US talk show host Rush Limbaugh has come under fire for airing a racially charged song about the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Limbaugh has been playing a song called Barack the Magic Negro, to the tune of Puff the Magic Dragon.
The right-wing talk show host defended himself by saying he is an entertainer and the song is a parody.
Mr Obama, who hopes to become the first black American president, has played down the row.
Rush Limbaugh, whose radio show is one of the most popular in the US, justified running the song by saying that an article by a black commentator in the liberal Los Angeles Times was the first to link the term "magic negro" to Mr Obama.
Limbaugh said liberals upset about the term should be aware that "magic negro" is a historical cultural term, a reference to benevolent African-Americans portrayed in old films.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6642029.stm
(Sung by Paul Shanklin impersonating Al Sharpton)
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times they called him that
cause he's not authentic like me
Yeah the guy from the L.A. paper
said he made guilty whites feel good
they'll vote for him and not for me
cause hes not from da hood
see real black men like snoop dogg
or me or farrakhan
have talked the talk and walked the walk
not come and laid and won (not sure about this line)
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times they called him that
cause he's not authentic like me
cause hes black but not authentically
some say barack's articulate
and bright and new and clean
the media sure love this guy
a white interloper's dream
but when you vote for president
watch out and dont be fooled
dont vote the magic negro in
cause...
(background singing the first 3 lines, while the singer is saying)
Cause I wont have nothing after all these years of sacrifice and I wont get justice this is about justice this is about justice, buffet, i dont have no buffet there wont be any church contributions there'll be no cash in the collection plate, no cash money, no walkin around money...
