DAY’S END ROUNDUP

by Chris Good - 12/17/08 6:08 PM ET

The announcement that Rev. Rick Warren of Saddleback church will deliver the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration has some liberals fuming, while Iraq’s ambassador to the U.S. earns plaudits from conservatives for telling a D.C.-based protest group that Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi was wrong to throw his shoes at President Bush.

Warren’s role in the inauguration should disabuse the public of any notions that Obama intends to advance gay rights, The Daily Dish’s Andrew Sullivan writes. Warren is accused of homophobia by AMERICAblog’s John Aravosis for his support of California’s anti-gay-marriage Proposition 8, while The Campaign Silo’s Lisa Derrick notes that Warren has opposed Obama’s stances on abortion and stem cell research.

Iraqi Ambassador to the U.S. Samir Sumaida’ie laid a smackdown on CODEPINK protesters at a recent news conference when several members of the group showed up with signs in support of the journalist, Moe Lane declares at RedState. Sumaida’ie told the protesters that al-Zaidi is lucky Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki were more tolerant of him than dictator Saddam Hussein would have been, and Hot Air’s Allahpundit says the point is even more forceful coming from an Iraqi.

And Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) earns approval from Matthew Yglesias after news that he is being eyed for a spot in Obama’s new Cabinet. Tapping LaHood to run the Transportation Department is a good opportunity to make a bipartisan pick for a non-ideological post, the blogger suggests, while TAPPED’s Dana Goldstein says LaHood lacks necessary leadership experience in the area of transportation.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Blago to Break His Silence This Week – Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
More Card Checkin’ – Marc Ambinder
Not Everyone Happy with Vilsack – David Kurtz, TalkingPointsMemo
K Street’s Dr. Evil – Steve Benen, Political Animal
Princess Caroline Speaks – Mary Katharine Ham, The Weekly Standard
Ugh – Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish
Rick Warren to Deliver Invocation – Sarah Posner, TAPPED
‘All Ads Must Be Congratulatory in Nature’ – Byron York, The Corner
Bush’s Midnight Regulations – Peter Rothberg, Act Now!
Caroline Kennedy for U.S. Senate – Conn Carroll, The Next Right