How the netroots brought down Obama’s spymaster.

CALIFORNIA UPDATE: “While the state is wallowing in a $28 billion deficit over the next 18 months, newly-elected lawmakers got new cars. From $32,000 hybrids to $46,000 Cadillacs, their new rides will cost taxpayers an estimated $1.3 million.”

Plus, Dan Walters says official budget deficit estimates are way too low.

DEE DEE MYERS: Favreau’s Sexist Photo Is No Laughing Matter. “At what point does sexist behavior get taken seriously? At what point do people get punished in ways that suggest this kind of behavior, this kind of thinking, is unacceptable? At what point do we insist there will be consequences?” Based on experience, it’s at the point where the person is a Republican . . . .

But maybe Favreau is just preparing for a career in advertising.

JERRY POURNELLE: “The economy outside is frightful, but our machines are so delightful…”

WHY YES, YES IT IS:

Is this what you call chutzpah? Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut has demanded that the chief executive officer of General Motors resign because of the management of GM during his tenure.

Isn’t this the same Sen. Dodd who along with his House counterpart Rep. Barney Frank continued over the years to tell the public that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were fine upstanding organizations with no financial problems while they were in fact in the process of collapsing?

Additionally, wasn’t Sen. Dodd the one who took sweetheart loan deals from Countrywide Financial?

But I can’t answer this one: “Why are there no demands for Sen. Dodd to resign from the U.S. Senate?”

SCUBA GEAR: Reader David Pomeroy writes:

I doubt you remember me, but we met briefly at the happy-hour after you spoke about your book at the Reason panel in DC a few years back. Anyway I have since joined the Marines and, while stationed in Okinawa, taken up scuba diving! I saw your photo today and I was compelled to write you about scuba gear. I see your dive guide has a SeaQuest BCD. I’ve got a ProQD with i3, which is a lever on the left pocket that replaces the low-pressure inflator hose, and I love it. The downside is it’s not a back-inflate, but it’s nice not having to reach up to adjust buoyancy. The hose connects around back and then under your arm so it stays out of your way. My other gear is a ScubaPro Mk17 1st Stage, G250v Reg and R295 Octo, and a Suunto Cobra 2 Computer. I’m really happy with all of it. I googled your archives and I didn’t see any scuba gear reviews! What do you dive with? Any thoughts from your readers?

I dive with a Dacor Viper regulator (no longer made) and a Seaquest Passport travel BCD. I’ve been thinking of replacing the Dacor with an Atomic T2 or B1, or maybe an Apeks T100, but honestly I’m perfectly happy with the Dacor. My dive computer is a Suunto Vyper, replacing the Suunto Favor S that I used to use. I’m quite happy with it, though some complain that it’s kind of a cautious computer. I (usually) regard that as a feature, not a bug, though it can be a bit bossy at times. Still, better bossy than bent. The Vyper has also been replaced by the Vyper 2, which — if the usual pattern holds — is even more finicky.

JAKE TAPPER, ABC NEWS: Questions Arise About the Obama/Blagojevich Relationship.

UPDATE: Action in Illinois: “In separate statements, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones said they will call a special legislative session next week to repeal the state law that now gives the governor the power to fill Mr. Obama’s seat. Both said they will press instead for a special election to fill the remaining two years of Mr. Obama’s term.”

MORE: How Deep Is This Muck?

Plus, What happens next?

ANDY STERN: “A Democratic source confirms that SEIU President Andy Stern is the ‘SEIU official’ referred to in the federal complaint against Rod Blagojevich.”

UPDATE: Link was bad before. Fixed now. Sorry!

ANOTHER UPDATE: More from Investor’s Business Daily.

SOME GOURMET FOOD GIFTS for under 25 bucks.

INCREASED PUBLIC INTEREST in blacksmithing. Having made roman lorica segmentata armor — riveted by hand! — back when I was in high school, I have some interest in this stuff. It’s pretty cool; one of my students even runs a blacksmith-supply business.

AT NRO, a discussion of deflation. I’m still expecting snap-back inflation down the line, but I could be wrong.

THE AUTO BAILOUT IS STALLING:

Bailout nation is in trouble today as reports circulate that the little-three bailout deal does not have the votes in the Senate to pass. Also, Nancy Pelosi wants a lot of Republican votes in the House, but it doesn’t look like she’s gonna get them. One key point missing from the Democratic proposal is a strict compensation condition, whereby GM wages and benefits must equal Toyota’s. The difference right now is roughly $75 for GM and $48 for Toyota. This is the Sen. Bob Corker proposal, and he himself is opposed to the bill because of the absence of any strict compensation conditions.

Nancy Pelosi calls the deal a barber shop, where everybody will take a haircut. But there is no UAW haircut. And that may turn out to be a real deal-blocker.

The bailout is unpopular with the public. I’m surprised that more GOP politicians aren’t taking an anti-bailout stance, since it’s an opportunity to align action with both public sentiment and small-govermnent principles.

MORE ON THOSE UNDERFUNDED / OVERGENEROUS PUBLIC PENSIONS:

Legacy costs for pensions and health care create the major cost disadvantage for U.S. auto companies. But governments are far more imbedded with unfunded or underfunded pension and health care liabilities than any auto company. Minnesota teachers, as an example, are in retirement for an average of 27.4 years, nearly as long as some of them have worked. What should we say when the public-employee pension fund managers come clamoring to legislatures for more funds? Should we say, “Let them go bankrupt,” as some have suggested with our industrial companies?

You can’t bail out everybody, you know. We may have that forcefully illustrated, soon, as the political class seems unaware of these limits . . . .

PLUMMETING YOUTUBE RATINGS for Obama’s fireside chats.

HEH: Hypocrisy: Senator Dodd (D – Countrywide) Wants General Motors CEO To Resign. Boy, it’s sure a target-rich environment out there today.

KATIE GRANJU: Note to President-Elect Obama: just tell the truth. “No more lies, please, Mr. President-Elect. Come clean on whatever your dealings have been with Blagojevich in this matter, and let’s put it behind us and move on.”

UPDATE: Time is already calling this BlagoGate.

Fans of Jerry Pournelle’s future history will remember Greg Tolland. Obama was already reminding me of him a bit. Now, a bit more.

CHARLIE RANGEL’S WAR: “Several newspapers have called for Mr. Rangel to step down – and he should. But that would let Mrs. Pelosi off the hook. If Mrs. Pelosi is to be taken at her word – ‘the most open and honest government in history’ – and if the public is to believe that she will enforce the rules equally, she must remove Mr. Rangel from his chairmanship.”

REVIEWING THE REVIEWERS: A roundup of book reviews from all over.

ED DRISCOLL: Red Queen’s Race.

BALLS AND BRAINS: The quality of a man’s sperm depends on how intelligent he is, and vice versa.

AT TREASURY, partying in “The Cash Room.”

THEY TOLD ME THAT IF PRESIDENT BUSH WERE RE-ELECTED, the government would try to get hostile editorialists fired. And they were right!

OF VIRUSES and missing honeybees.

MAKING THINGS CLEAR: “The U.S. Attorney in Chicago says his office is making ‘no allegations’ that President-elect Barack Obama was aware of any alleged scheming by arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.”

TOM MAGUIRE: I Need Help On The Latest Rezko-Obama Story.