Bob McCarty Writes

While many African-Americans plan to observe Black History Month for the 32nd time, Hillary Clinton hopes to celebrate “Barack History Month” in February.

Tired of encountering stronger-than-expected resistance from rival Barack Obama, the former first lady has resorted to some of the mudslinging, hardball tactics that helped her husband Bill Clinton win election — and re-election — to the White House 15 years ago.

This weekend, for example, she not only uncorked the race issue herself — by talking about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and questioning whether Obama was fit for White House duty — but received help from a prominent black businessman as well.

According to an Associated Press report today, Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson, criticized Obama and seemed to refer to his acknowledged teenage drug use while introducing Clinton at an event, saying:

“To me, as an African-American, I am frankly insulted the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues – when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood; I won’t say what he was doing, but he said it in his book – when they have been involved.”

In addition to the race issue, Hillary had her husband out on the campaign trail saying the upstart first-term senator from Illinois was telling a “fairy tale” about his opposition to the Iraq war.

Will Hillary be able to remove Obama from the radar screen as a serious contender in the 2008 presidential race? We’ll find out during the next 30 days.