Here is your R&D for January 6th:
Gibbs says he’ll serve Obama better from outside from the Washington Post
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has tendered his resignation effective in early February. Political analysts say that Gibbs is leaving to give President Obama a spokesperson for his re-election campaign in 2012.
19 Democrats vote against Nancy Pelosi from Politico
During a roll call vote for Speaker of the House yesterday, 19 Democrats refused to back former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s candidacy. The rebuke was the biggest by a party against their former speaker since the 1920s.
Hungary Poses a Serious Challenge for the EU from Der Spiegel
Just when you thought that the European Union had enough to deal with, Hungary is posing new challenges for the organization. Restrictive laws on the country’s media and the imposition of a “crisis tax” have openly challenged EU goals.
U.S. Downplays Concerns Anti-U.S. Cleric’s Return to Iraq May Spur Attacks from Bloomberg
Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is returning to Iraq, raising concerns that sectarian violence or attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq may increase. Al-Sadr has been in Iran for the last four years.
Rituals of renewal in Vietnam from the Asia Times
Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party is holding its party congress on January 11th. The congress is held every five years and will indicate the direction of Vietnam’s political scene.