Clinton goes on attack

“Sen. Obama’s remarks are elitist and out of touch. They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans.”

SCRANTON – Hundreds of people lined 14th Street in West Scranton Sunday to greet Hillary Clinton – her third campaign stop in the city since March 10.

They sipped hot coffee and tea as they waited in front of their homes; American flags waved from porches. Signs that read “Hometown Pride” and “Clinton Country” were hung in windows and posted in yards.

The bitterness was in the cold, damp air, as raindrops gently fell. At 12:35 p.m., Clinton arrived in town and began a door-to-door canvass of the neighborhood.

After the New York Democratic senator and presidential candidate walked up and down 14th Street, she held a press conference in a carport and addressed comments made by her opponent, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Those comments, Clinton said, could cost the Democrats the general election.

“He is a good man and a very talented and gifted man, but I think his comments were elitist and divisive and the Democratic Party has been unfortunately viewed by many people over the last decade as being elitist and out of touch.”

Obama has come under fire for statements he made at a San Francisco fundraiser when he, according to a transcript of his speech, described small-town residents in this way: “And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

The goal of Clinton’s latest visit was to emphasize her working, middle-class background. Her father’s family, the Rodhams, are rooted in Scranton.

As she walked with Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty and U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, Clinton shook hands and posed for pictures.

A tall, burly man took his hat off when he met Clinton and asked her to pose for a picture with his family. A woman greeted Clinton with, “Hello, Madam President” in front of her double-block building. Clinton stood in front of the false-brick front home with a patchy lawn and new sidewalks and listened to concerns.

Many shouted “Good luck,” as Clinton continued to 318 14th St. where a pickup truck with a “Hillary for President” sign was parked. At another residence, Clinton walked onto the porch and was greeted with a hug from Francesca Leo.

The former first lady wore a yellow jacket with black pants under a black topcoat. She had two yellow scarves that waved in the wind. Several people told Clinton they were upset over Obama’s remarks.

“We’re hard-working people here,” a woman said. “No matter what job we have, we take pride in it and do our best. For (Obama) to say what he said is wrong.”

At the press conference, Clinton said Obama’s remarks were “condescending” toward a large segment of voters. Someone from a national media outlet asked the candidate if she was manipulating the Illinois senator’s words for her political advantage.

A reporter asked Clinton if she was out of touch with the middle class, since she hasn’t lived a middle-class life.

“I was raised with Midwestern values and an unshakeable faith in America and its promise,” Clinton said. “Sen. Obama’s remarks are elitist and they are out of touch. They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans. Certainly not the Americans that I know – not the Americans I grew up with, not the Americans I lived with in Arkansas or represent in New York.”

Clinton said the people she knows who have religious faith don’t “cling to” religion because they’re bitter. “People embrace faith not because they are materially poor, but because they are spiritually rich,” Clinton said. She also addressed the gun issue raised by Obama.

“People of all walks of life hunt – and they enjoy doing so because it’s an important part of their life, not because they are bitter,” Clinton said. “Contrary to what Sen. Obama says, most Americans did much better during the Clinton years than they have done during the Bush years.”

“Because I believe if you want to be the president of all Americans, you need to respect all Americans,” Clinton said. “And that starts with respecting our hard-working Americans.”

Obama’s remarks come at a crucial time before the April 22 Pennsylvania primary, and political analyst G. Terry Madonna believes the statements go beyond the borders of the Keystone State.

“I think this has big, broad national implications,” said Madonna, a Franklin & Marshall College pollster. Madonna said Obama, who has fared better than Clinton in smaller, more rural states, might have insulted sportsmen, church-goers and small-town voters.

A solid victory in Pennsylvania would give Clinton momentum as the Democrats head into Indiana where polls indicate a close race. Obama is ahead in North Carolina. Clinton leads in Pennsylvania, though recent polls show her lead has dwindled.

Obama leads Clinton by 1,641 to 1,505 total delegates heading into Pennsylvania, according to an independent tally by RealClearPolitics.com.

Neither candidate can amass the 2,025 delegates needed to capture the nomination, so the actions of the nearly 800 super-delegates will be decisive at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August. Super-delegates may vote as they choose and are not bound by the primary election results from their states.

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She rips rival’s remarks while campaigning in area

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