Daily Digest

Roy Blunt, GOP’s 2 House Leader, The U.S. election has triggered a new generation of
Steps Down mini Barack Obamas with parents in Kenya and the
United States naming their newborns after the new
WASHINGTON mdash; Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, president-elect.
the No. 2 Republican in the House, announced Thurs- At the Nyanza Provincial General Hospital in Kisumu,
day that he is stepping aside after Democrats added western Kenya, Barack’s ancestral homeland, several
to their numbers in Congress and captured the White mothers were naming their babies after the U.S.’s first
House. African-American president.
Blunt said he had long ago decided that if Repub- The mothers told Reuters Television that they wanted
licans did not reclaim the majority in Tuesday’s elec- their babies to grow up to have the same successful
tions, he would step down from the difficult job of shep- traits as Obama.
herding votes. ”Ten years of asking people to do some ”I would like that by the time he is in his 40s he be-
things they don’t want to do is a long time,” Blunt, 58, comes the president of this country,” said Nancy Otieno
told reporters Thursday morning. ”I can tell you more proudly of her newborn son Barack Obama.
problems about more members of Congress than you’ll Another new mother, Millicent Akoth, named her
ever want to hear; I can tell you more reasons not to new daughter Michelle Obama after the soon-to-be first
do something than you’ll ever want to hear.” lady.
Blunt was elevated into leadership by former whip ....South Florida couple Patrick and Sasha Hall were
and majority leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and was reported on Wednesday to be among the first since
schooled in the hardball tactics employed when DeLay the election to bestow the name Obama on their child,
was a driving force in running the House. Obama Hall, according to the Miami Herald.
Blunt’s move avoids a difficult intraparty battle with Keep reading.
protege Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican who’s al- PHOTOS:
ready campaigning for the job of Republican whip. An unidentified relative to Nancy Kijana, right, holds
Blunt says it’s time for a new generation of Repub- her newborn son, Barack Obama at New Nyanza Prov-
licans to assume leadership roles. Cantor is 45. invincial Hospital in Kisumu, Kenya. More than half
”We’re in a totally new environment now,” Blunt of the babies born in a Kisumu Hospital on the day af-
said. ”We need to find a new way forward.” ter the election were named either Barack or Michelle
Blunt also said he was impressed with the campaign Obama. (AP)
of Barack Obama and that it would be a mistake for Re- Lilian Osano, holds her newborn son, Barrack Jeremy
publicans to assume that Democrats would overreach Obama, at New Nyanza Provinvincial Hospital in Kisumu,
now that they will control both the White House and Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008. (AP)
Congress for the first time in 16 years. Carolyn Anyano holds her newborn son, Barack Obama,
Meanwhile, conservative Indiana Rep. Mike Pence at New Nyanza Provinvincial Hospital in Kisumu, Kenya.
has been recruited by GOP Leader John Boehner of (AP)
Ohio to serve as chairman of the Republican confer- Two baby girls named Michelle. (AFP)
ence, the No. 3 leadership post vacated by Florida Rep. -OR-
Adam Putnam on election night. Read about the Tennessee man who, without his
Boehner will remain as GOP leader despite the dis- wife’s permission, named his newborn daughter Sarah
appointing results on Election Day. He is also expected McCain Palin.
on Thursday to endorse Texas Rep. Pete Sessions to -OR-
take over the GOP’s House campaign operation. See a slideshow of Obama holding babies or see
Associated Press Writer Laurie Kellman contributed other Obama slideshows.
to this report. More on Barack Obama

Obama Victory Sparks Baby Naming Obama Presidency’s Chicago Impact

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 IMMEDIATE IMPACT Reese Schonfeld: Final Poll of Cable
Tourism: The Land of Lincoln will enjoy another Television News Viewers – Comparison
”presidential halo effect” on its tourism industry, ob- to Actual Results
servers say. The Chicago Convention and Tourism Bu-
reau predicts increased interest in South Side areas tied To start with the positive, the Cable Television News
to Obama and in Springfield, where he announced his Viewer Poll (CTNVP) predicted all the results accu-
candidacy. European tourist agencies are already mak- rately, both overall and in all demographic groups.
ing inquiries, said Mark Theis, executive vice president To state the negative, the poll predicted that Obama
of the bureau. Still, the tourism bump may be smaller would do better than he did in every category.
than it was for other recent presidents, said hospitality In the final overall vote, cable news viewers favored
expert Bjorn Hanson of New York University’s Tisch Obama by 11, he won by 6. The previous week, we had
Center. ”When President Bush Sr. went to Maine it Obama ahead by 6, and would’ve been dead on, but last
had a significant boost to tourism because of scenes of week’s numbers jumped. I did cover my butt by saying
him in his boat, fishing,” he said. ”I don’t foresee too that the final numbers might’ve been a statistical fluke,
much of Barack Obama water-skiing behind a boat on and there were.
the lake.” In the demos, my comparisons are with the CNN
More on Barack Obama ”Vote by Age” statistics and their demos do not match
the Nielsen demos, so the comparisons are not exact.
Nevertheless, here it goes:
CTNVP predictions
Rebecca Romijn On Pregnancy: ”I’m A 18-34s- 75 Obama–25 McCain 18-49s- 66 Obama–
Beached Whale!” 34 McCain 25-54s- 64 Obama–36 McCain Fogies for
McCain–Over 50
In this week’s Page Six Magazine - Rebecca Romijn, CNN actuals 18-29s- 66 Obama–32 McCain 30-44s-
pregnant with twin daughters on the way, opens up 52 Obama–46 McCain 45-64s- 49 Obama–49 McCain
about fertility drugs, maternity sex appeal and her split Over 64- 49 Obama–53 McCain
from ex-husband John Stamos. What have I learned from all this: Cable news view-
On using medical intervention to get pregnant: ing is at least indicative, if not perfectly predictive, of
”We did not do IVF... A year ago, we tried [the the way Americans will vote on Election Day. The com-
fertility drug] Clomid for a couple of months unsuc- parisons between viewing and voting among 18-34s and
cessfully. But by the second month, I was like, ’Ahhh! 55s and over were reliable. It seems that the 35-54
I hate this!’ I think when you start messing with your year-olds watching cable news are not representative of
own hormones, it’s crazy-making.” the general population. Those voters split almost 50-50
On her body during pregnancy: between Republicans and Democrats, while the viewers
”I can’t move anymore...I’m a beached whale! ...I were overwhelmingly Democratic. Maybe conservative
have not been without a bra this entire pregnancy. I 35-54s have given up the media, especially TV, entirely.
refuse. I’m not taking any chances. I’m determined to They’re not angry enough to watch Fox, but too fed up
keep the puppies up!” with the prattle to watch either CNN or MSNBC. Four
On speculation that the cause of her 2004 divorce years from now, I’ll keep this in mind and try again.
was that she did not want children: As for myself, I am satisfied with the results of the
”There is absolutely no truth to that. That [story] 2008 election – one candidate had, during his campaign,
was completely made up. I desperately wanted kids. clearly forfeited any claim to the Presidency; and while
I was never a girl who dreamed about what her wed- the other has yet to establish his claim; it’s time to give
ding day would be like, but I’ve always dreamed about ”change” a chance.
decorating my baby’s nursery.” More on Election Results
On husband Jerry O’Connell’s fathering skills:
I knew early on he would be a fantastic dad. He’s
a pragmatic, smart, savvy, enthusiastic person. He re-
ally lives his life with tremendous integrity, and he’s a Obama To Make First Public
healthy person in every single way.” Appearance With Economic Advisers
On parenting: Friday
”I’ve just surrendered to the fact that [parenting]
will be the hardest thing I’ll ever do. I know my life CHICAGO mdash; Barack Obama planned his first
will never be the same - but in the best way possible.” public appearance since his presidential victory for Fri-
day a meeting with economic advisers to discuss the
nation’s financial woes that Americans listed as their
top concern on Election Day.

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 Obama plans to talk to the news media Friday af- like me to serve. But I also know something about what
ternoon following the meeting, aides said. He and his it means to a family.”
wife, Michelle, will visit the White House on Monday The economy was the overwhelming concern on the
at President Bush’s invitation, aides said. Obama’s mind of voters Tuesday, according to Associated Press
schedule Thursday includes meetings with top U.S. in- exit polls. More than six in 10 voters picked the econ-
telligence officials preparing him to be commander in omy as the most important issue facing the nation.
chief and transition team leaders tasked with building Four in 10 said their family financial status was
his entire administration in 10 short weeks. worse than four years ago the highest number to report
Obama advisers said he was selecting the leaders of that in a presidential race since at least 1992. Nine in 10
the new government with a sense of care over speed, said the economy is in bad shape and nearly the same
with no plans to announce Cabinet positions this week. number said they are worried about the economy’s di-
The president-elect asked Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel rection.
to be White House chief of staff, but Emanuel said he Associated Press Special Correspondent David Espo
was weighing the demands of the job on his family. in Washington and AP reporter Beth Fouhy in Chicago
No announcement on the chief of staff position was ex- contributed to this report.
pected Thursday, said an Obama adviser. More on President Obama
Other White House officials were being lined up, in-
cluding Robert Gibbs as the likely pick for press secre-
tary, said several Obama aides. Gibbs has been Obama’s
longtime spokesman and confidant and was at Obama’s Is Stealth Startup Fruugo Stumbling
side from his 2004 Senate campaign through the long Right Before Launch Day?
days on the presidential campaign trail.
Obama planned to stay home through the weekend,
with a blackout on news announcements so that he and
his staff can get some rest after a grueling campaign and
the rush of their win Tuesday night. He is planning a
trip to Hawaii in December to get away with his family Windows 7 Preview Boots 20
before their move to the White House and to honor his Microsoft says that ”a very good system
grandmother, who died Sunday at her home there. boots in under 15 seconds,” and while
Obama began Thursday as he almost always does, the early-release Windows 7 Preview
with a workout. Later, he planned to visit with the
transition team he officially announced Wednesday but
doesn’t deliver a sub-15 second boot
had been under way for weeks. Officials had kept delib- time, it does start 20 faster than
erations under wraps to avoid the appearance of over- Windows Vista on my computer. The
confidence in the weeks leading to Tuesday’s election. only way to truly compare boot-up
He also planned to head to the FBI office in Chicago, times between operating systems is to
a secure location for him to receive his first president’s try them out on the same exact
daily brief. The document is mostly written by the Cen-
tral Intelligence Agency and includes the most critical
hardware, and as of today I’m
overnight intelligence. It is accompanied by a brief- triple-booting XP, Vista, and the
ing from top intelligence officials that typically lasts 45 Windows 7 Preview on a newly-built
minutes to an hour, although Obama’s first is expected PC. The results? Windows 7 boots
to be longer. much faster than Windows
In offering the White House post to Emanuel, Obama Vistamdash;but surprisingly, no faster
turned to a fellow Chicago politician with a far differ-
ent style from his own, a man known for his bluntness
than Windows XP. Here are my exact
as well as his single-minded determination. Emanuel, numbers, machine specs, and caveats.
who was a political and policy aide in the Clinton White table.comparison \1 border-width: 1px
House, told Chicago’s WLS-TV that he was honored to 1px 1px 1px; border-spacing: 2px;
be considered but needed to weigh the impact on his border-style: solid solid solid solid;
family. border-color: gray gray gray gray;
”I have a lot to weigh: the basis of public service,
which I’ve given my life to, a career choice. And most
border-collapse: separate;
importantly, what I want to do as a parent,” Emanuel background-color: white; \1
said in an interview aired Wednesday. ”And I know table.comparison th \1 text-align:center;
something about the White House. That, I assume, border-width: 1px 1px 1px 1px;
is one of the reasons that President-elect Obama would padding: 1px 1px 1px 1px; border-style:

3
inset inset inset inset; border-color: seconds Windows XP Professional 27
gray gray gray gray; background-color: seconds Final result: The Windows 7
cccccc; -moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 0px Preview boots 20.6 faster than
0px; \1 table.comparison td \1 Windows Vista, but in exactly the same
text-align:center; border-width: 1px 1px amount of time as Windows XP.
1px 1px; padding: 1px 1px 1px 1px; Because of the slower IDE drive on my
border-style: inset inset inset inset; test system, and the preview status of
border-color: gray gray gray gray; Windows 7, it’s very probable that
background-color: white; Win7 will be even faster than XP in its
-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 0px 0px; final releases. On a related note, only 23
\1 table.comparison td.has \1 of you said your computer boots up in
background-color:8EBB8E; \1 under 30 seconds, so it sounds like
table.comparison td.label \1 ”faster boot time” might be one of the
font-weight:bold;text-align:center; \1 less sexy but much-appreciated features
The hardware: My test system has an coming in Windows 7.
Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at
3.16GHz with 4GB of RAM. The only
difference between XP, Vista, and the
Windows 7 Preview is that Win7 is
installed on an IDE hard drive, and XP
and Vista are booting from SATA
drives. That puts Win7 at a slight
disadvantage because IDE drives are
not as performant as SATA. Also: the
version of Windows 7 that I’m using is
the Preview release from last month’s
PDC conference, an incomplete,
earlier-than-beta, for-testers-only
edition. One can only assume it will get
better (read:faster) in the final release.
The test: Since I’m triple-booting the
three operating systems, I used a simple
handheld timer to get my numbers,
starting at the ”Choose your operating
system” screen (which comes after the
BIOS startup) and ending at the user
login screen. These tests do not include
the amount of time it takes to load the
user’s desktop, because that depends
entirely on what’s in your Windows
startup. This is simple, pure, operating
system boot heremdash;no desktop or
BIOS involved. Here are my final
numbers from starting the three
operating systems on the same box and
timing them: Operating System Time
to reach user login prompt Windows 7
Ultimate (Preview, PDC edition) 27
seconds Windows Vista Ultimate 34