On his radio show yesterday, Mark Levin echoed Sarah Palin’s invitation to Barack Obama to debate “the real issues.” He spiced up his request with an unexpected incentive, though. The talker promised to donate $50,000 to Obama’s campaign if Obama accepts his challenge.

“I see my friend Sarah Palin has challenged Obama to a debate, because now he’s running ads against her,” Levin said. “Come on. I’ll tell you what — I will give, are you ready for this Mr. Producer? I will give $50,000 to Obama’s Super PAC if he will debate me for one hour.”

Since Obama has been traveling the country in search of smaller donations, Levin asked, why not take him up on his bigger offer?

“Now he’s flying all over the country in exchange for meals and handshakes and photos,” Levin said. “People are giving a lot less than that. Just one hour, a debate. It doesn’t even have to be televised. In fact, we’ll do it right here on this program. [It would] be very professional, be very fair, equal time, just a debate.”

Would that this would come to pass — but Obama not only hasn’t accepted invitations to debate from Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, he hasn’t even acknowledged them. It’s likely that Mark Levin’s invitation will meet the same fate. Obama doesn’t exactly need the $50,000, either. Sure, his fundraising has been down somewhat recently and, in the cash-collecting game, his Super PAC trails the Super PACs of the GOP candidates (although its fundraising is up 40 percent from last month, in large part because Obama gave the green light to donors to give to it), but, as of January 1, the Obama campaign still listed 444 individuals who had bundled at least $50,000 for his campaign. If he solicits $1 and $5 donations — or uses March Madness to try to increase interest in his campaign, it’s not really because he needs the cash. It’s just because he knows that a potential voter with skin in the game is more likely to go to the polls than a potential voter who has donated nothing.