By Jubal

Hot on the heals of breaking his promise to participate in the federal matching fund system, presumptive Democratic Barack Obama yesterday made his race a campaign issue.

He did it at a fundraiser by claiming the Republicans are going to make it an issue:

"We know what kind of campaign they're going to run. They're going to try to make you afraid."

"They're going to try to make you afraid of me. He's young and inexperienced and he's got a funny name. And did I mention he's black?"

This is a straw man argument writ large (I thought this guy was a constitutional scholar?). And a sleazy one at that.

It's a wink-wink play by Obama to he slimy notion that Republicans are racists, because he figures much, if not, most, of his base and the media believe it.

That Obama sure is a uniter.

The rest is an expected attempt by Obama to take his inexperience off the table, because it is a major weakness of his and something he ought to be attacked on.

He even tries to preempt whatever future problems Michelle Obama may cause for his candidacy:

He said he was also set for Republicans to say "he's got a feisty wife," in trying to attack his wife Michelle.

"We know the strategy because they've already shown their cards. Ultimately I think the American people recognize that old stuff hasn't moved us forward. That old stuff just divides us," he said.

So next time Mrs. Obama is in the news with a "first time I've ever been proud of America" type comment, we now have a preview of the Obama campaign response:

"That's old stuff. Move along. Nothing to see here. And those Republicans are just racists, anyway."