Kellyanne Conway is not somebody who would innocently utter a phrase like that. A seasoned Republican message guru, Conway has been out front in talking about the plan being developed for the general election:

"Republicans will need to exercise less deafness and more deftness in dealing with a different looking candidate, whether it is a woman or a black man," Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway said. "But at the same time, really charge back at any insinuation or accusation of sexism or racism. You can't allow the party to be Macaca-ed."

And just take a look at Conway's client list -- it includes all of the usual suspects: the Heritage Foundation, the Club for Growth, Focus on the Family, the NRA, the NRCC, the NRSC, and of course the Republican National Committee.

Let's be clear: Conway's comment was an attack on both Democratic candidates, an attempt to polarize our party by injecting racism into the Democratic nomination battle. Both candidates and their supporters need to be united in striking back against this kind of language.

Obama supporter Jamal Simmons was also on the Larry King panel and fired back at Conway (even rousting King from his usual stupor):

SIMMONS: Larry, we have to address that. We have to address that. This back of the bus comment is beyond the pale. I think Senator Clinton, whatever our disagreements are between the two candidates, Senator Clinton has never done or said anything that would imply that she would rather have Barack Obama sitting in the back of her campaign bus.

CONWAY: No, as VP. You aren't paying attention.

SIMMONS: No, you are not speaking clearly, because that's out of line.

CONWAY: No, she doesn't want him to be the first Black president. She wants him to be her VP. She said that this week. She would consider putting him on her ticket, but I guess he wouldn't consider putting her on his ticket, would he?

KING: Did you use the term back of the bus?

CONWAY: I did. I just said ---

KING: Meaning?

CONWAY: Meaning that she wants --- she has said she would have Barack Obama as her VP. Thereby she is denying something that many Republicans are not denying, that Barack Obama has a very strong chance of becoming this country's first Black president, that someone like me respects.

As Democrats, we need to follow Mr. Simmons lead in calling out these kinds of tactics, and resist echoing them as we advocate for our candidates. And Conway's trial balloon reveals a key aspect of the plan Republicans are developing. And it's the same thing they always do: inoculate themselves by accusing their opponents of doing the very things they themselves are doing. In this case using racist language to imply that Hillary Clinton is a racist.

Democrats need to demand that McCain and the RNC repudiate Conway's comments.

And a final note:

It's worth mentioning that Kellyanne Conway is married to George Conway III, an attorney who worked for Paula Jones and was one of the central figures in the long-term effort to take down the Clintons during the 1990s. Is Kellyanne continuing that work? Why imply that Hillary Clinton is a racist right now? Conway has certainly been doing her best to downplay Hillary's chances of getting the nomination:

In contrast to some current polls, noted political analyst and pollster Kellyanne Conway gives Barack Obama the edge heading into key Democratic primary contests March 4 in Ohio and Texas.

Conway, the president of Polling Company, says there are metrics about the Senator Obama (D-Illinois) campaign that are elusive to pollsters.  According to Conway, Obama has an "intangible advantage" of connecting with voters that is difficult to measure in early polling.

Why was a top Republican strategist pushing the idea that Hillary would lose Texas and Ohio? I thought Republicans wanted to run against Hillary. Is that really the case?