing out some of their top names to stump in Georgia, with the Republicans sending John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Zell Miller for Chambliss and the Democrats sending Bill Clinton and Al Gore for Martin.

The Senate Democratic Caucus voted yesterday in favor of allowing Sen. Joe Lieberman to remain chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 42 to 13. The vote upsets many Democrats who feel Lieberman betrayed the party by vocally supporting Republican Presidential candidate John McCain and attacking Barack Obama.

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont voted against the Lieberman motion. He said to Green Mountain Daily: "For me, the bottom line is that millions of Americans, with unprecedented energy, worked day and night to get Barack Obama elected and to move our country in a very new direction. I think it's a slap in the face to these activists that someone who opposed those efforts in a very prominent way is awarded with a major committee. Having said that, there is an enormous amount of work that is facing the Senate and we all have to move on and work together to address these issues."

In his speech, Majority Leader Harry Reid said this is "not a time for retribution. It's a time for moving forward on the problems of this country.... We need to be unified." Watch the video of his speech:

By Robin Strongin

The next Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will have a plate that is not only full, but is overflowing. While all the political rhetoric is focused around access--health insurance for all--there are a number of other critical areas that need immediate attention as well.

Clearly there are many more than 10 priority areas. However, if I just so happened to find myself sitting across from the next Secretary of HHS, I would remind her (just indulge me on that) that she is the Secretary of Health AND Human Services--that for her to make a dent on the health side of things, she must take into account whether people have: the support systems they need, heat, a home, transportation, enough to eat.

Here is my list of the top 10 priorities, in no particular order:

You can continue reading the story at Disruptive Women in Health Care.

You can also comment on this article here.

With the increased blueness of the electorate map, Republican leaders and activists have been discussing the future of the party.

From NY Times...

Some conservatives want a return to basics, arguing that President Bush abandoned conservative principles by expanding government and driving up spending. Others draw just the opposite conclusion, warning that Republicans have tried to appeal to too narrow a base and that the party must update the focus of conservatism, especially at a time when voters are thinking more about issues like jobs and health care than about abortion and gay rights.

For the first time since the election, President-elect Obama and Senator McCain met in Chicago on Monday to work together to tackle the economy and other pressing national issues.

From Reuters...

"We're going to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country," Obama said, adding that he wanted to offer his thanks to McCain for his "outstanding service" to the country.

McCain, when asked generally whether he was hoping to help the Democratic president-elect, replied: "Obviously."

In his first interview since winning the election, President-Elect Barack Obama appeared on 60 Minutes this weekend with his wife Michelle to talk about the economy, the bailout, the auto industry, his visit to the white house and many other topics. Here is the full video:


Watch CBS Videos Online

This week, Eric is on his own and raves about recent progress on the bailout and fixing the economy (despite lack of transparency with some of the loans), and finally some good news about stopping foreclosures.

He rants about the Democrats' political weakness with allowing Lieberman to retain his chairmanships, after his blatant rejection of his party's presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Nov. 13, 2008,
NY Times columnist Tom Friedman provides insights into the state of the world.

Nov. 12, 2008
Point Carbon is sponsoring a conference (12 and 13 November) on the future of the carbon markets under the new administration.

When a big company that gets into trouble is more valuable living than dead, there used to be a well-established legal process for reorganizing it - called chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. Under it, creditors took some losses, shareholders even bigger ones, some managers' heads rolled. Companies cleaned up their books and got a fresh start. And taxpayers didn't pay a penny.