AND WE HAVE EIGHT MONTHS TO GO YET

So I didn't realize that Rush Limbaugh's call screener, James Golden, a black man who's referred to on the air as "Bo Snerdley," has been labeled Rush's "Official Obama Criticizer."



Nor did I realize that he's happy to do this criticizing in someone's crude, fourth-hand idea of black English.

First we get the standard English. Then we get the minstrelsy:

...RUSH: We turn now to the Official EIB Obama Criticizer, Bo Snerdley.

SNERDLEY: This is Bo Snerdley, Official EIB Barack Criticizer, African-American, certified black guy, black enough to criticize. I have a statement: "Senator Obama, your reaction to the release of the picture showing you in native garb with your extended family in Africa was...regretful. While the motives of the Clinton camp in disseminating the image are clear, your response was baffling. Instead of acting wounded, whining, and like you're ashamed of the photo in the first place; it would have been wiser for you to take pride in the photo. Explain that world leaders, such as yourself, often wear the traditional garb when you visit foreign lands -- especially if you're visiting your family! You could have also dug up the pictures of both Bill and Hillary Clinton attired in similar African garb while they were pretending to be the black president and first lady. Bad form, Mr. Obama. You need to develop a much thicker skin, and not fall for Clinton tricks."

(Let me interrupt here to note that a link at the bottom of the transcript on Limbaugh's site goes to an ABC story that essentially contradicts everything "Snerdley" says here -- it points out that Obama and members of his campaign pushed back in precisely these ways. Does anyone in Limbaugh Land even check these things?)

Then comes "Snerdley's" minstrelsy:

Now, the translation for EIB brothers and sisters in the hood. "Yo, oh! What's up with you acting dissed when they only rolled out a shot of you with your African garb. Yo! You were in the mother land with the peeps. That was lame, yo! These are your peeps. You were stylin'. Instead of acting dissed, you shoulda rolled out large and told Clinton and everybody else what was up. This is what the big dogs do, yo, not like Bill faking it, putting on some kente cloth when he goes to Africa, then forgetting all about the home boys when he comes back home. Like that. You shoulda also told Hillary: 'Yo, baby, maybe if you dress up in some costumes and get out of that bumblebee outfit, you might keep your man at home for a change.' Okay? You feel me? Don't fall for Clinton 'trickinology,' bro." That concludes this statement.

Yikes.