Imus pals played ugly with Barack's middle name

[BeyondGeography]

I, for one, will not miss the unique brand of ugliness that Imus in the Morning added to the public conversation. As an Obama supporter, it's probably an added bonus, as they were obviously prepared to play the Hussein/middle name doesn't-it-make-you-think-twice card for all it was worth. On Feb. 2, the infamous Bernard McGuirk added this kernel of joy for a public mostly just getting to know the Senator from Illinois:

<On the February 2 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, the show's executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, claimed that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has "a Jew-hating name." The remark followed a flurry of other negative comments from host Don Imus, McGuirk, and co-host Charles McCord about the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, calling Obama a "creep," "a wind-watching wimp," and "a flip-flopping weasel.">

Has an uglier slur been uttered on a major American network in recent history?

http://mediamatters.org/items/200702020009

And, after the fall, lead I-Man defender Bo Dietl had this to say:

<Referring to Obama's call for Imus to be fired, Dietl, who was a regular guest on Imus' program, stated: "Obama Hussein. Barack Obama -- what's that guy's name? The three names? The full name?" Fox News business correspondent Rebecca Gomez answered, "Oh, I'm not even sure," and Dietl said: "Hussein. Hussein's his middle name.">

Leaving it to DU punching bag Dick Morris (and I've taken my swipes too) to restore order:

<Later in the discussion, syndicated columnist Dick Morris responded to Dietl's smear, saying, "His first name is Senator, his next name is Barack, and his last name is Obama, Bo." Dietl responded by asking Morris, "What's his middle name, though? What's his middle name? What's his middle name?" Morris then told Dietl that he was "attempting the same racist garbage that you do all over the place" and that "ou're injecting that because you know it's prejudicial.">

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704130004

I don't want to re-open the Imus deserved to be/shouldn't have been fired discussion, and Obama's middle name will continue to be abused and misused over the airwaves. I guess my point is I'm glad these guys had their microphones cut off and were sent home, there to negotiate a satellite deal where they'll have a fraction of the listeners they once had and no television cameras.

[Fridays Child]

1. Dick Morris showed some decency?

:wow:

[TwilightGardener]

2. There have been people on DU posing as Democrats who

use his middle name for the same purpose.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. B.O. Dietl and Bonehead McJuirk - Now there's a class act.

Two low-lifes.

[Redstone]

4. If you "don't want to re-open it," why are you doing EXACTLY that?

Redstone

[unkachuck]

5. Barack....

....should repeat his full name as often as possible, where ever possible....and Dennis should likewise make jokes about being short and ugly....

....when right-wing media debaces African Americans with inuendo, slurs and racial stereo-types it certainly IS designed to tarnish Obama and others....

....if Obama gets the nomination this kind of crap will occur hourly....the sooner people get used to 'Hussein', the better....

....but the necessity of removing Imus (and hopefully others) has come as a shock to corporate America; they got a taste of the New Left....