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.
