McCain: Obama is playing race card

The US presidential race has turned nasty, with Republican senator John McCain's team accusing Democrat Barack Obama of playing the race card after Obama said in a speech that the Republicans would try to scare voters by pointing out "he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills".

It is not clear whether McCain feels genuinely slighted by Obama's remarks, or is simply using the speech as an excuse to play the race card himself. It is the first time race has surfaced in the McCain-Obama fight - though it was a major factor in the contest Obama fought with Hillary Clinton to secure the Democrat nomination.

The row comes only a week after McCain launched a series of TV ads which are the most personal yet of the campaign, and compare Obama to socialite Paris Hilton. Told that Obama denied playing the race card, McCain said: "I'll let the American people judge."