Fans of The Oprah Winfrey Show got more than they bargained for when they tuned in Monday afternoon. Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill joined Oprah in Washington for a special appearance, where Jill let a mammoth of a secret slip.

In a chatty mood, Jill’s words were flowing faster than her rationale when she said, “Joe had the choice of  being secretary of state or vice president.” The vice president-elect promptly shushed his wife. (Check out the video above to see the whole embarrassing incident for yourself.)

Now Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander denies Jill’s account: “To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only- to be his running mate, and the vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer,” she said in an e-mail to reporters.

Okay, so they’re denying it. It’s not like we haven’t seen this routine before, but Jill’s slip does bring a few questions to mind. For starters:

Would Joe Biden make a better secretary of state than Hilliary Clinton? Will Clinton supporters resent the fact that she was Obama’s second choice? And what was Jill Biden thinking?! You tell me.

-Ashley

P.S. Couldn’t she have waited until after the inauguration to open her mouth? I would LOVE to know what Joe said when they got home. No doubt the political analysts are going to run wild with this one.

Barack Obama opened up to PARADE magazine this week, when the mag published an open letter from the president-elect to his daughters Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10. (Click here to read the whole letter.)

In the letter Obama acknowledges that he’s been a bit of an absentee dad over the last two years and that he knows the future famous first puppy won’t make up for all the time they’ve spent apart.

But Obama says he has his reasons for embarking the family on this journey. The family man says he wants better schools, the chance for children to attend college no matter what their financial situation, and for all children to get good jobs with benefits that allow them to “retire with dignity.” It’s his vision for American and his own children’s future. Don’t you wish your dad was this cool?
 Hands down, my favorite line of the letter is when he says: “I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours.” How sweet is that?! Obama is going to be a great first father!

What do you think of Obama’s letter to his daughters? How will life in the public eye affect the Obama family? How will having a black family in the White House affect African American society? You tell me.

-Ashley

Hate him or love him, there’s no denying that Barack Obama is hot. Google can barely keep up with the searches for the president-elect and those pictures of him body surfing in Hawaii. He’s got undeniable appeal. So what is it about this 47-year-old father of two that’s got America salivating over more than his next political move? Well the votes are in, and people say the top three factors that contribute to Obama’s hotness are:

1. He’s a great role model. 2. He’s charismatic. 

 3. He’s so darn cute.

What do you think contributes to Obama’s hot factor?

-Ashley

P.S. Isn’t he dreamy? Move over Michelle, “I’ve got a crush on Obama.”

Did Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich seriously just appoint Ronald Burris as Obama’s Senate replacement?!! Is he on crack? Why on earth would he try to appoint the Illinois attorney general to this position when he himself is facing federal charges?!

Never-mind that the Secretary of State of Illinois won’t certify the appointment. Never-mind that Senate Democrats say they won’t seat him. NEVER-MIND that Blagojevich is out on bail right now and shouldn’t be appointing anyone to anything. We’re just supposed to look past all of this crap and see the qualified candidate that Burris is. Yeahhh…right.

You know what this makes me think? Blagojevich is no stranger to illegal substances, because this man had to be under the influence of something when he made this move. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: You’re not fooling anybody Blagojevich. Clearly this is just a ploy to buy himself more time and force Burris into the hot-seat. I’ve got three words for you buddy: political corruption charges. And they render everything you say and do as null and void in my eyes.

What do you think of the appointment? Can we seriously consider Burris as a qualified replacement or has he been tainted by his Blagojevich connection? Is Blagojevich going to jail? You tell me.

-Ashley

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Posted by Ashley Slayton for BET You(th) Vote

Whatever happened to that guy who threw his shoes at the president? The Internet is still buzzing about Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi, who managed to hurl two loafers at President Bush during a speech before he was tackled. It may look bleak for al-Zaidi, who’s facing up to two years in prison for disrespecting a foreign leader, but millions of online users have found the silver lining in a video game inspired by his short-lived shoe throwing incident.

In Sock and Awe, players are given 30 seconds to hurl as many shoes as they can at the president. President Bush’s superior dodging skills may have caused al-Zaidi shoes to miss him by an inch, but gamers have managed to sock the virtual Bush in the face over 46 million times! The site even lists the top 10 Bush-shoeing countries. (The United States ranked number one, of course.)

Visit www.sockandawe.com to take your shot at the president today. I mean, come on! How often in your lifetime will you be able to say that you hit President Bush in the face with a shoe? It’s therapeutic really. I found myself shouting random things at the screen, such as “this is for those so-called weapons of mass destruction”  and “this is for that sixty dollars I spent on gas, you jerk!” I could go on, but I think you get the point.

What will you shout when you sock President Bush with your shoe? Is the possible sentence al-Zaidi is facing too steep? Since the U.S. is ranked number one on the list of Bush-shoeing countries, what does that say about Bush’s term in office? You tell me.

Ashley

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If there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is confident. Even after being arrested … even after the president-elect called for his resignation … even after the media ran those wiretapped conversations into the ground, the governor is confident. 

Blagojevich made an appearance Friday requesting to be given the same rights that all Americans are entitled: the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. He also announced he had no intention of resigning.

“I will fight. I will fight. I will fight until I take my last breath,” Blagojevich said. ”And I’m not going to quit a job that people hired me to do because of false accusations and a political lynch mob.”

Who knew the governor was an actor as well as a politician? But let’s not dwell on the dramatic delivery of this statement and simply call it what it is, rubbish. His own Lieutenant Governor, federal prosecutors, and the president-elect are screaming for his resignation. Well I’ve got news for you Blagojevich: You’re not fooling me. That was a very nice piece of “political theater,” but it’s going to take a lot more than that to prove your case. I suppose you expect us to just turn a deaf ear to the recorded conversations of you  blatantly expressing your intent to sell Barack Obama’s senate seat? To sit here and say that you’ve done nothing wrong when the evidence clearly suggests otherwise, is to contradict yourself.

I’m with Obama on this one. I say we kick the double dealing, corrupt governor to the curb.

Are you buying the governor’s story? Should Blagojevich resign? You tell me.

-Ashley

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Check out this video: Prairie View A & M 2008 Election Night

I don’t know how you spent your election night (I was curled up on the couch with family) but it was likely a night you’ll remember forever. Browsing myspace.com, I ran across this video by Alecea Rush, a friend of mine at Prairie View A&M University. It pretty much sums up how youth voters are feeling right now. Ecstatic, energized, empowered, and feeling like we can make a difference. There’s only one question I’ve been asking myself since November 4. What’s next?

How do we keep from becoming a generation of politically savvy young individuals who are just twiddling our thumbs? We’ve mobilized our voices and made a difference, but how do we stay involved? The motivation is there. Young people care about politics and we’ve proved that. Now that the ‘Vote or Die’ hype has died down, will we be virtually ignored until the next election? College tuition, health care and other issues that affect us still exist, and we’ve got to remain vocal about them. So I’m turning the question over to you,

How can we stay involved in politics?

-Ashley

P.S. On of the most important things we can do is stay informed.

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Of all the times to be requesting a background check on the president-elect, now seems like the most inappropriate one ….

Today in Washington, the Supreme Court is discussing taking up a lawsuit that challenges Barack Obama’s right to become president. It’s not Obama’s citizenship that’s up for debate, it’s his birth origins. The Constitution requires all U.S. presidents to be “natural-born” citizens. Sadly, it’s been suggested that Obama’s copy of his Hawaiian  birth certificate is an elaborate forge and that he was truly born in Kenya. Of all the bull that I’ve heard during this election season, that by far tops the rest. That, is grade A bull.

The case has been distributed by none other than Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, who just happens to be only the second African American to sit on the nation’s highest court. (I’ll skip the obvious irony here.) Since the suit was referred by Thomas, it’s picked up a lot more media attention than expected.

I’m sure this issue will gain momentum as the discussions continue, but really, is all this necessary? Haven’t Obama’s origins been investigated and prodded to death enough already? If there is some missing gap, shouldn’t that have already been taken care of during this ridiculously long campaign? America’s got more important things on the brain. Like what to do with the Big Three … So give it a rest Mr. Thomas. What have you got against Barack Obama anyway?

-Ashley

How do you feel about the Supreme Court discussions? Should Obama’s origins even be an issue at this point? Could his birth certificate be forged?

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…the White House Cabinet, that is. Today President-elect Barack Obama named New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as his choice for secretary of Commerce and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. I was actually rooting for Richardson at the onset of the primaries. With all the squabbling going on between Clinton and Obama, and John Edwards finding himself waist-deep in drama, it was easy to turn to the cool headed governor as a potential leader of our nation. But alas, the governor got lost in the media hype surrounding the three celeb-status candidates and was quickly knocked out of the running.

Obama said the New Mexico governor would be “a key strategist” during his term and praised his diplomatic and hands-on experience. Richardson is a former secretary of Energy, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a congressman from New Mexico. If his resume still doesn’t leave you convinced he’s qualified for the job, his view of our nation should.

“It will be a great honor to serve a president that recognizes America’s diversity is its greatest strength,” Richardson said.

Now that’s what I’m talking about! He hit the needle on the head. Plus, Obama’s Cabinet is looking a bit more colorful than his predecessors. It’s about time our government became a reflection of its citizens. But what do you think?

Is Obama’s colorful Cabinet receiving more media attention than necessary? Is Bill Richardson the best choice for the job?

-Ashley

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Minutes ago CNN projected Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. All around the country and the world people are celebrating. I’m so overcome with emotion right now. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or just sit here in awe of this moment. Maybe I should ‘whoo-sah.’

Take a moment and revel in this victory for America. Because he did it!!! A person of color will be the next president of the United States! Yes WE CAN!!!! OBAMA ‘08!!!!!!! Anything is possible…anything. In the words of Soledad O’Brien, “This is the symbol of a new America.” A new America that the You(th) Vote helped shape. Our future is bright. No scratch that, our future is blazing. My congratulations to Barack Obama on his win and to John McCain for putting up an excellent fight.

You(th) Vote!!!!!

P.S. Let’s hope Florida doesn’t pull any funny stuff.

 -Ashley

UPDATE: JOHN MCCAIN JUST GAVE A SPEECH CONGRATULATING BARACK OBAMA.

My respect for John McCain just tripled. He encouraged his supporters not to dwell on his defeat but to focus on moving forward. John McCain is a man who has served his country in more ways than one for almost half a century and he will continue to do so.  The crowd wasn’t happy, and neither was McCain, judging from the tears in his eyes, but he was gracious and eloquent. That is one of the best speeches I have ever heard him give. Weigh in and join the discussion!

UPDATE:  BARACK OBAMA JUST GAVE HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH!

And what a speech it was. He motivated Americans to come together and acknowledged that the challenges ahead would take hard work and dedication. He reached out to McCain supporters and congratulated McCain for his contributions to the country. His speech evoked a lot of emotions in me and so many thoughts, but mostly it made me proud. Proud that our government is beginning to reflect its people. Tonight is a night to celebrate America’s step forward in the right direction.