Jesse Jackson's Racial Remark

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Black Sheep

The Reverend Jesse Jackson is criticizing Alabama Democratic Congressman Artur Davis for voting against the House health care reform bill. The Hill newspaper reports Jackson told members of the Congressional Black Caucus: "We even have blacks voting against the health care bill. You can't vote against health care and call yourself a black man."

Davis is the only member of the CBC to vote against the bill. He responded: "One of the reasons that I like and admire Reverend Jesse Jackson is that 21 years ago he inspired the idea that a black politician would not be judged simply as a black leader. The best way to honor Reverend Jackson's legacy is to decline to engage in an argument with him that begins and ends with race."

Missouri Democrat Emanuel Cleaver said Jackson's criticism of Davis was accurate. California Democrat Maxine Waters called the remarks "vintage Jesse Jackson."

Off With Their Heads

A member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus says many fellow liberals want the president to fire two members of his economic team.

The Huffington Post reports Oregon Democrat Peter DeFazio accuses Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and White House economic adviser Larry Summers of focusing on Wall Street at the expense of Main Street. DeFazio says the president is "being failed by his economic team. We may have to sacrifice just two more jobs to get millions back for Americans."

Late Thursday, the White House voiced its support of Geithner saying he helped steer the economy back from the brink.

Cold Shoulder

Children writing to Santa Claus in hopes of getting a reply from the North Pole will apparently be out in the cold this season.

For years, volunteers in the small Alaska town of North Pole have answered thousands of letters addressed to the man in red. The Postal Service is scrapping the program in North Pole, citing privacy concerns and a case in Maryland where a registered sex offender was identified as an Operation Santa volunteer.

North Pole Mayor Doug Isaacson is upset his workers are just now hearing about the change: "It's Grinch-like that the Postal Service never informed all the little elves before the fact."

But the Postal Service isn't going totally Grinch. Letters will still be answered by Santa's volunteers elsewhere and the restrictions do not affect private organizations with their own programs.

— Fox News Channel's Lanna Britt contributed to this report.