Obama Camp Denies Playing Race Card

"He doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." Barack Obama, Springfield, Missouri, 7/30/08

Obama's Campaign claims it isn't playing the race card. Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs said Obama was not referring to race in his comment:

"What Barack Obama was talking about was that he didn't get here after spending decades in Washington," Gibbs said, according to the Associated Press. "There is nothing more to this than the fact that he was describing that he was new to the political scene. He was referring to the fact that he didn't come into the race with the history of others. It is not about race."

The Associated Press reports Obama opened the door to charges of playing the race card:

Obama, smarting from McCain's constant thumping about a first-term senator's thin resume wrapped inside a charismatic speaking style, countered that being black had nothing to do with his prediction of the nature of attacks yet to come. However, comparing his looks to those of presidents on U.S. currency — all white men — gave his opponents a chance to say the man who would be the first black president was subtly charging racism.

It is more than fair to conclude Obama is, and has been, playing the race card. At a June fundraiser in Jacksonville, Fl., the Democrats' presumptuous nominee said he expects Republicans to inject race into the campaign:

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?

It's way past time the McCain campaign called Obama on it.

You can watch NBC's Andrea Mitchell spar with McCain Campaign Manager, Rick Davis, about Obama's race cards and the Celebrity ad in the following video: