Innumerable policy shops and interest group around DC have already put out strategic blueprints for a policy agenda in the new administration.

My New America Foundation colleague Daniel Mandel spends the wee hours of the morning every work day assembling an often amazing, comprehensive roster of some of the best articles on the American economy. I have his permission to forward this daily email to those who would like to have it.

Below is a statement from Christina D. Romer, Chair, Council of Economic Advisors on the Fourth Quarter 2008 Advance GDP Estimate: Real GDP fell at an annual rate of 3.8% in the fourth quarter of 2008. This was the largest one-quarter fall since 1982 and the second consecutive quarter of real GDP decline.

(Did not run into David Corn today; photo courtesy of the News Hour with Jim Lehrer) The Weekly Standard‘s Michael Goldfarb dubbed my post about David Corn, policy, and my constantly running into him as perhaps one of the most self-absorbed blog posts he’s ever read.

The howls of outrage emanating from European capitals following the Russia-Ukraine gas row have led some to conclude that Europe will move quickly to diversify its natural gas supply at Russia’s expense. In fact, it is more likely that Russia’s aggressive move will reinforce Europe’s internal divisions and yield strategic dividends over the long-term.

(Steve Clemons and Ben Affleck — and a glimpse of David Corn mostly eclipsed by Susan Eisenhower’s hair) Unlike “Roger” in Michael Moore‘s Roger and Me, I really like David Corn — and I have no problem seeing him unlike the elusive and never reachable Roger.

The week that former US Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad was leaving the United Nations, I asked him to share his thoughts about American diplomacy, the UN as an institution, nation building and our brewing problems in Afghanistan at an event at the New America Foundation.

In the period between President Obama’s November 2008 victory at the polls and his taking office on January 20, 2009, members of Obama’s transition team began talking to military planners about various options that might be available for dealing with Somali pirates. In my estimation, this is smart planning by the Obama team.

Michael Lind, now my colleague at the New America Foundation but eleven years ago the Washington Editor of Harper’s Magazine, wrote a great article in August 1998 titled “Washington Meal Ticket: How to Buy a Senator’s Smile.

This is a guest post by former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy James Glassman.