"We always had a hope that Obama might do it, and a plan that we would put a call in," said Jonny Geller, literary agent for the book at Curtis Brown. "Now it's been delivered and we realised it's better even than what I'd sold – the quality exceeds the hype. It's brilliant."

The Nelson Mandela Foundation "opened the conversation" with Obama's office, said Geller, and the US president agreed to write a foreword to the book, Conversations With Myself, which will be published around the world this October.

In a wide-ranging White House news conference, Obama also said he had no plans for a fresh stimulus package, hoping to give time to see the impact of the 787-billion-dollar economic plan approved shortly after he took office.

"We're still not at actual recovery yet. So I anticipate that this is going to be a difficult, difficult year," Obama said.

"I think it's pretty clear now that unemployment will end up going over 10 percent," he said, explaining it would take time for an economic recovery to translate into job growth.

The jobless rate in the world's largest economy surged to 9.4 percent in May, with the figure shooting to a record high 11.5 percent in the most populous state of California.

"What's incredible to me is how resilient the American people have been and how they are still more optimistic than the facts alone would justify," said Obama, who has largely held onto his high popularity ratings.

Democratic leaders say they have no hard feelings toward Burris — and that they're willing to put aside their concerns with his appointment if he proves himself to be a loyal Democrat, keeps his word and shows a willingness to work with committee chairmen and to vote with his party.

But within the party, tensions are still lingering over how the whole episode played out and how Burris — a 71-year-old former state official who lacks Washington experience — outmaneuvered and embarrassed some of the savviest politicians in the country.

Burris has until October to file the paperwork needed to become a candidate for 2010, but he’d have to start laying the groundwork for his campaign almost instantly. He would need to hold fundraisers, create an infrastructure with offices throughout Illinois and seek support from party leaders.

Burris declined to be interviewed about his plans. Privately, his advisers acknowledge that he has an uphill task in winning over his Senate colleagues, even as they insist that he's up to it.

A day after the governor, Rod R. Blagojevich, was arrested and accused of putting Mr. Obama's vacant United States Senate seat up for bid, politicians from Washington to Chicago to the plains of Illinois made it clear that they wanted Mr. Blagojevich gone as soon as possible. Robert Gibbs, a spokesman for Mr. Obama, said that "it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois."

The Illinois legislature, which is currently adjourned, was making plans to reconvene on Monday to try to neutralize Mr. Blagojevich's authority by stripping him of his appointment authority, or even impeaching him.

The state House is expected to draft a bill that would call for a special election to fill Mr. Obama's Senate seat, which he resigned last month; state law authorizes the governor to appoint the President-elect's successor. More than 50 lawmakers have already signed a draft resolution to create a committee to investigate whether Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat, should be impeached. And the state’s attorney general is weighing whether to file a legal action on behalf of the people of Illinois seeking to declare the governor unfit to serve.

Cindy Davidsmeyer, a spokeswoman for Emil Jones Jr., the president of the state Senate, said lawmakers could pass a bill on the special election as soon as next Tuesday. It is unclear whether Mr. Blagojevich would sign such legislation; he could veto it or delay it by returning it to the legislature with requests for changes or by taking no action at all for as long as 60 days.

According to Ros-Lehtinen's flack Alex Cruz, the congresswoman received the call on her cell phone from a Chicago-based number and an aide informed her that Obama wanted to speak to her. When Obama introduced himself, Ros-Lehtinen cut him off and said, "I'm sorry but I think this is a joke from one of the South Florida radio stations known for these pranks." Then she hung up.

Moments later, Obama tried again, this time through his soon-to-be chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. "Ileana, I cannot believe you hung up on the President-Elect," Emanuel said. And then--yes, you know what's coming--she hung up on Emanuel saying she "didn't believe the call was legitimate."

A short time later, Ros-Lehtinen received an urgent call from Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who informed her that she indeed hung up on Obama. So, Obama tried again and this time he was successful. (Phew!)

"It is very funny that you have twice hung up on me," Obama said. Ros Lehtinen responded by telling Obama that radio stations in South Florida always make these sorts of jokes. Obama said similar pranksters reside in Chi-town. "You are either very gracious to reach out in such a bipartisan manner or had run out of folks to call if you are truly calling me and Saturday Night Live could use a good Obama impersonator like you," Ros-Lehtinen joked with the president-elect.

Ros-Lehtinen then congratulated Obama on his victory and pledged to work together on behalf of all Americans. She also asked Obama to call Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Rep. Albio Sire (D-NJ) to discuss Cuba policy.

Sen. Barack Obama's choice for running mate will be announced to supporters in a text message Saturday morning, senior Obama campaign officials told CNN on Friday night, and a senior party official said it won't be Sen. Hillary Clinton. Obama called some people on his short list for the vice presidential slot Thursday night to tell them he had not selected them as a running mate, a highly placed Democratic Party source said.

A senior Democratic official who had spoken with Clinton told CNN late Friday that the Obama campaign has communicated to her through private channels that she will not be Obama's vice presidential pick. Also, sources close to Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said he has been informed he was not selected. One source told CNN that Obama personally made the call to Kaine. Another source said Kaine has flown to Denver, Colorado, for the Democratic National Convention. See who's in the running

It is not known who else may have gotten calls. However, late Friday two Democratic sources confirmed that Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh is also out of the running. Most of this week's buzz had been around Bayh of Indiana, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and Kaine. The contenders kept a low profile and Biden has avoided any lengthy interviews. Rep. Chet Edwards said Friday that the campaign had vetted him but that he hasn't talked to Obama. VideoWatch panelists weigh in on top VP contenders » Edwards, 56, is a nine-term congressman representing the Central Texas district that includes President Bush's ranch near Crawford.

The Friday-Sunday poll, mostly conducted as Obama was returning from his much-publicized overseas trip and released just this hour, shows McCain now ahead 49%-45% among voters that Gallup believes are most likely to go to the polls in November. In late June, he was behind among likely voters, 50%-44%. Among registered voters, McCain still trails Obama, but by less. He is behind by 3 percentage points in the new poll (47%-44%) vs. a 6-point disadvantage (48%-42%) in late June.

Results based on the survey of 791 likely voters have margins of error of +/- 4 percentage points -- so McCain's lead is not outside that range. Results based on the survey of 900 registered voters also have margins of error of +/- 4 percentage points. Gallup editor Frank Newport tells Jill that "registered voters are much more important at the moment," because Election Day is still 100 days away, but that the likely-voter result suggests that it may be possible for McCain to energize Republicans and turn them out this fall.

Who is a likely voter? In this poll, Frank says, that was determined by how much thought people have given to the election, how often they say they vote and whether they plan to vote in the election in November. He says the number of likely GOP voters is up for now, probably in part because of Obama's trip and the "laudatory" media coverage of it. "At least in the short term it may have had the side effect of energizing Republicans," he says. Also, he says that McCain's sharp words about Obama and the media last week may have energized his faithful.

The Obama campaign quickly condemned the rendering. Spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement: "The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds quickly e-mailed: "We completely agree with the Obama campaign, it's tasteless and offensive."

The Rev. Jesse Jackson apologized Wednesday for saying Barack Obama is "talking down to black people" during what he thought was a private conversation with a FOX News reporter Sunday. Jackson was speaking at the time about Obama's speeches in black churches and his support for faith-based charities. Jackson added, "I want to cut his nuts off."

Jackson called a hastily arranged press conference in Chicago late Wednesday, where he said he supports Obama "unequivocally" and that he hopes to "get this behind me." "I have great passion for this campaign and traveled across the country ... arguing the case for the campaign," Jackson said. "And this thing I said in a hot-mic statement that's interpreted as a distraction, I offer apology for that. I don't want harm or hurt to come to this campaign."

But speaking to reporters aboard his campaign plane, Obama said the actress doesn't have his personal email address. "She sent one email to Reggie, who forwarded it to me," Obama said, referring to his 26-year-old personal assistant, Reggie Love. "I write saying, 'thank you Scarlett for doing what you do,' and suddenly we have this email relationship"

A Thursday afternoon meeting between Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus grew tense and emotional for a moment -- perhaps illustrating that weeks after Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., suspended her presidential campaign, some nerves remain frayed.

Sources at the meeting said that Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, a Clinton supporter, expressed the desire that Obama and his campaign would reach out the millions of women still aggrieved about what happened in the campaign and still disappointed that Clinton lost. Obama agreed that a lot of work needs to be done to heal the Democratic Party, and that he hoped the Clinton supporters in the room would help as much as possible.

According to Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Obama then said, "However, I need to make a decision in the next few months as to how I manage that since I'm running against John McCain, which takes a lot of time. If women take a moment to realize that on every issue important to women, John McCain is not in their corner, that would help them get over it."

Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., a longtime Clinton supporter, did not like those last three words -- "Get over it." She found them dismissive, off-putting. "Don't use that terminology," Watson told Obama.