SEE ALSO: Will New Hampshire Have An Impact?

Best known among international audiences for his 1994 song “Seven Seconds” with Neneh Cherry, N’Dour won a Grammy in 2005 for the album Egypt. He performs a style of traditional music known as mbalax.

Now at age 52, N’Dour, who has never held elected office before, hopes to defeat presidential incumbent Abdoulaye Wade.

This summer, Senegalese protestors took to the streets to rally against Wade’s efforts to implement constitutional changes that would have helped ensure him a third term. As a result, Wade, 85, has backed down from seeking those changes, but is still running in the election.

N’Dour told TIME magazine his reasons for throwing his hat in the ring and what he hopes to do if he’s elected.

Why are you running?

Youssou N’Dour: Firstly, I am a citizen of this country and I see the situation here deteriorating. Rights and civil liberties are being degraded. I cannot sit back and watch them diminish further. Secondly, more than a million people have, directly or indirectly, called for my candidacy. And thirdly, I do not have confidence in the way elections are conducted in this country. My joining the race will shed some light on it, bring some attention, some transparency.

What’s your vision for Senegal?

After my Presidency, this is the Senegal you will see: a moderate state, not a huge, encumbering state; where children are going to school; where AIDS and malaria programs are effective; where the country is clean and managed in an environmentally friendly way, just as well as Rwanda; more democracy, good governance; free, fair and transparent elections, safeguarded by an independent electoral commission; and robust institutions, which I think are the key to democracy.

Presumably it helps being a superstar when you’re running for office?

It helps. But it also brings a challenge. I have to change people’s perceptions of me from a superstar, as you put it, to someone with a credible story and with something meaningful to say. I have to convince the voters that I am sincere and have something significant to offer.

Read more here.

Entering the race just a few weeks before elections, it’s hard to gauge N’Dour’s chances as he joins an already crowded field of more than a dozen candidates. Some critics argue that N’Dour should have thrown his support behind another opposition candidate to oust Wade who has come under fire for years of accusations of corruption, nepotism and attacks against personal freedoms.

However, where he may be lacking in political and academic credentials, N’Dour has been politically active. He’s worked on Amnesty International events with other pop stars like Sting and Bruce Springsteen and as an U.N. goodwill ambassador, supporting anti-malaria campaigns and awareness about the crisis in the Darfur.

N’Dour told the New York Times:

“It’s true that I haven’t pursued higher education,” but “I have proved my competence, commitment, rigor and efficiency time and time again,” he said. “I have studied at the school of the world. Travel teaches as much as books.”

In fact, N’Dour’s far from the only pop star to seek office. With varying degrees of success from Wyclef Jean to Ruben Blades, singers have eyed the political arena.

Now it’s N’Dour’s turn. What do you think of his chances?

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I have reluctantly held my tongue on Herman Cain for quite some time now, but enough is enough. The “contender” for U.S. president is a comical Republican presidential candidate, and a disgrace to the Black community.

But what makes my skin boil is the painful reminder that Cain is a graduate (and member of the board of trustees) of my Alma Mater, Morehouse College (pause for unanimous gasp). Yes folks, a Black Republican is an alumnus from the only all-male Historically Black College and University in the country.

Now of course, I’m not saying it’s implausible for a Black man to be a Republican, because there are many of them roaming our American soil (sigh). However, the mere fact that Cain is the product of an institution that fosters social advocacy and a focus on the locality of the Black race, one would presume his political ideology to be one of progressive liberalism. There’s absolutely no component in the Republican agenda that benefits the African American community in any shape or form.

Personally, I think Cain’s conservative, “fiscal responsible” political stance is  influenced by one thing and one thing only: money. He’s a business multi-millionaire who is only seeking to preserve his wealth and, additionally, procure a little notoriety. Cain doesn’t care about the American people, nor does he care about the African American community.

Just a couple of days ago it was reported that Cain claimed he was called a racist because he decided not to stay on the “Democratic plantation.” He added, “it may shock you but some Black people can think for themselves,” mocking the Black community for their strong backing of President Obama. Cain has some nerve to indict African Americans let alone allude that they, unlike him, are not thinking beings because they’re Democrats. It’s absurd. I think Cain is a political coon, yet I wouldn’t call into question his thinking skills–okay maybe I would.

This is the same Cain who said that as president he would not sign any legislation longer than three pages, criticizing Obama’s 2,700-page health care bill. In other words, if Cain was president we would essentially have no legislation (in his defense, he retracted that statement). This just comes to show how ignorant and ill-equipped Cain is. Being the CEO of a pizza company does not qualify you to be president of the United States, and he has proven that theory.

It’s no wonder why Morehouse has not, and will not ever publicly endorse nor boast for Cain. He is simply put, a joke.

RELATED:

Tea Party’s Herman Cain Announcing Presidential Campaign

7,000+ Members Stand Against Racism

BP Member Rosko_24_7 says, “The recent issue with the NY Post and their cartoon was just the tip of the iceberg. Racism is rampant in the US and all over the world. We need to stand up against it.”

BP Member Rosko_24_7

To add your name to the Member Petition Against Racism (NY Post Chimp/Stimulus Cartoon) click here. For our editorial on the NY Post Cartoon situation click here. For the latest updates on this controversy click here. To add your comments and on the situation click here.

David Peart
I support this petition because the time has long come to say enough. It has never been acceptable to engage in this sort of blatant disrespect, but it does appear that there is an element out there who believes that they deserve a free pass on such behavior. They are wrong, and maybe the now unfortunate necessity of this papers demise will educate the last stubborn vestiges of such bigoted ignorance that their lack of self control is not a birthright the nation are obligated to endure absent rebuke.

Yvonne Jackson
The placement of the cartoon is irrelevant. The simple fact that it is a chimp and it references the “stimulus bill” identifies the chimp as Obama. Together with the long history racist of equating black people with animals makes the cartoon utterly inexcusable as merely “free speech.” It is hate speech plain and simple, so full of hate in fact that its author fails to realize that it doesn’t even rise to cleverness.

Shani Porter
I support this petition to fullest because the cartoon made me very sick to my stomach. Also it made me very disturbed by people having the audacity of publishing this racist drawing. If it was any other president, this picture would’ve never been created.

Gary Shaw
I support this petition. I suggest also that we boycott Fox 5 and the NY Post and push for their financial sponsors to yank their support from them.

Malcolm Mccormack
I support this petition.Because the New york Post has being doing this for a Long time & geting away with it… Time to shut them Down.

Lillie May Jackson
I support this petition It’s the same song, different verse, Why can’t we ( Americans) be like children, accepting of everyone!

Richard Packard
I support this petition. I have continued to spread the message about FOX news and the way they have historically treated black people. This is good work. Truly, Rick Packard, Chicago

Carmen Pullen
I support this petition. the idea that something like this still occurs in 2009 is absolutley ridiculous. This needs to stop.

Chicago Rounder
I DO NOT support this petition. I am not offended by the cartoon and believe that the time and energy of Black men and women in this country is better spent on real atrocities such as addressing violence and drugs in our neighborhoods, educating our children and ourselves, and promoting high moral values in our community. A so-called “racist cartoon” is the least of our worries.

W. Parham
I completely support this petition. And would like nothing better then to see The New York Post, The Boston Herald as well as the Fox Network boycotted from now on because this is not the first racist or insensitive comments either of those Newspapers have made and it won’t be the last unless something is done.

Raine Stefens
I support this petition. This is not acceptable for a brighter future. Let these hurtful hateful thoughts go. Thing about racists is that if they got their way and all other races disappered … they would start killing each other off

C. Henderson
I support this petition and the view that the cartoon may have been created with different intent then received BUT I do not accept the cartoon. The cartoon by itself is acceptable. The words by itself is acceptable. Placing them together is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Blackman Whoaint Bitter
This is coming from a black man… Get over it! Nothing is worse than black people who have no clue of what those before them went through, getting on their high “dats racist” horse every time they sense a HINT of racism. If you ever expect things to get better in this country, you need to start being part of the solution, and not part of the problem!

CHERYLL MARTIN
I support this petition. I am totally outraged with this cartoon. There is no way the post can clean this up, it pure unadulterated racism.

Terrance Perry
I support this petition. After all the comradery that was displayed at the signing in of our new president. It shows that ignorance is still ramped in our country. It goes to show that we still have a long way to go, when people can still get away with showing racism in a public venue. Im very dissappointed in but not angry. I still expect this behavior from some people.

Maurice Russell
I support this petition.I can’t believe that anyone would think this is funny. Shame on anyone who does. Blacks, Whites, Asia,Hispanics, and everyone else voted Obama in..Not just one race. People Grow UP!!!!!

shawn white
I support this petition.And further decry the notion that an apology is enough.Fire those involved or shut them down enough is enough.

RON HARRELL
I support this petition. SO LET ME GET THIS RIGHT. SOMEONE ALLOWED THIS 2 REACH THE PAPER’S…THE EDITORS ALLOWED IT THREW..AND THE PRESIDENT OF WHATEVER JOURNALIST COMPANY LET IT HAPPEN…TELL’S YOU ALOT ABOUT THE WAY THEY RUN THERE BUISNESS!!!SEEM’S 2 ME LIKE THEIR THE MONKEY’S AND THEIR BUILDING IS THE CIRCUS..LOVE A TICKET TO THAT SHOW!!..LOL

Destiny N
I support this petition. That is a nasty message to the young people and to everyone out there that sees this. There was no need for this cartoon. If the creator wanted a significance to the actual chimp that got shot, he should not have added that specific quote. Adding the quote is what made it racist, and i am white.

James Modeste
I support this petition in its scope. My outrage extends to the mainstream media that considers this type of freedom of speech acceptable.

Sterling Williams
I support this petition. In light of the fact that President Obama just signed the stimulus bill I find it to be of very poor taste and not funny at all with the inferences that can be drawn from the comments in the caption.

Devon Dassaw
I support this petition because the time is now for a major change on race across this entire country. Accept the diversity or get out. Remember your ancestors are mixed with black, white, latin roots, and more.

Amirah Wint
I support this petition and feel very outraged and hurt by the ignorance we as a Black people have to face. There is a fine line between “freedom of speech” and hatred. The NY Post definitely crossed it.

David Ortez
I support this petition. This is a racially charged cartoon aimed directly at president Barrack Obama and African-Americans everywhere. There is no way to justify this the image drawn by the racist N.Y Post and we will not stand for it. A public apology is in order by all parties involved in this disgusting show of bigotry. There is a thin line between freedom of speech and prejudice…and has been crossed.

Ivan Gainous
I support this petition. That cartoon is apalling and insensitive. It shows the underlying thoughts of some people’s prejudice and hatred.

Alysia Orengo
I support this petition. I can’t believe this type of behavior and to think a newspaper actually allowed this to be printed. Are you kidding me?

avonia taylor
I support this petition. Not only is the said cartoon a disgrace to President Obama the said cartoon is a disgrace towards the entire country. If a News paper company can disrespect our president so the world can see, other people outside the U.S can feel the exact same way, but possibly go further with their hate. America is suppose to be the Land of the free and the home of the brave , but the only thing i see within the post and others since the election is that they’re free to say whatever and brave to do it without any care. With that being said I as a young female feel we should do the same, but in a classy and a well manner as when Our President ran for Office. There I am more than grateful I was able to take part in signing this petition. Yes we can, Yes we did, and Yes we’ll rise!!!!!

Ben Jealous steps through the metal detector in the Hart Senate Office building on Capitol Hill. He removes his black baseball cap and jacket, hunching over as he affixes a gold NAACP pin to his lapel before entering a press conference in support of Attorney General nominee Eric Holder. It’s January, and the 35-year-old Jealous has been president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for a mere four months.

As he stands behind the podium, rubbing shoulders with senators and other civil-rights leaders, his gaze drifts to the space between his shoes. After a few moments, he realizes he’s on camera, and his chin jerks up as he rocks back on his heels a bit. When he takes the mic, he puts aside his prepared remarks and in a soft voice reminds the assembled crowd of reporters about the many civil-rights violations under the Bush administration. “With the Bill of Rights in tatters, with the Department of Justice in tatters, we need a man who can hold it together, and Holder is that man,” Jealous says confidently. He halts and squints for a moment. “We need a person who can hold it together. Holder is that person.”

Read the Whole Story

If any of us were looking intensely for the moment that President Obama differentiated himself from the Eurocentric, Western apologist presidents of the past, he had it in his first official interview. Al-Arabiya broadcast the newly minted head of state speaking in realistic terms about the potential for renewed mutual respect between the Arab world and the U.S. When the events of 9/11 tested our understanding of enemy extremists lurking abroad, that confusion awakened anew an anti-foreign sentiment that America scarcely needed. For all of our years of domestic racism against American Indians and enslaved Africans, we had similar spells of distrust for Europe’s first immigrants, Catholics, Asians, Latinos and every possible shade and creed in between. The problem with distrust in our melting pot is that it impedes our ability to work and to welcome new workers to our cause as a nation.

Islamic fundamentalists have espoused the separatist ideologies of violence and calculated terror as a response to the financial exclusivity of Western powers. That’s not to say that violence is ever warranted, but it does explain, in part, the continued animosity in that region. Barack Obama wears his mixed heritage on his sleeve, the man of multiple races and of multiple nationalities. His boyhood schooling in Indonesia was cause for speculative fear during the campaign, but now he can use it as a strength. Turning so-called weaknesses into strengths has been his prime asset as Americans come face to face with the demons of a divided past. Still, who could have thought that he would be so willing to state his position on Muslim affairs a week into the presidency? If he’s demonstrated anything thus far, it’s that our reputation of tolerance has given us more leverage in the battle for world peace than our defensiveness. Few presidents, even the scholars among them, would admit to reading the Qu’ran or having the openness to sort through its lessons. President Obama has changed the trend for power-grabbing nations, extending the olive branch of humility and respect where there was only vitriol and paranoia before.

The United States remains tethered indefinitely to Israeli interest, and acts as a moral enforcer on the behalf of several other nations who back the nation-state. The politics of choosing sides in complex international struggle belies our usually moderate stance here at home. Indeed the imperatives of a peacekeeping stance since World War II has made America a timely interloper and a vicious ally to single-minded dictators. We proceed with caution when millions suffer, afraid to undo the sovereign institutions that sanctioned their oppression. We act with bold reprise when there is a money interest attached to the moral dilemma. We cannot give justice over to a sliding scale, or make our judgments skew only toward historic friends. 

The parallel destinies of Christian and Muslim faiths demand we give respect to the billions of Muslim followers who have no intention of harming innocents. However, in our fear complex — fueled in part by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s militance — we have alienated the entire Muslim world for the sins of their brothers. As the Taliban weakens, and their internal disagreements grow after years of perfunctory hostile attacks, we might do better to win the hearts and minds of the young Muslims who have not formed an unforgiving opinion of the United States. The Muslim Americans who attend college, work in our economy, strive for similar marks of achievement represent a group of invaluable citizens who will soon make the call for equal rights to match their contributions. In fact, Muslim American population growth rivals that of the Black and Latino communities in the making of a new darker nation. The Muslim nations with a doctrine of peace and tolerance will not hesitate to join the United States if our motto echoes those feelings. In his language about the ongoing relationship with the Muslim world, the President has emphasized respect and common ground where fearful verbs had once dominated. The more we attempt to force the concerns of Palestine, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq out of our shared conversation of cooperative existence, the more likely it is that we’ll miss out on the unimaginable resources those countries have to offer.  

Sadly, we live in a disjointed America of religious factions, gender teams and apprehensive admixture. The election season typified the still furious schisms between the progressive (if naive) parts of our nation who prefer an end to social division, and the conservative wary parts who look to distinguish between “real” American values and false ones. At a base level, Muslims are still largely a brown people. Although the slim majority of whites in America is a fading reality, its population has all the powerful initiatives of a ruling class and the attendant traditions of a transitioning empire. As with any empire in flux, we will see the threat of fascist tendencies and the wounds of oppression come out through talking heads and dubious news networks. President Barack Obama might be deemed a Muslim sympathizer the way that Lincoln was deemed a Negro sympathizer. Neither connotation was positive. For his efforts to ring universal, our populace has to engender not simply tolerance to Muslim Americans, but outreach on a grand scale. George Bush and his son played the impressive ruse of defending Judeo-Christian values in a Judeo-Christian nation while taking the oil money from Muslim nations like Saudi Arabia behind closed doors. It’s that kind of fork-tongued modus operandi that has us in a bind with a growing slice of the human population. To make good on the ideals of democracy, we must unlink it from religious dogma and Eurocentric fraternity. A true democracy recognizes the right of other nations to practice other forms of government. A true democracy thrives on dissent and difference. President Obama has a Christian background and a Muslim background, even though he is a practicing Christian. We should not press him to exclude one because he chooses the other. He balances.

Bad news for comedians. Good news for the rest of us. George W. Bush held his final press conference today. He admitted to mistakes such as the Mission Accomplished banner and WMD’s in Iraq.

WATCH Bush’s Final Press Conference:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave Channel 4′s annual alternative Xmas message this year. In the video he congratulated Barack Obama for becoming the 44th President of the USA and urged Muslims and Christians to work together for brotherhood and unity.

He also made a subtle attack on US foreign policy, saying that Chirst would be against ”bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers” and would have opposed “warmongers, occupiers, terrorists and bullies the world over.”

Watch Ahmadinejad’s Xmas Message Here

I truly believe that we dodged a serious bullet this year with the election of Barack Obama. While I cannot say for certain what would’ve happened if John McCain had won the election this year, here is an educated guess at what might have happened if the philosophies and attitudes of John McCain and Sarah Palin were brought into the current political climate of the US and the world.

November 3rd: McCain airs his Reverend Wright ads in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Sean Hannity plays the infamous “Whitey Tape” from Michelle Obama in which a woman reported to be Michelle Obama says “Whitey is so dumb, he about to elect my light-skinned husband to be president, so we can take over the country, make it socialist, and give away all the white jobs to our Black friends and pal around with terrorists.”

November 4th: Despite leading in the polls and decisively winning the popular vote, Obama loses both Pennsylvania and Ohio due to faulty voting machines in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. There are reports of voter suppression and intimidation in Virginia, Georgia, Ohio and North Carolina.

November 5th: At 2 a.m., Fox News calls the election for McCain. Obama and the Democrats call for a recount. Tensions erupt across the country as  police clash with protesters. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson make public pleas to the government to stop police brutality against the non-violent protesters. The New York Times reveals the Michelle Obama “Whitey” tape to be a fraud.

December 12th: McCain claims that the military will back him if the high court makes Obama president by decree, McCain. Barack Obama, fearing a civil war, concedes the election. The Supreme Court rules that Barack Obama’s request for a recount is illegal.

December 13th: Massive protests erupt in New York, L.A., Detroit and Philadelphia against McCain stealing the election. A twelve-year-old girl is shot in the back of the head by police in Philadelphia during a protest. Barack Obama addresses the nation and gives what the media calls “the speech of a lifetime,” telling his supporters not to give in to violence and to work to build a better America.

December 20th: McCain names Joe Lieberman Secretary of State, General Petraeus Secretary of Defense, advisor Charlie Black Director of Commerce, and Elizabeth Hasslebeck Press Secretary.

December 22: McCain gives his economic plan to the nation. Tax cuts for the rich, increased spending on the military, cutting of social programs, and corporate deregulation are highlights of his agenda. After McCain reveals his plan, the stock market crashes, the Dow landing below 4,000. Companies make massive layoffs the day before Christmas.

January 20th 2009: McCain’s inauguration is marred by a massive protest. 200 people are arrested. McCain is forced to use a decoy car while he uses an alternate route to the White House.

March 5th, 2009: McCain blasts Democrats for leading the country into a depression. He attacks liberal media outlets such as MSNBC and the Huffington Post for being anti-patriotic and driving the nation into chaos. McCain suspends contact between his staff and all news organizations, except for Fox News.

April 25th, 2009: The National Enquirer releases videotape of Cindy McCain kissing former rock-and-roll star and soap opera actor, Rick Springfield. A taped conversation between Cindy McCain and a close friend reveals affairs from both John and Cindy and a “terrible, hypocritical marriage of convenience.”

May 15th, 2009: With the U.S. in a grave financial crisis, John McCain cuts Headstart, after-school programs, welfare and funding to community colleges. Protests erupt across the nation. Social unrest occurs all over urban America.

July 4th, 2009: Citing intelligence, Israeli and American forces attack a suspected nuclear weapons site in Iran. 600 workers are killed in a steel factory.

July 11th, 2009: Iran retaliates against the U.S. and Israel, bombing US bases in Kuwait and Iraq. Iranian-backed Hezbollah invades Israel from the north, and fights a drawn out battle with many military and civilian casualties on both sides.

See more of NewsOne’s BEST OF EVERYTHING 2008!!

July 25th, 2009: John McCain’s son is killed when his warship is attacked by Iranian missiles.

August 12th, 2009: John McCain launches a preemptive nuclear strike on Iran, killing 500,000 civilians in Tehran. Media everywhere declare the start of World War III.

September 11th, 2009: John McCain declares a draft and lowers the age of miliary service eligibility to 16.

September 20th, 2009: Massive student protests against the war. Hundreds of students are arrested at the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University in New York. A 19-year-old college freshman is killed when a tear gas canister fired by police hits her directly in the head at Indiana State University.

September 25th, 2009: Due to massive social unrest, John McCain creates a new position in his cabinet, Secretary of Un-American Affairs, and names Michelle Bachman to the post.

October 17th, 2009: Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid draft up orders for impeachment of John McCain.

November 8th, 2009: Barack Obama is arrested for high treason for trying to overthrow McCain. Obama is detained indefinitely.

November 9th, 2009: More protests around the country. Massive rioting in Philadelphia, Oakland, Detroit and Los Angeles. With no army or national guard to contain the riots, gangs begin take control of the cities.

November 10th, 2009: John McCain declares martial law in the United States and suspends habeas corpus.

November 22nd, 2009: Russia, China, India and Brazil impose sanctions on the United States, citing Human Rights violations and preemptive war with Iran.

December 4th, 2009: John McCain dies of a heart attack during a meeting at the White House.

December 5th, 2009: Sarah Palin is sworn in as President. She says she will continue John McCain’s fight against evil, and calls for the nation to rally against both domestic and foreign terrorists.

December 13th, 2009: Sarah Palin charges Russia and Vladimir Putin with arming the Iranians and trying to cripple the U.S. economy with sanctions.

December 21st: Sarah Palin claims she has had a vision from God to complete the fight of good over evil and threatens a nuclear attack on Russia.

December 22nd: Russia declares war on the United States. Troops are sent into Eastern Europe. The conflict has not gone “nuclear”

January 5th: Russia invades Alaska and is met with no resistance. They begin to move their forces through Canada into the U.S.

January 13th: American citizens, angry at the Republican despots, storm the White House and Capitol Building. Sarah Palin is arrested in a coup by several generals in conjunction with congressional dissenters.

January 20th: Russian, Cuban, Venezuelan and Bolivian forces invade southern Florida and begin making their way to D.C. With all of the U.S. army in the Middle East, they are also met with no resistance. The United States surrenders.

See more of NewsOne’s BEST OF EVERYTHING 2008!!

While artists like Beyonce, Jay Z and Jennifer Hudson all have been rumored to be performing at Barack Obama’s inauguration, the Hampton University Marching Band is one of the first acts confirmed to be invited to perform.

Hampton University is a Historically Black College in Virginia with a proud tradition of great marching bands.

The following is a release from the Presidential Inaugural Committee:

Monday, in keeping with its commitment to hold inaugural events that celebrate our common values and reflect the diversity and history of our great nation, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s Inaugural Committee officially extended an offer to the T.C. Williams High School Army JROTC, the Virginia Military Institute Corps of Cadets, and the Hampton University Marching Force to participate in the 56th Inaugural Parade.

Members of the organizations will join representatives from across the country and our Armed Forces in the historic parade down Pennsylvania Avenue following President-elect Obama’s swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the Capitol.

“I am honored to invite these talented groups and individuals to participate in the Inaugural Parade,” said President-elect Obama.  “These organizations embody the best of our nation’s history, diversity and commitment to service.  Vice President-elect Biden and I are proud to have them join us in the parade.”

Organizations wishing to participate in the parade submitted an application to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC), which then assisted the Presidential Inaugural Committee in reviewing all of the groups’ applications.  All told, 1,382 organizations applied to participate, setting a new standard for interest in marching in the parade.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee was assisted in its selection process by a group of experienced military musicians, who utilized their expertise to help assess the presentation skills of marching bands, musical acts and drill teams.

All participants in the Inaugural Parade are responsible for paying for their own lodging and transportation to and from Washington, D.C.  The Committee has been working closely with area governments and civic organizations to facilitate access to affordable accommodations and would like to encourage citizens from across the country to reach out and help the T.C. Williams High School Army JROTC, the Virginia Military Institute Corps of Cadets, and the Hampton University Marching Force raise the necessary resources to participate in this historic event.

Bush signed an extension of jobless benefits into law just before 8 a.m., as he was preparing to leave the White House for a morning flight to Lima, Peru, to attend the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Congressional leadership rushed the bill to the White House after it was approved Thursday to make the unusually quick bill signing possible before Bush left the country.

Earlier in the year, Bush expressed doubts about further benefit extensions, but he came to support the legislation as new figures showed new claims for jobless aid had reached a 16-year high.

In what could be its last vote of the year, the Senate approved a measure Thursday that would provide up to three months of extra benefits for those whose unemployment benefits have run out or are about to expire. The House passed the bill in October.

“With more Americans filing jobless claims than at any time since the 1992, the Senate’s passage of the House’s unemployment insurance extension legislation will help speed relief to more than 2 million workers who continue to search for new jobs in these difficult economic times,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Those times became a little more difficult Thursday as the Dow Jones industrials dropped more than 400 points for the second straight day, reaching the lowest level in more than five years. In part, investors were discouraged by the inability of the White House and Congress to agree on a plan to provide relief to the battered auto industry.

Democrats had sought to carve out $25 billion from the $700 billion financial rescue plan to keep the auto industry in business through next spring, but the White House and Senate Republicans objected.

Democratic leaders said they were ready to come back into session on Dec. 8, but only if the Big Three automakers first come up with a roadmap showing how federal aid will put them on the path to future economic viability.

At stake are millions of jobs in the auto and related industries that could go under if one or more of the major automakers goes bankrupt.

“We are prepared to come back into session the week of Dec. 8 to help the auto industry,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. “But only if they present a responsible plan that gives us a realistic chance to get the needed votes.”

Other federal actions to resuscitate an economy crippled by home foreclosures, a credit freeze and confusion in financial markets will probably have to wait until January.

President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to make economic recovery the immediate focus of his new administration and both the House and Senate will have increased Democratic majorities eager to support him.

The voice vote in the Senate Thursday came just hours after the Labor Department reported that claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to 542,000. That marked the highest level since July 1992 and provided fresh evidence of a rapidly weakening job market that is expected to get even worse next year. The number of people searching for work has now topped 10 million and the civilian unemployment rate now stands at 6.5 percent, a 14-year high.

About 1.2 million people would exhaust their unemployment insurance by the end of the year without the extension, sponsors said. The measure is estimated to cost about $5.7 billion, although economists put the positive impact at $1.64 for every dollar spent on jobless benefits because the money helps sustain other jobs and restores consumer confidence.

“Extending this basic assistance to help unemployed workers pay their mortgages, feed their families, and heat their homes is a down payment on broader economic recovery legislation that our economy desperately needs,” said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.

The legislation as approved would provide seven additional weeks of payments to people who have exhausted their benefits or will exhaust them soon. Those in states where the unemployment rate is above 6 percent would be entitled to an additional 13 weeks above the 26 weeks of regular benefits. Benefit checks average about $300 a week nationwide.

The benefits provided would be in addition to 13 weeks of federally funded extended benefits Congress approved last June.

Congress has enacted federally funded extensions seven times in the past 50 years during economic slumps — in 1958, 1961, 1972, 1975, 1982, 1991 and 2002.

The White House had earlier opposed a broader $61 billion bill that would have helped states meet Medicaid costs and fund public works projects as well as extend jobless benefits.

But on Thursday White House press secretary Dana Perino urged Congress to move quickly on the benefits bill. “The recent financial and credit crisis has slowed the economy, and it’s having an impact on job creation,” she said.

Unemployment insurance is a joint program between states and the federal government that is almost completely funded by employer taxes, either state or federal.

In yet another bad sign for the economy’s near future, the private, New York-based Conference Board said Thursday that its monthly forecast of economic activity declined 0.8 percent in October. Over the past seven months, the index has declined at a 4.7 percent annual rate, faster than at any other time since 2001.

Most of the decline was due to the drop in stock prices, a decline in building permits and sagging consumer expectations.

Will Smith appeared on Oprah yesterday and talked about his experience finding out that Obama would be president. He says he was with his family and cried uncontrollably.

Watch Will Smith On Oprah After The Jump

Barack and Michelle Obama have made a name for themselves as an overly affectionate political couple. Obama PDA has always been source of much discussion and makes them the most romantic couple the White House has seen in a long time. View more “Obama love” pics under the cut…

The Obamas embrace victory and each other on Election Night.

Wanna see more pictures displaying the love The Obamas have for one another? CLICK HERE to view the BARACK HEARTS MICHELLE PHOTO GALLERY on HelloBeautiful.com!

Attention, Mr. president-elect: Come Inauguration Day, Beyonce is at your service.

“I’m there. I can’t wait. I feel like all of us, we’re ready to do whatever we have to do. Whatever they want _ if they need me to volunteer, they need me to sing, I’m there, and I’m ready,” a giddy Beyonce said in an interview the day after Barack Obama made history in becoming the nation’s first elected black president.

The singer couldn’t stop beaming after Obama’s win over Republican John McCain on Tuesday. In fact, she was so inspired, she wore a blue suit and tie in honor of Obama _ with stiletto heels that were red, white and blue.

“I’ve never been so patriotic!” she laughed. “I’m just beyond excited.”

Beyonce was supposed to be in Japan on Election Night to promote her upcoming album, “I Am … Sasha Fierce,” but decided to postpone it at the last minute.

“I said, ‘What am I doing? I’m completely making a bad decision. I have to go home, I’m gonna kill myself if I’m not home in America,’” she said. “I knew I needed to be here.”

After going with hubby Jay-Z, Diddy, Mary J. Blige and others to states like Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio just before the election, she watched the returns Tuesday night with family and friends in her home. She was not only inspired by Obama, but McCain’s concession as well: “McCain’s speech was so classy.”

The 27-year-old said the win was particularly important for the inspiration it gave to African-Americans.

“My nephew, who is 4, when we say, ‘You can do whatever, you can be whatever,’ it’s not cliche. You have no doubt that it’s not true,” she said.

The election even brought Beyonce to tears, though she says it was the good kind: “I fell asleep crying and smiling at the same time,” she laughed. I woke up with mascara running and a smile on my face!”

Watch Beyonce, Jay Z, and Other Hip Hop Icons Rally Support For Obama

Scott McClellan, President Bush’s former press secretary who angered old colleagues with a tell-all book earlier this year, said Thursday he is backing Barack Obama for president.

McClellan is the second former administration official to back the Democratic candidate this week. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell came out Sunday for Obama.

While Powell chose “Meet the Press” to make his news, McClellan did it at the taping of comedian D.L. Hughley’s new talk show, which is premiering 10 p.m. Saturday on CNN.

Hughley found a little begging helped.

“We are a new show and your endorsement would probably mean a lot,” Hughley said. “But don’t look at the fact that I am black or, no pressure. Endorse somebody, damn it!”

McClellan, who was Bush’s chief spokesman from July 2003 to April 2006, said he’s always planned to support the candidate that has the best chance for changing the way Washington works and getting things done.

“I will be voting for Barack Obama,” he said.

McClellan is also giving an extended interview on “Larry King Live” on Friday to talk about his endorsement.

McClellan grew disillusioned after leaving the administration and wrote a book, “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception,” that surprised many for its blunt talk. He admitted to being part of a White House effort to shade the truth about the case for war in Iraq.

Related: The List of Republicans Ditching McCain for Obama

Colin Powell will have a role as a top presidential adviser in an Obama administration, the Democratic White House hopeful said Monday.

“He will have a role as one of my advisers,” Barack Obama said on NBC’s “Today” in an interview aired Monday, a day after Powell, a four-star general and President Bush’s former secretary of state, endorsed him.

“Whether he wants to take a formal role, whether that’s a good fit for him, is something we’d have to discuss,” Obama said.

Being a top presidential adviser, especially on foreign policy, would be familiar ground to Powell on a subject that’s relatively new to the freshman Illinois senator. Obama has struggled to establish his foreign policy credentials against GOP candidate John McCain, a decorated military veteran, former prisoner of war and ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In the NBC interview, Obama said Powell did not give him a heads up heads-up before he crossed party lines and endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate on the network’s “Meet the Press” a day earlier.

In that interview, Powell called Obama a “transformational figure” in the nation’s history and expressed disappointment in some of McCain’s campaign tactics. But, Powell said, he didn’t plan to hit the campaign trail with Obama before the Nov. 4 election.

“I won’t lie to you, I would love to have him at any stop,” Obama said with a grin Monday. “Obviously, if he wants to show up he’s got an open invitation.”

Powell’s endorsement came just hours after Obama’s campaign disclosed that it raised $150 million in September — obliterating the old record of $66 million it had set only one month earlier.

He expressed disappointment in the negative tone of McCain’s campaign, his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate and their decision to focus in the closing weeks of the contest on Obama’s ties to 1960s-era radical William Ayers, saying “it goes too far.”

McCain, meanwhile, seemed dismissive of Powell’s endorsement, saying it wasn’t a surprise, that the two share mutual respect and are longtime friends.

The Republican from Arizona pointed out on Sunday that he had support from four other former secretaries of state, all veterans of Republican administrations: Henry Kissinger, James A. Baker III, Lawrence Eagleburger and Alexander Haig.

At a boisterous rally Sunday, Obama said McCain was “out of ideas and almost out of time.”

He and his aides appear so confident of his prospects that apart from a brief stop in Madison, Wis., next Thursday, Obama currently has no plans during the next 10 days to return to Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Hampshire or any other state that voted for John Kerry in 2004.

Instead, he intends to spend two days this week in Florida, where early voting begins on Monday, and travel to Virginia, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, New Mexico and possibly Nevada and Indiana. Those states hold 97 electoral votes combined, and Bush won all in 2004.

Obama also may stop in West Virginia, where his campaign recently bought statewide television advertising in a late attempt to put the state’s five electoral votes into serious contention.