Chip Saltsman, RNC Chairmanship Candidate Distributes CD with Controversial Song "Barack the Magice Negro," Calls it Political Satire

UPDATE

Well, we have an Uncle Tom vying for the RNC chairmanship who didn't see anything wrong with Saltsman's distribution of the song. Ken Blackwell, an African-American himself, has defended Saltsman, dismissing the criticism as "hypersensitivity in the press:"

"Unfortunately, there is hypersensitivity in the press regarding matters of race. This is in large measure due to President-Elect Obama being the first African-American elected president," said Blackwell, who would be the first black RNC Chairman, in a statement forwarded to Politico by an aide. "I don't think any of the concerns that have been expressed in the media about any of the other candidates for RNC chairman should disqualify them. When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal. All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people."

But there was a voice of reason who took offense to the comments.

The current chairman, Mike Duncan, has issued a statement saying that he is "shocked and appalled" that Saltsman could have thought this was funny or appropriate in any way: "The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party. I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate as it clearly does not move us in the right direction."

So I am guessing from this latest dust-up that conservative nutjob Rush Limbaugh is the new face of the Republican Party. RNC chairmanship candidate Chip Saltsman sent committee members a music CD with lyrics from a song called "Barack the Magic Negro." And I am guessing he's is dumb enough to think that would go over well with everyone. He just blew his chances of being considered for the chairmanship. I heard about this early yesterday, but decided to wait a while to see if it would gain any traction and it did! According to The Hill, the song was first played on Rush Limbaugh's radio show.

“I look forward to working together in the New Year,” Saltsman wrote. “Please enjoy the enclosed CD by my friend Paul Shanklin of the Rush Limbaugh Show.” The CD, called “We Hate the USA,” lampoons liberals with such songs as “John Edwards’ Poverty Tour,” “Wright place, wrong pastor,” “Love Client #9,” “Ivory and Ebony” and “The Star Spanglish banner.”

Several of the track titles, including “Barack the Magic Negro,” are written in bold font. The song, which debuted on Limbaugh’s show in late March 2007, latches onto an opinion column in the of the same title. That column, penned by cultural critic David Ehrenstein, argued that Obama could serve as a balm to whites who felt guilty about past treatment of African Americans. Limbaugh first highlighted the column the day it ran, according to a contemporary report by Media Matters, the liberal watchdog agency. Media Matters reported Limbaugh repeated the phrase more than two dozen times the day the column ran.

The following month, Shanklin debuted his version of the song, sung to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon” and performed in Shanklin’s impression of Al Sharpton.“See, real black men, like Snoop Dogg, or me, or Farrakhan, have talked the talk, and walked the walk, not come in late and won,” one verse in the song says.

Saltsman said he meant nothing untoward by forwarding what amounts to a joke more at Ehrenstein’s expense than at Obama’s. “Paul Shanklin is a long-time friend, and I think that RNC members have the good humor and good sense to recognize that his songs for the Rush Limbaugh show are light-hearted political parodies,” Saltsman said. Source: The Hill

Once again, the RNC appears to engage in very petty acts of opposition to Barack Obama. They have not realized that criticizing Barack Obama for things he has no control over does not sit well with Americans. They are small-minded and they have obviously forgotten that Barack Obama's late mother was a white woman. I can just see the path the RNC will go down if Chip Saltsman is appointed their new chairman. The RNC has lost its sense of direction and it's leadership is the primary reason why. I have yet to hear one senior Republican condemn this song. As a conservative who has voted for a Republican on several occasions, cheap gimmicks like this is one of the primary reasons why I could not in good conscience vote for a Republican in the presidential election. Rush Limbaugh has appointed himself the moral compass for the Republican Party and that is very troubling. He tried to use Barack Obama's race against him and it backfired. Funny, Rush Limbaugh couldn't possibly walk in Obama's shoes or any other highly educated politician. He is so vocal and knows everything. I wish he would run for elected office instead of sitting on the sidelines grumbling and criticizing every move being made by Barack Obama. Sheesh.