Barack Obama: The Pragmatist‏

You'll notice some changes in today's letter. We've updated our look in hopes of providing not just a more attractive newsletter but one that is better able to identify and highlight some of the new features and projects we'll be rolling out in the new year.

NEW AT THENATION.COM Barack Obama: The Pragmatist CHRISTOPHER HAYES | We get it: Barack Obama is pragmatic. But what does that really mean--politically and philosophically? Change Comes to Chicago JOHN NICHOLS | A plant-closing struggle in President-elect Obama's hometown has culminated in the kind of victory for working people America needs right now. Is the Auto Bailout a Trap? CHRISTOPHER HAYES | Is the current auto bailout bill designed to fail. Time to Rebuild KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL | Americans recognize the urgency of public spending to create jobs, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and repair our shredded social compact. Building for the Future SUPRIYA PILLAI | An activist calls for engaging youth in political life beyond the election. That Girl RICK PERLSTEIN | Was Patty Hearst really a rebel in search of a cause? » Read More FEATURED ESSAY Jarring Bottles ARTHUR C. DANTO | The paintings of Giorgio Morandi render new meaning to the term natura morta. A MESSAGE FROM THE NATION We're seeking low-cost housing options in the New York City area starting in early January for some responsible, reliable, well-behaved and tidy Nation interns. They all work full-time for the Nation in our New York City office. Single rooms in houses, apartments or short or long-term house-sitting arrangements would be appropriate and appreciated. Any help you could offer would mean a great deal. If you or anyone you know can help, please email here. UPCOMING EVENTS December 9 - December 22 Too Much Memory: A contemporary retelling of Antigone A theatrical explosion of myth and revolution, the widely celebrated Too Much Memory retells the classic Greek story of Antigone and sets it firmly in the present. A timeless drama of family conflict and social turmoil, the play is a contemporary collage of mythology and modernity incorporating texts by Richard Nixon, Tom Hayden, Peter Brook, Anne Carson, Pablo Neruda, Susan Sontag, and Hannah Arendt. At the New York Theatre Workshop's Fourth Street Theatre, 83 East 4th Street (between Second Avenue and Bowery). For info and tickets go here. » More Events FEATURED ACTIVIST CAMPAIGN Learn how to celebrate a non-corporate holiday. IN OUR ORBIT The Retire Bush Contest! What should W. do after leaving office? Enter our contest and win an Edward Sorel cartoon.