Al-Qaida's No. 2 says Obama is 'opposite' of Malcolm X

Al-Qaida's second-in-command used a racially demeaning term to refer to President-elect Barack Obama in a videotape released Wednesday.

In the 11-minute video, posted on the Internet, Ayman al-Zawahiri unfavorably compared the first black U.S. president-elect to Malcolm X, the black Muslim leader who was assassinated 43 years ago.

"You represent the direct opposite of honorable black Americans like Malik al-Shabazz, or Malcolm X," Zawahiri said, according to English subtitles of his Arabic remarks provided by Al-Qaida's propaganda arm. "You were born to a Muslim father, but you chose to stand in the ranks of the enemies of the Muslims, and pray the prayer of the Jews, although you claim to be Christian, in order to climb the rungs of leadership in America."

Zawahiri said Obama, Colin Powell and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "confirmed" Malcolm X's definition of a "house negro," a term the militant black leader used to describe black leaders who were subservient to white interests.

The biting comments were the first time Al-Qaida's leadership has reacted publicly to Obama's election. Some analysts said the delayed response reflected uncertainty within Al-Qaida's ranks over how to respond, given that Obama is widely seen in the Muslim world as the mirror opposite of the group's longtime archenemy, President Bush.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received a courtesy phone call from President-elect Barack Obama, a Palestinian official said Wednesday.

Saeb Erekat, a senior Abbas aide, said Obama thanked Abbas for the congratulations he had extended after the Nov. 4 election. Erekat added that both men "reiterated their commitment to continue to work" for an Israeli-Palestinian peace based on a two-state solution.

Lawmakers have signaled their intent to craft health care legislation early next year, and the insurance industry's support would make passage easier. That legislation is expected to closely track the proposals of President-elect Obama. However, Obama separated himself from his Democratic challengers by opposing an individual mandate for adults to buy health insurance. More lawmakers may agree to a mandate if it means the insurance industry will back those efforts.

Mike Huckabee wouldn't rule out a 2012 run for president Wednesday, but he acknowledged it could be hard to take back the spotlight from fellow Republican Sarah Palin.

"I'm not ruling anything out for the future, but I'm not making any specific plans," Huckabee told reporters at a briefing in Washington to promote his new book, "Do the Right Thing."

The former Arkansas governor said he expects Palin to continue to have a leading voice in the Republican Party, acknowledging he was envious of her meteoric rise after Sen. John McCain brought her out of relative obscurity as governor of Alaska to run with him as the vice presidential candidate.

Huckabee credited Palin with energizing McCain's campaign and said her surprise selection for the GOP ticket helped her to "leapfrog over the process" that other Republicans had to endure to become national figures.

Huckabee plans to stay on the national political stage through his shows on Fox News Channel and ABC Radio. He ran a scrappy but underfunded presidential campaign this year, staying in the race until March. All the other serious Republican contenders had dropped out weeks before.