Obama's Baby Name Game

According to BabyNames.com, the name "Barack" means "Blessed," and the origin of the name Barack is African. Whoa! AFRICAN! Then, then, then using his first name - his actual first name - must be anti-black! Good Lord People! Now we know that using Mr. Obama's first name is a racist fear bomb! Michelle Obama says that using her hubby's actual middle name is a "fear bomb." Michelle Obama is full of crap. The flap is all about a talk show host who recently had the nerve - the nerve! - to refer to Obama by his full name: Barack Hussein Obama. Yes, that's his real name. But he doesn't like it when people say it. Neither does his wife Michelle, the woman who was never proud of her country until just a few days ago. Michelle Obama, who often has decried "the fear bomb'' that opponents have used against her husband for his middle name -- Barack Hussein Obama -- said in Canton, Ohio, today that it is happening again and shows why it's so important that he wins election as president. So writes Mark Silva in the Chicago Tribune today. "They threw in the obvious, ultimate fear bomb," [Michelle] Obama said today of her husband's 2004 Senate race. "We're even hearing [that] now. When all else fails, be afraid of his name, and what that could stand for, because it's different.'" This is insane. His middle name really is Hussein. A lot of Americans - good, decent Americans - have partly or fully Arabic or Muslim sounding names. Many of them have Muslim sounding first names, and last names. So is a Mr. Mohammed supposed to get bent out of shape because you just used his actual, Muslim sounding name? No, of course not. Would I be committing some kind of hate speech if I actually called a Mexican person by their actual, Mexican sounding name? What about a Jewish guy? What if I yelled across the street, "Hey! Mr. Lebinowitz! How are you today?" Well, going by Barack's example, I'd be dropping a fear bomb. My God! I just revealed that Mr. Lebinowitz's last name is actually "Lebinowitz!" That's unacceptable! What if there's an antisemite within earshot? But Barack Obama will not tolerate such a hateful thing as the use of his actual middle name. No sirree, no sir. Here's a suggestion for Barack Hussein Obama: If it's such a sensitive issue, pal, change your name. Change your middle name to Harrigan and we'll all just hoist a green beer together, Paddy. I wonder if using the name "Obama" is another fear bomb?