Everyone very politely say “hello” to John King, who will be taking over journalism now that Lou Dobbs is no longer with us. King’s current gig is hosting State of the Union, which exists. According to Michael Calderone, one of “the good ones” at POLITICO: “The move reflects the network’s stated ambitions to be viewed as non-partisan in the evenings, as opposed to MSNBC and Fox, which boasts more outspoken commentators on the left and right.” However, Lou Dobbs will secretly stay on as Legitimate John King. [Michael Calderone]

Two seconds ago this blog was called “What Up?” He is running out of Wire allusions and “the Corner” is already taken! GOP Webmaster, please add Michael Steele’s new “Change the Game” blog to “Accomplishments.” [GOP.com]

WORLD NEWS ANCHOR CHARLIE GIBSON IS QUITTING. Someone at ABC will now go to the Good Morning America studio, find Diane Sawyer, and shuffle her down the hall to replace him. Sawyer can probably just stay seated in whatever chair she uses over there during this exciting transition process, provided it’s one of those rolly ones. [ABC News]

• Dylan plugs in!: Plot Functions Weekly centerfold Nate Silver is moving to Brooklyn, of all places. [FiveThirtyEight]
• Obama has a new website, Financialstability.gov, which means Joe Biden will presumably be on the talk show circuit this week, hyping his new daguerreotype flipbook, financeeconomy.website. [The Caucus]
• What we talk about when we talk about waterboarding: Andrew Sullivan calls out the Washington Post for being the Dick Cheney propaganda organ it really is. [Andrew Sullivan]
• It appears there is much confusion within Obama’s new defense against the dark arts team over whether they are still allowed to publicly speak of the “global war on terror.” [Ben Smith]
• New polls, which Nate Silver will now be analyzing from a really chill independent socialist coffee shop, show that for whatever reason, people are feeling better about the economy. [CNN Political Ticker]

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate this weekend — not that there’s any doubt you haven’t been wasted since Tuesday, 11 PM anyway.  Still! Hopey is officially moving to town, which means you don’t have to see another one of CNN’s dumb holograms again until 2012, at least. And look at this: there are a disproportionate number of excellent Rock and Roll concerts in DC this weekend, including the Sea and Cake, David Byrne, and the Gutter Twins. Plus Art Spiegelman! This is that Change you were promised. MORE »