ODD CALL ON OBAMA MIDDLE NAME From NBC/NJ’s Aswini AnburajanRadio Iowa's Kay Henderson is reporting that she received a mysterious call from a New York number asking her if she knew what Barack Obama's middle name was.
Henderson writes: "It happened yesterday. I was sitting at my desk in the Radio Iowa newsroom and a colleague forwarded a call to my extension. I did not tape record the conversation, nor did I type out notes. I hastily scratched a few notes by hand on a piece of paper and now present to you my recollection of the moment.
"I'm calling because I wonder if your listeners know what Barack Obama's middle name is," was the entre to the brief conversation … when referring to Obama.)"
On further questioning, the man told Henderson that he was the one who should be asking questions when she asked him if he was from New York and why he was asking.
Obama's middle name, which is Hussein, caused a stir a few weeks ago when former Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, said that he appreciated that Obama's father was a Muslim and that his middle name was Hussein. Kerrey later apologized in a letter to Obama, saying that he had not meant the comment to be interpreted as a back-handed compliment.
Obama, who is a Christian and belongs to Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, has faced questioning from voters on whether he is a Muslim or not, in part due to smear emails forwarded about him by unknown sources.
Obama's campaign said they learned of the call through Henderson's blog and don't have enough information to respond at the time.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/29/538108.aspxBlog Entry from the Radio Host: Anti-Obama call from New York?It happened yesterday. I was sitting at my desk in the Radio Iowa newsroom and a colleague forwarded a call to my extension. I did not tape record the conversation, nor did I type out notes. I hastily scratched a few notes by hand on a piece of paper and now present to you my recollection of the moment.
"I'm calling because I wonder if your listeners know what Barack Obama's middle name is," was the entre to the brief conversation. (If you don't know, it's the name Bob Kerrey apologized for using recently when referring to Obama.)
"Why?" was my one-word, first response.
The caller repeated his argument that Iowa radio listeners need to know Obama's middle name.
"I see in my caller ID box here on my phone that you are calling from New York. Who are you?" I asked the man on the other end of the line.
"I'm the one that's supposed to be asking the questions," the man replied, then made another comment about Obama's middle name.
"Who are you calling for?" I asked again, as the caller ID box merely said "New York" and did not show a number. "How did you get my number?"
"Thank you for your time," the man, who had a heavy New York accent, replied and hung up. (No, it was not Bob Kerrey. He still has a Nebraska accent.)
I was unable to track down the number for the call into our newsroom. Who do you think is paying for that call? Have you gotten one like it?
http://learfield.typepad.com/radioiowa/2007/12/anti-obama-call.html