Another McCain-Palin Introducer Declares "Barack Hussein Obama"

For the second time in three days, the speaker at a McCain campaign rally used Barack Obama's middle name "Hussein" in a demeaning fashion to ignite the crowd.

Speaking in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Bill Platt, the GOP chair of Lehigh County, twice referred to "Barack Hussein Obama" minutes before John McCain and Sarah Palin were set to take the stage.

Watch the video:

On Monday, a local Florida sheriff preceded Palin's speech by declaring: "On Nov. 4, let's leave Barack Hussein Obama wondering what happened."

McCain has distanced itself from the deliberate and malicious use of Obama's middle name in the past. When a conservative radio talk show host first discussed Barack "Hussein" Obama in February, the campaign said it was inappropriate and not reflective of the race they are seeking to run.

But it is hard not to notice how rabid the crowds have recently become at McCain events and how demonstrative they have been in their disdain for Obama. In addition to introductory speakers raising the Senator's middle name in the form of an insult, audience members have screamed out, during recent events, "terrorist," "treason," and "kill him," when the Illinois Democrat's name has been discussed.

Speaking on MSNBC, Bill Burton, Obama's national press secretary, responded to the episode with the following statement.

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"People try to use it as an epithet, as a way to stir up feelings about Sen. Obama that are negative," he said. "But they ultimately have nothing to do with our challenges that we are facing right now."

UPDATE: The McCain campaign condemns the remarks. For Obama supporters and others, however, the issue is more about whether McCain will be proactive about this stuff as opposed to reactive.

"We do not condone this inappropriate rhetoric which distracts from the real questions of judgment, character, and experience that voters will base their decisions on this November." --Paul Lindsay, McCain-Palin spokesman

Later in the same event, McCain referred to Americans as his "fellow prisoners." Watch:

Comments

[RebelCPA]

John Sidney McCain III has no honor and no integrity.

[FreezePop]

I just hope the Nov 4 election blows these clowns out of the water. Time to turn attention to making sure the voting polls work - I think in these last days they are trying to distract us, while they make sure vo and tes in key communities don't count - technical glitches, you know,,, REMEMBER THE CHADS!!!!

[joeyscamps]

Hope not fear for those of you who like positivity here a great new obama song .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8iIvrgnp-I

stay postive

[Shiral]

Have him wondering what happened?

Dateline Chicago Illinois, November 4, 2008. "What the heck happened, Michelle? I've just been elected the first African-American POTUS!"

I'm voting for "That one" Thanks awfully, Sheriff. And the Wanker and the Winker can go home and cry themselves to sleep. McCain will just have to choose which house he's closest to when the election is called for Obama.

[rich15857]

Remember the hoopla over Obama's comments about Pennsylvanians being bitter? He had it wrong, it's not Pennsylvanians that are bitter, its the people at McCain/Palin rallies that are bitter.

[jeffreyalan73]

These people sound like they're at a professional wrestling match. Boo! Hiss..... Boooooo!
It certainly sounds like intelligent discourse.

[MissStorm]

OH Whatever Sam Stein! You guys are a joke!

There was absolutely NO difference in the way he said Barrack, Obama, or Hussein!

Why is the guy afraid of his name anyway? You libs are really strange about names.

Remember when everyone had to say Hillary Rodham Clinton?!

[thoushaltnotlie2]

I find McCain's outrageous lies to be very, very annoying. But what really gets my goat is when I hear people who are lying not just to others but to themselves. Occasionally people are known by all of their names, but it isn't very often. How many people know Biden's middle name? Palin's? How about McCain's? There is a reason that Coulter and a variety of other right wing whackos like to use Obama's middle name when they refer to him. It is to emphasize that he is of foreign decent, even - gasp- from a largely Islamic nation. I am not saying that emphasizing this is a a not - so - subtle way of appealing to racial bigotry. No, it is a not - so - subtle way of appealing to RELIGIOUS bigotry! Even the right wing knows that it is no longer socially acceptable to say ," Hey, everybody, if we're not careful we just might end up with a darkie in the white house!" But basing ignorant bigotry around religion, ESPECIALLY in this case, is hunky dorey with these folks. If you REALLY don't understand the reason that some people like to refer to Sen. Obama's middle name then you are clearly not all that bright. And if you do understand it and just pretend that you don't, well your little game is not fooling anyone but the right wing moronic base. (Which, unfortunately, is pretty substantial!)

[pumpkin]

If his middle name was Henry, do you think it would be a rallying cry? No, I don't think you do. I smell desperation in the air. How sweet!

[RadCenter]

Alas, Platt is representative of many ignorant voters here in Lehigh County (including some of my relatives).

Hope you don't judge us all by his standard.

Obama/Biden yard signs outnumber McCain/Palin signs everywhere I look.

Borough of Emmaus (population: twice as big as Wasilla) for Obama/Biden!

[sherwoodforest]

Thanks for the good news! Help get those Dems to the polls Nov. 4th!

[RRuin]

JEEZ!

Obama/Biden!

This election can't be over too soon!!!!

[RRuin]

McCain condemns the violent reactions to the violent garbage rhetoric spewed by both McCain and Palin.
Of course that doesn't mean they'll stop spewing the garbage inciting people to violence.
How convenient for them.
The rallies should be shut down.

Obama/Palin

[sportyjudy]

http://lehigh.mygopsite.com/

[RasAlula]

I don't get why we are making a big deal out of this. It is his middle name and he should be proud of it. That the Republicans are tying to use it for bad should not trick us into playing there game. Hussein, Hussein, Hussein, Hussein. See it doesn't do anything to you. Try it.

[Blivet]

Intelligent people get your point.
However, when emphasized before an audience of illiterate rednecks, it is used to infer a relationship with Saddam Hussein who we all know was one of the main characters in Bush's Axis of Evil.
To those red neck illiterates it is like throwing red meat to a litter of pit bulls.
There is no other reason to use it.

[skeptique]

Hussein, Hussein, Hussein. hmmm. you're right. wow.

[Cinnamonape]

True...it "should" not make any difference...any more than referring to Gen. Omar Bradley should cause people to think that he was a Muslim, or that it would elicit shouts of derision.

The fact is...it does. And it is indeed intended to. Listen to the fellow shouting in the background as McCain rants his nonsense above.

And not that the religion of Obama should matter either, as long as his policies as our representative are made in a manner that allow all of us to fairly practice our faiths (or not at all) without the disruption of others. But for many people it does. And I'm sure Obama is disturbed that some people immediately jump to the assumption that he is Muslim and that they are prejudiced against Muslims.

In a fair world...in the America envisioned by the Founding Fathers there should be "no religious test" in order to hold elective office. But for many out there they want a member of their own religion, with the agenda of creating a theocracy. Given the number of people in this country with THAT attitude the real threat to it coming to fruition would be someone from the Christian right, not a Muslim.

[All in All]

Is it Me, or does the stock ticker (on the bottom-left side of the screen) go up every time that Sen.McCain speaks on Television?

If this is true; then this might mean that the Stock Brokers & Business-People know Who's going to give them the most amount of Money , druring the next Presidency (Sen.McCain).

So where would that leave Healthcare & Education?

[UCSD101]

The Re-Pugs are acting as if Obama chose the name: Hussein. His parents did. Sound better than Sidney.

Obama, (that one) - Biden (that other one) 2008 :))

[IndependentforObama]

I totally agree. Sidney is a girls name, well, spelled with a "y". HAHA.. what a name for THE John McCain...

[StyleSista]

Obama is named after his father, for goodness' sake, he didn't choose his name, and it's disgusting to see the association that the right-wingers are trying to make by saying his full name at their rallies.