ABOUT FIRST READ

First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



'Hussein' in the membrane

Posted: Monday, October 06, 2008 2:16 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:

From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger and NBC's Domenico Montanaro
ESTERO, Fla. -- The sheriff of Lee County referred to Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama" as part of his introductory remarks before a Palin rally.
 
"On Nov. 4, let's leave Barack Hussein Obama wondering what happened," Sheriff Mike Scott told the crowd at Germain Arena.
 
Scott was speaking as part of a program before Palin's arrival at the rally. Palin was at a fundraiser in Naples, Fla. at the time.

Back in February, McCain repudiated radio host Bill Cunningham's derisive use of Obama's middle name.

“I absolutely repudiate such comments,” McCain said then. “It will never happen again ... I never met Mr. Cunningham, but I will make sure nothing like that ever happens again."

*** UPDATE *** Campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said in a statement:
“We do not condone this innapropriate rhetoric which distracts from the real questions of judgment, character, and experience that voters will base their decisions on this November.”

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

Everyone (and by everyone, I mean EVERYONE) knows the man's middle name.

It was possibly a useful scare tactic early in the campaign. Now it's just an embarrassing reflection of the bias the Republicans must now call on it a desperate hope to win.

If McCain has any dignity left, he'll repudiate this. If not, it will hurt him and not Obama.

Its. The. Economy. Stupid.
The economy continues its death spiral, and Republicans only can aswer with personal attacks on theirr opponents.  Way to put Country First!
Oh what a difference 8 months and a blue electoral map makes!

I doubt there will be much REPUDIATION going on this time.
Just one more lie in a sea of lies from McCain.  And yet, he still has avid supporters.  It boggles the mind.
This is really starting to get ugly.  Talk about what we the people want to hear.  I frankly don't care what his middle name is or the people that he knows.  What are YOUR plans for the country???
Scumbag Repugs
“I absolutely repudiate such comments,” McCain said then. “It will never happen again ... I never met Mr. Cunningham, but I will make sure nothing like that ever happens again."

Oopsie!
Then I hope to see him do the same here...Then again, Palin probably has no idea that McCain repudiated them the last time.  It'll be interesting to see if the Airhead throws this into her Ayers attacks.

Please, God...
Second verse, same as the first...

So that's why all of this sounds familiar.  

Give it up old man, your moose is cooked.  How about this:  You and yours can continue to use Obama's middle name to try and scare the stupid people who cannot see past a muslum name.  In return, Obama and his are going to publicly talk up how you met your wife while you were still married to your first wife.  Let's open that can of worms and have a serious discussion about your party's morals and family values.

And finally Mr. McCain, tomorrow night please try to look even more like Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies.  It's just more fun since I mute your responses and add my own dialogue.
About Bill Ayers:  He is now a widely admired professor of eduation at a major (Big 10) university.  He has written important articles about early childhood education.  Ask any Dept of Ed faculty member at your local university.
Despicable. Transparent. Repugnant. Republican.
How low can they -- will they -- go?
Right - and I have a gold mine in Arizona I would be glad to sell.
Looks like it did McCain, looks like it did!  
The BS just never stops, does it???

Obama/Biden - '08
Oh my gosh! Someone used Barack Obama's middle name!! The liberal loser police will be out in force on that one!! Never, ever refer to Barack Obama's middle name. That's rule #54 in the book "How to Treat the Messiah/Obama".

Next, someone will say he's black. Then after that, that he's a liberal. The nerve of these people, it will never end.
Short and sweet:

I got ten bucks that says there is going to be no repudiation of this veiled slur this time. McCain/Palin are going to ignore it.
Such ignorant people we have in this world. Lord people look at the stock market and people are doing this. God Bless America and you people who are a disgrace to America
"On Nov. 4, let's leave Barack Hussein Obama wondering what happend," Sheriff Mike Scott told the crowd at Germain Arena.

We will know that election tampering happened.
"but I will make sure nothing like that ever happens again."

Unless I'm losing, then all bets are off and promises dont count.  You cant blame me, Im a POW and supported the surge!  I even suspended my campaign for 5 minutes.  I'm relevant too!
Another McBush bigot; another broken McBush promise.
I've spent 18 years building my life savings and I've lost half of it in 4 weeks... And a candidates middle name matter how?
isn't this what Adolph Hitler did when he wanted to win ? Discredit his opponents ?? and use the local yokels to help him
This is pathetic ! What's truly unAmerican is the McCain-Palin Sham of leadership--or is that SHAME !
JUST MORE MUD SLINGING, IT'S WAT REPUBLICANS DO BEST !...THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL SOON BE OVER, A "MAJOR" LANDSLIDE IS IN MOTION.
If any of you were wondering why Palin came out against the campaign on Friday regarding their decision to pull out of Michigan, here is the reason. Palin can now be cut loose to play the role of campaign renegade... Spit the bile which McCain is too honorable to spit himself. One of the pundits recently said that the McCain campaign plays checkers not chess; I disagree, and remind everyone to watch out for their tactics.
So she wasn't there yet and this happened?   I can't wait for the hysterical Obamabots to whine about this.  SHE WASN'T EVEN THERE.
I guess when you get behind in the polls it is suddenly OK.  Pathetic.  Palin should fit right in with that red neck.
How far he has fallen.  I supported McCain in 2000.  At this point, he has no credibility.  I am disgusted by the man's campaign, his VP pick, his reactions to crisis, and his obvious lack of stability.  I thought you were a good man, John, but the sad truth is, you aren't even decent.
It's time for a new sheriff in Lee County.  Maybe he can find a job in Hazard County along with Boss Hogg.

I betcha pathetic Palin did not correct the Sheriff, and I doubt McCain even remembers what he said months ago.
So what they can make fun of his name now but come Jan 20th they will be call him Mr. President!
Talk's cheap, Senator McCain. How about following up on this? And how about making sure that the winking wonder woman is clear on it as well?
Just goes to show there are "crackers" all over the country.  The ReThugs have no platform so they have to make it personal.  Wise up, people.
Obama/Biden 2008 for the good of the country!
It will be interesting to see how HONORABLE Sen MCcain will remain at this point in the campain. I wonder if it's okay NOW to do what was not then. Yep the gloves have come off.  I wonder if Sen McCain's values come off with it.
I absolutely repudiate McSlime/Plain-lyin', you betcha!

OBAMA/BIDEN '08
Folks, it's gettin' ugly out there! Palin has been a terrible force in this election...can't wait until she goes away...
this is stupid whats the scoop with the dow
Disgusting.
It's amazing that McKeating would criticize a hate/fear tactic.  He's been more than obvious in remarks that indicate his negative feelings about muslims...so any chance to link Senator Obama to anything muslim seems like it would be natural.  Senators Obama and Biden are kicking the collective GOP butt and they'll say or do anything to win.
I live in lee county and teach there as well.  I know this place. This same Sheriff will not allow college students to protest at Palin's appearence.  All the Republicans are doing down here is negative smears at not giving any ideas on what to do about problems and the young people in Lee county are the ones losing jobs and being forced to leave to find work after school.  When they chose to voice themselves they were denied by this same sheriff. This man is a disgrace and is sheriff only due to low voting numbers.  Crime is up in Lee County.
I was a life long republican and now I am independent.  I was on the fence but see no way that trickle down economic Philosophy, censorship, and negative politics can get us out of this.  I will now vote Obama for President.  McCain/Palin scares me about what type of future they see if any and whaty they approve of.
Disgusting; McCain has no character.  


Silly.  Who had any control over what they were named.


What they ought to be wondering is what parrot palin's husband is doing up there in Alaska against the thest of the U.S.  Now THAT's an association I want to know about.

Obama has be gruesomely vetted for 20 months, and this dog with lipstick does not want to speak to the media on herself, but has no problem with spewing lies, hate and decisivness.

She is not worth the HYPE.

Keep your head to the sky Barack!!!


I don't suppose McCain or Palin will repudiate the sheriff's remarks will they?
I hate that the biatch is in my home state! Go HOME PALIN! We don't like LIARS in our state!
I wonder if the high sheriff is one of those southern pot bellied louts we see around here...
For eight years, Bush and the republicans have conditioned America to be afraid and live in fear.   They are now playing Americans for all they can get out of that fear card.

Fear and smear is how the republicans gain POWER and CONTROL OVER THE PEOPLE.   LIES, DISTORTIONS AND EXAGGERATIONS are the tools they use to accomplish their purpose.     This is what we are seeing right now.

If they make it, once again when the election is over, all the peon voters will be cast to the wayside and power, money and indifference to the middle and lower class will reign once again.   We will be stuck for four or eight more years of the past.  

I reject these false qualifications for President.   I reject the abundance of lies, distortions and complete anti Obama fabrications which are condoned be the McCain campaign and  appears on this and other web sites.  

No talk on the economy, health care or any of the other issues with respect to what it takes for ordinary people to live and prosper in the reality of day to day.

Only attacks with concocted false relationships on Obamas character, even though the major news organizations have concluded that no real relationships existed or does exist.

HOW MANY OF YOU WILL AGAIN ALLOW YOURSELVES TO BE USED AND MANIPULATED IN THIS WAY?

I for one will NOT bow to their fear.    I will NOT vote for the dishonorable one who attempts to GAIN THE PRESIDENCY BY PLAYING US FOR FOOLS THROUGH LIES AND DECEIT.

I will vote for the one who seeks the Presidency VIA THE HIGH ROAD WITH VISION, A COMMAND OF THE ISSUES AND A GENUINE CONCERN FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY.

My family will vote for Barack Obama.
John Hussein McCain (ooooh scaaarrry!!!) (and pretty dumb too)
Wow, I almost feel sorry for McCain. ALMOST
McCain was still married to his first wife when he applied for marriage license with his second wife. Note, his first wife stood by him throughout while in prison. He left the poor woman after he was freed for a richer woman. He left the poor woman who weathers the, worries, hardships, and uncertainty of his survival, for a richer and younger woman. That’s not character, that’s selfishness. The selection of Sarah Palin is another example of McCain’s self-center behavior and everyone knows that the selection of Palin was not country-first but McCain –first.

I think the Obama-Biden team should generate an Ad questioning McCain’s character by invoking the fact that he applied for marriage license while still married to his first wife.

Allen
What else can they talk about? If I were Barack, I would call myself Barack Hussein Obama, his father named him that. I would rather be called that than George Bush!! That just goes to show you just how low these "christians" will stoop. This is just the beginning people, they will stoop lower than the sewer.As somebody once said"you ain;t seen notin yet"
This is all recycle.  

I am not seeing anything new here!!
" . . . I will make sure nothing like that ever happens again."

Unless of course, I am losing the general election miserably and have nothing else to run on.  Then all bets are off.


SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=1499935

First Read e-mail alerts


Sign up for First Read alerts
The first place for key political news and analysis

Syndicate This Site

Add First Read to your news reader:
live.com xml
myyahoo msn
bloglines newsgator
google