video RNC chairman Michael Steele was called to account for the RNC presentation Politico got their hands on yesterday that featured images of President Obama as the Joker, compared Nancy Pelosi to Cruella Devil, and Harry Reid to Scooby Doo. Steele started out rather humbled telling Megyn Kelly: "You don't defend it, it was unfortunate." Before noting that the RNC didn't create these images: "Those were images that were pulled off the Internet and been out in the public domain for a while." At which point he reverted to 'we did not throw the first stone' defense: "I didn't like those images of me that characterized me as a Sambo or an Uncle Tom, either" and later "there's a pretty long track record of folks on the left playing this ugly game." (more...)

Politico got its hands on a confidential party fundraising presentation from the Republican National Committee: Is Glenn Beck secretly running the RNC? From Ben Smith: (more...)

Larry King has been on a roll lately. Between confirming David Paterson’s blindness to calling Johnny Weir “fierce” and getting Toyota President Akio Toyoda to admit his fears of not being considered compassionate enough, Larry King Live has made for some must-see TV. Yesterday was no exception, with DNC Chair Tim Kaine and RNC Chair Michael Steele meeting for the first time in quite a while after circling each other on the cable news rounds for months to discuss the health care reform, Jim Bunning’s pseudo-filibuster and business as usual in Washington. (more...)

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To commemorate the first anniversary of the signing on Obama's stimulus bill, DNC chair and former Virginia governor Tim Kaine made more television appearances in one 24-hour cycle than it felt like he had during the entirety of his tenure before today. On occasion, Kaine had been showing up on MSNBC to remind everyone that someone was, indeed, in charge of the party despite the growing tide of Republican (and general right-wing) opposition, but his appearances were always overshadowed by Michael Steele telling someone to shut up, calling someone "baby" or, worse, winning an election. After waiting for so long, what did Kaine bring to the table at Fox and Friends, Morning Joe, and American Morning? The gameplan for victory Rachel Maddow gave him the night before. (more...)

Way to behave like grown-ups, folks! Apparently, the GOP.com is continuing on its bumbling way through social media land -- okay, okay, this is a definite improvement. Here is the latest installment: Valentines day cards from your favorite Democrats! Truth be told, some of the choices are pretty funny -- I particularly like the Salahis, though the Reid one is pushing the envelope at bit -- or would maybe be funny (and not totally juevenile) if they were, say, the creation of some college kid's website and not the product of the official website of the RNC. Perhaps we are supposed to conclude they are one and the same. That said, it's a pretty genius way to plump up the RNC email lists. Some choices below:

Former Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, appearing on Meet the Press this morning, set the table for what will likely be the conversation of the week: The meaning of the "Palin Effect" in the NY-23 congressional race. It was a tiny part of a long interview about Plouffe's new book, The Audacity to Win, but he managed to crystallize the Democratic Party's hopes going forward.

The hits just keep on coming. The Republican National Committee flubbed the roll out of their new web identity in glorious, grand ole, fashion on their own yesterday. Today the dark underbelly of the internet decided to help them finish the job. What's a conservative to do?

Twenty-four hours into the life of the RNC's new web site and parodies of the Faces of GOP web banner were circulating on the internet. Some are apt, some are funny and naturally, most are offensive. (more...)

Where were you a year ago today? If you are a political journalist — or media hanger-on — chances are you were living out of a suitcase at the 2008 Presidential Conventions, with the Dems nominating Barack Obama in Denver and the GOP nominating John McCain in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Remember those heady days? (more...)