Black Republican Party chair Steele jokes with NAACP about his party

The headline on this item could have been: "Black Republican Party chair jokes with NAACP about his party." Oh, wait that was the headline.

Michael Steele, the first African American head of the party of Lincoln, today went before the NAACP convention in New York City, where GOP leaders have often received a cool, skeptical and generally useless reception.

Steele's message in this first year of his term and the first year of the term of the first African American president was delivered differently. He made fun of himself, of the old party pitches. And he got some laughs and applause. Some silent faces. And likely some more skepticism.

Steele made the pitch that his party and the civil rights organization should become close allies. It's a long road back for Republicans with African Americans, but Steels vows to give it another try. Here's what he told the historic group today.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Remarks by Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, to the NAACP, July 14, 2009:

Thank you for that warm welcome.  I would like to thank the NAACP board of directors and Chairman Julian Bond for having me here to speak with you today.  Also, President Jealous, Vice Chairman Roslyn M. Brock, and Assistant Treasurer Jesse Turner. Jr.

President Jealous and Vice Chairman Brock, I thank you for your willingness to seek out advocates in all circles.  We are all interested in the educational, economic, political and social wealth of our community.  I thank the board for their passion and dedication to serving the disadvantaged among us, for breaking down barriers and standing as leaders.

As a proud member of the Prince George's county chapter of the NAACP, I am honored to be here to celebrate 100 years.

The NAACP was born to fight for freedom, liberty, opportunity and fairness.  Its founders were a group of brave visionaries from varying backgrounds, including black and white Republican men and....

Barack Obama's teleprompter dies; trusted speech aid was barely 2

Breaking news, literally: After helping both candidate and chief executive deliver weighty words countless times on the campaign trail, on the road to, from and within the White House, the beloved teleprompter of Democratic President Barack Obama died Monday night.

The fragile, overused speech aid was little more than 2 years old. No immediate cause of death and no autopsy were announced.

The passing of the celebrated speech-giving helper happened suddenly and unexpectedly. The president was looking right at the teleprompter, giving remarks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door to the White House. He was rigorously defending his economic stimulus package, which has been rigorously criticized recently for being like many political speeches, not very stimulating.

Virtually everywhere he's gone in recent years, the teleprompter has been faithfully at Obama's side, and slightly to the front.

Through a transparent glass plate, it shows the text of even his briefest remarks, enabling the president to appear to make eye contact with eager, attentive audience members without looking down to ...

Sonia Sotomayor cramming in practice sessions near the West Wing

These days, federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor is not in her New York chambers. She's not weighing cases or interrogating counsel or even writing opinions.

Instead, with hearings to start Monday in the historic, much-anticipated Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation process, Sotomayor is holed up in a small office in the Eisenhower Old Executive Office Building next to the White House.

A group of young aides and lawyers assigned by Team Obama poses mock questions based on research about each committee member's records. But mostly, reports CNN, Sotomayor is sitting quietly by herself, reading her back opinions, boning up on anything that might provoke a senator to raise a fuss.

"She's got to hit the books," said Thomas Goldstein, a D.C. appellate attorney. "They can ask you about any part of the law. And she's got to be ready for that."

In an earlier round of get-acquainted-sessions, Sotomayor met with 70 of the Senate's 100....

Official peroration of Harry Reid upon Al Franken's Senate arrival

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is quite pleased with the arrival of his party's 60th vote that gives his party a filibuster-proof majority as long as nobody dies or Arlen Specter doesn't change his mind again this week.

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on the long state recount, giving the Democrat a victory margin of 315 votes out of 2.9 million over incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

But as great as the newly elected former Saturday Night Live comedian is already, the Nevada Democrat says the nation's plethora of problems cannot be solved by Al Franken alone. "We will need more than just his presence to effectively address all of our nation's challenges," Reid said Monday. (If you don't believe it, see full text below.)

-- Andrew Malcolm

Statement by Sen. Harry Reid upon the arrival of Al Franken in the United States Senate on the 6th day of the seventh month in the Year of our Nationhood 233

I am pleased to welcome Senator-elect Al Franken to the United States Senate. Senator-elect Franken ran a hard-fought, issues-based campaign and I know he will work hard for the people of Minnesota. But don't take my word for it. This is what former Republican Congressman Vin Weber had to say about our newest senator: "When people find out he's a smart guy who is serious about issues and a hard worker, they will be very pleasantly surprised."

Much has been made of the expectations of Al Franken joining the United States. I expect Al to work hard for the people of Minnesota, who have gone far too long without full representation. I expect him to help deliver the change this country demands as we work to strengthen our economy, ensure all Americans can access and afford quality healthcare, and make our country more energy independent.

I am confident Senator-elect Franken will make a difference, but we will need more than just his presence to effectively address all of our nations challenges.

The challenges we face are not Democratic or Republican in nature. They are America's challenges and they are too great to be solved by partisanship. Moving America forward will still require the cooperation and collaboration of Democrats and Republicans alike. The last eight years have shown us that the American people want us to work together. Democrats aren't looking at Senator Franken's election as an opportunity to ram legislation through the Senate.

In turn Senate Republicans must understand that Senator-elect Franken's election does not abdicate them from the responsibility of governing. That is why we have and will continue to offer Senate Republicans a seat at the table. It is up to them to decide whether they will sit down and work for the common good or continue to be the Party of No.

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Analysis of Sarah Palin's strange move: Timeout or Flameout?

First, a few political givens:

These are different, changing times in U.S. politics.

The last three presidents each emerged from nowhere and achieved the White House on their first bid, though Bill Clinton and George W. Bush each had governor’s terms and reelections under their belts.

But what had Barack Obama ever accomplished as a freshman senator before announcing and achieving his desire for promotion? (And not finishing his first term either.)

The emergence of social media and online networking have created a whole new political environment beneath traditional media radar with untapped and unknown opportunities for unconventional politicians.

Sarah Palin is just such an unconventional politician, with surprising upsets in her past, a down-to-earth manner so different from the tired old suits you’ll see jabbering on morning TV this Sunday. And she has an astounding approval rate among her conservative base.

Most expected Palin not to run next year for reelection, like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who now has the time and option to gear up for a 2012 presidential run.

Hardly anyone expected her to quit the governor’s office and turn it over to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell on July 26, despite Palin’s slipped popularity at home. (Full Palin text here.)

Professionals watching a withdrawal like this conventionally and immediately wonder, what bad news don't we know about her that's about to come out? Is there some scandal, indictment or personal revelation that would cause her to step down even before its announcement? Friday, especially a pre-holiday Friday, is usually a time to announce what you don't want heard much.

But here’s why friends say she’s really doing it:

Palin is genuinely sick of, as she calls it, “the crap” that comes with national politics, especially the....

Obama's town hall: If you're into healthcare, this transcript's for you

President Obamacontinued a high-pressure, high-stakes sales drive for his healthcare reform program today with a combination live-online town hall in Virginia.

The massive and expensive program is a key showcase element of his first year's policy agenda. And it's one that polls show Americans becoming increasingly hesitant about. Some 70% like the healthcare program they currently have, and while they may feel sorry for the millions who don't have any, the idea of changing what they have seems riskier than just staying put. (See video below.)

The administration knows this from its own polling. A recent CNN poll showed a bare majority -- 51% -- support his reform plan. But fully 45% oppose it, fearing change and rising costs.

That's why you'll see/hear/read Obama and his surrogates saying that terrible change is coming regardless. He calls this a major turning point where we must be decisive. He says he does not want a government takeover of healthcare, that everyone can keep the plan they have if they like it. But he claims that we must fix everything now his way in order to avoid an undefined coming catastrophe involving higher costs, etc.

Congressional Republicans -- who've done their own polling, of course -- have detected that one very worrisome thing for Americans is: Fine, Obama doesn't want the feds to take over healthcare -- but by instituting a government healthcare plan, ostensibly to provide efficient, lower-cost competition to for-profit companies, the subsidized, lower-cost government plan will inevitably undercut private companies that must show a profit to survive and cause employers to simply walk away from those more expensive plans, forcing people to fall into the government plan they didn't choose to enter voluntarily.

You will hear this argument many times in coming months. Now that Democrat Al Franken has won the Minnesota Senate seat, providing his party with the 60 necessary votes to halt any Republican filibusters, one would think this pretty much guarantees passage.

But not all Democratic senators are on board. That's why with these appearances, the....

Obama urges lesbian, gay patience overturning 'unjust laws' (text)

Remarks by President Obama at the LGBT Pride Month White House Reception, June 29, 2009

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Hello, hello, hello. (Applause.)  Hey! Good to see you. (Applause.)  I'm waiting for FLOTUS here. FLOTUS always politics more than POTUS.

MRS. OBAMA: No, you move too slow. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: It is great to see everybody here today and they're just -- I've got a lot of friends in the room, but there are some people I want to especially acknowledge. First of all, somebody who helped ensure that we are in the White House, Steve Hildebrand. Please give Steve a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Where's Steve?  He's around here somewhere. (Applause.)

The new chair of the Export-Import Bank, Fred Hochberg. (Applause.)  Where's Fred?  There's Fred.  Good to see you, Fred.  Our Director of the Institute of Education Sciences at DOE, John Easton.  Where's John?  (Applause.)  A couple of special friends -- Bishop Gene Robinson.  Where's Gene?  (Applause.)  Hey, Gene.  Ambassador Michael Guest is here.  (Applause.)  Ambassador Jim Hormel is here.  (Applause.)  Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown is here.  (Applause.) All of you are here.  (Laughter and applause.) Welcome to your White House.  (Applause.)  So.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Somebody asked from the Lincoln Bedroom here. (Laughter.) You knew I was from Chicago too.  (Laughter.) 

It's good to see so many friends and familiar faces, and I deeply appreciate the support I've received from so many of you. Michelle appreciates it and I want you to know that you have our support as well.  (Applause.)  And you have my thanks for the work you do every day in pursuit of ...

Joe Biden Gaffe update: He fires N.J. gov, moves another guy in

For your Joe Biden Gaffe files:

Washington. Mandarin Oriental Hotel. LGBT fundraiser. Hauled in about $1 mill. 33% better than last year with Michelle Obama.

Maybe four dozen protesters outside, impatient with the Obama administration's perceived slow pace on lesbian and gay issues. Signs: "SHAME." "Gay Uncle Toms." Chants: "Shame on You." "Boycott the Bigots."

Inside, Biden spoke 20 mins. Lots of applause. "I am not unaware of the controversy swirling around this dinner and swirling around the speed or lack thereof that we are moving on issues that are of great importance to you."

Boasted the new administration has appointed 60 gays or lesbians, including nine requiring Senate confirmation. Promised to "put some pace on the ball."

Standing ovations as he pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, Don't Ask Don't Tell and get passage of the Lieberman-Baldwin bill on health benefits.

Additionally, Biden promised to put a ban on workplace discrimination, get adoption rights for all and end the HIV travel ban.

Biden also praised Tim Kaine as the "great governor of New Jersey."

One problem: Tim Kaine's not governor of New Jersey.

Jon Corzine (right) is governor of New Jersey (Remember, he didn't wear his seatbelt in the state patrol car for the big high-speed crash).

Tim Kaine is governor of another state, called Virginia.

He's also chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Biden is from Delaware.

He used a Teleprompter.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credits: Getty Images (top and middle); N.J. Governor's Office (bottom).

The Mark Sanford affair: Its naked political impact

Oh Sergei, don't tell me you've lost another submarine?

What a relief for the GOP! It turns out that South Carolina's incumbent Republican Gov. Mark Sanford wasn't doing something loopy like hiking naked on the Appalachian Trail.

During the recent unexplained disappearance from his official job and from his wife and four sons on Father's Day, Sanford was simply off on another continent in South America with his married Argentinian lover, a relationship he says began as a "dear, dear friend" years ago and ended up, thanks to that common villain e-mail, in something internationally more during the last year.

Well, then, fine. He's only lost the naked hiker vote. And most married women. And non-philandering churchgoing voters.

On a slow summer news day when the country's attention should have been focused on the Oscars expanding its Best Picture category from five to 10 nominees and the U.S. upsetting Spain in some soccer game, the Sanford news rocked the Republican Party, which had otherwise been enjoying so much powerful good news recently with President Obama's popularity plateauing around 60% and about 1 in 4 Americans calling themselves Republican.

Anytime these days a Republican gets publicly expressed sympathy from Democrats, you know it's not only insincere, it's big trouble.

So, in other words, according to modern American political tradition, Sanford has joined the rapidly expanding bipartisan male club of big names to publicly admit embarrassing romantic affairs outside their marriage -- Bill Clinton, Gary Hart, Newt Gingrich, House Speaker-designate Bob Livingston, David Vitter, Eliot Spitzer, Edward Kennedy, Gavin Newsom, Antonio Villaraigosa, John Edwards and most recently another John named Ensign.

And before them, we now know, JFK and Ike and FDR and who knows who all. (And since then, Rep. Mark Foley, who wasn't married, but that's another story.)

At least Ensign and Sanford didn't make their wives stand beside their man during the video confessions. (See video below) Or maybe, hopefully, the wives told them what they could do with that invite.

Next to come will be examinations of Sanford's expense accounts to see if he spent public money on private tryst travel. And whether those overseas trade missions really were about stimulating state business or something else. And, of course, tabloid....

McCain's Iran Neda speech raises domestic political stakes for Obama

Here's anew video involving the violent events in Iran and the politics they are now forcing within the United States.

The video is from C-SPAN of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, who over the weekend said he'd like to see the president speak out stronger. Then, on the Senate floor today speaking in stronger terms than Democrat President Barack Obama about the Tehran government's violent reaction to protests of the recent election that allegedly reinstated the existing regime.

The obviously angry McCain, Obama's GOP opponent in last year's presidential election, cites the tragic death of an Iran female protester called Neda whose name has suddenly become known globally as she was shot in Tehran and died in the street, bleeding profusely, on a now viral and very graphic video with friends screaming around her.

McCain's outspoken criticism of Iran's government for its violence mirrors his strong denunciations last summer when Russia invaded the democratic country of Georgia.

Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii at the time, was more measured initially, calling on both sides to stop fighting. He later changed tone more in favor of the invaded democracy.

On the weekend, before taking his daughters out for ice cream, Obama issued a statement, published here on The Ticket, warning the theocratic regime that the world is watching and it should permit peaceful democratic demonstrations.

The new president is trying to walk a thin line between satisfying homegrown outcries to support democratic outbursts around the world and his promise in a recent Cairo speech not to interfere in other countries and to attempt talking with such regimes.

In recent interviews Obama has pointed to some success with that line, as Iran has instead accused Britain of interference; the UK began evacuating its embassy personnel's families from Iran today.

Our fellow bloggers have continuous Iran coverage over here at Babylon & Beyond. And there's an Iran photo gallery here.

-- Andrew Malcolm 

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Video credit: C-SPAN

Photo credits: AFP / Getty Images; EPA.