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Obama Reacts to 'Bitter' Controversy
April 14, 2008 4:02 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: During a speech Monday at the Associated Press' annual luncheon, Sen. Barack Obama held firm to the sentiment of his now controversial "bitter" remarks, but for the first time said they "may have been a mistake."
Obama opened up with a joke before the press heavy crowd, "I kept a lot of you guys busy this weekend with the comments I made last week. Some of you might even be a little bitter about that."
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
At a private fundraiser last week the Illinois senator said economic problems had led voters in some small towns to become "bitter" and "cling to guns or religion" -- remarks that have sparked controversy and intense rebukes from Obama's opponents Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain.
Obama said he regrets the words he chose saying it may have been a mistake, “partly because the way that these remarks have been interpreted have offended some people and partly because they have served as one more distraction from the critical debate that we must have in this election season.”
The senator did not back away from the sentiment of the message yet again defending himself, “contrary to what my poor word choices may have implied or my opponents may have suggested, I’ve never believed that these traditions or peoples' faith has anything to do with how much money they have. But I will never walk away from the larger point that I was trying to make and made in the past.”
Obama criticized McCain, who just hours before had stood on the same stage.
"Senator McCain and the Republicans in Washington are already looking ahead to the fall and have decided that they plan on using my comments to argue that I’m out of touch with what’s going on in the lives of working Americans," Obama said.
"I don’t blame them for this -- that’s the nature of our political culture, and if I had to carry the banner for eight years of George Bush’s failures, I’d be looking for something else to talk about too.”
The first question asked of Obama during the question and answer session was if is possible for a Democrat to talk about guns, gods and immigration without getting in trouble.
"I actually think it’s possible and not only is it possible, but it’s necessary,” Obama responded.
The most intriguing question of the day, which made Obama furl his nose toward the questioner, was if he believes that Clinton should step aside in the nomination contest.
“I suspect that she will have a response for that tomorrow,” Obama quipped back, as his Democratic opponent is slated to appear before the group on Tuesday morning.
Obama then gave Clinton a backhanded compliment for staying in the race. “This has been a hard fought contest partly because Sen. Clinton has been a formidable candidate. You know there aren’t very many figure in American politics that can sustain eleven straight losses and hang into a race, and raise $35 million dollars and in that sense she’s unique.”
Obama said that comparatively, McCain being the presumed Republican nominee, has an advantage, while the Democrats battle it out.
“The fact that our contest is still going on means that John McCain comes in here, he’s feeling pretty good. You know, I suspect he’s getting more sleep than either Sen Clinton or myself are getting. And he can be a little more deliberate and pace himself and that probably explains the close in the polls,” Obama said of the national polls which show McCain’s numbers improving.
Obama said his frontrunner standing in the contest has allowed him to remain, in his eyes, more above the fray than Clinton – and said that her criticisms have made him tougher.
"I have tried to figure out how to show restraint and make sure that during this primary contest without damaging each other so badly that its hard for us to run in November. Obviously its a little easier for me to say that since I lead in delegates, in states, and in popular vote," Obama said. "Sen. Clinton may not feel that she can afford to be as constrained but I’m sure that Senator Clinton feels like she’s doing me a great favor because she’s been deploying most of the arguments that the Republican party will be using against me in November and so it's toughening me up.”
April 14, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (128)
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to S:
The polls I've seen the last day or two show MOST folks believe what he said to be fundamentally true - people are angry, bitter about how they are forgotten and only the special interests are taken care once the political season is over.
Where in the world did Senator Obama say, "people can't think for themselves"?
Posted by: Larry Jines | Apr 14, 2008 4:33:20 PM
WOW! Is everyone on this site a Republican troll, or have Hillary supporters gone over the brink? So much anger, so many distortions, such barely contained bigotry. You'd think Obama was winning or something!
Posted by: balthus | Apr 14, 2008 4:33:45 PM
Only far left liberals 'understand' Obamas comments. His well placed bribes in the liberal media will help him out, but he is too damaged now.
You can only get so many nicks and cuts before you find yourself bleeding to death.
This flap that came right out of Obamas mouth justifed his church, his spiritual advisor and his wifes comments. Tying all of it to the fact Obama obviously agrees with it all.
He is unelectable.
If Kerry, Kennedy and Pelosi insist on shoving him down our throats as the nominee, we demand they resign when he gets wiped out in the general election.
Posted by: tomdavie | Apr 14, 2008 4:33:46 PM
Obama thinks he's been staying above the fray?
If the media were honest, we'd find out that TEAMOBAMA has in fact stepped up its attacks on Clinton ever since she won the Texas and Ohio primaries. There was speculation weeks ago that it would be Clinton that would resort to "unfair" (kneecapping) tactics - with the unfortunate reference to Tony Harding.
In fact, it's been the Obama campaign that has stepped up its smears, posting vile comments and lies about her and President Clinton all over the web.
Even before Obama's condescending remarks, Clinton had started to reverse her decline in the Pennsylvania polls. Whether it's the common sense of voters who wonder why the so-called front runner needs to outspend his opponent 5 to 1 or admiration at her resilience, toughness and talent - Clinton is going to win big in Pennsylvania.
She'll carry that momentum to the next primaries and if Democrats want to win in November, they'll be hard pressed not to give her the nomination.
Posted by: morningside | Apr 14, 2008 4:35:23 PM
LA in Indiana - Feeling a little BITTER?
So, why do you think all black people are racist???
Posted by: CD | Apr 14, 2008 4:35:28 PM
Obama was at a secret San Francisco fundraiser at the home of highly devout Sunni Muslim Sohaib Abbasi when he made his now famous "bitter" comments. Obama was explaining to the BILLIONAIRE donors why they can't buy him a win in PA! Obama has bullied and bought the superdelegate votes, and he has tried to bully Hillary out of this race..wouldn't it be great to really know what Obama's camp has been saying to Hillary behind the scenes? Hillary is tough for standing firm against this monstrous dirty Chicago political machine! What really did make John Lewis switch his superdelegate vote to Obama, anyone really believe that it was Obama's empathy for small town America, his belief in MLK's work? Why didn't the DNC run Harold Ford Jr. instead?
Posted by: rs | Apr 14, 2008 4:35:41 PM
i read a lot of the news on abc, the tv station that i work at being an affiliate. the majority of comments on articles that are related to obama really remind me of the tactics of bush sr. and jr when going up against the clintons in the early and late 90's. very much using statements from "regular folks' which in all reality are actually campaign aides on news sites, press conferences and so on to manipulate the media and american people. spin by brian springer is a good reference for this practice.
in any case, obamas statements ARE true. how many of us who live in the country are depressed and bitter about the economy? i know i am. prices of milk have been way down for years with little attempts to address it, as well as a lack of aid going to rural areas. ever been to upstate maine? northern NY? Southeast OH? these areas were all hard hit during the clinton and bush years, and obamas words of many people being bitter rings true with me.
Posted by: countryboy | Apr 14, 2008 4:38:55 PM
dl - Obama made his remarks behind CLOSED doors to elite donors. The press was BARRED from this speech. Obama did not intend for his remarks to be made public. That is the problem. If his own words were not made public you darn will know Obama would not have said a single word, nor would Obama have to somehow claim he made a mistake. The only MISTAKE was someone there recorded Obama.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | Apr 14, 2008 4:39:02 PM
His wife enforces the thought with her latest:
We live in isolation, and because of that isolation we fear one another.
Because Barack Obama is the only person in this race who understands that. That before we can work on the problems we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation.
Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual; uninvolved, uninformed.
Great, now they are uninformed and uninvolved.
Posted by: DGH | Apr 14, 2008 4:40:00 PM
tomDavie
I love it... so Hillary and her supporters have pulled out every attack they can trying to make him "unelectble" and with every attack he shows he is still better off in the general than she is... her ceiling was low to begin with and now it actually is unelectable... My bet is even for the rerun in the Senate. Lots o' dems will not vote for her when she runs now for her senate seat...and she wasn't that strong of a candidate to begin with (heaven help her if Giuliani decides he wants to be a senator instead of a governor or a cabinet member).
If you think he is unelectable and his numbers in the national polls are still going up against her....what would she be.
The reason we have been losing ground to McCain is because of this long nasty tone set by the loser...and that would be Sen Clinton... the country doesn' want that.
...once she is gone (and hopefully long gone...like out of the Senate gone) he will be a beacon again compared to McCain... between the war, the economy and G.W.'s left overs... Obama will be President.
Posted by: dl | Apr 14, 2008 4:41:14 PM
Sure you do wcm, you're a liar just like the clintons.
And I could care less whether you think I'm racist or not. Remeber, I don't have the power to be racist, but people like you, do. That is the problem in this country and will always be the problem. That is why you are all so afraid of someone of color getting in the white house. We know it, we've seen all the racist comments since this election cycle started. You're afraid people of color will turn around and treat you the same way we were (and in some cases, STILL are) treated. Most of you are so transparent in that aspect. And you have the nerve to call someone elitist. That would be elitist white privilege....and Barack doesn't have enough, he only has half.
After watching the clintons, I now know they are truly racist, and you have been sounding just like them.
Posted by: LA in Indiana | Apr 14, 2008 4:41:29 PM
LA Indiana, so you are a little BITTER! Get over it, Obama's going to lose-he did himself in!
Posted by: CD | Apr 14, 2008 4:45:42 PM
naw CD, not at all
Posted by: LA in Indiana | Apr 14, 2008 4:45:45 PM
not bitter CD
but I will feel real good watching hillary's character get shredded. She will deserve it.
Posted by: LA in Indiana | Apr 14, 2008 4:47:05 PM
Dogsoldier
he said almost the same things on Charlie Rose 4 years ago.
but then he said in so many words...that we cling to those traditions in the face of trouble and loss. He also has said in the face of loss and downturn and FEAR we gravitate toward safety out of that fear.
It is the same thing...but because he said it behind closed doors in San Fran you all make it out like"oooh...look what he said behind closed doors... he is right every study shows in downturned economy's (although I have had a few Hillary supporters claiming to be professors trying to say those studies don't count because "Americans have opportunity...tell that to the people whose jobs were lost in PA...makes me want to say "who is the elitist) but many studies have shown ethnocentric anger and violence goes up when an economy goes down.
and I would hope that the other two multi-millionaires would understand that is what happens when people lose their jobs and opportunities.
Not that they ever lived in those communities or actively took part on the streets trying to fix those communities (something Obama has done...that is why this is such a crazy joke).
Posted by: dl | Apr 14, 2008 4:48:20 PM
In a Pennsylvania political ad, 3 year-old Hillary Rodham, arms extended, toddles toward the home-movie camera. Hillary's present-day voice-over explains, the Rodham family cottage, down by the lake, lacked indoor plumbing. It was hardship borne from the start. Yet, more telling events seem to fall by the wayside. Take twenty-seven year old Hillary's first real job. The upshot: Jerry Zeifman fired Hillary for unethical practices during the Watergate Investigation. Why was Hillary fired? “Because she was a liar,” Zeifman said in a recent interview. “She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”
“I have gone hunting. I am not a hunter. But I have gone hunting," says Hillary. Perhaps equally amusing, how an elitist politician worth over $100 million-dollars, espouses small town family values. Not only does Mr. Zeifman’s account go to character, it goes to a lifelong pattern of lying and obfuscation. It took Zeifman twelve years to get his story aired. After Watergate, Zeifman could not recommend Hillary for any subsequent position of public or private trust, nor furnish her with a letter of recommendation. After that, Hillary Clinton's employment record is one of strict nepotism, cronyism, and amnesia.
Although few suspected the lengths to which Hillary would go, a leopard never changes her spots. According to Mr. Zeifman, it’s not just Hillary’s dishonesty; that’s a fact not in dispute. More to the point is the overall time-span, in which she has behaved in a fraudulent manner. "The Clintons corrupted the soul of the Democratic Party." -Henry Ruth, lead Watergate courtroom prosecutor. Again, Hillary Clinton is a bold-faced liar, who will stop at nothing. Should anyone doubt either Mr. Zeifman, or Mr. Ruth’s veracity regarding the Clintons, dispute this: http://theseedsof9-11.com
Posted by: Peggy McGilligan | Apr 14, 2008 4:48:29 PM
TJ,
I know you are feeling emotional because your man Obama is up against the wall. But could you stop the shouting (all caps). Even though you are an Obama supporter, and I don't take you seriously, you may be hurting the ears of the other Obama zombies.
=======================================
Obama, how elite is he?
=======================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 14, 2008 4:50:15 PM
Just released - new PA. Polling:
Clinton 57 % - -----Obama 37 %
YAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!
Posted by: morningside | Apr 14, 2008 4:50:58 PM
the funniest moment so far was the Foxnews crew trying to get people "on the street" who were "angry" about Obama's comments...and everyone they have gotten have been all for Obama...
love it.
Posted by: dl | Apr 14, 2008 4:52:10 PM
Hey wasn't there just a Compassion Forum last night-LA you're showing true compassion:) You should be demonstrating positive reinforced words for Obama, not these negative hate bashing words towards people here and Hillary!
Posted by: CD | Apr 14, 2008 4:52:47 PM
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