It's not just an "independent expenditure…"

…it's a smear. The UNITE HERE Nevada ad, translated via AMERICAblog (my emphasis).

Hillary Clinton does not respect our people. Hillary Clinton supporters went to court to prevent working people to vote this Saturday - that is an embarrassment.

Hillary Clinton supporters want to prevent people from voting in their workplace on Saturday. This is unforgivable. Hillary Clinton is shameless. Hillary Clinton should not allow her friends to attack our people's right to vote this Saturday. This is unforgivable; there's no respect

Sen. Obama is defending our right to vote. Sen. Obama wants our votes. He respects our votes, our community, and our people.

Sen. Obama's campaign slogan is "Si Se Puede" ("Yes We Can").Vote for a president that respects us, and that respects our right to vote. Obama for president, "Si Se Puede" ("Yes We Can").

"Shameless"? "Unforgiveable"? Based on what she "allows" her supporters to do?

Pot, meet kettle.

Look, the Culinary Workers have enough clout with the Nevada Democratic Party to get a special rule, one I've never seen used in any state, any year, to allow workplace caucuses, but only in the workplaces their of members. I agree with the courts, it's a rule the Party has a right to make, but it's hardly surprising, let alone "shameless," that other union, having apparently been snookered by the rules process, are offended that their workers are not given the same advantage as the casino employees.

And about those "friends." Hillary can no more control the actions of the Nevada teachers than Barack can control the content of the UNITE HERE ad. If they're going to hold her personally responsible for the teacher's unsuccessful suit, the can't we similarly hold Obama responsible for going to the airwaves accusing Hillary of a racist attitude toward the Hispanic members of the Culinary workers, and of being shameless and unforgivable?

Of course, there's a substantive difference between the two cases. The lawsuit was a challenge to a process, not a person. No one held Obama out as "shameless" for accepting the advantage his supporters obtain from the rules, they challenged the rule. Certainly no one suggested that the UNITE HERE defense against the suit was a signal that Obama "does not respect" teachers, or non-Hispanic voters, or anyone. No one has proposed that Obama benefiting from UNITE HERE's success in the rules process and the courts is "unforgivable."

It's too late to stop the ad, but Obama should go on record strongly condemning the notion that Hillary Clinton is an unforgivably shameless bigot. If UNITE HERE repeats this performance in other western states, Obama should make comparable buys on Spanish language stations disavowing the accusations.

And that slogan? The one Caesar Chavez made famous in the lettuce fields and vineyards of California? The one The one Obama picked up enroute to Nevada?

Gone.

The rally just ended and guess what's back? "Fired up! Ready to go!" Somewhat annoying but it makes sense since it originated in South Carolina and now it's going to serve as the "onward to South Carolina" rallying cry.

How does shameless pandering reflect respect?