Names as of late seem to be creating political headlines with our candidates for President more than the substance of such issues as the Iraqi War, the economy, housing, healthcare and global warming during this chilly winter.

Now, I for one don’t get it.

It seems to me that every time I write a column and mention the name Obama and then do a spellcheck on my writing, it suggests that Obama should be spelled Osama.

Now to be fair and balanced, I am working in Microsoft Vista.  Check it out it, Obama comes out Osama every time on Microsoft spellcheck programs whether it’s Vista or some earlier program, and there are no other spelling options.

So I went to my Apple laptop, which runs the Macintosh program.  I typed in the name Obama and it didn’t correct it to Osama with one choice, it gave me three choices — Ocala, Omaha, or Osaka.

Well, I thought that’s a little bit better, none of those places are in the Middle East, but then again there are more Microsoft users than Mac users.  I realized it wasn’t much spelling help, but then again if iI wanted to raise race horses, buy steaks or visit the Orient, these were good leads.

Now I thought there must be some right wing conspiracy going on here, you know with all those right wing radio talk show hosts throwing these Middle Eastern names around casting innuendoes by word associations to famous evil people and casting aspersions on the leading Democratic candidate Barack Hussein Obama.

I didn’t know his middle name was Hussein until Bill Cunningham,; a popular conservative radio talk show host from Cincinnati, Ohio did a warm-up piece for a staged McCain rally.

Could it be that Obama was trying to play down his middle name for the same reasons the right wing might want to play it up?

Before McCain appeared, the radio host told the crowd he’d had a dream about “Barack Hussein Obama’s wonderful life a year from today.”  In the dream, he said, “Obama was president and had just met with Iranian leader Mahmoud Abmadinejad and was set to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong II.”  Then Cunningham said, Obama was going to “saddle up next to Hezbollah.”

“All’s going to be right with the world when the great prophet from Chicago takes the stand, and the world leaders who want to kill us will simply be singing (Kumbaya) together around the table with Barack Obama,” Cunningham said.

Well McCain went ballistic when he heard what Cunningham said, repudiated every word, apologized for the remarks, took full responsibility and said it would never happen again.

Asked whether Obama’s middle name was an appropriate topic for discussion, McCain said, “No, it is not.”

I wonder if he knows Obama’s name comes up Osama on Microsoft spellcheck?

I find this middle name thing really interesting.  Past presidents didn’t seem to have a problem with their middle names.  There was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Richard Millhouse Nixon and William Jefferson Clinton.

In fact before John Fitzgerald Kennedy ever became president there was a lot of debate about the first Irish American Catholic running for president, but I don’t remember any talk of Kennedy not using his middle name, or for that matter, trying to down play it.

So with this entire hullabaloo over names I thought it would be productive in this democracy to look into these names a bit further so the voters can deal with all the facts — to hell with the issues.

The meaning of Barack is ‘blessed.’  That seems to be a non-controversial start.  The origin is African and its from the Hebrew name Baruch and also has the meaning of ‘good looking.’  This kid is off to a good start. 

But then it goes down hill, or up hill, depending upon your perspective. Now the name Hussein is Arabic and there is no question of it’s origin: Muslim, Iraqi, Iranian, and Pakistani.

Obama apparently gives the computer problems; perhaps that is why it comes out Osama.  Modern vernacular says, ‘chosen by voters.’  It further states its a Luo name male from Western Kenya, which may derive from ‘obam’ which connotes ‘bending or leaning.’

Now if we look into Osama which the computer substitutes for Obama we find that its orgin is Arabic and it means feline predator –’Lion-like.’

It is a form of Usama and nickname for the ‘Lion.’

Now again, to be fair and balanced, I thought it only just that if I dissect Barack Hussein Obama’s name, I should do the same to mine.

My full name is Donald John Storch, I go by Don Storch, but for no other reason other than to make it simple.  All official papers are signed Donald John Storch and my college degree reads as such.

Now Donald — it’s of Scottish and Gaelic orgin.  It means ‘great chief, world mighty.’

John, it is of Hebrew orgin, meaning ‘Lord is gracious’ and is biblical.  There are two characters in the New Testament named John.

Storch, is obviously a descendent of the Stork — a bird.  It is German, middle high German. 

After making a comparison with Obama, I’m thinking of running for president — I like my middlle name.