Jimmy Fallon's Late-Night Debut

Jimmy Fallon kicked off his new late-night show with a few political jabs in his opening monologue:

"Welcome to the first episode of 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.' I have been getting so much encouragement. In fact, just before I went on, Rush Limbaugh called me up and said he wants me to fail." --Jimmy Fallon

"President Obama announced that he plans to bring the troops home from Iraq in 18 months. But the troops actually responded and said, 'Thank you, but the economy's better over here, so we're going to stay.'" --Jimmy Fallon

"Did you hear about President Obama's new budget? Actually, Obama will explain it all in his next major address, brought to you by China." --Jimmy Fallon

Fallon also teamed up with his house band, The Roots, to "slow jam" the news -- a clever bit that hopefully will be an ongoing part of the show.

Read more late-night jokes, plus watch more highlights from the premiere of "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon."

Rush Limbaugh vs. Michael Steele

"Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. His whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it's incendiary. Yes, it's ugly." --RNC Chairman Michael Steele

"I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh. I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership." --Steele, two days later

"I realized words that I said weren't what I was thinking. It was one of those things where I thinking I was saying one thing, and it came out differently." --Steele, in a further clarification (hat tip to Doonesbury.com)

(Photos by NBC and Mario Piperni)