The New Bubba Clinton


It is interesting to watch as Hillary Clinton -- whose recently released tax records show that she and Bill have taken in more than 100 million dollars these past 7 years -- tries to frame herself as the new voice for the blue collar folk. Even as she lashes out at Barack Obama for being an elitist (is this really a new charge by her?), she seeks to portray herself as a beer drinking, gun toting good old boy. She's of course found religion as well -- got those good old Midwest values and such. In her bid to demonstrate that she can win, but Obama can't win the Reagan Democrats, she's recasting herself as a conservative blue-dog kind of Democrat. At this point, it almost seems as if she's trying to position herself to the right of John McCain. Perhaps she's trying to channel Charlton Heston.



Obama responds to her efforts to continually attack him with a bit of humor.




The senator from Illinois also slipped in a dig: "Obviously, it's a little easier for me to say that, since, you know, I lead in delegates and states and popular vote. Senator Clinton may not feel that she can afford to be as constrained."

Obama continued: "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. And I'm getting a run through the paces here."

It has seemed very clear for some time that she would rather see McCain win than see Obama win. That attitude won't win her the nomination, but it could severely damage the Democratic nominee and the party. As Obama seems to suggest, there's nothing that Karl Rove can throw against him that Hillary hasn't already tried out!



But as for the comments, though Hillary and McCain are trying to get some mileage out of them, there are many who see his comments as on the spot.




Rep. Mike Doyle (D), an undecided superdelegate who represents Pittsburgh and surrounding towns in the Monongahela Valley, said yesterday that he was not particularly troubled by Obama's comments.


"I don't disagree with a lot of what he said. My dad was a mill worker. My grandfather was a steel mill worker, and when the steel industry collapsed, nobody's family was hurt more than mine," Doyle said. "It's not inaccurate to say a lot of politicians have come through these towns, made a lot of promises and failed to deliver. I thought he was spot-on when he said how people feel."



He added that Obama's unexpected endorsement yesterday by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney "carries a hell of a lot more weight" than the blowup over his comments about small-town residents.


We shall see a week from today!

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