The Republican National Committee this afternoon scolded the Tennessee Republican Party over their use of "Barack Hussein Obama" in an official press release and warned the state party that they will be denounced by the national committee if they use the Democrat's middle name again, said a GOP official close to the RNC.



"The RNC has notified the Tennessee GOP that they do not support or agree with their approach," said this source, requesting anonymity to discuss the private conversation between a staffer in the national committee's political department and a top aide at the state party. "If they don't refrain from doing so again, they will be publicly repudiated by the Republican National Committee."



This source said the national committee did not ask the Tennessee party to retract their statement, but effectively put them on notice for the future.



Monday, Tennessee GOP spokesman Bill Hobbs penned a press release attacking Obama on Israel, using his Muslim-sounding middle name in the process.



"The Tennessee Republican Party today joins a growing chorus of Americans concerned about the future of the nation of Israel, the only stable democracy in the Middle East, if Sen. Barack Hussein Obama is elected president of the United States," Hobbs wrote.



The Tennessee GOP chairwoman, Robin Smith, stood by Hobbs yesterday, saying that they "have a duty to inform the Republican base" and pointing out that the state party wasn't working for McCain.



Asked if Republicans appreciated the public relations headaches this was causing John McCain, their likely nominee, the source quickly replied: "Yes, that's why they let people know that this is exactly what they should not be doing.



McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker noted that her candidate condemned the press release and apologized to Obama. It was the second time he had to do so in as many days.



"There will be times in this campaign where people do and say stupid things," Hazelbaker said. "It's a fact and it's beyond our control."



"We will continue to condemn [such comments] in the strongest language possible and reitterate our commitment to running a positive campaign based on the issues."

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