This is a fascinating discussion on Hardball with Mark Halperin about the president and the ridiculous Muslim rumors.
Halperin is right, of course, but he's hardly innocent in all of this. Flashback two years and Halperin's advice to the McCain campaign...
Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama's unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism.
Halperin isn't responsible for the Muslim rumors, but he certainly fanned the flames in the press. And the McCain campaign obviously took the advice -- maybe not outright as evidenced in the clip of McCain and that crazy town hall lady, but they certainly played up the "pals around with terrorist" angle.