John Bailes

Obama Waffles, an election-year novelty item some critics have labeled as racist, was not intended as anything but political satire, a spokeswoman for the product’s Franklin, Tenn.-based makers said.

“We are very surprised by the charges of racism for a product based simply on political satire,” said Noelle Federico of Nashville-based Gill Media Inc., which represents Obama Waffle creators Bob DeMoss and Mark Whitlock.

“It is quite unbelievable that people would attack a harmless box of waffles with such vehemence,” Ms. Federico said. “We are not making a statement about anything with this product, we are simply in the business of political satire.”

Mr. DeMoss and Mr. Whitlock were selling boxes of the waffle mix, which featured a caricature of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for $10 each at this weekend’s Voter Values Summit in Washington, D.C., according to The Associated Press. The summit’s organizers cut off sales of the waffle mix Saturday, the AP said.

Wade Munday, a spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party, called the novelty item “a classless advertisement.” He said they did not show respect for Sen. Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee.

“Those aren’t the values I grew up with,” Mr. Munday said.

Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman John Bailes said the box “certainly has a racist kind of quality.”

The top flap of the Obama Waffles box depicts a caricature of Sen. Obama in a Muslim-like head scarf. A message on the box instructs readers to “point (the) box toward Mecca for tastier waffles.”

Mr. Bailes said the waffles were “silly stuff” that detracts from the real issues of the presidential race between Sen. Obama and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Bill Hobbs, a spokesman for the Tennessee Republican Party, said the Obama Waffles are an example of grassroots supporters getting involved in the political process.

“Candidates, campaigns and parties aren't responsible for the actions and messages of every single freelancer from the grassroots and should not be subjected to constant calls to denounce, defend or explain the actions of freelancers,” he said.

Mr. Hobbs said the party did not have a stance on whether the Obama Waffles were offensive. He did say that Sen. Obama and his supporters are “hyper-sensitive to criticism of ‘The One’ and will label almost any criticism of him ‘racist,’ even if it isn’t.”

Brett Hale, vice chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, said he had heard about the novelty item but had not seen pictures. He said critics are overreacting.

“People are reading into things so much nowadays,” he said. “It’s too bad we have to be so politically correct.”

Ms. Federico said the makers of Obama Waffles are considering making some other politically themed products in the near future.