We wrote yesterday about Dan Rather and the tricky language associated with race.

Well there’s no tricky language here – just a blatantly racist comment by radio host Rush Limbaugh, using a play on words between embattled former Rep. Eric Massa and the offensive slang term “massuh.”

Media Matters made the catch today, when a caller suggested (wrongly) that New York Gov. David Paterson would get to appoint a new congressman to fill Massa’s seat. Limbaugh sensed a chance to make a “joke”:

David Paterson will become the massuh…who gets to appoint whoever gets to take Massa’s place. So, for the first time in his life, Paterson’s gonna be a massuh. Interesting,

For another time the phrase was used in an offensive way, see here.

A lesser point is that, unlike the caller’s suggestion that Paterson gets to appoint Massa’s replacement, he actually only gets to decide when a special election will be held. Limbaugh though, sensing his opportunity to be bombastic and controversial, said “let’s assume you’re right,” and carried on.

Here’s the clip (via Media Matters):

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