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Obama's 2008 campaign fined $375,000 by the Federal Election Commission for campaign reporting violations (POLITICO || Maggie Haberman)

Why the Obama administration isn't happy Google executive Eric Schmidt is going to North Korea (Christian Science Monitor || Howard LaFranchi)

White House is not considering any option that would leave more than 10,000 American troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014 (Fox News || Fishel, Griffin)

Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel to Secretary of Defense could come Monday (Los Angeles Times || Cloud, Bennett)

Lincolnton Furniture Company closes just one year after it was hailed by President Obama as an example of the recovering economy (Carlotte Observer || Cameron Steele)

Beau Biden defends dad Joe's PDA (POLITICO || Kevin Cirrilli)

Michelle Obama's dress from the Democratic National Convention is now on sale (Glamour || Tracy Lomrantz Lester)

And the Pentagon is 'OK' with James Gandolfini, aka Tony Soprano, playing Leon Panetta (POLITICO || Austin Wright)

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Vice President Joe Biden, after helping pull the nation off the fiscal cliff, is taking some time off.

He and wife, Jill, are headed to the U.S. Virgin Islands for four days, the White House announced. They were scheduled to leave Friday and return on Tuesday.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee's full list of donors so far:

President Obama's inaugural committee revealed the identities of 417 donors who have so far ponied up to help fund the inaugural festivities.

The president this time has agreed to accept corporate cash, although the list so far includes only six companies: AT&T, Microsoft, Centene Corp.; Financial Innovations, Inc.; Stream Line Circle, LLC; and Whittier Trust Co.

(See also: The complete donor list)

The committee posted the names on its web site Friday evening. The list does not specify amounts, dates or locations.

The committee will be required to release that information in a report to the Federal Election Commission afterward. In the meantime, the committee is voluntarily posting donor names and has said it plans to update the list regularly in the lead-up to the ceremony Jan. 21.

The League of Women Voters has taken out a full-page ad in Saturday's Honolulu Star-Advertiser:

 

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It was only a matter of time, right?

A day after Vice President Joe Biden "killed it" on C-SPAN2, a new White House petition asks the Obama administration to approve the filming of a regular C-SPAN show starring the veep.

(VIDEO: Beau Biden defends father's flirting)

"Vice President Joe Biden has a demonstrated ability to bring people together, whether at the negotiating table or at the neighborhood diner," writes the creator "Nathan B." of Washington, D.C. "We, therefore, urge the Obama Administration to authorize the production of a recurring C-SPAN television program featuring the daily activities and interactions of the Vice President with elected officials, foreign dignitaries and everyday American families.

"Such a program would educate the American public about the duties and responsibilities of their Vice President, while providing a glimpse of the lighthearted side of politics even in the midst of contentious and divisive national debates."

Biden's appearance on C-SPAN2 greeting families and swearing in new senators set twitter abuzz as he made off-hand jokes -- “Spread your legs, you’re about to be frisked." -- and flirted -- "Your smile lights up the room."

The new petition quickly garnered 296 signatures Friday. It needs 24,704 more to earn an official response from the White House.

 

One of the Photos of the Year released by the White House this week is creating quite a buzz: an image showing President Obama being briefed for the first time on the Newtown shootings. He later said it was the "worst day" of his presidency.

While Congress conducted the official Electoral Vote count on Friday, declaring President Obama the winner with 332 votes, word comes from Hawaii that the president may be a little late for his morning workout:

Pool has not yet assembled for Obama yet to start the day here in Hawaii. Perhaps he's watching his reelection on CSPAN

— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) January 4, 2013

The folks over at Yahoo! Finance coordinated a tweetup with Brian Deese, deputy director of the National Economic Council, on Friday and they picked some tough questions for him on spending.

"What spending cuts will POTUS fight for?" "What is on table to help cut #spending?" "CBO says #fiscalcliff deal will increase the #deficit by $4T in next decade. How is that good policy?"

Deese did not list any specific cuts but said President Obama is willing to make some and pointed to his budget, which the White House says calls for more than $340 billion in savings from Medicare and Medicaid, and $250 billion from other mandatory programs.

On the fiscal cliff deal, Deese tried to explain -- in 140 characters or less -- the difference between Congressional Budget Office math and the White House math.

In an new White House video, staffers and administration officials reveal their New Year's pledges, from spending more time with family and putting down the Blackberry at home to booking more appearances for first dog Bo.

The White House on Friday held up the jobs report as evidence that the economic recovery is continuing.

"While more work remains to be done, today’s employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to heal from the wounds inflicted by the worst downturn since the Great Depression," Alan Krueger, chairman of the council of economic advisers, wrote in a statement.

Still, he cautioned not to read too much into a single report, saying monthly figures can be volatile.

Friday's report indicated the economy added 155,000 jobs in December while the unemployment rate was steady at 7.8 percent. The rate for November was revised upward from 7.7 percent to 7.8 percent.

"It is critical that we continue the policies that are building an economy that works for the middle class as we dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the severe recession that began in December 2007," Krueger wrote.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will again administer the oath of office to President Barack Obama during his second inauguration this month, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced on Friday.

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will take the oath officially on Sunday, Jan. 20 and again on Jan. 21 in a ceremonial swearing-in at the Capitol. Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be the fourth woman to administer the oath when she swears in the vice president, the committee said.

“I will be honored to again stand on the Inaugural platform and take part in this important American tradition,” Obama said in a statement.

“I believed strongly that she would make a great Justice, and it was one of the greatest pleasures of my career to be involved in her selection to the Court,” Biden said. “Above all, I’m happy for the chance to be sworn in by a friend – and someone I know will continue to do great things.”

UPDATE: Swearing in Obama twice will be nothing new for Roberts. He had to do it last time after flubbing the oath.