The title of this post is a bit tongue-in-cheek. For most folks not out on the far-right partisan fringe, Illinois Review never had credibility to begin with (so how could it crater, right?).

Yet partisan infopimper and Illinois Review editor Fran Eaton is managing to drag the Review to new lows by approvingly linking to her friend Dan Zanoza (he doesn’t like corporate media) and his race-baiting and sectarian divisiveness regarding Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Curiously, Mr. Zanoza declares himself Executive Director for an outfit he calls “Republicans for Fair Media”. In reality, it’s clear he defines “fair” as actually being glowingly biased in favor of Republicans without an ounce of truth that might somehow ding Republicans. (He is also the fellow who most recently claimed Obama was the anti-Christ — and he was serious in his careless blasphemy.)

Arch points out Mr. Zanoza’s latest effort to rationalize his growing-less-subtle closet racism and xenophobia in which he pulls out the ol’ “shedding light” canard. Says Mr. Zanoza:

You see, during a McCain rally in Ohio, a popular radio talk show host, Bill Cunningham (“The Big Show” with Bill Cunningham) was warming up the audience for McCain.  While doing so, Cunningham used Obama’s full name, Barack Hussein Obama, three times and pointed to the fact the American mainstream media has given the junior Senator from Illinois a virtual pass on the issues.  Cunningham also said the national media needed to “peel the bark off Barack Hussein Obama.”

After the event, McCain held a scheduled press conference and issued an apology for Cunningham’s performance even though McCain had not heard Cunningham’s rally warm-up.  McCain went on to talk about what an honorable man Obama is and he praised Hillary Rodham Clinton in the process. [...]

I don’t think there’s any problem with using Obama’s middle name.  It’s part of his heritage.  It’s part of who he is.  And, if that heritage, combined with some of the recent comments made by Obama and his wife, Michelle, shed light on this man’s true world view, the American people have a right to know it or hear it.

Is there a problem with saying “Barack Hussein Obama”? No more of a problem that always using “Daniel Tiberius Zanoza” (or whatever the “T” stands for). Normally, it just sounds real stupid to use full names because it’s not common practice.

But in this case, the issue that Sen. McCain has with its use is the attempt to turn a middle name into a xenophobic, anti-Islamic smear. Mr. Zanoza has a problem with McCain being cordial — apparently he’d rather see a Disunited States of America because that is precisely where this continually devolving partisan divisiveness will lead (whether from Illinois Review, Mr. Zanoza, or talking head Mr. Cunningham).

It’s odd that Mr. Zanoza and other conserv-o-partisans would wax angrily about Sen. McCain being gracious to both leading Democratic contenders. Sen. Obama himself routinely pays his respects to Sen. McCain’s service to our nation, and rightly so. There don’t seem to be many (if an) partisan liberals running around squealing about that.

Yet Mr. Zanoza’s us-v-them mentality can brook no compromise whatsoever and that’s just plain sad.

It also belies his rationalization wherein he explains away his loathing for Obama with the stock answer,  “And, if that heritage, combined with some of the recent comments made by Obama and his wife, Michelle, shed light on this man’s true world view, the American people have a right to know it or hear it.”

The problem is there is absolutely nothing indicating Sen. Obama has been in any way influenced by his father Muslim faith (other than conservative partisans’ fear-mongering and baseless insinuation). Indeed, his dad walked out when Obama was 2. It was bad enough when Sen. Clinton dug up kindergarten theme papers but this ongoing xenophobic ranting from conservative partisans over something that ended when Obama was 2 is beyond pathetic.

Moreover, Michelle Obama already explained that her comments were about her pride in the current state of America’s political process — a point she has made over and over (and over) in a variety of speeches, albeit with more clear phrasing, and which is directly to related to the hundreds of thousands of voters who are showing a very high interest level in this election.

It’s telling that the cons have to resort to a half-quote anyway in order to make her sound like she’s somehow unpatriotic. (Clearly, this “patriotism” infopimping is the emerging plug-n-play meme of 2008… I’m sure the Republican National Committee has already placed an order for a url along those lines.)

The only reason for someone to use his full name and then to go a step further by trying to claim that his middle name somehow influences his “true world view” is out of pure hatred for someone who may be “other” — and that’s racist and xenophobic.

You can’t “shed light” on something that isn’t there — you can only make up baloney and pass it off as “having a right to know”. No matter how Mr. Zanoza tries to rationalize his closet racism, it’s still shining right through the slats on those closet doors.

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PS: Did we mention Obama is black? That is also apparently bad according to conservative partisans and their corporate media “gotcha” enablers who promote pointless and weak-kneed guilt-by-association bs.

And shame on the Clinton camp for recently resorting to this same level of conserv-o-partisan xenophobic gutter politics.