What's one consonant between friends?

I went to this little neighborhood restaurant for dinner last night.

I sat down at the counter, and the owner wished me a happy new year, since he hadn’t seen me yet in 2008.

The conversation then proceeded as follows:

owner: Hey! I heard one of your countrymen is running for President!
me (wondering if I misunderstood his Japanese): Err, ya, I think they are all my countrymen.
owner: No, no, I mean, he’s from Chicago! You know, Osama!