On a lighter side...

Grand Old Partisan has the history of the Teddy bear.

Theodore Roosevelt and the first teddy bear

On this day in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt (R-NY) was on a hunting trip in Mississippi. Too eager to please the avid sportsman, the president's companions tied a bear cub to a tree for him to shoot. President Roosevelt refused. The story was soon reported nationwide.

A toy manufacturer in New York City began marketing stuffed animals called "Teddy's Bears." Though he liked the toy bears, Roosevelt hated to be called "Teddy," always insisting on "Theodore." As a child, his nickname was "Teedy."

Check out Micheal Zak's blog here. It is a great blog about the history of the Republican Party and the Republican involvement within the Civil Rights.