Jul 31, 2008 7:00 am US/Pacific
Obama Camp Rejects Rapper Ludacris' Hillary Diss
Song Also Targets John McCain, President Bush And Rev. Jesse Jackson
CHICAGO (AP) ―
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Actor and recording artist Chris "Ludacris" Bridges speaks during the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's summer luncheon July 30, 2008, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Barack Obama's presidential campaign says a new rhyme by supporter and rapper Ludacris is "outrageously offensive" to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Republican Sen. John McCain and President Bush.
The song, reportedly called "Politics (Obama Is Here)," brags about the Illinois senator's supposed presidency being destiny. It uses an expletive to describe Clinton, calls Bush "mentally handicapped" and says McCain doesn't belong in "any chair unless he's paralyzed."
The lyrics don't spare the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who recently apologized for making crude comments about Obama. "If you said it then you meant it," intones the rapper.
Obama's campaign blasted the track, which appears as "Politics as Usual" on the "Gangsta Grillz: The Preview" mixtape with Atlanta spinner DJ Drama.
"As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn't want his daughters or any children exposed to," campaign spokesman Bill Burton said in an e-mail statement Wednesday. "This song is not only outrageously offensive to Sen. Clinton, Rev. Jackson, Sen. McCain and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics."
Ludacris' publicist and manager did not immediately return calls Wednesday for comment.
In an interview published in July with music magazine Rolling Stone, Obama was asked what he thought of rap. The presidential candidate said, "I know Jay-Z. I know Ludacris... They are great talents and great businessmen." He added, "It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves."
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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