"Community Organizer" Code for "Black"

With Barack Obama slipping in the polls, New York Gov. David Paterson seems to be trying to lend a hand by playing the race card.

ALBANY (CBS) -- At the Crain's Business Forum [Tuesday] morning, [Gov. David] Paterson drew attention to a phrase used numerous times by speakers at the Republican National Convention to describe Barack Obama's leadership experience: community organizer.

"I think the Republican Party is too smart to call Barack Obama 'black' in a sense that it would be a negative. But you can take something about his life, which I noticed they did at the Republican Convention – a 'community organizer.' They kept saying it, they kept laughing," he said.

Paterson referred to McCain's running mate Sarah Palin who compared her work experience to Obama's.

"So I suppose a small town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except with real responsibilities," she said at the convention.

Paterson sees the repeated use of the words "community organizer" as Republican code for "black".

"I think where there are overtones is when there are uses of language that are designed to inhibit other people's progress with a subtle reference to their race," he said.

McCain's campaign shot back with a strong response.

"It is disappointing that Governor Paterson would launch accusations of racism. … Governor Palin's remarks about Barack Obama's work as a community organizer was in response to the Obama campaign's belittling of her executive experience."

The statement goes on to point out Sarah Palin's own experience of civic involvement and says Paterson's comments are "a sure sign of a flailing campaign that is bordering on desperation."

It's really a stretch for Paterson to cry racism in this case.

He's being divisive and irresponsible.

"Community organizer" isn't Republican code for "black." That's nuts.

I agree with the McCain camp that such accusations are indicative of the dramatic nature of Barack Obama's free fall.