Political tidbits: Is Pritzker in or out at Commerce, Coleman’s lead shrinks

• Reports this morning have one of Barack Obama’s earliest Jewish supporters, Penny Pritzker, as his pick for Secretary of Commerce, but the Washington Post is reporting that she may take herself out of the running because of "business obstacles." Pritzker and her family own the Hyatt hotel chain, and she was the chairwoman of a Chicago bank which went under because of subprime loan problems.
• Some on the Jewish left are already putting some pressure on Barack Obama for quick action on the Middle East peace process, reports The Jewish Week.
• Hillary Clinton’s understanding of Middle East peacemaking is "second to none," writes Jeffrey Goldberg in the Atlantic.
• Aluf Benn in Haaretz wonders if Obama will embrace the suddenly revived Saudi peace initiative, and what that would mean for the Israeli elections.
• Joe Lieberman tells Politico that losing his position on the Senate Environment and Public Works Commitee wasn’t a punishment — although some of his colleagues disagree.
• Norm Coleman’s lead on Al Franken went from 215 votes to 174 votes on day one of the recount, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Minnesota Secretary of State says the state hopes to have a winner declared before the end of the year (Hopefully, he means by the end of December, not by the end of Elul.)
• Both Franken and Coleman were in Washington yesterday, and Franken said he was "cautiously optimistic," according to the Star Tribune.
• The Washington Jewish Week looks at how AIPAC and J Street differ.
• Forget about Obama sending an envoy to the Middle East. Mike Huckabee ishoping to head to Israel –and he’ll be bringing Chuck Norris with him, reports the D.C. Examiner.