Open Thread: Inauguration Inundation

Stacks of Barack Obama T-shirts sit on a shelf at the Official Inaugural Collectibles store in Washington.

Jose Luis Magana, AP Photo

It's your turn.

If you are planning to attend next week's inauguration of President-elect Obama ... or watch the festivities while ensconced on your couch, we want to hear from you.

Share your thoughts, expectations, and concerns about Obama's inauguration and subsequent first term in the White House.

-- Geoffrey Bennett

2:32 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Have A Question About Book Publishing?

On today's show, Farai Chideya guided a conversation about African-American authors and the future of book publishing.

Our guests -- Haki Madhubuti, Quincy Troupe, and Nakea Murray -- covered the finer points of editing and quality control, self-publishing, and literary marketing. The three agreed to continue the conversation online.

So, if you have a question or comment about book publishing, leave it below, and we'll have our guests respond.

-- Geoffrey Bennett

4:18 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Obama's Paternal Grandmother Heads To D.C., Leaves Spear Behind

Mama Sarah Obama, paternal grandmother of President-elect Barack Obama, is helped by Kenya Airports Authority staff to carry her luggage, as she leaves Kisumu airport en route to the USA.

Fred Ooko, AP Photo

Seriously.

Mama Sarah Obama is on her way to the nation's capital, in time to watch her grandson's presidential inauguration. She's brought with her a few Kenyan honorifics, though one in particular didn't make the trip.

The AFP has more.

A three-legged stool and a traditional Luo oxtail fly whisk are some of the household items that could bring a new feel to the Oval Office, courtesy of Barack Obama's Kenyan grandmother.

Sarah Obama, who at 86 still lives in a modest house in the family's ancestral village of Kogelo, has been packing presents ahead of her grandson's January 20 inauguration as the 44th president of the United States.

Quoted in the Standard newspaper Monday, she said she had hoped to bring him a traditional spear and shield from her Luo tribe when she flies to Washington on Friday with some other family members.

"But I have been told that due to security reasons I will not be allowed to board a plane with it," she explained.

Meanwhile ...

Before Barack Obama ran for Illinois Senate and even before the birth of his two children, he and his wife, Michelle, spoke to The New Yorker about their marriage.

The 1996 interview -- with whom the blog Black Snob calls the "hopelessly devoted, up with love, future power couple" -- appears in next week's issue.

MICHELLE OBAMA: There is a strong possibility that Barack will pursue a political career, although it's unclear. There is a little tension with that. I'm very wary of politics. I think he's too much of a good guy for the kind of brutality, the skepticism.

BARACK OBAMA: ... (T)here are times when we are lying in bed and I look over and sort of have a start. Because I realize here is this other person who is separate and different and has different memories and backgrounds and thoughts and feelings. It's that tension between familiarity and mystery that makes for something strong, because, even as you build a life of trust and comfort and mutual support, you retain some sense of surprise or wonder about the other person.

-- Geoffrey Bennett

Tags: Barack Obama | Mama Sarah Obama | presidential inauguration

12:57 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Farewell, Freddie Hubbard

This June 14, 2008 file photo shows Freddie Hubbard and his band perform at the 10th Annual Indy Jazz Fest at Military Park in Indianapolis, Ind.

AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Kryger

Timing is everything in this business, so it was an unfortunate twist of timing that prevented us from airing the incredible "Legends" interview we did with the great jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard before he died last December 29th.

Producer Roy Hurst and I have done many of these in-depth interviews with jazz greats over the last half dozen years here at NPR, and on occasion -- this is one of them -- the experience is quite extraordinary.

Freddie came into our NPR West studios hobbling on a cane, slightly pudgy and seemingly a bit faint of breath. But, as he sat behind the microphone to re-live his life and career as one of the premier jazz performers of the 20th century, he came alive.

He didn't duck any questions, admitting his substance problems that robbed him of his talents, and that he was once afraid of the challenge of going against Lee Morgan and Miles Davis, but pushed on anyway, driven by his own competitive spirit.

There was much more to the interview than we had time to air this week, but we tried to give you a sense of who he was and what drove him to make the music he made. Hopefully, before our show goes off the air March 20th, we will be able to bring you the remainder of that interview, including the fascinating story of what I consider the finest live recording Freddie Hubbard ever made: "The Night Of The Cookers" live at the Club La Marchal.

That night was on an on-stage heavyweight battle between two budding jazz giants, Freddie and Lee Morgan, frantically, breathlessly going head to head. It is a rare, hard-to-find recording, but we have it.

If you are a lover of jazz, you won't want to miss this.

-- Tony Cox

Tags: Freddie Hubbard | jazz trumpeter

2:11 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Obama Joins Bush, Three Living Former Presidents

U.S. President George W. Bush (center) meets with President-elect Barack Obama (second-left), former President Bill Clinton (second-right), former President Jimmy Carter (right) and former President George H.W. Bush (left) in the Oval Office today.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images

-- Geoffrey Bennett

Tags: President-elect Obama

1:02 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Federal TV Converter Program Goes Broke

We hope you got yours early. The federal program which provides vouchers for digital television converters has run out of money.

More via PC World:

The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration's TV Converter Box Coupon Program, with a $1.3 billion budget from Congress, has been depleted, the NTIA announced. Starting last Sunday, U.S. residents applying for a digital TV converter box voucher were put on a waiting list, the agency said.

On Feb. 17, U.S. television stations will stop broadcasting analog signals and switch to digital, as required by Congress. Many U.S. residents who own TVs receiving signals over the air, through an antenna, will no longer be able to receive TV signals, although some newer TV sets are capable of receiving digital broadcasts.

Customers of cable or satellite TV service will not be affected; they already have digital converter boxes as part of their service.

Flashback: Will Your TV Go Dark In February?

-- Geoffrey Bennett

Tags: TV converter program

12:38 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Should Burris' Senate Appointment Be Honored?

Illinois U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris leaves the U.S. Capitol, seen right, in Washington after he was turned away when he appeared to take his seat.

Charles Dharapak, AP Photo

Amid a chaotic scene on Capitol Hill today, the Secretary of the Senate denied former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris from taking the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Burris, 71, said he was told "my credentials are not in order and will not be accepted." Speaking to reporters, Burris added he was "not seeking to have any type of confrontation."

Here's more from the Associated Press:

It was a spectacular demonstration of political gridlock at a time when the Democratic-controlled Congress has been eagerly awaiting Obama's inauguration while nervously anticipating tense work on a much-discussed stimulus program to steady the faltering economy.

An attorney for Burris, Timothy W. Wright III, said that "our credentials were rejected by the secretary of the Senate. We were not allowed to be placed in the record books. We were not allowed to proceed to the floor for purposes of taking oath. All of which we think was improperly done and is against the law of this land. We will consider our options and we will certainly let you know what our decisions will be soon thereafter."

Asked what his options were, Wright said there possibly could be a court challenge and he said that Burris also would continue to talk to the Senate leadership.

Should the Senate honor Burris' appointment by embroiled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich? What do you think of Burris' Senate pursuit?

On today's show, Farai Chideya gets an update from NPR's Cheryl Corley and professor Sherrilyn Ifill.

-- Geoffrey Bennett

Tags: President-elect Barack Obama | Roland Burris | Senate

12:10 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

The Race Card? Blagojevich Picks Roland Burris

Former Ill. Attorney General Roland Burris, right, takes questions after Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced Burris as his choice to fill President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008 in Chicago.

AP Photo/Paul Beaty

On Tuesday, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich went against Senate Democrat demands and appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat left open by Barack Obama.

Burris, an African American, was never seriously considered for the post, but is highly regarded in the state political arena. Now, some argue that Blagojevich is playing the race card with this decision. His gamble? That no U.S. Senator would be willing to deny an African American a seat at the table, despite the dubious circumstances.

U.S. Congressman Bobby L. Rush didn't make things any easier, appearing alongside the Governor and Burris at their Tuesday press conference. Supporting Roland Burris, Rush said, don't "hang or lynch the appointee, as you try to castigate the appointer." This racially charged language heated up the issue, even managing to wrangle in President-elect Obama -- who wasn't eager to directly respond to Rush.

According to The Huffington Post:

"I believe the best resolution would be for the governor to resign his office and allow a lawful and appropriate process of succession to take place."

"They cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat," Obama said in a statement. "I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Governor Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it."

Burris said Wednesday that Blagojevich "has the constitutional and statutory authority to make those appointments ... and I have absolutely nothing to do with those problems."

"I will not be tainted because the governor has followed the constitution," Burris told NBC. "And I am confident that when all is said and done, I will be a United States senator."

Naturally, the seat should go to the most qualified person. While Roland Burris may be that person, time will tell if his quasi-appointment by Blagojevich will even be recognized by state officials (let alone by the Senators on Capitol Hill).

-- Geoffrey Gardner

Tags: Barack Obama | Blago | Blagojevich | Illinois Senate seat | Rod Blagojevich | Roland Burris

11:13 AM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Share Your Memories Of 2008

Nobody can say that 2008 was uneventful. As the year draws to a close, it's a good time to look back on what was ...

We were inspired by an historic election, swashbuckled by Somali pirates, and scared by the threat of a new Great Depression.

We reached out to each other with "terrorist fist jabs," fell for a Bigfoot hoax, and rooted for Michael Phelps.

We learned way too much about Eliot "Client #9" Spitzer, not enough about where our tax dollars are going, and just enough about Governor Sarah Palin.

Yes, we've been through a lot over the past 12 months.

Please share your memories of 2008 with us below. To help out, feel free to look back at what News & Views was blogging about throughout the year:

• January 2008 Archive
• February 2008 Archive
• March 2008 Archive
• April 2008 Archive
• May 2008 Archive
• June 2008 Archive
• July 2008 Archive
• August 2008 Archive
• September 2008 Archive
• October 2008 Archive
• November 2008 Archive
• December 2008 Archive

-- Geoffrey Gardner

Tags: 2008 memories | Barack Obama | Election 2008 | Henry Paulson | Sarah Palin | new year | new year memories

11:40 AM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

'Barack The Magic Negro' Causes RNC Rift

Chip Saltsman was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's campaign manager during the Republican presidential primaries.

AP Photo

On Friday, news reports revealed former Tennessee GOP leader Chip Saltsman -- who also ran Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign -- had distributed a Christmas CD to Republican National Committee members, featuring a song called "Barack the Magic Negro." Based on the tune "Puff the Magic Dragon," the parody has hit all the right nerves on both sides of the aisle.

Naturally, Democrats aren't amused and Republican leaders are left scampering this week to either defend or reject the ballad. The RNC is currently seeking a new chairman and the row over this song has seemingly created a divide within the party leaders vying for the job.

Chip Saltsman, who is up for the chairmanship himself, released a statement saying that "our party leaders should ... refuse to pander to the media's desire for scandal."

On Politico.com, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell -- who is black -- has also come to Saltsman's defense.

"When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal," he said. "All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people."

Not everyone agrees with Ken Blackwell. According to CBS News:

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, who has reportedly been mulling a run for the RNC chair, released a statement supporting candidates for the chairmanship who have taken a "firm position" on Saltsman's decision to distribute the "racially-insulting song":

"As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation's most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we've seen over the past few days," he said. "I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior."

"Actions such as the distribution of this CD, regardless of intent, only serves to promote divisiveness and distracts us from our common goal of building our party," added Greer.

Here is the song in question (via YouTube):

Let us know what you think.

-- Geoffrey Gardner

Tags: Barack Obama song | Barack magic negro | Chip Saltsman | RNC | magic negro song

12:14 PM ET | permalink

comments () | | e-mail