"Barack the Magic WHAT?"

By now we have all heard this ridiculous version of the song "Puff the Magic Dragon." This is a very beloved children's song written decades ago. Does Chip Saltzman really think this is funny?

For these shallow, small-minded folks - including the most small-minded and big-mouthed Rush Limbaugh - to be this disrespectful to Barack Obama is actually the real joke. Obama is a Harvard and Columbia educated man whose intelligence could run circles around all of their small brains put together. And the only thing outweighing Limbaugh's lack of intelligence is his lack of class.

Thank you, Peter Yarrow, for speaking up and saying that you too are disgusted. As one of the original writers of the song, he certainly didn't appreciate it being turned into a racist joke. In a post on Huffington Post, Peter said:

"The sending of a Christmas greeting by Chip Saltzman to the members of the Republican National Committee that includes a recording of the so-called parody, "Barack the Magic Negro" is not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening in the extreme. It flies in the face of America's deeply held hope for a new era in which common ground and mutual respect characterize the exchanges between our national leaders.

I and my co-writer of "Puff," Lenny Lipton, have been eagerly awaiting an end to the mean-spiritedness, outright disrespect and bigotry that was commonplace prior to this last presidential election. What might have been wearily accepted as "the way it was" in the campaign, is now unacceptable. Obama is not a candidate. He is the President-Elect, and this song insults the office of the Presidency, the people who voted for him, as well as those who did not -- and taking a children's song and twisting it in such vulgar, mean-spirited way, is a slur to our entire country and our common agreement to move beyond racism.

It is almost unimaginable to me that Chip Saltzman who sent the CD, would seriously be considered for the top post of the Republican National Committee. Puff, himself, if asked, would certainly agree."

If Saltzman is elected to this post, it will say volumes not only about a lack of intelligence, but a lack of character as well. Bigotry is never funny and certainly should not be rewarded. In respect to our next President of the United States, this is completely unacceptable.