Clinton Goes Republican, Calls Obama "Not American" Again

That Republicans would seize on Obama's accurate description of many Americans as embittered is to be expected. It flatly contradicts the Republican view of the world, which sees only by tax cuts to the rich, war profits enriching the coffers of Cheney and the corporatist cabal, and McSame with his half dozen homes while average Americans face foreclosures. But for the Clinton campaign to use it as an opportunity to imply that Obama is un-American is gutter politics, even for them -- although, unfortunately, no surprise either. Some in the punditocracy, apparently fearful that Obama's steady progress toward the nomination is not exciting enough news, are presenting Obama's remarks, delivered at a private fundraiser in San Francisco last week, as the kind of campaign-ending faux pas that the Clintons have been praying for. Others disagreed.

"It's unlikely to stop his march to the nomination," Joe Trippi, former adviser to the Edwards campaign told the Washington Post. It is more likely that the Clinton campaign did itself more damage by crossing the line and insinuating once again that Obama was somehow un-American."

Democratic pollster John Anzalone was more blunt:

I grew up in a blue collar environment. 'Bitter' was a more-than-appropriate description of blue collar families, especially middle-aged men who were living the American dream and content on their union wages in manufacturing who then faced a hopeless future. ... I think this whole line of attack by Clinton and McCain is bullshit and contrived. What do they know about economic anxiety. You think families in the Rustbelt care about the nuance of an adjective when they are hurting?