Karl Rove: Don't "Hussein" Obama

The Atlantic:

No less an authority figure than Karl Rove has warned Republican operatives from demagoguing Barack Obama's middle name.

At a closed door meeting of GOP state executive directors in late January, Rove said the safest way to refer to Obama would be to use his honorific, "Sen. Obama."

Read the whole story: The Atlantic

Comments

[NewFrontier]

Barak Atah Adonai Eloheynu Melek Ha-olam Asher Kiddeeshonu Be-mitzvasov Vi-tsivonu Lehadlik Ner Shel Chunukah.

Who is this Hussein guy? He's not the Barak I know.
.

[JiminNC]

Call To Action!

Please my Hussein Family. Write a letter to Bud Cramer, Alabama Democratic Congressman, and ask him to push the investigation of Karl Rove in the Governor Don Siegelman case. This will be the one that puts Rove in an Alabama prison!

Read more here – http://vdare.com/roberts/080227_siegelman.htm and here http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2008/02/25/whnt_60_minutes/ - or here (AP) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_LLY8gc6av_Whr8kdxbeuy5EFXwD8UV31U00

Write Bud Cramer Here - http://cramer.house.gov/HoR/AL05/Contact+Bud/Email+Bud/

[Egghead]

Beautiful.

[illinoisan]

In other words, Rove warned his cohorts not to wear their Klan robes in public because it perpetuates the "notion" that Republicans are bigots.

[mhopgood123]

I couldn't have said it better!

[PrdAmerican]

My name is Karen HUSSEIN HUNTER, and I will continue to use that adopted name until the media, the right, and others' stope using Barack HUSSEIN Obama's middle name as a way to instill fear, hate and foster ignorance.

[Ramirez]

That's an idea. All Dems could adopt Hussein as a middle name.
Kinda like an "I am SPARTACUS" thing.

Plus it would show solidarity and multi-culturalism and stuff like that, which is always good.

[illinoisan]

I wouldn't be suprised if Obama's middle name became a badge of honor for him by the time November roles around. That's what Rove is hoping to avoid.

[MariaHopeful]

What a wonderful idea! My name is Maria Hussein!
If only we could get a couple thousand to do that. What a wonderful message that would send to the world, that America and Americans do intend to turn the page and to adopt a brand new attitude to those with whom we share this planet.
Way to go Karen.

[mhopgood123]

I think we should spread this idea to everyone. That way it will completely take off guard the right and it will end up being a non issue by the time election time comes up

[Seattlelite]

This tactic will only be effect if people allow it to. I feel the best way to battle against this is for Obama and his supporters to use his entire birth name when we refer to him. Once they realize it's not an issue for people they'll realize it doesn't work.

[Silpat]

This is beyond silly, especially considering the fact that most people don't name themselves.

There are a lot of "real" issues for the Republicans to get Obama on, but for them to attack him on his birth name is just plain silly and stupid. Not to mention that it's counterproductive to the process of repairing International relations in the U.S. and abroad.

[Grunty1]

Republicans have not a single issue where they can successfully attack Obama on. He may not be perfect, but their platform is against what Americans want for their country!

[SaskiaStars]

I have been thinking for a long time that it would be better for the repugs to use Senator Obama's middle name over and over again until it just doesn't matter anymore. If you keep pounding it out there, eventually, people just wont hear it anymore. The fact is, the people who are supporting Barack Obama couldn't care less about his middle name - this kind of ploy will not change any one's mind. It only plays with the bigots and rednecks aand they would never vote for a democrat anyway so no biggie.

[KRANKY]

Kill all Repukes.
You know they deserve it.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord.

[Ramirez]

Infidels all.

[magen]

Rove knows that calling Obama "Hussein" will be bad for McWar (I mean McCain)

It reminds people of how "great" the war is going. That's the LAST thing republiCONS want to publicize during an election.

[forpeace]

*

magen

.....It reminds people of how "great" the war is going....

===========

You have a valid point!

*

[eddieinc97]

So the future campaign advisor for "Republicans in Hell" has decided it's not a good thing to exploit Obama's middle name. Of course not because it's wrong. But because it would make Republican look like the racist scum they are.

[Lulie Kushner]

I truly believe we have lost it! How can this even be a topic of conversation? What is this country about Ann?Rush? I thought it was about freedom for you and me. What about freedom of Religion? You know damn well that we are not a nation of such sophistication that we are able to see clearly past the prejudices so you take advantage by trying to instill fear. I truly feel sympathy for all of you so shallow to think that a name should cause such fear and ignorance. It is your pain and fear projected on to the world. Well I am here to tell you deal with what is really going on inside of you. It is obvious, Rush Limbaugh isn't the poster child of happiness with his drug problem and if the truth be told Ann Coulter is a scared little girl who has to promote such evil so she feels alive inside. It's just pain that both of them haven't been able to understand how to process. Please people don't listen to people that promote fear listen to your hearts because everyone is inately good.

[larry278]

There is still reason to use Alice Roosevelt Longworth's name for the place: Cincinasty. The place has good wurst & Macedonian style chili. But I'll use Fed Ex to ship the chili or wurst to me when I get a yen for S Oh Soul food & continue to stay on the sooty, aka slimy or s#itty, coast & be 100 mi from NYC & 90 mi from Del beaches. Besides pumpernicke [sp] bread & bagels with veggie cream cheese became my comfort food 50 yrs ago. I don't remember the Ohio ocean, aka river, having a beach or surf. I remember driving through Ohio 30 or so years ago & trying to figure out what the dj on WLW meant when he did a commercial for 'lacy boy cheers'; that is the southern Ohio patios for Lazy Boy Chairs, not applause for gay men. I have lost my S Oh accent but I still talk slow. I just can't understand the S Oh dialect but I now speak Spanish, Yiddish, Hindi & Arabic every day with rare lapses into English.

[ObamaEdwards]

Oh, great. Link to a story on Rove! The guy is giving that warning not to be civil or just, but as yet another strategy. But it is nice to see a slob like Limbaugh going at it anyway, and making a fool of himself in the process. I want to be here when HIS 15 minutes come to an end.

[kevenseven]

I'd like to see Cheri Jacobs' column suggesting that Obama speak about his Semetic names.

I agree. The first thing he should do after securing the nomination is to call a press conference and address the origins of his name. The Juan Cole column would be a perfect outline.

There is a 20% dead-ender group that would not vote for any Dem, much less a black with Arabic names. Screw them. But Obama can call out this Cunningham bigot for the bigot that he is.

[atlantajoe]

A bigot because he said his full name? Does anyone remember George Herbert Walker Bush whine about someone saying his whole name?

[Ramirez]

That was different.

Using Obama's middle name in public is racist. Or offensive to Islam. Or something.

[lungfish]

Even as he warns against it the Tennesee GOP are at work doing it.
This is the GOP's attempt to play their less educated, morally opinionated base. I can just see a bunch of rightwing nutcases trying to draw lines between Barack and terrorism because of his name. IT is as stupid as it is bigoted and the GOP is filled with bigots and fearful, self-absorbed types...

[SaskiaStars]

let them - it will not matter at all. The number of people going out to vote for Obama is staggering. The scared little tiny hearted bigots cn just go hide in their closets. This is so funny!!!

[lungfish]

Its amazing that the GOP will listen to him at all given the damage he has done to their party....
well, not THAT amazing... they are clueless, after all.
Wonder why Rove chose to try to move the GOP to absolute power rather than the Dems... maybe because the GOP is more vulnerable to manipulation because of its narrowminded, easily manipulated rank and file and its massive corporate connections?
Just wondering.­..

I do think that Rove's involvement with media while conducting a continuing campaign against the Dems kills any chance of him regaining even a shred of credibility. His guidance and leadership as "Bush's Brain" has tanked the GOP and the country and driven Dubya's approval rating into the teens....

[tdh]

why give rove any publicity at all? what a waste of cyberspace.