Can anyone explain to me how it is controversial, or somehow reflects poorly on the Obamas, that their charitable contributions increased only when--get this!--their income increased significantly?

The premise is simple enough:

Senator Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, sharply increased their charitable donations as Mr. Obama began to run for president and the family’s income increased from book sales, according to tax returns that the couple released on Tuesday.

However, the NYT ultimately would like to have us believe that the spike in charitable contributions was a calculated political move:

"Their charitable giving only went up when it looked like he was campaigning for the presidential office," said Paul L. Caron, a professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and editor of the TaxProf Blog, which examines tax questions and has posted the returns.

Missouri GOP, your GOTV efforts are really working!  It makes me wonder where you were in past elections, when I heard nary a peep from you.  Are you just bringing more people into the fold?  Is it my ZIP code that attracted you?  My religion?  Have you figured out a way to target Catholic voters, given the Archdiocesan emphasis on the anti-stem cell research issue?

Whatever the reason, thank you for finding me at last.  And thank you for your calls and daily mailings.  With every one of them, I am more and more inspired to go to the polls!