LIGHTNING ROUND: CHAOS IN SPRINGFIELD.

• Ok, let me see if I've got the story straight so far. Rod Blagojevich decides to appoint former Illinois AG Roland Burris to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat, despite earlier warnings from Senate Democrats that any Blagojevich appointment would not be seated. Harry Reid calls the Burris appointment "unacceptable" and Senate Democrats draft a letter telling imploring Blagojevich to not make the appointment, threatening to use their authority granted by Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution ("Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members") -- despite the fact that when the Senate attempted this in 1969 the Supreme Court overruled the action 8-1. Meanwhile, IL Secretary of State Jesse White has threatened to block any appointments made by the embattled Governor. Finally, Ben Smith notes Burris' lobbying ties might be a difficult fit with the ethics standards of the Obama White House, despite the president-elect's support for Burris in his 2002 gubernatorial campaign against Blagojevich.
• The Minnesota State Canvassing Board has put Al Franken ahead of Norm Coleman by a grand total of 50 votes after ruling on several ballot challenges and NRSC Chair John Cornyn threatens to not provisionally seat Franken because the Democrat is "falsely declaring victory" and his ballot challenges are "creating additional chaos and disorder in the Minnesota recount."
• This is excellent news for Republicans: Politico claims the "Magic Negro" incident could actually help Chip Saltsman in the race for RNC chair because some of his defenders cite the controversy as proof that the liberal media is out to get conservatives. Uh-huh. But the real question: is what's good for Saltsman good for the GOP? These GOPers certainly seem to think so.
• Ted Kennedy has scheduled confirmation hearings for Tom Daschle and Hilda Solis in early January in order to expedite the incoming Administration's agenda and the IMF praises the Obama stimulus package, the fund's chief economist stating that "the size corresponds roughly to what we think is needed."
• The Cato Institute does not like GOP superstar Bobby Jindal's Medicare reform proposals.
• The Villiage Voice has "The Top 10 "Rightblogger Stories of 2008." Ah, memories.

--Mori Dinauer