Senator Sanders

The Fed Senators took aim Thursday at Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, linking him to rising unemployment, regulatory lapses that led to the financial crisis and the corporate bailouts that followed. Sen. Bernie Sanders put a hold on the nomination, Vermont Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France Presse, The Christian Science Monitor, The International Herald Tribune, The (London) Independent, The (London) Times, and The American Banker reported.  LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK and LINK  

The Chairman The push for accountability took a more concrete form when Vermont independent Bernie Sanders announced he would put a formal hold on Bernanke's nomination. He spoke on the Senate floor this afternoon, "The New Hour" on PBS reported. "We need a new Fed. We need a new Wall Street. And we surely a new chairman of the Fed. My hope is that President Obama will give us a new nominee, and not Mr. Bernanke. Sanders also was interviewed by Fox News, Air America's Ron Reagan and KPFK in Los Angeles. LINK

Editorial Praise "Sanders is right to use his constitutionally defined authority check and balance the executive branch," The (Madison, Wis.) Capital Times editorialized. "Sanders is calling on Obama to withdraw the nomination and propose someone else as the next head of the Fed. And he is making a case in blunt, specific detail." LINK

Editorial Criticism Saying Bernanke's "cranky critics" range from Sen. Sanders to the libertarian Rep. Ron Paul, The Washington Post editorialized that the wrong-headedness of this left-right pincer emphasizes the moderate wisdom of President Obama's decision to offer Mr. Bernanke another term." Investor's Business Daily said, "We're not surprised that some in the Senate, such as Sanders and Chris Dodd, father of the housing crisis, now want to put the Fed under their thumb." LINK and LINK 

Blogs Bernanke's hearing "was preceded by the bold decision by Sen. Sanders to place a hold on the re-nomination," Isaiah Poole of the Campaign for America's Future wrote. The Wall Street Journal said Sens. Bunning and Sanders are well known for their anti-Fed posture, but added that "what may become a more significant threat to the Fed is how two other Republican Senators, Jim DeMint of South Carolina and David Vitter of Louisiana, said they'd oppose the nomination." The Washington Post's Ezra Klein said, "I'm sympathetic to Sanders's maneuver." LINK

Health Care Senate Democrats from the liberal and centrist factions are engaged in increasingly urgent talks aimed at bridging the divide within the party over the public option in the healthcare reform bill. Liberals such as Sens. Sanders and Sherrod Brown made plain they are in no mood to further shift their positions to accommodate their centrist counterparts, The Hill reported. LINK

Senate Panel Okays EMS Bill Legislation named for Bennington Rescue Squad paramedic supervisor Dale R. Long, who died while driving a patient to the hospital in June, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, according to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy. Sen. Bernard Sanders has signed on as a cosponsor of the bill, the Rutland Herald reported. LINK

Shelter Expands The John Graham Emergency Shelter on Monday closed a deal for a $198,000 home in Bristol, which the Vergennes-based homeless shelter intends to convert into transitional housing. Elizabeth Ready, the shelter director, hopes the cost will be offset by...a $30,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development secured by Vermont's Independent Sen. Sanders, The Addison Independent reported. LINK

International

NATO allies commit 7,000 more troops to Afghanistan NATO said on Friday 25 countries had pledged a total of around 7,000 more troops to support the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, following President Barack Obama's commitment of 30,000 extra U.S. troops, Reuters reports. LINK

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C.I.A. Authorized to Expand Use of Drones in Pakistan Two weeks ago in Pakistan, Central Intelligence Agency sharpshooters killed eight people suspected of being militants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and wounded two others in a compound that was said to be used for terrorist training, reported The New York Times.. LINK

U.S. deadline encourages self-reliance, Afghan leader says President Hamid Karzai put a brave face on President Obama's decision to start pulling out troops in mid-2011, telling The Associated Press in his first public response that it will push Afghans to take control of their own destiny, according to The Associated Press. LINK

Moderates create Copenhagen wish list A group of nine centrist Democrats sent a letter to the Obama administration Thursday laying out their goals for international climate talks in Copenhagen, Politico reports. LINK

National

Unemployment Rate Falls The Labor Department reported Friday that the United States economy shed 11,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate fell to 10 percent, down from 10.2 percent in October.  The government also significantly revised September and October numbers. September was adjusted to show a loss of 139,000 jobs instead of 219,000, and October 111,000 instead of 190,000.  Though the pace has been declining since a peak in January, the November number was surprising, reported The New York Times. LINK

Public Option On the Senate floor, Democrats are debating Republicans on health care. Behind the scenes, they're debating each other. Those closed-door discussions may be less predictable as majority Democrats struggle to settle controversies within the party that are standing in the way of passage of President Barack Obama's sweeping health care overhaul, according to The Associated Press. LINK

Vermont

Union Pay Cut Some 7,000 state workers will see a 3 percent pay cut next year if union members approve a contract agreement reached Thursday between the Douglas administration and the Vermont State Employees Association,  The Burlington Free Press reported. LINK

Wind Farm Tour Two Vermont utilities are offering a free daylong trip Saturday to a New Hampshire wind power installation where 12 tall turbines generate electricity atop Lempster Mountain, according to The Burlington Free Press. LINK

Canadian Ambassador in Vt. Canada's ambassador to the United States is visiting Vermont. Gary Doer and Gov. Jim Douglas will hold a press conference Friday to discuss the importance of Vermont's relationship with Canada, according to The Associated Press.

Teacher Retirement System A commission trying to find acceptable ways to save costs in the state's public employees' retirement systems asked to hear from Vermonters about the issue Thursday evening.  More than 280 teachers, school board members and state employees gathered at the Vermont Interactive Television sites around the state, reported the Vermont Press Bureau. LINK