Politico, after reporting in quite conflicting fashion for the past few days, now posts a story bylined by two of the main purveyors of the "trouble in Obama/Clinton Land" storylines that flatly states:

Negotiations between the Clintons and President-elect Obama’s transition team are rapidly moving toward a formal offer of secretary of State for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), with both sides expecting a formal announcement in the next seven days, according to numerous officials who are involved.

Who knows if this is true but I think it is.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

The NYTimes argues for passage of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement. I agree with that position. But I disagree with passing it now. The Times writes:

We don’t say it all that often, but President Bush is right: Congress should pass the Colombian free-trade agreement now.

The Times is right on the merits but wrong on the timing. Why? Because we just held a national election where the issue of trade was prominent. I imagine the rush to pass it now is because it is not likely to pass with the new Congress and the new President. If that is so, so be it. Elections have consequences. Unlike the economic crisis or the auto bailout, where immediate action is paramount, passage of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement does not require immediate action.

When George Bush won the election in 2004, the continuation of his disastrous Iraq Debacle is what the people voted for. Even though we did not like it. When the Democrats won the 2006 election, the Iraq Debacle should have been ended. Because that is what the people voted for (that it did not is the fault of the cowardly Dem Congress.) Democracy must be respected, whether we like the results or not.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

So sez the WSJ:

Former President Bill Clinton has offered to submit future charitable and business activities to strict ethics reviews if his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, were nominated as secretary of state, according to Democrats familiar with the deliberations. He has also agreed for the first time to disclose many of the previous donors to his efforts.

. . . "Bill Clinton will not be the obstacle to whether Hillary gets this job or not," said one Democrat familiar with the situation. Another person added: "He's willing to be as transparent as the Obama world wants."

But "friends" love to talk:

This is just too fun:

Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have been indicted on state charges involving federal prisons in a South Texas county that has been a source of bizarre legal and political battles under the outgoing prosecutor.

Just writing the headline was a joy-rush. Unfortunately, of all the real and imagined crimes for which Cheney and Gonzales deserve indictment, these are far down the list. Don't expect Cheney or Gonzeles to do the perp walk any time soon.

Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra brought the indictment, but as he said, "the grand jury is the one that made those decisions, not me." Guerra has an interesting history: [more ...]

As U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., Eric Holder sought to raise marijuana penalties and restore mandatory minimum penalties for drug crimes. From the Washington Times, December 5, 1996 (via Lexis.com):

Eric Holder yesterday said he will seek to make marijuana distribution in the District a felony and reinstate mandatory-minimum sentences for convicted drug dealers. Mr. Holder,...said the D.C. Council's vote a year ago to repeal mandatory minimums was "misguided," leading to a backlog in the court system. He also warned that the city is on the verge of an explosion in violence associated with the sale and use of marijuana.

[More....]

Jonathan Singer speaks for me here. But really, Liss does. Want "revenge?" Ignore the p-tz.*

I should make this an Open Thread.

* This word is likely to be changed. J is a very nice person and does not approve of name calling. By contrast, I am not, and enjoy name calling.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

The AP reports:

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has lost his bid for a seventh term. The longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate trailed Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 3,724 votes after Tuesday's count. That's an insurmountable lead with only about 2,500 overseas ballots left to be counted.

Welcome, Sen. Begich.

Eric Holder has always been a strong supporter of gun control. From his Weekly Briefing on March 20, 2000 (available on Lexis.com):

I want to add my voice to those who are calling on Congress to finally -- to finally -- pass these very common-sense gun measures.

First, to require child safety locks for all handguns that are sold. Second, to ban violent juveniles from ever having the ability to own guns.

Third, to pass the president's handgun licensing proposal, which requires safety certification for all handgun purchasers.

More...

On June 13, 1997, at age 46, Eric Holder was confirmed by the Senate as Deputy Attorney General under Janet Reno. His confirmation hearing lasted two hours, pretty smooth sailing. The transcript is here. Some snippets, in his own words:

On his objectives:

First, to work with the attorney general in making sure that federal law enforcement resources are used wisely to address the major crime problems confronting our nation -- drugs, violence, gangs, juvenile crime, and official and financial corruption.

More...

Uh oh:

Howard Dean says that he's "fine" with the Senate's decision not to kick Joe Lieberman off the Homeland Security committee and suggested that the Senate had acted in accordance with what Barack Obama wanted. In a phone interview with [Greg Sargent] just after the vote concluded, I asked Dean if he thought the Senate should keep Lieberman. He said that the Senate had acted "in the spirit of unification, which is what the President-elect wanted." "[Obama] called the shots, and that's fine," Dean said, in an apparent reference to the tone Obama has tried to set in Washington as he prepares to take power.

I guess we won't be hanging Harry Reid from a sour apple tree after all.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Some criminal law blogging - sort of. via Newsweek:

President-elect Obama has decided to tap Eric Holder as his attorney general, putting the veteran Washington lawyer in place to become the first African-American to head the Justice Department, according to two legal sources close to the presidential transition.

Criminal law buffs fire away.

I'm getting a lot of emails wondering if TalkLeft is changing to political coverage from crime and injustice and civil liberties blogging.

The answer is No. TChris and I cover these issues and I am not blogging for a week or so as I explained here and here. TChris is blogging as usual and he and Big Tent Democrat, who blogs about politics, have graciously been keeping the site moving in my temporary absence.

I'll be back in a few days. There's no need to send me nasty e-mails about how you are removing TL from your feed reader because there's no crime news here. There is, you just have to scroll down, and I will be back when I'm caught up in the real world.

This is an open thread on blog related issues.