Walking on Eggshells

"But most of the flaps ended the same way: With Obama forgiving the alleged offender. Sometimes he's accepted the apologies graciously, sometimes sternly, but always in line with his message. And that message of reconciliation -- often explicitly racial reconciliation -- is a central part of his campaign's appeal. With a general election that appears likely to open him to more Republican attacks, and more line-crossing, the campaign ritual of offense and forgiveness appears likely to be repeated often this year."

Obama had better get used to it, the New York Times suggests:

"In the last few days alone, Senator John McCain has mocked a statement Mr. Obama made about Al Qaeda in Iraq. The Tennessee Republican Party, identifying him with his middle name as Barack Hussein Obama, suggested that his foreign policy would be shaped by people who are anti-Semitic and anti-Israel.

"The Republican National Committee issued a statement on Wednesday invoking a questionnaire Mr. Obama filled out when running for Senate in 2004 to show that he once opposed cracking down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants . . .

"The shifting tone offers a glimpse of the Republican playbook as the party adapts to the prospect that it will be running against Mr. Obama rather than Mrs. Clinton."

Not everyone agrees with McCain that Obama's middle name ought to be off limits, after his Cincinnati radio supporter Bill Cunningham kept repeating it. Take, for instance, John Hawkins of Right Wing News:

"Just to be clear: Barack Hussein Obama is his name, just like George Herbert Walker Bush is George Bush's full name or George Felix Allen is George Allen's full name.

"If Obama's supporters are embarrassed or humiliated by the man's name, that's an issue that they should work through. Maybe they could try sensitivity training?

"Personally, I like to call Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Hussein Obama every so often solely because liberals freak out about it so much.

" ' OMG, some used Barack Obama's full name! I am hyperventilating with rage!'

"Please, spare us."

Come on--we all know why the name "Hussein" is being bandied about.