From inexperienced to Anti-American, there are many words opposers have used to describe Barack Obama. Now, critics have a new name: George.

That is how the Senator is portrayed in some recently produced shirts depicting the cartoon character Curious George happily eating a banana with the words Obama '08 written beneath the picture.

Mike Norman, a bar owner in Marietta, Georgia feels his shirts are in no way offensive. He explained that he simply saw an obvious and strong resemblance between the furry character and the Illinois Senator.

According to Howard University Georgia residents, Marietta is a part of metro Atlanta and is only a short distance away from the Georgia capital.

"I just don't want people to feel this is the mindset of Atlanta and Georgia as a whole", said Howard Sophomore Public Relations major Ashley Tannehill. Tannehill is a native of Atlanta and has not only heard of the news and protests that Norman's shirt has created, but has actually witnessed individuals donning the apparel. "Atlanta actually has a large and strong amount of Obama supporters", Tannehill said.

Norman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that though he realizes the controversy over displaying a prominent African American leader alongside a monkey, he feels we are "no longer in the 1940s" and he wants to prove to people they have a right to offend.

I feel for someone to see nothing wrong with the comparison of African Americans to monkeys is ludicrous. There is a thin line between offensive material and outright racism. But I'm over this story. Come November, America will, at least, have an intelligent monkey in office- I'm pretty sure thats a couple steps up from what we have now. ;-)

xox
S.B.