-Where is the outrage? Why aren't we hearing stern condemnation from McCain, Romney and other Republican leaders? A serious candidate for Chairman of the Republican National Committee is distributing a music video called "Barack the Magic Negro" and it is totally and unquestionably racist. Take a look and decide for yourself. Is this the new emerging Republican Party after the election? If they keep this up, they will carry Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and West Virginia in the next election. And lose the entire rest of the country.

-Frank Rich does it again! With his thoughtful and powerful column on Rick Warren and Obama he carefully put the entire issue in prospective. You can read it in its entirety by clicking here but here is an excerpt:

But we’re not there yet. Warren’s defamation of gay people illustrates why, as does our president-elect’s rationalization of it. When Obama defends Warren’s words by calling them an example of the “wide range of viewpoints” in a “diverse and noisy and opinionated”=2 0America, he is being too cute by half. He knows full well that a “viewpoint” defaming any minority group by linking it to sexual crimes like pedophilia is unacceptable. It is even more toxic in a year when that group has been marginalized and stripped of its rights by ballot initiatives fomenting precisely such fears. “You’ve got to give them hope” was the refrain of the pioneering 1970s gay politician Harvey Milk, so stunningly brought back to life by Sean Penn on screen this winter. Milk reminds us that hope has to mean action, not just words.

By the historical standards of presidential hubris, Obama’s disingenuous defense of his tone-deaf invitation to Warren is nonetheless a relatively tiny infraction. It’s no Bay of Pigs. But it does add an asterisk to the joyous inaugural of our first black president. It’s bizarre that Obama, of all people, would allow himself to be on the wrong side of this history.

-As it should, the outcry over the Warren invitation continues but also should be kept within reason. I am thrilled that Melissa Etheridge is making outreach to Warren but she should be careful not to validate his statements simply by the fact that he listens to her records and is willing to have dinner with her. I hope that others will not change their plans to celebrate the end of Bush and the beginning of a new period in America and go celebrate what is still our day of celebration and attend the Inauguration!

-Amazed how critics of Caroline Kennedy use the fact that she is not a major donor to the Democratic Party. If you look at her critics' contributions, many of them have hardly given a cent. And by the way, aren't we supposed to be attempting to get away from money deciding how we support people? Is that what the Obama grassroots campaign was about?

-Don't you love the environmental news coming out of Southeast Asia? Apparently, scientists have discovered over 1,000 new species in the Mekong Delta that we didn't even know existed before. Included in the new discoveries was a spider with a foot long leg span. Think I can do without that one.

-Lets hear it for FDR! Rasmussen Reports that in a showdown poll between our beloved President Franklin Roosevelt and Republican President Ronald Reagan the American public picked Roosevelt. The results were 45% for Roosevelt and 40% for Reagan.

-One of the 'indicators' of how much change we can expect in an Obama White House is who he will appoint as the Ambassador to the Congo. If it is a serious prestigious diplomat then we know that at last ending this genocide of over 5 million people will be a top priority of this White House. Isn't it time for the Congo to be among our top concerns in the next year?

-Continuing with Africa, the military took control of Guinea after the death of its President, Lansana Conte. The new military ruler Captain Dadis Camara says his first goal is to end corruption by reviewing every mining contract. The West African nation is one of the wealthiest in resources in Africa and its people are among the poorest living on $1 a day. The nation is the leading exporter of bauxite.

-Good news from Uganda: A judge has ruled that two women arrested by the police on the suspicion they were lesbians had been done illegally. The women, who were stripped and assaulted by the Ugandan police in order to prove they were "real women," were awarded $7,000 in damages. This was a huge victory for the estimated 500,000 members of the LGBT community in this East African nation were homosexuality is illegal.

-Paris? London? Rome? Hell no, forget these hot travel destinations. Everyone who has money and wants to be part of this Administration has suddenly fallen in love with Hawaii - recent power blackout notwithstanding. Well, at least it is better than Houston!

-Finally, farewell to Eartha Kitt, the singer most famous for the salty tune "Santa Baby", who died on Christmas day. What you might not know is that Kitt was close friends with the great protest singer Odetta who passed away last week and also the alive-and-well Oscar nominated actress Ruby Dee. Many of us will never forget Ms. Kitt going to the White House as a guest of First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and challenging both her and President Johnson on Vietnam. It was a huge sensation in the 1960's and the perceived breach of decorum greatly debated. For those of us opposed to the war, it was no debate. For us, Ms. Kitt was right on! Just to remind you of the genius that will be missed, just listen below.