Period, End

Senator Barack Obama is giving a speech about race today. It certainly wasn't planned, but then an awful lot about the race for the Democratic presidential nomination hasn't been planned either. The reason for the speech is simple. The so called story of his relationship with his former Pastor Jeremiah Wright, threatens to spiral out of control.

Never mind the "story" was part of a well orchestrated plan to inject racial controversy into the Obama campaign. How else to explain the blizzard of e-mails to media demanding to know why they hadn't covered it more completely and often? The rationale goes something like this. Obama was close to Wright, and was a parishioner at Trinity United Church for 20 years. He must have known about Wright's views on 9-11, America's role in the world, and most importantly, about white people.

Create doubts about Obama's views on race, the theory goes, and his white support peels away. Never mind that Obama has already parted company with Wright about those very views. It's all about guilt by association. The anti Obama smog machine even goes so far as to risk exposing dubious religious affiliations on the part of the candidate they support.

One might have thought someone among the Democrats would have Obama's back on this. Someone, that is, besides fellow Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. Hillary Clinton has been a victim of this same type of attack, but she won't say anything for obvious reasons. But what about Howard Dean and the folks at the DNC? Can't he/they step up and call this divisive smear what it is?

Guess not.