Young Jeezy will reportedly debut a new track during a Jan. 18 performance at Washington D.C. night club Love to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama.

Sources told AllHipHop.com that the track was created exclusively for the event’s sponsor, Belvedere Vodka, as part of a new deal between the rapper and the liquor brand.

The evening will be hosted by Akon and feature a separate performance by rapper T.I. The event takes place from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

The folks at “60 Minutes” have announced plans to release a special edition DVD that chronicles President-elect Barack Obama’s history-making road to the White House.

The release, titled “Obama All Access,” is part of CBS’ attempt to use the “60 Minutes” brand to market news-themed DVDs, which have never sold as much as movies or television dramas released in the format.

“We’re always looking for the right opportunity to do this, and you couldn’t find a better example than the Barack Obama story,” said Jeff Fager, executive producer of “60 Minutes.”

“Obama: All Access,” due the first week of February, is the first time “60 Minutes” has released a special edition DVD with material that never aired on TV which, combined with its four-hour length, sets the DVD apart from other “60 Minutes” discs sold in the past two years, network executives said. Those DVDs contained the latest “60 Minutes” stories, but only as they appeared on the program.

The DVD will show Obama’s complete inaugural speech, and other notable campaign speeches. Other features include his first post-election TV interview on “60 Minutes,” which drew 25 million viewers, and previously unaired footage such as him talking about Abraham Lincoln in the Illinois statehouse.

The disc also shows Obama behind-the-scenes with family.

ABC and the Disney Channel have landed exclusive rights to televise two of Barack Obama’s inaugural events, including the new president’s first appearance at one of an array of inaugural balls on the night of Jan. 20.

ABC will broadcast “The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration,” a first-ever event expected to include Obama and his wife Michelle’s first dance of the night, along with performances from musicians and other personalities. Obama also is expected to deliver his first speech of the evening at the event, to be held at the Washington Convention Center. The ball was announced earlier this week by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, with plans to feature Webcasting and text messaging to link with neighborhood celebrations around the country.

The night before, on Jan. 19, the Disney Channel will show “Kids’ Inaugural: We Are the Future,” an inaugural concert where Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President-elect Joseph Biden, along with their families, are scheduled. The event will be simulcast on Radio Disney and streamed afterward on Disney.com.

Earlier this week, Obama’s Presidential Inaugural Committee announced a deal with HBO for the exclusive rights to televise a star-studded inaugural kickoff event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 18. HBO will make the event available for free for all cable subscribers.

The exclusive arrangements mirror deals made by Bill Clinton’s team for his inauguration in 1993. That year, HBO showed an event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and the Disney Channel televised two live events at the Kennedy Center for children and youth, with Fred Rogers and Barney the Dinosaur among the acts.

No terms were disclosed for the exclusive arrangements.

To celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama, London’s Madame Tussauds wax museum is offering free entry on Jan. 20 to any visitor able to prove they’re a U.S. citizen. The publicity stunt is also intended to introduce its newest attraction – a Barack Obama waxwork, reports the Associated Press.

The statue has yet to be completed, but museum officials said Wednesday that Obama would be shown in an informal and relaxed pose, smiling with arms casually folded amid a reproduction of the White House Oval Office.

Museum spokeswoman Liz Edwards said “it’s such a poignant moment in American history.” She declined to say how many people she thought would show up for the free viewing.

The museum’s usual entry fee is 25 pounds ($38).

Maybe, just maybe all the hate Ann Coulter’s been spewing against the Obamas and Democrats/liberals in general has finally come back to haunt her.

The Drudge Report is reporting that “the nation’s top selling conservative author has been banned from appearing on NBC,” according to insiders.

“We are just not going to have her on any more, it’s over,” a top network source explains.

But not so fast says a second source from the network who strongly denies there is any “Coulter ban.”

“Look for a re-invite, as soon as Wednesday,” said the unnamed executive.

According to Drudge, the Today show abruptly cut Coulter appearance from its broadcast this morning where she was set to promote her new book, “Guilty: Liberal ‘Victims’ and Their Assault on America.”

Supposedly it was the book’s theme, Coulter’s very unkind examination of liberal bias in the new era, that got her dis-invited.

“We are just not interested in anyone so highly critical of President-elect Obama, right now,” a “Today Show” insider stated. “It’s such a downer. It’s just not the time, and it’s not what our audience wants, either.”

There’s also speculation that NBC dropped the controversial author because of pressure from various watchdog groups including Media Matters for America which launched a campaign that asked, “Is NBC going to help Coulter sell this book?” The organization also claims “Guilty” includes deliberate lies:

“These falsehoods come on a wide-ranging list of subjects including her defense of the claims made against Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the 2004 presidential campaign; her assertion that “Fox News has never been caught promoting a fraud“; her claim that President-elect Barack Obama was referring to Gov. Sarah Palin when he said “you know, you can put lipstick on a pig; it’s still a pig”; and attacks she makes against New York Times columnist Frank Rich.”

And of course, as NewsOne reported yesterday, the book mocks Michelle Obama’s style while praising Cindy McCain’s.

Meanwhile, Monday night, Coulter was a guest on the Fox News’ Hannity and Colmes show where she criticized NBC for canceling her Today show appearance. She said the network was orchestrating a “set up to block me from other TV shows.”

With just a few weeks left until president-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, conflicting reports have not been able to pinpoint whether or not actress/singer Jennifer Hudson will be singing at this historic event.

From The India Times, comes this blurb:

“American actress/singer Jennifer Hudson will not be singing at U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, says her representative.

According to reports, the grieving star was to make her first public appearance ever since the murder of her mother, brother and nephew in October (08), at the event.

Rumours that the 27-year-old Jennifer would be singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at Obama”s inauguration have been dispelled by her representative.

“There is no truth to this,” Contactmusic quoted Jennifer’s rep as saying.

Jennifer will be making her first public appearance in February, when she pays tribute to Neil Diamond at the MusiCares Person of the Year event in Los Angeles.

She is also expected to attend the Grammys, after having been nominated for several Grammys for her self-titled debut album.”

The Cleveland Leader states that she may come out of hiding, while HipHopDX.com says that she will.

Urban Daily readers – what do YOU think about this. January 20th is fast approaching. Will Jennifer Hudson show up or not?

Speak on it in the comment section.

Peter Yarrow, the co-writer of the 1963 children’s song “Puff the Magic Dragon,” says he is disappointed with the recent spoof of his tune that targets President-elect Barack Obama.

Tennessee Republican Chip Saltsman, a candidate for Republican National Committee chairman, included “Barack the Magic Negro” on a CD sent to RNC members for Christmas.       

The song was first played on conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh’s radio show in 2007 and was drawn from a Los Angeles Times column that suggested Obama appealed to those who feel guilty about the nation’s longtime mistreatment of African-Americans.

“Barack the Magic Negro” was described by Saltsman as “political satire,” but Yarrow disagrees. He wrote the following in response to the controversy.

The sending of a Christmas greeting by Chip Saltsman to the members of the Republican National Committee that includes a recording of the so-called parody, “Barack the Magic Negro” is not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening in the extreme. It flies in the face of America’s deeply held hope for a new era in which common ground and mutual respect characterize the exchanges between our national leaders.

Angela Bassett and Herbie Hancock are among the celebs set to attend “The Inaugural Purple Ball,” one of 10 official balls scheduled for inauguration night, and an evening intended to celebrate “the spirit of bipartisanship and diversity.”      

Leaders from entertainment, politics, business, the military, media, non-profit and community organizations from across the country will attend the exclusive formal dinner occurring on Jan. 20 at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington D.C.       

The evening, a benefit for the ERACISM Foundation founded by Louis Gossett Jr., will include a tribute to the troops of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and war veterans.      

Other celeb attendees will include Patricia Arquette, Amy Brenneman, Josh Lucas, Ed Harris, Ashley Judd, Kate Walsh, John Cusack, Brendan Fraser, Lisa Marie Presley, Bradley Cooper Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon.      

A presidential toast will be made by Hill Harper, as guests “will be feted to a delicious champagne dinner, surrounded by exquisitely laid lush purple velvet and breathtaking crystals,” according to a press release.       

For ticket or event information, please visit: http://www.inauguralpurpleball.com.  

A candidate for the Republican National Committee chairmanship is trying to explain why he included a song titled “Barack the Magic Negro” on a CD that he sent to committee members as a Christmas gift.      

As previously reported, the song, set to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon,” was first played on conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh’s radio show in 2007 and was drawn from a Los Angeles Times column that suggested President-elect Barack Obama appealed to those who feel guilty about the nation’s longtime mistreatment of African-Americans.      

Tennessee Republican Chip Saltsman, who sent the CD to RNC members, said the song was clearly intended as a joke. “I think most people recognize political satire when they see it,” he told CNN. “I think RNC members understand that.“

Saltsman said the song, penned by his longtime friend Paul Shanklin, should be easily recognized as satire directed at the Times.  The CD, first reported by The Hill on Friday, is titled “We Hate the USA” and also includes songs referencing former presidential candidate John Edwards and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, among other targets.      

According to The Hill, other song titles, some of which were in bold font, were: “John Edwards’ Poverty Tour,” “Wright place, wrong pastor,” “Love Client #9,” “Ivory and Ebony” and “The Star Spanglish Banner.”      

Saltsman was national campaign manager for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s presidential bid in 2007 and 2008. Before that, he held a variety of posts, including a number of positions under former Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee, reports CNN.

Although dozens of inaugural balls will be held next month to celebrate the election of Barack Obama, only 10 will actually be attended by the first couple, the Presidential Inaugural Committee stated Wednesday.

Six of the official balls will be held at the Washington Convention Center, with others at Union Station, the Washington Hilton, the National Building Museum and the DC Armory.      

However, the biggest parties this time may well be unofficial. MTV and BET are throwing televised parties, while the Creative Coalition will hold a gala to be headlined by Elvis Costello. Dionne Warwick is hosting the American Music Inaugural Ball.

Barack Obama isn’t the first presidential figure to be photographed shirtless, and likely won’t be the last. He is, however, the most physically-toned U.S. leader since JFK to be caught on camera bare-chested.

But inquiring minds want to know how the photographer from Bauer-Griffin – the same California-based agency who caught Halle Berry on a movie set this month at the precise moment of her wardrobe malfunction – was able to get the exclusive shot despite an army of security surrounding the beach resort where the president-elect is vacationing with his family.

Bauer-Griffin co-owner Frank Griffin said his photographer did absolutely nothing wrong.

“He had his equipment searched by the secret service and was restricted to a certain area of the beach,” just like the other photographers, “before the president-elect walked into his view about a hundred yards away,” Griffin told CNN.

“There was tacit approval that he was able to shoot what he could shoot, it’s a public beach,” Griffin told the Washington Post, adding that his snapper was not asked to leave the public beach from where he spotted Obama.

Just where will Michelle Obama “get her hair did” while living in the White House? Hair stylists in the Washington D.C. area are already angling to secure the soon-to-be First Lady as a client, reports the Associated Press.

“I’m going to be doing her hair!” says positive thinker Barry Fletcher, the 52-year-old owner of The Hair Palace Salon in Mitchellville, Md. He cites his experience in international hairstyling challenges and working with actress Halle Berry and singer Mya, a D.C. native.

“This would pretty much validate all of my hard work and effort to get to a level where I could handle a powerful queen like the First Lady,” added Fletcher, who sent Michelle Obama a 17-minute DVD about himself.

Hairdresser Keith Harley of Keith Harley Hair & Scalp Clinic in Arlington, Va. uploaded his resume to President-elect Barack Obama’s Web site a month ago.

“It would be the highlight of my career. It would be an honor,” said 39-year-old Harley, who styles Black Entertainment Television chief executive Debra Lee. 

Nicole Cober-Blake, the 37-year-old lawyer-turned-owner of D.C.’s Soul Day Spa and Salon, plans to get her name in the mix by sending Michelle Obama a welcome basket with bath gels, hair products and a robe. Cober-Blake said she’s excited about the possibility of having Obama experience the services at Soul, where she said they “treat everyone like a Michelle Obama.”

For election night, Michael “Rahni” Flowers of Van Cleef Hair Studio in Chicago — Obama’s stylist since she was 18 — did her hair. And for the Democratic National Convention, Obama turned to Chicago-native Johnny Wright of Frederic Fekkai’s Los Angeles salon.

“The thing about being the first lady, you’re only as fashionable as your last picture,” said Dennis Roche, 58, of D.C.’s Roche Salon, which has African-American-hair experts he said could style Obama. “This is kind of risky because of the fact that we all have bad hair days.”

Yeah, I’m shaking my head in confusion, too. Read this hilarious piece from the good folks over KING Magazine.

People probably made too much of the 50 Cent endorsement. After all, to anyone paying attention, it should have come as no surprise: He was just one in a chorus of millions, cultlike in their zeal and deep-pocketed in their support. They brandished posters and artsy T-shirts, they held rallies and graffitied mailboxes. They were everywhere, moved by a junior senator who was exciting voting blocks that hadn’t cared about the primaries in, well, ever.

It was also historic—groundbreaking, even; never before had someone who looked like this senator come so close to securing their party’s nomination, and with such a liberal platform. Naturally, celebrities rushed to show their support. Magic Johnson, for instance, had already beat Curtis to the punch. Timbaland, meanwhile, one-upped both of them, hosting a fundraiser in his own home, lining that campaign’s coffers with almost a million bucks’ worth of donations.

So yes, people probably made too much of the 50 Cent thing. Here was a charismatic, well-spoken senator with brilliant takes on the economy and health care, and a pledge to fight for low-income families, women, African Americans and Latinos in a way perhaps no other candidate had. So why wouldn’t 50 Cent show his support?

To read more from this hilarious rant, be sure to check out KING-Mag.com!

On the eve of Election Day, it seemed as if an endless list of Hip Hop artists added their name to the list of Barack Obama supporters. However, it was the much-maligned emcee/producer will.i.am who was one of the earliest and most influential backers of the Illinois senator who would eventually win the presidency. After generating millions of views in and outside of the Hip Hop community for his viral videos supporting Obama, will.i.am reflected on the process with Tavis Smiley of PBS.

“That ‘Yes We Can’ speech really made me look at my own life,” will.i.am recounted. “I was born and raised in East Los Angeles–the only black family in a neighborhood where everybody else was Mexican. I had a great, great childhood. My mom saw the importance of sending me to school in Palisades…at one point in time people fought for inner-city kids to go to school in the suburbs. When I saw that speech, I thought of all the blessings I had and how school was a differentiating factor for me and my neighbors.”

The Black Eyed Peas founder also shied away from credit for the momentum his initial “Yes We Can” concept created. Even though his group has been part of massive marketing campaigns by Interscope Records and other corporations, will gave credit to a somewhat unlikely source.

“I was able to engage Americans and people in other countries by making a piece of content that inspired people to pass it around like a baton,” will added. “You pay attention to the pulse of what’s happening in the world, make content that relates to what’s going on and you don’t have to pay for anything other than believing someone’s gonna pass that message on. Eight years ago, we didn’t have the tools that we have today. We didn’t have Google or YouTube in the way we have today. When people were protesting at [Bush's] inauguration, the news didn’t show us those moments. It’s a day that everyone is truly connected and intertwined with technology.”

Harpo Productions says Winfrey will host a live episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” from the Kennedy Center Opera House on January 19, the day before Barack Obama takes the presidential oath of office.

Winfrey has been a prominent Obama supporter, appearing with him at campaign rallies, donating money and cheering him at the Democratic National Convention.

She famously shed tears on a stranger’s shoulder in Chicago’s Grant Park after Obama’s election-night acceptance speech.

A Harpo spokesman says at least two shows are planned in Washington that week, the second on Wednesday.

Let it be stated: You will never again see Jim Martin walk out to booty-shaking bass and shake hands with three hip-hop stars. Absurd moments like these only happen on the eve of a runoff where a Democrat-controlled Senate is at stake.

On Monday night in front of the Capitol, standing at a podium underneath a statue of one of Georgia’s most perplexing racists, the U.S. Senate Democratic nominee addressed a bundled-up crowd of nearly 1,000 people that braved the cold to see Ludacris, T.I. and Young Jeezy. (Martin admitted as much.)

But Democrats hope those supporters will return to the polls on Tuesday to vote for the Party’s candidates — and tell their friends and families to do the same.

Flanked on stage by more than 30 city, state and federal Democratic notables, Martin repeated the phrase he’s used to describe his role if voters send him to Washington — to be a “bridge” to Pres.-elect Barack Obama’s initiatives, not a “firewall,” as Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss has branded himself.

“You did the right thing,” Congressman John Lewis told the crowd. “You did it. And we must do it again… I’ve served in Congress for a little while. Saxby is not our friend. I tell you, he’s not our friend. If you really want to help Barack Obama, let’s do it.”

“Just vote Jim” was the night’s mantra, a reference to Martin and Georgia Public Service Commission Democratic candidate Jim Powell, a former U.S. Department of Energy executive who has run a tough race against Republican candidate Lauren “Bubba” McDonald.

“We need a senator who’ll work with Obama to fix the economy,” Ludacris said, adding that Chambliss’ “firewall” stump speech “lets me know he’s all about politics and not helping America.”

Then came Jeezy: “We won the battle, it’s time to win the war,” he said, urging the crowd to vote for Martin.

And East Point native T.I.: “Jim Martin, we got your back. You don’t have to worry about young people. We got your back.”

But there was a sobering moment amid the bass boom thump and wild applause for the entertainers. When V-103’s Frank Ski asked the crowd who voted on Nov. 4, less than half of those in attendance raised their hands. The Republican get-out-the-vote effort has been intense.

Political observers say early voting statistics don’t bode well for Martin — African-American turnout is below the historic numbers seen leading up to the General Election. On the other hand, Matt Towery of Insider Advantage says the large number of white female voters plays into the former state lawmaker’s favor. Democrats have been aided largely by Obama’s campaign infrastructure; the president-elect has lent his voice to robocalls and radio ads as well. This is in addition to the barrage of commercials both candidates and special interests have unleashed upon our simple, wholesome state. All those observations could prove meaningless, however, if voters turn out for Martin tomorrow.

Polls are open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel’s website to locate your polling place.

You did some work with Michael Jackson earlier in the year with 25th Anniversary of Thriller. How did you riff off each other musically?

Akon: The collaboration was incredible. From the first moment we actually met each other face-to-face it seemed like we had know each other for years. I was always a big fan, I knew everything about him. It was just astonishing to me that he knew a lot about me, and he was a fan of me as well. We clicked instantly.

What surprised you the most about him?

Akon: How humble and how smart he was. Sometimes you get a certain perception from how the media portrays him, but [working with him] was completely opposite. An artist of that caliber and as big as he is, you would think he would have certain qualities that you probably wouldn’t like, such as being very arrogant or stuck up. With him, it was like he had never put out a record before – he still had that hunger.

Spin reported that you, T-Pain, Nelly and Pharell united to form a supergroup. Is that true?

Akon: This is something that we wish we could do. If it happens, that’s great for the music industry because we’re trying to bring fun back. Whether it can happen realistically, without politics getting in the middle of it, is the question. If it were up to us, the artists, it would have been done already.

Outside of music, what else have you been pursuing?

Akon: Outside of music, I’ve been doing a lot of the label exec thing [at] Kon Live Distribution. The clothing line, Konvict Clothing, is urban streetwear. Then we have Aliaune, which is the more upscale corporate look. Then there’s the Konfidence Foundation where we’re giving back to Africa, creating a better environment for the children of Africa.

Which celebrity would make a good president and why?

Akon: Celebrity? Obama! He’s the biggest celebrity I know. He’s gonna make an incredible president.

While 50 Cent may not literally see his net worth dwindle down to the amount of his rap moniker, the mogul is worried about his financial assets as stock markets and real estate values continue to plummet.

“I lost a couple million dollars already,” the rapper told Canadian Press. “I sit with my investors and business managers and accountants looking at the numbers and I’m like, ‘Yo, the values of stocks in different areas that I invested in are decreasing!’ So I take the loss like everybody else.”

The sagging economy also persuaded 50 to delay the release of his new CD, Before I Self Destruct, which was supposed to hit stores in time for Christmas. The release has been pushed back into 2009 to get more airplay for singles and build up as much hype as possible to ensure that CD sales aren’t disappointing.

“Pushing it back was to position myself a little better. I want to make sure (buyers) hear some things before I actually get my CD physically on sale,” he said.

The rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, has also been trying to sell his $18.5 million mansion for more than a year now. He purchased the home from Mike Tyson, who, himself, lost most of his money and was forced to place the house on the market. Every day, 50 says he’s reminded of the former boxer’s fall from grace.

“I’m waking up in a room that was previously Mike Tyson’s bedroom, a fighter who earned over $500 million in his actual career, and when I purchased his house from him he was in bankruptcy,” said 50. “If that’s not a strong enough reminder for you, I don’t know what’s going to remind you to be aware of where you are financially and make conscious decisions.”

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is set to headline four rallies around the state Monday with Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Democrat Jim Martin is scheduled to stump with Rep. John Lewis and other prominent Georgia Democrats. Martin will end the day with a rally at the state Capitol with Atlanta rapper Ludacris (LEW’ duh-criss).

The Georgia visit will mark Palin’s first foray back onto the campaign trail since her failed bid for the vice presidency. She was the big draw at a pair of high-dollar fundraisers for Chambliss at an Atlanta hotel Sunday night.

Tuesday’s runoff will help determine if Democrats win a 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate.

Sources say the talk show host — who said Election Day she’d already picked out her inauguration dress — is hoping to broadcast three of her shows from the Nation’s Capitol that week, potentially from the historic Kennedy Center. Event planners also working for Winfrey apparently are combing D.C. to find a site for a huge inauguration party.

*Politco.com featured an article Monday on Obama’s decision not to attend church services on the three Sundays since his election, and instead use that time to hit the gym. A transition aide told the Web site that the Obamas valued their faith experience in Chicago but were concerned about the impact their large retinue may have on other parishioners. “Because they have a great deal of respect for places of worship, they do not want to draw unwelcome or inappropriate attention to a church not used to the attention their attendance would draw,” said the aide.

*Barack Obama can feel comforted in knowing that he would’ve had a huge fan in the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. “My son would have been at that rally in Chicago when the first African American president was elected, and I’m sure he would have gone up onstage and grabbed the microphone as only he could,” Cherry Jones said in an e-mail to Page Six.

He told ANSA news agency his initial remark was intended as a “compliment,” adding that he looks upon black supermodel Naomi Campbell with the same amount of envy.

“My compliment to Barack is a little envious,” said Berlusconi, who had what he described as a “long, cordial” telephone conversation with the President-elect — instigated by Obama — on Nov. 7.

“We would all like to be tanned like Naomi Campbell and Obama,” said the self-made billionaire, who sports a permanent tan, during a press conference in Pescara, Italy.

Italian-born French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was so embarrassed by Berlusconi’s initial comment that she said she was “happy” to have “become French.

So now, will black folks now want to be called evenly-tanned in this new age of Obama? Speak on it.

Previously: ‘HBO Obama Documentary To Air In Spring 2009′

Barack Obama: The Man and His Journey narrated by thesp Blair Underwood, will be released on January 20th to coincide with Obama’s inauguration.

It’s the first DVD release from Los Angeles-based Codeblack, headed by producer Jeff Clanagan.

Linda Johnson Rice, Chairman and CEO of Ebony/Jet parent Johnson Publishing, said the partnership was designed to tap into “ongoing growth opportunities within the African-American community and beyond.”

Following the Obama disc will be another docu, Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy. It will feature interviews with Bill Cosby, Chris Rock and Keenen Ivory Wayans, among others.

Griffey joins Cal Ripken Jr, figure-skating champ Michelle Kwan and actress Fran Drescher as current diplomacy envoys. Rice said Griffey will take a trip to Panama in January in his new role.

“When Ken Griffey travels overseas, one of his greatest objectives will be to talk to young people and to spark their interest in America and in our culture,” Rice told a ceremony at the State Department.

She added: “I am so very proud that Ken Griffey, Jr., has stepped up to that task of helping us to share the story of America, the culture of America, and the values of America.”

Griffey, a 38-year-old outfielder, said he jumped at the chance to take up the role.

“I played in Japan for the Super Series and just watched how other countries go about their business in playing baseball,” Griffey said. “After a certain age, you pretty much set your ways. But we can reach out to young children about our culture and also about our pastime, which is baseball.”

SOURCE: EURWeb.com

Previously: ‘Jesse Jackson Explains Tears For Obama,’ ‘Obama’s Do’s And Don’t's’

According to The Baltimore Sun, Jackson told churchgoers his relationship with Obama was a good one, despite a highly publicized remark caught by microphones in which he said he wanted to castrate him for “talking down to black people” when calling for black fathers to take more responsibility for their families.

He said Obama’s presidency “represents a chance to start over,” The Sun reported, and expressed concerns that outgoing Bush administration may cause economic harm by backing ill-conceived taxpayer bailouts for the financial industry.

Instead, Jackson called for help for the ailing U.S. auto industry and for urban and rural restructuring to end racial injustice, the newspaper said.

SOURCE: EURWeb.com

Newsweek, CNN and the Associated Press all verified Variety’s reports of the job of Attorney General going to Eric H. Holder Jr., a former U.S. Attorney, as well as top Justice Department official in the Clinton Administration.

According to news reports, Obama has yet to make an announcement, as his aides were still canvassing Senate Republicans to gauge their reaction to Holder’s appointment. Having accepted the offer, Holder has become the first African American attorney general in U.S. history… if confirmed by the Senate.

But under Clinton, Holder oversaw federal efforts to combat “high-tech crime,” this being “the highest priorities for the Department of Justice” and Holder personally.

Want to know more about Holder’s appointment and the pros and cons? Check it out here!

Be A Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader:

With her down-home sensibilities and killer smile, Governor Palin can easily trade her Alaskan cold shoulder for a blazing hot blue and silver cheerleading uniform thus driving crowds into a frenzy. Besides… with “America’s Team” falling on hard times, Governor Palin can use the skills she learned during the McCain campaign to bring a smile to everyone down in the Lone Star state.

Become the “White Oprah”:

Her easy-going nature and charm can get her on any TV in America. In fact, the other white Oprah (zing!) can put her money where her mouth is and invest in another entertainment asset that will go along with her collection of Dr. Phil and Rachel Ray. Palin can touch on the issues that are really top priority in America: when to run from a black person, how to answer a question without answering it and why dating an older man who’s married is a gift and a curse.

Be a Playboy magazine cover girl:

Men love women who love guns and although most liberals aren’t fans of the NRA, they’d run over each other to cop the latest issue of Playboy. Imagine a smoking-hot Republican on the cover of Hugh’s prized mag. She might single-handedly revitalize the print game — that or at least become the iconic wet dream for men all over this great land of ours.

Be on Dancing With The Stars:

Retired football giants, reality TV stars, Kim Kardashian and more have all been on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars with mixed results. I think homegirl could two-step with the best of them. Judging by the hips Palin has she’d at least be better than the one-legged girl. Ultimately, some drama may unfold when she sees Emmitt Smith in the changing room and says, “Maybe it’s not so bad to have a black president after all…“

I have a dream that the nation will be changed and the leader of this movement will be because of the people, as much as it is because of Barack Obama. When the polls finally close, it will signify a close of the Bush Administration and the thrill is exciting! But with everyone catching politico fever – what is there to look forward to?

Lightskin Negroes Back In Style:

People have been harping on us since El Debarge fell off and Wesley Snipes was in. With Obama in office, girlies will rip down those posters of Chris Brown and fall for the grown black man status that Madelyn Dunham’s grandbaby exudes. Us light-skin folks will be on every woman’s kiss-list when they know that the future president isn’t the only one who’s charismatic, well-spoken, has a good job and is educated.

Rappers Paying More Taxes:

Young Jeezy may have had The Recession, but it’s the people who are currently going through it. And while it may be all smiles on 106 & Park, the streets are looking to make a come-up in a not-so-nice way. After Obama takes that oath of office though, look for folks to start pawning jewels to make up for the tax increases that they’ll have to pay. Hell, you never wondered why Jay-Z is cutting off all those dependants?

Better Lovin’:

We livin’ in a climate of “bust it, babies” and the thugs who love ‘em have nothing more creative to say than that. So, with Michelle being the First Lady, respect is due – off rip! Hopefully the trickle down theory works and the relationships between black men and women regain some modicum of admiration, passion and respect that seems to have fallen by the wayside over the years.

Reparations:

The debate is there… some want it, others don’t… Spike Lee brought it out full-blast in the only way he could with 40 Acres and a Mule being the catalyst to some classic works of art. But will black people be compensated for the labor that they’ve put in to creating this country? As long as it doesn’t go full-blown Chappelle skit status, I wouldn’t mind getting a healthy check, but as soon as we get it – then Bush’s getcha-gotcha would be enacted and USD would be changed into Ameros – still keeping us broke. Eff Bush on the real!

Closure:

We’ve been whipped, beaten, hung, shot, stabbed and in our own Machiavellian way – we’ve managed to survive. From Bed-Stuy to Botswana, it’s hard not to make a plea for the cause of black folks everywhere and the struggle that has been fought for since Lord knows when, but if we look back at history to see what Nelson Mandela did for the self-esteem of his people, then Barack Obama could finally shut the door on the stereotypes that have plagued black America.

The Interactive One and Radio One family extend our condolences to the Obama family during this most trying time during a most pivotal moment in American history.

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Newlywed Mariah Carey, Terrence J and Rocsi from BET’s 106 & Park both share their sentiments as to why you should vote for the black guy on November 4th.

Mariah Carey:

Terrence J & Rocsi: