The Note's Must-Reads for Wednesday, December 17, 2008

December 17, 2008 5:13 AM

Compiled by ABC News’ PETER MARTINEZ, CARRIE HALPERIN, LAURA GREENE, KRISTEN RED-HORSE, JAYCE HENDERSON, STEPHANIE WASH and JUSTIN GRANT

2008: ABC NEWS VIDEOS:

"Obama Avoids Blago Question" LINK

"Fed Is 'Pulling Out All The Stops'" LINK

"Clinton Allies Critical of Caroline" LINK

"The Bottom Line on Senate Seats" LINK

"A Look Back With Dick Cheney" LINK

"Why Is Hasselbeck 'Miffed' at Bush?" LINK

"Inside the Credit Crunch" LINK

2008: ILLINOIS SENATE SEAT SCANDAL / GOVERNOR BLAGOJEVICH:

Politico's Carol E. Lee: "Jesse Jackson Cooperated with Investigation" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Douglas Belkin: “Lawmakers Reject Election for Illinois Senate Seat” LINK

Time Magazine’s Eric Ferkenhoff: “Pat Quinn: The Man Who Would Replace Blagojevich” LINK

Newsweek Magazine’s Michael Fineman: “The Blago Distraction: A delayed report, even for good reason, isn't great news for Team Obama” LINK

The New York Times' Monica Davey and Malcom Gay: "Impeachment Inquiry Hits Bumps in Illinois" LINK

The Washington Post's Peter Slevin and Kari Lydersen: "Rep. Jackson Said to Have Reported Blagojevich Request" LINK

2008: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND THE WHITE HOUSE TRANSITION:

ABC News' Special Index for the 44th President: LINK

ABC News' Jonathan Karl: "Cheney on Obama's Cabinet: "A Pretty Good Team" LINK

ABC News' Teddy Davis: "Becerra: Trade Not Priority for Obama" LINK

ABC News' Sunlen Miller: "The Cabinet Clock's Ticking for Obama: More Republican Picks to Come?" LINK

ABC News' Sunlen Miller: "Pint-Sized Press Avail: Obama Takes Questions From Elementary Students" LINK

 

USA Today's Greg Toppo: "Education pick noted for 'hands-on' approach" LINK

USA Today's Mark Memmott: "Politics, basketball top skills on Obama team" LINK

The Hill's Alexander Bolton: "Obama Charm Offensive Sways Republicans" LINK

The Hill's Ian Swanson: "Rep. Becerra Turns Down Obama Job" LINK

Politico's Nia-Malika Kenneth P. Vogel: "Obama's E-Mails Raise Cash, Concerns" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Deborah Solomon: “Obama Works to Overhaul TARP” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler: “Bush-Era Abortion Rules Face Possible Reversal” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Andy Pasztor: “Tough Decision Looms On Space Shuttle's Fate” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s John Hechinger, Janet Adamy and Robert Tomsho: “Education Pick Backs Test-Heavy Regime” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Ian Talley: “Big Drilling Issues Await Salazar” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler: “Obama Taps Iowa's Vilsack for Agriculture Post” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Siobhan Gorman: “Obama's Search For Intelligence Picks Faces Delays” LINK

Bloomberg’s Julianna Goldman and Kim Chipman: “Obama Said to Tap Vilsack for Agriculture Secretary” LINK

The Washington Times’ Editorial Staff: “Schooling Obama” LINK

The Washington Times’ T. Robinson Ahlstrom: “Chicago-style 'reform'?” LINK

The Washington Times’ Steve Chapman: “A 'My Pet Goat' moment” LINK

The Washington Times’ Christina Bellantoni: “Obama chooses education reformer Duncan” LINK

Time Magazine’s Michael Grunwald: “Obama Power Will Be in White House, Not Cabinet” LINK

The New York Daily News' Richard Sisk: "Arne Duncan, newly tapped education official, is Obama neighbor" LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ John McCormick and Mike Dorning: “Obama picks Vilsack as Agriculture secretary” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Jim Tankersley and Julie Cart: “Obama picks Salazar as Interior secretary” LINK

The New York Times' Peter Baker: "Bush Prepares Crisis Briefings to Aid Obama" LINK

The New York Times' Sam Dillion: "Obama's $10 Billion Promise Stirs Hope in Early Education" LINK

The New York Times' Peter baker: "Obama Team Has Forged another Link with Clintons" LINK

The New York Times' Jeff Zeleny and David Herszenhorn: "Iowa Ex-Governor Picked for Agriculture Secretary" LINK

The Washington Post's Maria Glod: "Education Pick Is Called 'Down-to-Earth' Leader" LINK

The Washington Post's Philip Rucker and Dan Morgan: "Obama to Pick Tom Vilsack to Lead USDA" LINK

The Washington Post's Ceclilia Kang: "For the Web, Change All Sides Can Believe In" LINK

2008: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA'S INAUGURATION:

The Washington Post's David Nakamura: "Inaugural 'Last Call' Moved Up" LINK

The Washington Post's Lena H. Sun: "Rush-Hour Fares Proposed for Jan. 20" LINK

2008: SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON:

The Washington Times’ Christina Bellantoni: “Clinton fundraiser aims to erase debt” LINK

2008: ECONOMY:

ABC News Nightline: "Closing Arguments: Fed's Lean New Interest Rate" LINK

ABC News Analysis by Gary Langer: "Recession's Toll Is Written in Cutbacks, Layoffs and Worry" LINK

ABC News' Alice Gomstyn: "Saved by Zero? Fed Slashes Rate to Historic Low" LINK

The Associated Press: "Paulson: Major Financial Institutions Stabilized" LINK

The Associated Press: "Consumer Prices Drop More Than Expected" LINK

USA Today's Matt Krantz and Pallavi Gogoi: "SEC chief wants to know why agency missed fraud" LINK

USA Today's Chris Woodyard: "Auto suppliers fear White House bailout ignores them" LINK

Bloomberg’s Stanley White: “Dollar Declines to 13-Year Low against Yen After Fed Rate Cut” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Naftali Bendavid: “Treasury Pressured To Help Homeowners” LINK

Bloomberg’s Craig Torres: “Bernanke Charts New Fed Course with Zero Rate, Asset Purchases” LINK

Bloomberg’s Liz Capo McCormick and Gavin Finch: “Banks Show No Signs Of Easing Credit in Step With Fed’s Rates” LINK

Bloomberg Commentary: “That 4% Gain Doesn’t Look So Bad After Madoff” LINK

Bloomberg’s Jesse Westbrook: “SEC Failed To Act on ‘Credible, Specific’ Madoff Tips, Cox Says” LINK

Bloomberg’s Elizabeth Stanton and Eric Martin: “S&P 500 Tops 50-Day Moving Average in Bullish Sign To Traders” LINK

Boston Herald Op-Ed by Jonah Goldberg: “Tough economic Times Don’t Need Rash Moves” LINK

Bloomberg’s Greg Bensinger and Mike Ramsey: “Chrysler Financial May Suspend Dealer Loans to Stem Cash Drain” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ E. Scott Reckard, Rachel Abramowitz and Claudia Eller: “Hollywood figures snared in Bernard Madoff’s alleged fraud” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Walter Hamilton: “Madoff revelations set off legal stampede” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ David Lazarus: “Falling prices have appeal to those with stagnant pay” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ James Rainey: “How long can newspapers keep delivering the news?” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Tom Petruno: “How the Fed’s shock-and-awe move could affect you” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Ralph Vartabedian: “Federal bank bailout isn’t trickling down, panel told” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Maura Reynolds: “Fed cuts key interest rate to record low: zero to 0.25%” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Beth Healy: “Well-off to broke, overnight” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Robert Gavin: “Latest cut takes key rate as low as it goes” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Robert Gavin: “In Hub, a vital voice on policy” LINK

The New York Times' Edmund L. Andrews and Jackie Calmes: "Fed Cuts Key Rate to a Record Low" LINK

The New York Times' Jad Mouawad: "OPEC Plans Further Output Cut" LINK

The Washington Post's Michael A. Fletcher and Jon Cohen: "New Poll Shows 63% Are Already Hurt by Downturn" LINK

The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein: "Welfare Rolls See First Climb in Years" LINK

The Washington Post's Neil Irwin: "Fed Cuts Key Rate to Record Low" LINK

The Washington Post's Dina ElBoghdady: "HUD Chief Calls Aid on Mortgages A Failure" LINK

The Washington Post's Renae Merle: "Stocks Rally after Key rate Slashed" LINK

2008: CONGRESS:

The Hill's Jared Allen: "Larson: I’m Not Afraid of Speaker" LINK

Politico's Manu Raju & Josh Kraushaar: "Dems Scramble To Replace Salazar" LINK

Politico's John Bresnahan: "Pelosi Lays Down the Law With Rahm" LINK

The New York Times' Adam Nagourney and Nicholas Confessore: "As Privacy Ends for Kennedy, a Rough Path Awaits" LINK

The Washington Post's Anne E. Kornblut: "Friends Say Kennedy has Long Wanted Public Role" LINK

2008: CAROLINE KENNEDY:

Boston Herald Editorial: “Another Kennedy for Senate” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Mark Z. Barabak and Michael Finnegan: “Caroline Kennedy launches Senate campaign” LINK

2008: MADOFF INVESTIGATION:

The Associated Press: "SEC Chairman Says Agency Failed to Probe Madoff" LINK

ABC News' Charles Herman: "Did the SEC Miss the Obvious When It Came to Madoff?" LINK

Politico's Eamon Javers: "Cox: 'Gravely Concerned' About Madoff" LINK

The New York Times' Eric Konigsberg: "In Fraud Case, Middlemen in Spotlight" LINK

The New York Times' Alex Berenson and Diana B. Henriques: "S.E.C. Issues Mea Culpa on Madoff" LINK

The Washington Post's Ninyamin Appelbaum and David S. Hilzenrath: "SEC Ingorned Credible Tips About Madoff, Chief Says" LINK

The Washington Post's Megan Greenwell: "Area Jewish Groups Take a Hit Financially" LINK

2008: CURRENT ADMINISTRATION:

ABC News' Jonathan Karl: "Exclusive: Cheney Says He's Changed" LINK

2008: OTHER MUST-READS:

ABC News' Dan Harris: "Emotional One-Way Flight for Illegal Immigrants" LINK

ABC News' Pierre Thomas and Scott Michels: "Case Closed: Police ID Adam Walsh Killer" LINK

The Hill's J. Taylor Rushing: "GOP Probes Holder Role in Elian Saga" LINK

The Washington Post's Anita Kumar: "Attorney General Offers Proposals to make Voting Easier, Laws Clearer" LINK