“Barack Osama” absentee ballot sent to voters in Rensselaer County
  • Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s last name is spelled “Osama” on hundreds of absentee ballots mailed out this week to voters in Rensselaer County.

    The misspelling, which elections officials on both sides of the aisle insist was simply a typo, is causing embarrassment for the county.

    ”No question this is an honest mistake innocently done,” said Edward McDonough, the Democratic commissioner. ”We catch almost everything.”

    ”This was a typo,” said Republican Commissioner Larry Bugbee. ”We have three different staff members who proof these things and somehow the typo got by us.”