• In the Boston Globe, Randy Abelda argues that Barack Obama's stimulus plan is macho, and that rebuilding of the physical infrastructure should be accompanied by investments in social infrastructure. (MissLaura)

Drilling leases on the road to Dinosaur National Monument and on lands visible from Utah's iconic Delicate Arch and near Canyonlands National Park are off the block.

In the face of intense opposition from the National Park Service, members of Congress and a top official from President-elect Barack Obama's transition team, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management backed down Tuesday from its plan to sell oil and gas leases near national parks and wilderness-quality areas in Utah on Dec. 19.

The BLM also promised to consult with the Park Service on any future changes to environmental protections built into long-range plans for lands near the parks, said Mike Snyder, director of NPS' Intermountain region.

"We're pretty pleased," Snyder said Tuesday afternoon. "We needed time to really analyze these to determine what potential park impacts might be."

In a joint announcement, BLM's Utah state director Selma Sierra said working with the Park Service on this dispute was constructive.

"Ongoing discussions with the National Park Service will continue to strengthen our collaboration and coordination," she said. "This is important for two sister agencies with environmental stewardship missions."

Yet where Snyder saw victory, conservationists saw unnecessary compromise.

"It's still a disaster in the making," said Steve Bloch, an attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. "Parcels [that Park Service officials] said were important are still on [the sale list]. That seems a pretty clear indication the Park Service was rolled by someone higher up in the administration."

Snyder denied Bloch's claim. "We got no pressure from the administration. None," he said. "I got support to do what was best for the parks."

Before anybody gets too excited, the majority of the leases in the auction are on the block. Just 22 of more than 90 leases have been pulled, and 130,000 acres are still at risk.

One leading contender for the Secretary of Interior position in the Obama administration is on the case.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., sent a letter to Kempthorne saying, "this ill-advised fire sale of leases, which could irreparably harm the air, water and wildlife of three beloved national parks, should be halted."

Grijalva, chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Interior secretary in the Obama administration.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., also sent a letter Tuesday to Kempthorne to urge Interior to postpone the oil- and gas-lease sale the BLM has scheduled for the Friday before Christmas. Seven other senators signed the letter.

Hopefully Grijalva's initiative and proactive watchdogging on the issue will push his name further up that list of potential contenders for the Interior position.

Baghdad

- Around 10 pm of Wednesday a magnetic bomb targeted a civilian car in downtown Baghdad. An officer of police commandos was seriously injured and then died in hospital.

- Around 7 am a roadside bomb targeted an army patrol in Qahira neighborhood (east Baghdad). One soldier was killed and three others were wounded.

- Around 10 am a roadside bomb detonated in Maisloon intersection in Karrada neighborhood (downtown Baghdad). One civilian was killed and six others were wounded.

Mosul

- A suicide bomber targeted a police patrol in downtown Mosul city. Six policemen were wounded.

- A suicide car bomber targeted a police patrol in Mansour neighborhood in Mosul city. Two civilians were killed and 28 others were wounded including 16 policemen.'

Here's just some of the things worth celebrating today:

• 67 million: The number of votes cast for Barack Obama
• Less than 8: The number of weeks left in the Bush Presidency
• 140,000: The number of American troops serving in Iraq who can begin looking towards the day they will return home.
• $700 billlion: The size of the FDR-style stimulus plan being considered by some Senate Democrats
• 66%: Percentage of young voters who supported Obama
• 42: The maximum number of Republican Senators
• 255: The minimum number of Democratic Representatives
• 29: The number of Democratic governorships
• 6.5 million: The number of donations made online to Barack Obama's campaign
• $80: The average size of those donations.
• Half a billion dollars: The amount of money raised by the Obama fundraising juggernaut
• At least 6: The number of solo national TV interviews conducated by Sarah Palin since the election.
• 3: The number of solo national TV interviews conducted by Palin before the election.
• 0: The number of press conferences held by Sarah Palin during the campaign.
• More than 0 but less than 1: The number of press conferences held by Sarah Palin since the campaign ended.
• 4: My favorite excuse in Dave's top 10 list of Sarah Palin's turkey slaughter excuses.
• Infinite: The amount of laughter Sarah Palin's post-election foibles have brought to America.
• 35%: Percentage of CT voters who say they would re-elect Joe Lieberman in 2012.
• 4 out of the last 5: Presidential elections in which the popular vote was won by the Democratic candidate.
• 4 out of last 4: Days in which the stock market has gone up
• 4 out of last 4: Days in which Barack Obama has made a major economic policy announcement.
• 13 out of 24: Seats held by women in New Hampshire's state senate
• 27: Number of state legislatures in which Democrats control both chambers
• 0: The number of turkeys pardoned by this post.
• 0: The number of turkeys slaughtered by this post.
• 54: The number of days until Barack Obama is President of the United States Of America

Happy Thanksgiving...and add to the list!

Goolsbee was at the top of his game last September when he squared off against McCain economic adviser Douglas Holtz Eakin. Perhaps his best line: saying that Fruit Loops had more details on the side of its box than John McCain did about his economic plan.

Goolsbee has advised Barack Obama since they first met in 2004.

During a 2004 campaign debate with Alan Keyes, his Republican opponent for an Illinois Senate seat, Democrat Barack Obama repeatedly cited the opinions of a "Professor Goolsbee."

After spending a night hearing his advice referenced on television while sitting beside the candidate’s wife Michelle, Austan Goolsbee ’91, who had recently been appointed Obama’s economic adviser, finally decided to meet the candidate in person backstage.

He knocked on the dressing room door and found himself face to face with Obama.

"Who are you?" the candidate asked.

"Professor Goolsbee," Goolsbee replied.

"What? You are Professor Goolsbee?" Obama exclaimed. "You don’t look anything like a professor, and you don’t look anything like a Goolsbee!"

Now, Goolsbee says, Obama "thinks of him as 'another skinny guy with an even funnier name'."

Goolsbee had a rocky introduction to the national stage this spring when a Canadian official mischaracterized a meeting between Goolsbee and the Candadian consulate in Chicago on NAFTA. Nonetheless, Obama stood by Goolsbee.

Goolsbee has a reputation as a market-oriented moderate, and has been praised by none other than George Will. But despite his approach to economics, Goolsbee in October, 2007 focused on the growing gap between the wealthy and everybody else as one of America's chief economic problems:

Goolsbee’s outlook on America’s economic future reflects Obama’s idealism and emphasis on bridging the two-party divide. Goolsbee said the policies he recommends address both the short- and long-term rejuvenation of the economy, in the hopes of providing a safety net while the country’s economy rebuilds.

"If this income structure remains in place for 20 years, it implies a very different America and a very different American dream," he said.

For the first time in almost 100 years, Goolsbee said, productivity growth is not translating into wage increases for the majority of Americans.

"The top income levels have blown off the chart, but that’s not the issue," he said. "The bottom 95 to 98 percent of income have been stagnant for the last six years. ... That is extremely disturbing."

It is disturbing -- and now Goolsbee is in a position to do something about it -- and to do it with a bang:

Ira Stoll tells us the history of Thanksgiving in the United States, beginning in 1777...which was a major improvement over 1776, where there was two official days of "solemn fasting and prayer."

Gail Collins serves up her own style of thanks:

• Bargains abound!
• Also, we’re thankful that we’re not Iceland.
• Of course, we’re glad that George Bush is gone. Or almost. Sure does seem to be taking his time, doesn’t he?
• I am personally thankful that... Joe the Plumber has found work as a spokesman for an online converter-box retailer. Even though he does not seem to appreciate the irony of reminding viewers they can apply for a $40 government rebate to help pay for the product.
• And ever since she named her baby Bronx Mowgli, we can all be grateful that we are not related to Ashlee Simpson.

On the downside, Collins points out that:

...we can never feel quite the same about turkey after that Sarah Palin video.

Les Gapay describes Thanksgiving from the point of view of a homeless man. And that man is Les Gapay.

John Fund says that the battle between Coleman and Franken has just begun.

David Ignatius writes a love letter on Condi Rice's past, present, and future, and somehow manages to not mention Iraq.

David Broder says that smart people don't seem to make for good presidents, but judging by his moves since the election, Barack Obama may be an exception to that rule. David sounds like he's in love.

Roger Cohen gives thanks for:

... the fact that the next U.S. commander in chief is a constitutional law expert and former law professor.  

...Nothing has been more damaging to the United States than the violation of the legal principles at the heart of the American idea.  [...]

Give thanks on this day for the law. It’s what stands between the shining city on a hill and the dark side.

Linda Chavez talks about how the GOP can win over the Hispanic vote. Cutting down on the anti-immigrant hate speech would be a good start.

David Limbaugh says, screw bipartisanship. I agree, but for completely different reasons.

John Rosenthal says that it's time for a "sensible national gun policy."

' Washington, Nov 27 (PTI) US President-elect Barack Obama today pledged full support to India to "root out" terrorist networks as the international community denounced as "outrageous" the multiple terror strikes in Mumbai that claimed at least 100 lives. (bama, who is continuously monitoring the situation, spoke to Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen over phone and conveyed his message that his thoughts and prayers are with the people of India. A statement issued by his Chief National Security Spokesperson Brooke Anderson said the Mumbai terror attacks demonstrated "the grave and urgent threat" of terrorism. "The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks," it said. The Democratic President-elect, who also spoke to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the situation, told Sen that he is completely supportive of all actions of the Bush Administration to be of whatever assistance to the Government of India in dealing with the menace.'