Democratic and Liberal political analysis and commentary

The other day, John McCain had a jerk named Bill Cunningham, a Cinncinati radio host was warming up the rabid republican crowd by repeatedly referring to Barack Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama."

McCain, to his credit, denounced Cunningham and rejected his endorsement.

Today on NPR I heard Cunningham trying (and failing) to credibly defend himself. He actually wanted the listeners to believe that he thought Hussein was a proud middle eastern name and that he looked forward to the day an African American was president.

Everyone knows that the sweetest sound in a person's ear is the sound of his own name. But names can also be used hatefully. One of my favorite quotes is a sentence I once heard a child use to describe how he knew his grandmother loved him. "When she says my name," the youngster observed, "My name sounds safe in her mouth." What he meant was, he could tell by the tone of her voice and how she gently spoke his name, that she regarded him well.

Any normal person who listened to Bill Cunningham's speech could tell by the inflection and mocking tone that Cunningham used that he meant only disrespect for Barack Obama. Bill Cunningham can backpeddle all he wants, but he should not be representing any candidate for president. In fact, he has repudiated John McCain. Who needs friends like that?