In a February 12 entry on her website, debbieschlussel.com, right-wing pundit Debbie Schlussel posted “Valentines,” in the form of candy hearts, about Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The hearts for Obama were black instead of the usual pastel colors and referenced widely debunked allegations that Obama is, or has been, a Muslim; Schlussel also posted one black candy heart for Clinton. A number of the other candy hearts Schlussel posted for Clinton referenced MSNBC correspondent David Shuster's February 7 remark about Chelsea Clinton's work for her mother's campaign: “But doesn't it seem like Chelsea's sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?” Shuster subsequently apologized and has been suspended by MSNBC for the comments.

All of the candy hearts Schlussel displayed for Obama were black, including some with the following messages: “White House mosque,” “obama & islam forever!” “islam hearts obama,” and “barack HUSSEIN obama.” Schlussel included one black candy heart that read, “cankles 4 prez,” and posted a purple-colored candy heart that read, “hillary rodham cankles '08.” Schlussel wrote of the black hearts, "[T]he black hearts are goth and are considered signs of hate, not love." Schlussel has highlighted Obama's middle name before, asking if “Barack Hussein Obama” is “a man we want as President when we are fighting the war of our lives against Islam? Where will his loyalties be?”

In addition to the “cankles” hearts, for Clinton, Schlussel displayed candy hearts that read “Pimp My Chelsea,” “chelsea = pimped,” and “Bill 4 First Pimp,” referring to Shuster's remark about Chelsea Clinton. Schlussel also posted a heart for Hillary Clinton that read: “The Bitch is BAAACK '08.”

Schlussel's bio on her website describes her as a columnist and a radio talk-show host, and as Media Matters for America has documented, she has also appeared as a commentator on MSNBC. Schlussel recently appeared on the January 17 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends to talk about the indictment of her former boss, former Rep. Mark Siljander (R-MI), in connection with funding of charities accused of sponsoring Islamic terrorism. During that segment, she was introduced as an “attorney and journalist.”

From Schlussel's February 12 post: