Playlouder - Music is the Network

Drrrty southerner Ludacris is the latest (or perhaps just the greatest) of a number of artists to have got behind Barack (not the thing a soldier lives in) Obama, who, according to some irrelevant prole I heard on a Radio 4 phone-in program with David Dimbleby "is already acting like a president. He's not president, you know. He should stop acting like one."

Be that as it may or may not, Obama's advisors aren't touching the song, called 'Politics as usual', with a ten foot pole, as Ludacris uses the song as an opportunity to diss McCain ("don't belong in any chair unless he's paralyzed"), Bush ("mentally handicapped") and fellow democrat Hillary Clinton ("that bitch is irrelevant").

The official statement from Obama spokesman Bill Burton was, according to The Guardian website, as follows: "it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear."

Gutted. Especially as Ludacris was using the song to angle for "a special pardon if I'm ever in the slammer", and to entreat Mr Obama to "put me in office, make me your vice-president!"

Something tells me Ludacris wasn't exactly especting a positive response: "Paint the White House black, I'm sure they're terrified..." he gloats, insisting in rather more positive tones on the chorus/refrain that "the world is ready for change, Obama is here". Early days though, innit?

Though Obama has been quoted as saying he has Ludacris on his iPod he's never qualified that by saying he listens to him. Also, Obama's recent visit to the UK had him receive musical gifts from David Cameron in the form of Lily Allen and The Smiths CDs (see here), so perhaps he's been 'civilised'. I mean, I grew up listening to Morrissey and I turned out JUST FINE.

You can - for the moment - download the track from Ludacris' MySpace. page.