Before the day passes, applause to Orville and Wilbur, 105 years after their historic flight at Kitty Haw. By Act of Congress and Presidential Proclamation, today is Wright Brothers Day.

President Bush’s proclamation also notes that this year marks the centennial of passenger flight. From the National Park Service:

In the spring of 1908, after repeated trips to Europe and protracted negotiations with the U.S. government, the Wrights were at last ready for the first public demonstrations of their airplane. That summer, Wilbur would travel to France to show the Europeans what their craft could do, while Orville demonstrated the machine to U.S. Army officials at Ft. Myer, Virginia.

The brothers had not flown since the fall of 1905. Before they faced the public, they had to brush up their flying skills, accustom themselves to a new upright seating arrangement and new controls, and try flying with a passenger for the first time, something both their American and French contracts required. They rebuilt their 1905 airplane with upright seats and the new controls and traveled back to the North Carolina dunes, where the flying conditions were ideal.

The brothers made the first flight from their old campsite near Kitty Hawk on May 1, 1908. By May 14, they were at last ready to venture aloft with a passenger. At 8 a.m., Wilbur took Charlie Furnas (photo) up for a hop that covered only 656 feet. Orville kept him aloft longer on the second try. The world’s first passenger flight lasted just over four minutes. Not a very impressive performance by modern standards, but it was enough. The age of air transport was underway.

We understand Mr. Furnas was allowed to keep his shoes on before boarding.

President Bush returns from Iraq and faces a decision: if or how or when Treasury should respond to Congressional inaction on federal aid for the Detroit-based automakers. Will TARP cover it?

The 110th Congress has departed. We’ll not see their likes again — well, except for the re-elected incumbents. And the pro forma sessions of the U.S. Senate to thwart President Bush’s recess appointments.

The Electoral College meets today at noon to elect the next President and Vice President of the United States.

President-elect Obama is expected to announce his energy and environment team at an afternoon news conference in Chicago:  former Clinton EPA boss Carol Browner as  head of a new White House council to coordinate climate, environment and energy policy. Also being announced Steven Chu, a Nobel prizewinner in physics, as energy secretary; Lisa Jackson, the chief of staff for New Jersey’s governor, as head of the EPA; and Nancy Sutley, deputy mayor of Los Angeles, as head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The Federal Reserve’s Open Markets Committee meets Monday and Tuesday, bringing with it the strong possibility of an interest rate cut (to be announced at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday). Also discussed are “non-traditional” steps, such as the application of quantitative easing measures to respond to the recession. No, not qualitative. Quantitative.

Treasury Secretary Paulson speaks at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Captains of Industry Lecture Series in NYC.

OPEC meets Wednesday in Algeria. The talk is of quantity, as well.

The photo is of the work going on in front of the White House, construction of the bleachers on Pennsylvania Avenue a full five weeks before the presidential inauguration. Wet and chilly morning here in D.C., so stay warm, fellows.

This is the most obvious sign of the coming inaugural events we’ve seen, unless the Metro’s broken escalators count. (Are they really broken? Maybe they’re just practicing strategic downgrading of infrastructure. From today’s Washington Post: “For the presidential inaugural, Metro is planning to stop all down escalators as a safety precaution to prevent people from piling up on crowded station platforms. They have not decided whether up escalators will be operating.” Here’s a suggestion: Wise up!)

The National Association of Manufacturers is certainly gearing up for the commemorations, celebrations, ceremonies and cavalcades that will accompany the January 20th swearing in of President Obama. Our theme: “Manufacturing – Strength of the Past. Power of the Present. Hope for the Future.”

Our big event is the Gala Celebration, Sunday, January 18th, at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, right across Pennsylvania Avenue from NAM-HQ.

We have an NAM website devoted to the inaugural events, and tickets are indeed available to the gala, www.nam.org/inauguraltickets

Excellent post at The Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry blog, “The Ugly Face of Progressive Corporatism“:

Unfortunately, this shakedown mentality is all too common to the Service Employees International Union’s way of doing business. A Democratic source confirms that SEIU President Andy Stern is the “SEIU official” referred to in the federal complaint against Blagojevich. Since taking his union out of the AFL-CIO and forming the Change to Win federation in 2005, Stern has sought to assert his union’s influence over private equity firms, centralize his authority within the union by forcing various locals to merge, and negotiate large deals with employers without member participation.

All of this union-related corruption comes at a crucial point in U.S. public policy. Organized labor has a tall wish list for Obama’s administration, including the abolition of secret ballot voting in union organizing elections and ensuring that as much of the $1 trillion Obama plans to spend to stimulate the economy goes to Davis-Bacon compliant jobs. Our economy simply cannot afford organized labor’s priorities to be placed above strong economic growth.

Davis-Bacon. Right, the guaranteed way to get less stimulus bang for the buck out of any infrastructure plan.

Selling a Senate seat. Shaking down the Chicago Tribune. Mind-boggling, and when the Governor of a major manufacturing state like Illinois is arrested on federal corruption charges, we pay attention.

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois:

• News release, “Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and His Chief of Staff John Harris Arrested on Federal Corruption Charges “
• Criminal complaint

 Count One

From in or about 2002 to the present, in Cook County, in the Northern District of Illinois, defendants did, conspire with each other and with others to devise and participate in a scheme to defraud the State of Illinois and the people of the State of Illinois of the honest services of ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH and JOHN HARRIS, in furtherance of which the mails and interstate wire communications would be used, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341,1343, and 1346; all in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 1349.

Count Two

Beginning no later than November 2008 to the present, in Cook County, in the Northern District of Illinois, defendants ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH and JOHN HARRIS, being agents of the State of Illinois, a State government which during a one-year period, beginning January 1, 2008 and continuing to the present, received federal benefits in excess of $10,000, corruptly solicited and demanded a thing of value, namely, the firing of certain Chicago Tribune editorial members responsible for widely-circulated editorials critical of ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with business and transactions of the State of Illinois involving a thing of value of $5,000 or more, namely, the provision of millions of dollars in financial assistance by the State of Illinois, including through the Illinois Finance Authority, an agency of the State of Illinois, to the Tribune Company involving the Wrigley Field baseball stadium; in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666(a)(1)(B) and 2.

On Jeopardy tonight, a category in Double Jeopardy was “Brickmaking,” and we’re pleased to report that the answers were illustrated with video snippets of brickmaking shot at The Belden Brick Co. of Canton, Ohio, an active NAM member. Indeed, William Belden, the company’s chairman and CEO, is a member of the NAM’s Board of Directors.

The final, $2,000 clue was contrasted the molding method of brickmaking with — what’s the name? — extrusion. Kathy Sahlmann of Erie, Pa., got it right!

The “Manufacturer” magazine had a feature on Belden back in 2005. Good stuff.

In the category of “news to us,” the Wall Street Journal reports, “Shareholders Ponder North Dakota Law“:

A new front in the battle over corporate governance is emerging in an unlikely place: North Dakota.

Only two publicly traded companies are incorporated in North Dakota. But last year lawmakers there — prodded by out-of-state activists including Carl Icahn — enacted the nation’s most shareholder-friendly corporate-governance law.

The law prescribes rules that companies incorporating in North Dakota can adopt as a package, including requiring an annual shareholder advisory vote on executive pay and the naming of a chairman who isn’t an executive. The rules also provide for the annual election of directors and make it easier for shareholders to nominate their own director candidates.

The 110th Congress pulls out of the pit for one last run around the track, heading into the home stretch, spotting the checkered flag, but…oh no, what’s that?

The House reassembles at 10 a.m. Tuesday for possible consideration of economic recovery legislation and/or aid to the domestic auto industry, a $15 billion package to keep the industry going through the spring. The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. Monday.

President Bush enjoys the holidays amid national defense and intelligence events.

President-elect Obama is expected to continue announcing appointments to his cabinet, including the formal naming of former Senator Tom Daschle to head Health and Human Services and lead efforts to restructure, refinance, redo and remake health care.

House Hearings:

• Agriculture, Monday, reviewing the role of credit derivatives in the U.S. economy.
• Appropriations, Thursday, hearing on the Impact of Recession on States and Local Communities.
• Financial Services, Wednesday, “Oversight Concerns Regarding Treasury Department Conduct of the Troubled Assets Relief Program.”
• Oversight and Government, Tuesday, “The Role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the Financial Crisis.”
• Energy Independence and Global Warming, Thursday, hearing entitled “Approaching Midnight: Oversight of the Bush Administration’s Last-Minute Rulemakings.’‘ The focus is on environmental regs, including those affecting the ability to mine uranium for purposes of energy independence and global warming. Wonder if the committee will get the connection.

Senate Hearings:

• Energy and Natural Resources, Wednesday, on “investments in clean energy and natural resources projects and programs to create green jobs and to stimulate the economy.”
• HELP Committee, Wednesday, “Prevention and Public Health: The Key to Transforming our Sickcare System.” Sickcare, eh? Remember when “wellness” was a neologism?

Executive Branch: The President and First Lady this morning attend the Children’s Holiday Reception and Performances, and then the President travels to McLean to visit the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center. On Tuesday, the President travels to West Point for defense events. On Friday, he delivers the commencement address at Texas A&M.

Economic Reports: On Thursday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the Import and Export Price Indices for November (although BLS uses the plural form, “indexes.”) Friday, BLS releases the Producer Price Index for November.

From the House Majority Leader’s office, a statement from Rep. Steny Hoyer:

At this time, the House is scheduled to reassemble at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 9th.

However, whether the House will consider legislation affecting the U.S. automotive industry or any other economic recovery legislation has not yet been determined.

We will continue to discuss with President Bush and our Republican colleagues how we can take action to address the economic crisis facing millions of American families.

The Majority Leader also this afternoon released the legislative schedule for 2009. Votes early and often!

No point in sugarcoating the bad employment figures from November. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Nonfarm payroll employment fell sharply (-533,000) in November, and the unemployment rate rose from 6.5 to 6.7 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. November’s drop in payroll employment followed declines of 403,000 in September and
320,000 in October, as revised. Job losses were large and widespread across the major industry sectors in November.

As to those industry sectors…

In November, employment continued to decline in manufacturing (-85,000), with widespread job losses occurring among the component industries. Manufacturing employment has declined by 604,000 since December. Within durable goods manufacturing, job losses occurred in November in fabricated metal products (-15,000), machinery (-11,000), wood products (-9,000), furniture and related products (-7,000), primary metals (-7,000), and computer and electronic products (-7,000). Employment in transportation equipment edged up, as a return of 27,000 aerospace workers from strike more than offset a job loss in motor vehicle and parts (-13,000). In the nondurable goods component, job losses occurred in plastics and rubber products (-12,000), printing and related support activities (-5,000), and textile mills (-5,000).

News coverage, commentary:

• Associated Press, “Employers cut 533K jobs in Nov., most in 34 years“
• Reuters, “Grim U.S. jobs data stokes fear around world“
• House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, “Need for Action Is Clear After Dismal November Jobs Report“
• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, “Shocking Unemployment Numbers Should Compel President Bush to End Opposition to Economic Recovery Bill“
• President Bush, White House statement on the economy.

President Bush repeated his call to use the existing section 136 program from the Department of Energy, the $25 billion already appropriated by Congress:

I am concerned about the viability of the automobile companies. I’m concerned about those who work for the automobile companies and their families. And likewise, I am concerned about taxpayer money being provided to those companies that may not survive. Put out a detailed plan recently that uses money that Congress appropriated last fall for the auto industry — money that can be used so long as the companies make hard choices on all aspects of their business to prove that they can not only survive but thrive.

It is important that Congress act next week on this plan. And it’s important to make sure that taxpayers’ money be paid back if any is given to the companies.