Daily Briefing: Epic Fights Edition
![He Frightens Children He Frightens Children](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fwonkette.substack.com%2Fp%2Fhe%2520frightens%2520children.jpg)
•"Epic fights" over Social Security and Supreme Court seen splitting next Congress;Bushwill raise topic of Social Security before inauguration. ANWR drilling, tax code, tort reform also at stake. [ WP ]
• Powell, Jeb Bushheading to Southeast Asia. [ WT ]
•Democrats vow to pressGonzaleson his role in determining treatment of enemy combatants and his assessment of the Geneva Conventions. [ NYT and WSJ ]
•New Congress is most diverse yet. [ USAT ]
•Transition, lead byRove, Card, a breeze the second time. Scholar: "The White House knows pretty much where it wants to go and it has a pretty clear road map and they are not going to be wanting Cabinet secretaries to develop new policies. It's a very centralized operation." [ WP ]
• Hastert, a survivor, faces challenging session, possibly a crossroads.Ornstein: "I have yet to see a moment where he's come to one of those crossroads where Hastert has chosen the institution over the party." [ NYT ]
• Wolfensohnquits World Bank post;Zoellick, Tobias, Whitmanamong replacements floated. [ WP ]
•Industry coalitions look to reform Sarbanes-Oxley Act. U.S. Chamber of Commerce VP: "This is not a corporate-America-pushing-back issue. There are problems here." [ WP ]
• Lugarcalls lifetime imprisonment of terrorists without proper trials "a bad idea." [ WP ]
•Contingencies aboutRehnquist's last vote need ironing out. [ WP ]
•Unknown number of demonstrators expected at inaugural. Activist: "The energy level is so high that we can't anticipate less than a massive turnout." [ WP ]
•Inauguration festivities will includeKid Rock, Kelsey Grammer, Gloria Estefan, andJoJo. [ NYT ]
•Big businesses contribute to $50m fund for inauguration. [ WT ]
• Salazarto be tested in new Congress. [ WT ]
• Liebermannot interested in Cabinet position. [ USAT ]
•Government gave $1b to faith-based groups in 2003. [ USAT ]
•Most D.C.-area government workers receive 3.71% raise. [ WP ]
•Rep.Robert Matsuidies of rare stem cell disorder. [ WP and NYT , WT ]
• Shirley Chisholmdies at 80.Chisholm: "My greatest political asset, which professional politicians fear, is my mouth, out of which come all kinds of things one shouldn't always discuss for reasons of political expediency." [ WP and NYT ]