UPI outrage : Obama has "Muslim-sounding name"

Well I guess the profs over at Language Log (let alone crusading editor "fev" over at headsup) aren't going to be giving any plaudits to United Press International, who appear to have done their level best to tar Obama with the "hidden Muslim" tag.  In a story posted today on the controversial South Carolina pastor Roger Byrd, they managed to come up with this little gem:

Despite a Muslim-sounding name, the freshman Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate is a practicing Christian and longtime member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

Ironically appearing under their banner ad proclaiming "100 years of journalistic excellence", the little throwaway story manages to utterly mangle the concepts of both linguistic analysis and journalistic fair play.  

Is it really the official position of the UPI that Obama's name is "Muslim-sounding"?  I can assure you, a Muslim would almost certainly not conclude that "Barack Obama" is 'Muslim-sounding' at all - especially given that Muslims don't really have a "sound" anyway.  In the sense that they do, that "sound" is the sound of Arabic - and "Barack Obama" is just barely short of totally meaningless in Arabic.

It's utterly amazing to think that this was passed by an editor.  Once again, shots are thrown at Obama (Muslim stalking horse) that would rightly never be permitted to be thrown at McCain ("Manchurian Candidate" stalking horse).

The sad thing is, all these accusations have just become part of the background noise and attract no attention or comment whatsoever.