Imus producer referred to Obama's "Jew-hating name"

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."

The last smear was an apparent reference by Imus to statements Obama made in response to remarks by Sen. Joseph R. Biden (D-DE) documented in The New York Observer.

Various media figures have highlighted Obama's middle name -- "Hussein" -- suggesting, or asserting that it will hurt him with voters.

Imus initially agreed with McGuirk's "Jew-hating" comment with a "[y]es," but then said: "Well, that's a little far, don't you think?" to which McGuirk responded: "Yeah, probably."

As Media Matters for America has noted, in 2006, Imus referred to the "Jewish management" of CBS Radio as "money-grubbing bastards."

From the February 2 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning:

IMUS: I saw Al Sharpton with -- with Chris Matthews yesterday, and he was -- he was terrific.

McCORD: I saw that.

IMUS: Wasn't he good?

McCORD: He was excellent.

IMUS: But the -- but the point is -- well, Biden -- it's just idiotic what Biden says. But Obama's a creep, a front-running creep, too, so --

McGUIRK: Flip-flopping --

IMUS: Really, I mean, that's -- that's a weasel.

McGUIRK: He was OK with the statements until he was against the statements.

IMUS: Yeah, he's not -- he's not -- first of all, he's not qualified to be president, that's one, and two, he's a flip-flopping weasel.

McCORD: A wind-watching wimp.

IMUS: Oh, thank you, Charles.

McGUIRK: With a Jew-hating name.

IMUS: Yes. Eleven -- well, that's a little far, don't you think?

McGUIRK: Yeah, probably.

—R.C.