The Note’s Must-Reads for Monday, January 5, 2009

Compiled by ABC News’ PETER MARTINEZ, KRISTEN RED-HORSE, LAURA GREENE, JAYCE HENDERSON and JUSTIN GRANT

The Must-Reads Online: LINK

ABC News Mobile: LINK

2009: ABC NEWS VIDEOS:

"The Roundtable: Sen. Burris?" LINK

"Bottom Line: Obama Economic Plan" LINK

"Durbin on Ill. Senate Seat" LINK

2009: CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST:

The Associated Press’ Ibrahim Barzak and Jason Keyser: "Israeli Troops and Tanks Slice Deep into Gaza" LINK

The Associated Press’ Bassem Mroue: "Thousands across Middle East Protest Gaza Attack" LINK

USA Today’s Jim Michaels: "For Israel, a gamble in Gaza" LINK

The Washington Post’s Sudarsan Raghavan: "Israeli Forces Push Deeper into Gaza Strip" LINK

The New York Times’ Ethan Bronner: "Israeli Attack Splits Gaza; Truce Calls Are Rebuffed" LINK

The New York Times’ Scott Shane: "For Israel, Chance to Strike before an Ally Departs" LINK

The New York Times’ Taghreed El-Khodary: "Gaza Hospital Fills Up, Mainly With Civilians" LINK

The New York Times’ Dina Kraft: "In Israel, Bloomberg Shows His Support" LINK

Bloomberg’s Calev Ben-David and Saud Abu Ramadan: “Israel Advances in Gaza; Sarkozy Leads Truce Effort” LINK

The Boston Globe’s James Carroll: “Enlightenment in Gaza” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Ashraf Khalil and Rushdi abu Alouf: “Israeli tanks, troops cut off Gaza City” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Paul Richter: “Invasion of Gaza by Israel comes at delicate time for Washington” LINK

The New York Daily News’ Michael Goodwin: "Hamas-Israel battle proves Obama has few options" LINK

2009: ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH and the SENATE SEAT:

The New York Times’ Karen Ann Cullotta and Monica Davey: "Senate Appointee in Illinois Vows to fight on" LINK

The Washington Times’ Victor Morton: “Reid to meet Blagojevich Senate pick” LINK

2009: FORMER ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL ROLAND BURRIS:

ABC News’ Louise Schiavone: "Reid to Meet with Burris as Showdown Looms" LINK

The Associated Press: "Burris Drama Plays out as Senate Set to Begin Work" LINK

USA Today’s John Fritze: "Illinois’ Burris heads to Senate" LINK

The Hill’s J. Taylor Rushing: "Reid cracks Senate door open for Burris" LINK

2009: NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON:

USA Today’s John Fritze: "Richardson abandons Cabinet bid" LINK

The Hill’s J. Taylor Rushing: "Richardson withdraws from Commerce consideration" LINK

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: "Obama Team Feels Richardson Wasn’t Forthcoming about Investigation before Being Offered Commerce" LINK

ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos: "Impossible for Obama to Keep Richardson" LINK

Politico’s Jonathan Martin: "Team pressed Richardson, got nothing" LINK

Politico’s Mike Allen and Amie Parnes: "Richardson exits Cabinet due to probe" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Weisman and Stephanie Simon: “Probe Leads Richardson to Abandon Cabinet Bid” LINK

Bloomberg’s Martin Z. Braun: “Richardson Withdraws Cabinet Nomination Amid Grand Jury Probe” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Sasha Issenberg: “Obama Cabinet nominee pulls out” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Mike Dorning: “Bill Richardson withdraws as Commerce pick” LINK

The New York Daily News’ Richard Sisk: "Richardson withdraws as Commerce Secretary" LINK

2009: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND THE WHITE HOUSE TRANSITION:

ABC News’ Special Index for the 44th President: LINK

Politico’s Carrie Budoff Brown and Nia-Malika Henderson: "Leaders want Hispanic in Cabinet" LINK

The Washington Post’s Michael D. Shear and Carol D. Leonning: "Commerce Pick Richardson Withdraws, Citing N.M. Probe" LINK

The Washington Post’s Michael D. Shear: "Kaine Poised To Chair the DNC" LINK

The Washington Post’s Walter Pincus: "Pentagon Chief Sees Opportunities In Russia and The War on Terrorism" LINK

The New York Times’ Peter Baker and Carl Hulse: "Obama Plan Includes $300 Billion in Tax Cuts" LINK

The New York Times’ Sheryl Gay Stolberg: "Richardson Won’t Pursue Cabinet Post" LINK

The New York Times’ Adam Nagourney: "Virginia Governor Is Named D.N.C Chief" LINK

The New York Times’ Jackie Calmes: "Emotional Trip on Plane Bound for the Presidency" LINK

The New York Times’ Carl Hulse: "Speaker Makes Room for New No. 1 Democrat" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Weisman and Naftali Bendavid: “Obama Eyes $300 Billion Tax Cut” LINK

Bloomberg’s Brian Faler and Ryan J. Donmoyer: “Obama Said to Push for Tax Cuts in U.S. Economic Stimulus Plan” LINK

Bloomberg’s Rich Miller: “Engines of Recovery Flame Out as Economy Seeks Obama-Fed Rescue” LINK

Bloomberg’s Hans Nichols and James Rowley: “Virginia Governor Kaine Said to Be Obama’s Choice to Lead DNC” LINK

Bloomberg’s Laura Litvan: “Obama, Democrats See Need for Speed from New Congress” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Peter Baker: “$300 billion in tax cuts part of Obama plan” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Noam N. Levey: “An emotional Obama leaves Chicago for Washington” LINK

Newsweek Magazine’s Aaron David Miller: “If Obama Is Serious He should get tough with Israel” LINK

Newsweek Magazine’s Dan Ephron: “Don’t Ask Too Fast: On gays, Obama’s Joint Chiefs chair is caught between his boss and a conservative military” LINK

2009: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND THE INAUGURATION:

ABC News’ John Hendren: "Obamas Begin Move to Washington" LINK

The Washington Post’s William Wan and Nikita Stewart: "Obama Arrives in Style" LINK

2009: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND THE ECONOMY:

The Associated Press: Philip Elliott and Andrew Taylor: "Obama: Country Needs Economic Stimulus Plan" LINK

USA Today’s John Fritze: "Stimulus bill faces stumbling blocks in Congress" LINK

The Hill’s Sam Youngman: "Obama expects stimulus after inauguration" LINK

Politico’s Mike Allen: "Obama plans to unveil big tax cuts" LINK

Politico’s Nia-Malika Henderson: "Gibbs: Stimulus ‘unlikely’ to be ready" LINK

The New York Daily News’ Richard Sisk: "Congress ready to build stimulus package for Obama’s first day" LINK

2009: BERNARD MADOFF SCAM:

The Wall Street Journal’s Kara Scannell: “Madoff Chasers Dug for Years, to No Avail” LINK

2009: AUTO INDUSTRY:

The New York Times’ Nick Bunkley: "Auto Industry Still Coming to Grips with the Damage of 2008" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Kate Linebaugh: “Europeans Raise Pressure on Detroit” LINK

2009: ECONOMY:

USA Today’s David J. Lynch: "Investors dump $89B in U.S. securities in historic fire sale" LINK

The Washington Post’s Shailagh Murray: "Top Democrats Give Longer Timetable for Stimulus Bill" LINK

The New York Times’ Charles Bagli: "As Vacant Office Space Grows, So Does Lenders’ Crisis" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Susan Schmidt and Maurice Tamman: “Housing Push for Hispanics Spawns Wave of Foreclosures” LINK

Bloomberg’s Katie Hoffmann and Joseph Galante: “Global Corporate Profits to Drop in ’09; More Bankruptcies Loom” LINK

Bloomberg’s Bo Nielsen and Ye Xie: “Dollar Rally Fizzling as Fed Triggers Risk Appetite” LINK

Bloomberg’s Scott Lanman and Vivien Lou Chen: “Fed Officials Endorse ‘Big Stimulus’ to Battle U.S. Recession”>LINK

Bloomberg Commentary by William Pesek: “Hard to Believe 2009 Will Be Crazier Than 2008” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Jenifer B. McKim: “Jumbo mortgage loan rates put damper on refinancing” LINK

Time Magazine’s Stephen Gandel: “Bailout Report Card: How Successful Have the Financial Relief Efforts Been” LINK

2009: CAROLINE KENNEDY:

The New York Daily News’ Glenn Blain: "Maloney makes own bid for Hillary’s Senate Seat" LINK

2009: DEMOCRATS/GOP:

USA Today’s Jill Lawrence: "Six-way race for GOP chairman heats up" LINK

The Hill’s J. Taylor Rushing and Sam Youngman: "Tim Kaine to head the DNC" LINK

The Hill’s Reid Wilson: "Four to qualify for RNC ballot amid busy week" LINK

The Hill’s J. Taylor Rushing: "McConnell says GOP could back stimulus" LINK

The Hill’s Walter Alarkon: "Bush Sr. wants Jeb as president" LINK

The New York Daily News’ Mike Lupica: "Enough of the Bushes already" LINK

The Washington Times’ S.A. Miller: “Democrats pursue ambitious agenda on Hill” LINK

2009: CURRENT ADMINISTRATION:

The Hill’s Klaus Marre: "Cheney: ‘I would absolutely do it again’" LINK

2009: SENATE:

The Wall Street Journal’s Alex Roth: “Rail Shippers Ask Congress to Regulate Freight Prices” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Douglas Belkin: “Reid Appears to Give Burris an Opening” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Mike Dorning: “Burris may have a chance at Senate seat” LINK

2009: PAKISTAN:

The Wall Street Journal’s Yochi J. Dreazen: “Pakistan and U.S. Rebuild Strained Military Ties” LINK

2009: OTHER MUST-READS:

ABC News Commentary by John Allen Paulos: "The Optimal Way to Board Plane Passengers" LINK

USA Today’s Janice Lloyd: "Home schooling grows" LINK

USA Today’s Leslie Cauley: "Early digital TV converter box buyers get more channels now" LINK

Politico’s Michael Calderone: "ForeignPolicy.com gets a makeover" LINK

Politico’s Alexander Burns: "Frist out of 2010 race" LINK

The New York Times’ Robert Pear: "Justices’ Ruling in Discrimination Case May Draw Quick Action by Obama" LINK

The New York Daily News’ Michael Saul: "Rangel denies he made inappropriate pitch for funds" LINK