Today is truly a watershed day in the primary campaign.
For before today, as I will demonstrate, the list of 9/11 fearmongers, flinches and dog-whistlers who chose to refer to Barack Obama by "Barack Hussein Obama" was a short and distinguished one.
Bob Kerrey and those who have defended him strenuously here must be very proud to count themselves among the following Republican scumfucks great Americans:
There is gasbag skeeze great American Debbie Schlussel, who on other occasions has given us such bon mots as Media Matters is Nazi-funded and the Virginia Tech shooter was a "Paki". From Schlussel:
"So, even if he identifies strongly as a Christian ... is a man who Muslims think is a Muslim, who feels some sort of psychological need to prove himself to his absent Muslim father, and who is now moving in the direction of his father's heritage, a man we want as President when we are fighting the war of our lives against Islam? Where will his loyalties be?" She ended her column by asking if Obama becoming vice president instead would be acceptable. Answering her own question, she wrote: "NO WAY, JOSE ... Or, is that, HUSSEIN?"
CAUTION: As many Hillary supporters on this site will tell you, the word is not loaded. It may even be racist for us to suggest that it's a liability for Obama.
Anyway, moving on.
Next up is Ed Rogers, a C-grade flack who admits to being a cipher for RNC talking points
"Count me down as somebody that underestimates Barack Hussein Obama," Rogers said.
Verah niiice.
Then there's this escaped mental patient good American, who thinks Obama is the anti-Christ:
Supporters of Obama: 1.5 billion Muslims, Oprah, Louis Farrakanh, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and all American Muslims.
OBAMA’S GAME IS DECEPTION AND VIOLENCE
A VOTE FOR OBAMA IS A VOTE FOR OSAMA AND KILLER ISLAM!!
Sweeeet.
But hey, it's not just small-time racists with no readership, viewership, or listenership who were in on the game from day one. Megaracist Great American Rush Limbaugh done done it, too!
LIMBAUGH: Well, this is hilarious. The media, the drive-bys, are in the midst of Obama-gasms. Because Obama -- that would be Barack Hussein Obama -- has announced the perfunctory and predictable exploratory committee to go out there and ask people what they think he ought to do.
Last, but never least, is screeching viral harpie great American Ann Coulter. I always like to let Ann's words rot in the sun like the shit they are speak for themselves:
Last month, [Obama] spoke at the 50th anniversary convention of his church, the United Church of Christ. In his address, he noted that, 'Somewhere along the way ... faith got hijacked partly because of the so-called leaders of the Christian right who've been all too eager to exploit what divides us.'
Ann Coulter was invited to talk about the address on Fox News. She derided the Illinois senator for 'making that little speech in a church.' And she added: 'Anyone named B. Hussein Obama should avoid using 'hijack' and 'religion' in the same sentence.'
There you have it. A veritable Who's Who of Rethuglican scumbaggery respected, high-minded punditry who, until today, laid exclusive claim to the label "Barack Hussein Obama." How very proud Bob Kerry and his apologists must be to blow through that barrier, and to do Obama the service of helping him vet out that issue in the media.