Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's future chief of staff, emphasized pragmatism in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Al Gore offered a five-point plan for energy on the Times op-ed page.

Ted Kennedy pushed for health care reform in the Washington Post.

Obama spoke to the president of Russia; according to Moscow the conversation was "upbeat," although the Obama people did not make a statement.

Despite speculation to the contrary, the Daily News reports that Obama will go forward with rolling back the Bush tax cuts.

Obama's foreign policy advisers are not to speak to anyone right now.

Gingrich 2012!

New York went even more Democratic.

Hiram Monserrate defected from the "independent caucus" and agreed to back presumed State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith when the Democrats officially take over the State Senate. Liz says it's not a surprise.

Of three remaining members of that "gang of four," Robert Harding thinks that Carl Krueger poses the biggest threat to Democrats.

Monserrate denies he ever considered switching parties.

Chuck Schumer is likely to wind up on the Senate Rules Committee.

He may also depart as chair of the DSCC.

Mike Lupica is livid over how much public money is going into the new baseball stadiums (which he calls "the great civic hustle of the last 25 years") , while Bloomberg is cutting funds from the police department.

Jim Dwyer agrees.

Malcolm Smith will not get in the way of legislation that would require a voter referendum on a change in term-limits laws.

Bloomberg's budget cuts may not be severe enough, writes Nicole Gelinas.

On the new plastic-bag fee, the Times praises Bloomberg's creativity.

Bloomberg is saying that the fee is all about the environment.

A Brooklyn blog thinks Atlantic Yards was a big reason that Bloomberg wanted a third term.

The mayor may not give raises to 7,000 city employees.

The rumor of a plan to toll East River bridges is freaking people out.

John Judas, writing in the L.A. Times, says that race mattered in this election, but it was a plus for some, and a negative for others.

The Democrat & Chronicle thinks Obama should visit upstate New York because all the problems he campaigned on are evident there.

New York's congressional delegation is looking to close Guantanamo Bay, push for affordable housing, and generally wield more power now.

The city paid almost ten times what a half-acre of land was worth at Willets Point in order to move towards the redevelopment plan.

The interest of black voters in Obama may inspire Bill Thompson's mayoral bid.

The Times asks: did Serf Maltese lose because of Obama, or because there is a larger trend developing in the district?