Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is under fire big time for saying that Barack Obama could be president because he is light-skinned and doesn't speak with a Negro dialect unless he has to. Those comments were made in either 2006 or 2007; the timeline is in dispute and that's not really important in this situation. What is clear is that Reid unwisely voiced points that were thought by many. Except for that antiquated 'Negro' terminology, Senator Reid made the same assessment a lot of whites probably made and some blacks also; let's not kid ourselves.

To be politically attractive, candidates are advised to look and speak a certain way. Candidate Barack Obama fit that mold and his Ivy League education sealed the deal. Am I a Harry Reid fan? No but I'm not hating on him either. I also don't think his comments were nearly as racially-charged as Trent Lott's 'Dixiecrat' comment, that 'Barack the Magic Negro' song and controversial comments by others.

The GOP is attempting to keep this topic in the media by claiming 'double standard' in the treatment of Republicans who have made racial comments compared to Democrats who do the same. Should Harry Reid resign? No. Is Harry Reid a racist? I don't know. Is he out-of-touch? Absolutely --- as are the folks over at the Census Bureau.

Here is President Obama's strategy on the rapid deployment of U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

Do you agree with the President's decision?

The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Remarks of President Barack Obama -- As Prepared for Delivery
United States Military Academy at West Point
December 1, 2009

Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our armed services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan – the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my Administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion. It is an honor for me to do so here – at West Point – where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.

To address these issues, it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, nineteen men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.

The excitement brought to American politics by President Barack Obama continued at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night. There may have been more celebrities in attendance than there were journalists and politicos but President Obama has attained super rock star status. It is what it is.

Much discussion of the evening will probably address the president's comedic style. President Obama's jokes were very good. He's very much reminiscent of late night talk show legend Johnny Carson in his delivery.

On the other hand comedian Wanda Sykes was brutal and, in some cases, brutally honest. Too much so for some people. She ragged on just about everyone in a powerful American political position. Her kidney failure comment about Rush Limbaugh and abstinence comment about Sarah Palin may have crossed the line. What do you think?

There's an ongoing poll on MSBNC asking readers to give President Obama a grade on his performance thus far. As you may know, he is fast approaching the end of his first 100 days as leader of the United States of America.

Here's a snapshot of the voting so far.

These results don't comport with the results of the CNN poll or other poll results I've seen but we'll check the results again Wednesday morning.

If you feel so compelled, vote now. The President's first 100 days expire on Wednesday, April 29; be sure to watch his news conference that evening.

The Republican National Committe is attempting to upgrade its public image with the election of Michael Steele to head the GOP for the next two years. Do you think Steele will help the GOP attract minority voters?

© 2009, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net

Vote for this blog for Best Political Blog and for Best Blog Design in the 2009 Bloggers Choice Awards.

You can say what you like about embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, but his appointment of Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama was a brilliant move.

As expected, race has come to the forefront of this situation and Blagojevich can just sit back and watch the Democratic Party leaders squirm while tries to save himself. Now that President-elect Obama has gone on record siding with Democrat senate leaders, this political circus will continue.

It’s unfortunate that this situation has come to this; the people of Illinois are the real losers.

The Republican Party is obviously in rebuild mode after the shellacking they took in the last General Election. The move to claim the title of leader of the Party seems to have begun with moves by Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.

Even if the Party is not addressing the issue, the campaign for 2010 2012 has already begun. Who do you think will be the next leader of the Republican Party? Take the poll below. If your choice is not listed, be sure to let me know in the comments section.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin tried to appear tough and knowledgeable during last night's interview with ABC-TV's Charlie Gibson. She succeeded at neither.

While I wouldn't describe Palin's interview as a flop, clearly she is not ready to lead the United States or serve as its vice president. Palin was obviously nervous and uncomfortable. The confident demeanor she projected when delivering speeches to supporters, quickly turned to cockiness --- not a good look.

Palin hedged on a few questions and was defensive on others. While Gibson has been criticized for being unfairly hard on her in his questioning, I think he was far too easy on her. He was exasperated and it showed.

Many news reports on the interview mention her bungling of the question about the Bush Doctrine. She didn't know the answer and didn't know how to get out of answering the question without looking bad. She tried but it didn't work.

Of the most concern to me was not her response on the Bush Doctrine or being able to see Russia from her state; what bothered me the most was her response that she didn't blink when McCain offered her the vice-president spot on his ticket.

Regardless of gender or Party affiliation, I'd like to think that a potential candidate would have taken some time to think about it and discuss it with their family. Either Palin's exaggerating again or we have another hot head on our hands; one John McCain is enough.

You can find differing opinions of Palin's performance during the interview. I advise you to see for yourself and listen with an objective ear.

© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net

Since the announcement of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as Senator John McCain's running mate on the Republican ticket, she has dominated media coverage. While she has electrified the GOP conservative base, a number of work-related scandals and family issues have cast a negative light on her.

Here are the results of last week's poll on Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate.

© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net

Here are the results of last week's poll on Senator Obama's selection of Senator Joe Biden as the bottom half of the Democratic presidential ticket.

Whether this was a good choice may be revealed soon since the GOP VP choice of Sarah Palin has been thrown in the mix. Stay tuned and stay informed.