McCain Supporter Repeatedly Refers To Barack "Hussein" Obama

UPDATE: Bob Cunningham is now angry at McCain, and is questioning McCain's claim that he and Cunningham had never met:

Mr. Cunningham later posted a video on his Web site, asserting his right to free speech and referring to Mr. Obama as a "hack Chicago politician from the Daley political machine." He did not use Mr. Obama's middle name.

He added: "I'm angry at McCain. Why would John McCain repudiate me? I've been able to unite McCain and Obama against me. I might become a supporter of Ralph Nader."

The contretemps between Mr. McCain and Mr. Cunningham continued well into the evening, when Mr. Cunningham then announced that he was going to endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton. He also said, contrary to Mr. McCain's claim that he had never met Mr. Cunningham, that he had encountered the senator at an earlier Cincinnati fund-raiser. Mr. Cunningham said on CNN that he had twice met Mr. McCain, though he did not explain the circumstances.

Late Tuesday, the McCain campaign acknowledged that the men might have met.

"Senator McCain gave an honest answer," said Mark Salter, one of Mr. McCain's senior advisers. "He doesn't recall meeting him. He's at thousands of events. If Mr. Cunningham said he was at the fund-raiser, perhaps he was. He was one of 100,000 people McCain has shaken hands with this year."

At a John McCain town hall today, supporter and local talk radio host Bill Cunningham warmed up the crowd by making repeated reference to Barack Obama's middle name:

"At some point in the near future the media, the stooges from the New York Times, CBS (The Clinton Broadcasting System), NBC (The Nobody But Clinton Network), The All Bill Clinton Channel (ABC), and the Clinton News Network at some point is going to peel the bark off Barack Hussein Obama," said controversial conservative commentator Bill Cunningham, an Ohio native.

"That day will come and then you'll know the truth about his business dealings with Rezko, when he got sweetheart deals in Chicago," he added, "and the illegal loans that he received, at some point the media will quit taking sides on this and maybe start covering Barack Hussein Obama the same way they covered Bush, the same way they covered Cheney, and they same way they cover every Republican."

Story continues below

Cunningham also referred to Obama as "hack, Chicago-style politician," according to the Associated Press. Watch it here:

A History Of Attacks: Media Matters points out that the Cunningham has a history of referring to Obama as Barack Hussein Obama. In addition:

During his nationally syndicated radio talk show, Bill Cunningham repeatedly called Sen. Barack Obama, "Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama," even though "Mohammed" is not a part of Obama's name, saying at one point that "it would be a shock" if "Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama can be elected the president of this country in these difficult terrorist times." Cunningham also falsely claimed that Obama "was raised in madrassas in Indonesia" and falsely accused Obama's church of being "black separatist" and "black racist."

Portman Response: Rob Portman, a former Ohio Rep. who is being mentioned as a possible Vice Presidential candidate, followed Cunningham saying:

"Willie, you're out of control again. So, what else is new? But we love him," Portman said. "But I've got to tell you, Bill Cunningham lending his voice to this campaign is extremely important. He did it in 2000, he did it in 2004. It was crucial to victory then and it's even more important this year with his bigger radio audience. So, Bill Cunningham, thank you for lending your voice."

McCain Apologizes: John McCain issued an apology before reporters could ask him about the statements:

"I regret any comments that may be made about these two individuals who are honorable Americans, we just have strong philosophical differences, so I want to disassociate myself from any disparaging remarks that may have been said about them," he said, adding later that "I absolutely repudiate such comments, and again I will take responsibility it will never happen again. It will never happen again."

Obama Response: Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton offered this response:

"We appreciate Senator McCain's remarks. It is a sign that if there is a McCain-Obama general election, it can be intensely competitive but the candidates will attempt to keep it respectful and focused on issues."

Cunningham Disowns McCain: Cunningham was not pleased to hear McCain apologized for his behavior. When asked for comment, he replied:

"I've had it with McCain. I'm going to throw my support to Hillary Rodham Clinton."

Comments

[dbspcl]

I'm not sure I understand the outrage. Is his middle name a secret somehow? Is it wrong for someone to refer to it?

[SubparDude]

:
When we peel the bark off you, hack, perhaps you will get it.

:

[dbspcl]

No, I get it - you are essentially projecting your racism on others. The name means nothing to me, but obviously does to you... walk like a duck, quack like a duck, etc. etc.

[bookerone]

This is just the beginning. If Obama thought the Clintons were touch he is about to have his knees cut out from under him. The attacks will intensify and because the press has refused to vet him his exposure risk is high. Oh well the same guys that gave us GW are about to give Obama, at least for the general.

[VSamuels]

What's up with the 3 black guys on stage listening to this nonsense? I'm a little taken aback as to what they are seeing when they look at the republican party, it has few if any visible or prominent AA in any role, it just saw several AA republican candidates rejected in '06 elections, and the republican party basically opposes any program or policy helpful or positive to the AA or minority community.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with a black guy supporting the republicans, if he chooses, it is odd for them to be engaging in the banalities of this idiot's rant, in light of the guy he's yelling at looks like them.

[springsm]

That certainly is a dignified picture of that highly thought of radio announcer. NOT.

[incontempt]

JOHN McCAIN!!! Where are the whitehouse emails John McCain???? You have power and responsibility, do something.

OH right, pursuing the lawbreakers isn't in your interest.

[Researchguy66]

actually, he's got the same amount of power as Hillary or Obama...neither of them are doing anything either.

[mikelartist]

Why do these nutless neocon radio yackers always wear toupees and bowties?

Angry turds like this should never get the microphone.

[dwillisno1]

Uh bad taste is bad taste!
What you say, what you wear, bad hair, bad ties, bad tans, bad ass. These are just plain bad people.

[bola47]

this is just an easier way for the right wing to bash obama. instead of coming off as the racists that they really are, they think it is easier to paint obama as a muslim terrorist. just wait until the obama presidency and listen to what right wing radio will be spewing for 4 years.

[SKayum]

Remember the "beat the bitch" comment? McCain didn't exactly distance himself from that.

At any rate, it looks like Clinton might have to both denounce and reject Cunningham.

[speakyourmind]

Oooooooh, his name is Hussein!! Doesn't that scare everyone? Racist jackass.

[jogger]

Take that fence they want to build on our border and wrap Cunningham, Coulter, Ingraham, and Limbaugh in it, and keep wrapping until there is total silence from this fascist dark corner of our national discourse.

It's high time the Tim Russerts denounce this crap in the same way they dismiss the hateful Farrakhans of the world.

[1proudinfidel]

I think you should research the word "Facist" before applying to any of these people

[Neocon187]

I think you should look at the definition of the word and try to find any part of it that doesn't apply to the above right wingnuts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

[peskyliberal]

Tim Russerts is a right wring tool.

[HollywoodBill]

Good for McCain. About time that some one reined in the Christo-fascist gasbags on the far right who have hijacked the Republican party or at least tries to do so.

The "who me" attitude of these pompous Revival Tent Republicans when called on their attitude is astounding. No, using the name Hussein is in itself not demeaning or racist. However that's not their intent and these self appointed spokesmen for the far right know it. Whether McCain can rid the GOP of these inbred factions or at least muzzle them remains to be seen.

[lisakaz]

I'd agree if it was clear McCain had no idea about this. That is a bit farfetched that McCain didn't know better (nor his campaign). Then as KO said, McCain only sounds shocked for the cameras after the crowd has left. Gotta wonder.

Proof will be whether it happens again. If it doesn't, give McCain some credit. If in the next months, more race baiting, Muslim bs comes from these folks, it's deliberate.

[Neocon187]

Of course it will happen again -and again and again -each time with more racism interjected, resulting in the meltdown of the republican party.

This is ironic because we have the repulican party itself to thank for Barack Obama's success: their idiot king has done such a spectacular job of destroying the economy as well as our reputation in the world that the American people are willing to have anyone who isn't a republican as president, race\gender be damned.

And of course, who could possibly argue that Barack Obama would do a worse job than George W. Bush?

[1proudinfidel]

I reject this crap outright. We will get this from both the left and right the closer we get to election day. This is not some "conspiracy" or hounds being released by the GOP or neocons or whatever the slur-de-jour is. This is just political process in the age of the internet..get used to seeing and hearing it. It will get uglier. Our forefathers fought for the right to have this bonehead stand up and say what he wants to the world. I don't agree, but anyone can have a platform to speak.
I'm certainly no Clinton fan, Obama does not impress me as anything but a modern day Woodrow Wilson or Jimmy Carter and McCain looks in over his head...but at least we all should give them the credit and respect their positions deserve.

[Neocon187]

Sorry, but it's not a wash in this case, and exactly what have McCain's opposition done that could possibly compare to this? It was the republicans themselves who brought up McCain' age during the primaries (see: Chuck Norris' comments while campaiging for Huckabee).

Maybe it's "just the political process" among republicans to slander a US Senator's name, and infer that he's part of some kind of terrorist sleeper cell, but those of use who can think for ourselves can see the truth.

If ignorance isn't strength: why are there republicans?

[dwillisno1]

A bigot is a bigot even when not in the act of saying bigoted things. If and until they personally repudiate their own actions. Knowing this (McCain knew or should have known)this guy should not have been there even if he wasn't going to say anything inappropriate. McCain was willing to take advantage of the influence this guy had with other bigots.

[Rendon76]

Exactly. It amazes me how much the Republican Party is controlled by these radio personality lunatics.

[Neocon187]

Exactly. This is straight out of KKKarl Rove's playbook: get someone to make false and slanderous statements (aka, the big lie), then claim to know nothing about it and denounce it -after the fact. Meanwhile the damage has already been done because the big lie is ciculating.

Then again, that's exactly what Rove did to McCain in 2004, so it shouldn't be a leap for McCain to remember that strategy.

[Rendon76]

A hack Democratic politician from Chicago? Maybe they repudiate you because you seem to reduce everything to being exactly what you are, a hack. Wait that's not a maybe that is indeed the reason why they repudiate you. You do nothing but bring division and hate to to this world which Barrack Obama represents the opposite. Hope, peace, unity, and all you fucking care about is your wallet. Perhaps if you didn't just care about your bottom line you would see that Barrack Obama would be an excellent representative of the United States. What if we had a person like Bill Cunningham represent our country. In that case the world would a pretty fucking miserable place because you are a horrendous human being. If you speak like this in public God only knows what you really think when you're alone. Let it all out Mr. Cunningham tell us what you really want to do is label Barrack Obama as just a black Muslim nigger.

[Moshe]

Cunningham wasn't speaking in German, but otherwise, that speech sounded disturbingly familiar.

To his credit, McCain rejected this hateful rant by Cunningham.

Problem is, there are now a whole lot of Cunninghams out there, and most of them are now the GOP faithful.

Genuine conservatives, the non-fascist variety, need to take back their party from the fascist nut cases.