NASHVILLE — Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Robin Smith today defended using “Barack Hussein Obama” in a news release criticizing the Democratic presidential candidate despite GOP nominee John McCain’s calling such characterizations “totally inappropriate.”
A news release posted Monday on the state GOP’s Web site, titled “Anti-Semites for Obama,” includes U.S. Sen. Obama’s middle name, Hussein, as it attacks support of the Democratic frontrunner by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, among others.
The state GOP release also features a picture of Sen. Obama, whose father was African, in Somali dress and turban.
In a statement, Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser said “the tone and the accuracy of this release unfortunately is what we have come to expect from the Tennessee Republican Party in recent times, and this release is the worst of the bunch.”
Mr. Sasser said the release “amplifies misinformation, discredited tall tales, and Internet innuendo to appeal to the worst in people.”
During a campaign rally Tuesday in Ohio, a conservative radio talk show host who helped introduce Sen. McCain referred to Sen. Obama as “Barack Hussein Obama,” according to news accounts.
Sen. McCain was quoted by The New York Times saying “whatever suggestion that was made that was any way disparaging to the integrity, character, honesty of either Senator Obama or Senator (Hillary) Clinton was wrong. I condemn it, and if I have any responsibility, I will take the responsibility, and I apologize for it.”
Mrs. Smith said the state Republican Party “stands by that press release.”
“That was simply a response out of this office stating that in this state, in the state of Tennessee, the values of Tennessee are not reflected by Louis Farrakhan and his anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment,” she said. “And when you have someone by the name of Barack Hussein Obama on the ticket, just like Richard Milhous Nixon, like Hillary Rodham Clinton, like John Fitzgerald Kennedy, like Dwight D. Eisenhower, whatever, it’s not the first time someone’s middle name has come into interest.”
McCain spokeswoman Crystal Benton said in a statement that “Senator McCain has made clear that he rejects these sort of tactics and will campaign on his record.”
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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