"I Wont Be Engaging In This Silliness"

As Senator Barack Obama campaigned in northern Nevada earlier today he stated he was concerned that a heated discussion of racial issues in the presidential campaign could divide the Democratic Party.

“I don’t want the campaign at this stage to degenerate into so much tit-for-tat, back-and-forth, that we lose sight of why all of us are doing this,” Mr. Obama told reporters at a news conference.

“We’ve got too much at stake at this time in our history to be engaging in this kind of silliness. I expect that other campaigns feel the same way.”

Obama was seeking to be seen as taking the high road in the ongoing feud between his campaign and that of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. After speaking to hundreds of Nevada voters at a rally, Obama urged Democratic voters not to become embroiled in racially-charged or motivated discussions.

On a day that initially was devoted to speaking about the economy, he held a nine-minute news conference. Before taking questions, Obama mentioned his rivals by name and praised them.

“I think that I may disagree with Senator Clinton or Senator Edwards on how to get there, but we share the same goals. We’re all Democrats,” Mr. Obama said. “We all believe in civil rights. We all believe in equal rights. We all believe that regardless of race or gender that people should have equal opportunities.” He continued, saying: “They are good people, they are patriots. They are running because they think that they can move this country to a better place.”

This came about after a comment by Senator Clinton was made that was interpreted by some as giving President Johnson more credit than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for winning changes in civil rights laws. The comment disturbed African-Americans who saw it as unfair and diminished the role of civil rights activists.

News conferences are a rarity for Obama. The last formal one – with chairs for reporters and a flag backdrop for him – was a month ago in Iowa. It was not immediately clear why he called one today, except to be seen as taking the high road heading into a key debate in Nevada on Tuesday with Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Edwards.