Post Politics Hour

washingtonpost.com's Daily Politics Discussion

Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.

Washington Post national political reporter Shailagh Murray was online Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 11 a.m. ET to answer readers' questions about the latest news from Washington and the transition.

A transcript follows.

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Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts

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Commerce Secretary, Really: Bill Richardson just accepted the least important executive branch job he has ever held. Energy Secretary, Ambassador to the U.N., and all purpose international trouble-shooter seem more important than Commerce secretary.

If he had a desire to return to Washington, why didn't he run for the Senate seat of retiring Pete Domenici.

Objectively, doesn't Richardson have more international experience than Hillary Clinton?

Shailagh Murray: Good morning everyone. So sorry to disappoint you, but I am not Mike Shear. He's sick, and I'm filling in. So bring on your questions and observations. And let me know if anyone's heard a good Barack Obama joke.

To the Richardson question: Objectively, a lot of people have more international experience than Hillary Clinton. Her husband for instance.

But that's not the issue. People want to be involved in this administration, and they are willing to make big sacrifices. Why would Janet Napolitano give up being governor to run DHS? Which is possibly the most thankless Cabinet post, because it's low profile but still huge and vital. As for Richardson, he has the stature to make a lot of the Commerce job, and I expect he will. Business likes him and it's also a huge patronage post.

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Boston, Mass.: Hi,

I noticed the article today regarding Obama asking all the Bush ambassador appointees to say good bye. Obama Gives Political Ambassadors Their Pink Slips By Glenn Kessler

Will there also be a wholesale turnover of U.S. Attorneys?

washingtonpost.com: Obama Gives Political Ambassadors Their Pink Slips (44 Blog, Dec. 3)

Shailagh Murray: You BETHCHA.

Overhauling Justice from top to bottom will be one of the most urgent tasks, so if you're interested in becoming a federal prosecutor, submit your resume.

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Reston, Va.: So Harry Reid thinks that the American public smells so bad that we offend Congress? What was going through his mind when he uttered that classic joke?

Shailagh Murray: Really hard to say how the mind of Harry Reid works. He's an odd guy. And while he has a point, my main complaint about the tourists is that they show up dressed for cleaning out the garage.

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Florissant Valley, Mo.: Morning, Shailagh. I saw a week or so ago that Roger Ailes has re-upped with Fox for, I think, five more years. Does this mean we can expect more of the usual, or will he change the channel's focus to address a Democrat in the White House? And will he find a replacement for Mr. Colmes? Thanks

Shailagh Murray: Of all the news organizations these days, I would say Fox probably has the brightest prospects, because its audience is so loyal. Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

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Bethesda, Md.: Hi Shailagh. Do you know the current estimate for the Jan 20th crowd? 2, 3, or 4 million? I imagine the Secret Service is going to get a lot of overtime...

Shailagh Murray: I am prepared to be ridiculed in two months, but I would be surprised if the number tops 1 million. It's hard to process more people than that. Where are they going to stay? If the weather is lousy, hanging out on the mall for 12 hours starts to seem less historic. Thirty years ago, half the country might have made the trek, but in this TV/couch potato age, not sure the motivation is there.

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Baltimore, Md. : Re Richardson to Commerce: It does seem like a step down on the face of it, given how somnolent that Cabinet post has been in recent decades. However, the next administration is going to face historic challenges to the nation's prosperity and the Commerce job figures to be much more important than it has been.

Shailagh Murray: Yeah, I think this job has potential. Remember Malcolm Baldridge? He was a very active and high-profile member of Reagan's cabinet.

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Washington, D.C.: I have to ask. Is there space in the Capitol visitors' center that can be used for political fundraising events? How could they build such a monument to themselves and not include some place to shake down lobbyists and constituents?

Shailagh Murray: You can't do fundraising on government property. That's why all the lawmakers spend their lunch hours at the DNC, DSCC, NRSC, etc. But that said, the new center is only partly for visitors.

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Valdosta, Ga.: Lots of press today about how my state's vote yesterday means the Obama revolution/Dem revolution is over.

Are they serious? Did anyone ever really notice how lots of areas of this state have voted for decades? This was pretty easy to predict, especially with the candidates we had to work with. Jim Martin just did not have enough $$ to work with to fight off Saxby. Neither Obama nor the DNC could really have changed that fact once it moved into a runoff.

Seems to me that this was more like a local election than a state one with national implications -- least how it was treated by media, etc., in S. Georgia.

And is 60 all that important? Will not some Republicans like the Senators from Maine likely be voting with the Dems at least some of the time?

Shailagh Murray: You raise a good point -- this 60 threshold is deceiving. Democrats rarely vote in unison, especially on big issues, and especially now that the caucus includes so many moderates. Webb, Warner, McCaskill, of course Lieberman -- these folks have their own identities and will vote accordingly.

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John Q.: I resent that I look like I am dressed to clean the attic when I visit Congress. I come dressed to clean the septic system.

Shailagh Murray: I've seen you around.

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Bremerton, Wash.: Thanks for taking our questions, Shailagh. It's nice that the car maker CEOs are driving or flying coach to Congress this time, but they're also asking for MORE taxpayer loans! Can we give them a Chutzpah Award?

Shailagh Murray: The NYT (oops) has a great story today about how even Michigan residents aren't sure the car companies deserve government help.

I do find it weird, though, that somehow Congress means to put the auto industry back on track, without treating union leaders as equal participants.

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washingtonpost.com: Even in Michigan, Not Everyone Wants a Lifeline (The New York Times, Dec. 3)

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Fairfax, Va.: Shailagh, can you make sense of how we're in this deep recession and yet President-elect Obama was able to raise, what, a half a billion dollars for his campaign? I know he brought millions into the electoral process that hadn't been before, but how much money were they donating

Shailagh Murray: He raised money from all sorts of donors, in large and small amounts. But your point about the recession is a good one -- our economy is so diverse now that not everyone is feeling it. Unless you're trying to sell a house, buy a house with less than 20 percent down, or you're in a downsizing profession (that's me!), chances are you are benefiting from lower gas prices, cheaper real estate, cheaper cars.

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Raleigh, N.C.: Good morning. Have you seen any footage of the Charlie Gibson-George Bush interview? It struck me as pretty weird, Bush's demeanor. What do you think Bush's status within the GOP will be in 18 months? He's still pretty popular with the base, with primary voters.

washingtonpost.com: VIDEO: Bush Highlights Term Highs and Lows (ABC News)

Shailagh Murray: GWB is a fascinating story these days. He's certainly going out on a high note, compared to his standing a year ago -- the Iraq situation is less dire, his administration is actively managing the economic crisis (whether it's making the right decisions is another matter) and the transition process could not be more smooth, at least according to what we're hearing.

I also think Bush benefited from McCain's struggles -- suddenly he wasn't the only Republican who couldn't seem to do anything right.

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Boston, Mass.: I was disappointed in the question our old friend Peter Baker asked at the last Obama news conference. Why ask silly snark you know won't get answered instead of something substantive? By the way, do you reporters care that your audience doesn't give a whit about your obsession with everything Clinton?

Shailagh Murray: I thought that was a good question! Totally fair. Obama is going to have to work on his tone --- he can't make it too obvious that he thinks all reporters are morons.

I realize he's a little prickly from the campaign, when he was asked a disproportionate number of inane process questions. But it's reasonable to explain why a person you portrayed as a tea-drinking political spouse was suddenly qualified to become your chief diplomat.

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Leesburg, Va.: A kind of follow-up question to the person asking about Georgia...I'm also hearing a lot of play that Sarah Palin's canvassing of the state is somehow an indicator that she's still (politically) "hot" and echoes the sentiment that she is the future of the Republican Party...

I guess my question is: Does the fact that Sarah Palin can motivate the Republican Base in Georiga a)surprise anyone or b)mean anything?

Just seems like kind of a non-story to me...

Shailagh Murray: I seriously doubt that Sarah Palin moved a single vote in Georgia. Had the Nov. 4 contest been a two-person race, Saxby would have won easily.

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Anonymous: Do reporters watch the Q and A videos at Change.gov? It's pretty neat feature and the questions are usually more on point than some of what your colleagues ask.

Shailagh Murray: Good tip. I'll check it out.

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washingtonpost.com: CNN's Campbell Brown Lectures Obama For Brushing Off Media's Questions (NewsBusters, Dec. 2)

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The Prosecutors: Barack Obama is going to fire U.S. Attorneys, starting with a clean slate? How outrageous! I certainly hope Congress is going to investigate this! Politics and the judiciary should be completely separate! (note: tongue placed firmly in cheek there)

Shailagh Murray: Can you believe it? Politics!

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washingtonpost.com: Change.gov

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Ohio: When can we expect President-elect Obama to officially name Daschle his nominee at HHS and when will we hear about the other cabinet appointments? Any fresh rumors?

Shailagh Murray: I was just talking about Daschle with my colleage Ceci Connolly, who covers health care. He's certainly started work already, but maybe we'll have more appointments next week? That would be my guess. They'll fill a few more domestic policy slots and then roll them out at once.

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I thought that was a good question! Totally fair.: Fair, yes. Pointless, yes. Use your time wisely.

Shailagh Murray: You make a good point.

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Reston, Va.: It seems Tim Kaine, the first governor to endorse Obama, is getting the short end of the stick. He's gone from one of the finalists for vice president to not even being mentioned for a Cabinet post. Is there any talk of him joining the Obama administration?

Shailagh Murray: I'm assuming he doesn't want a Cabinet post. Obama does love the guy, and he delivered one of the biggest prizes on election night. What he should do is run for a second term, but of course you don't have those in Va.

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Fairfax, Va.: In picking Sen. Clinton's replacement, does Gov. Paterson have to worry about any Democrats running against him in the primary in 2010? I recall Spitzer was challenged by one Democrat (Suozzi?) in 2006.

Shailagh Murray: Can anyone follow this convoluted New York political landscape? I can't figure out which way the wind is blowing, in part because folks here don't know Paterson well. As regular chatters know, I am keen on the Caroline Kennedy rumor, only because I idolized her as a child. But it's not going to happen.

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Burke, Va.: I think people who have had their 401(k) plans slashed by 30 or 40 percent; or who are among the 250,000 newly unemployed noted on the front page of this newspaper, might quibble with your light dismissal of breadth of this recession.

Shailagh Murray: I absolutely do not dismiss the recession. I am simply noting that it impacts people to different degrees -- in some cases not much at all, and in others, it is devastating. Everyone who has a 401(k) has "lost" money -- but only people who are retired and are living off their savings are taking an actual hit. My parents retired three months ago -- what's happening now is terrifying for them.

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Fair Lawn, N.J. : Why does everyone seem to assume that all of these appointees will still be there at the end of eight years (assuming two terms)? Almost nobody ever is. That means that some of these candidates, like Keane, will have a chance to be in the Obama cabinet at some time, and who's to say he wants to leave office in Virginia right this minute? If this is where we are with almost two months to go before the guy even gets sworn in, I shudder for what's ahead. See the 'dog-vetting' cover of The New Yorker today. It's priceless.

Shailagh Murray: Totally true. There will be plenty for Tim Kaine to do, and I expect he will stay very busy.

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Loudoun County, Va.: Morning Shailagh,

During the Potomac Primaries, I almost had frost bite canvassing for Obama in Loudoun County. I worked the phones, attended the election return parties, worked on get out the vote and did everything possible to contribute. How should I go about getting a job in his administration?

Shailagh Murray: Did you check the change.gov website? With only 300,000 people applying for Obama jobs, you may want to try a less traditional approach, a la the video from "Legally Blonde." And make sure to mention that you're a great basketball player. It worked for Jim Jones.

Folks, I gotta split. But thanks for all the questions and have a great week. Cheers, Shailagh.

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washingtonpost.com: The New Yorker (The New Yorker, Dec. 8)

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