Barack Obama tries to turn the page

"I'm tired of playing defense all the time," Barack Obama said this morning. "I want to play some offense."

It's a line he has used many times in speaking to labor groups. But it resonated a bit differently today.

Obama has spent the last few days back on his heels, absorbing furious punishment from the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and John McCain over his "bitter" remarks in San Francisco.

Today, Obama spoke to about 3,000 union members, gathered in Washington for the Building & Construction Trades Department's annual legislative meeting. Clinton appears before the group Wednesday.

Obama spent much of his speech focused on labor-friendly issues that elicited extended applause: opposing "right-to-work" laws, encouraging union organization and expressing skepticism about global trade deals.

But eventually he addressed the tempest of the moment, his statements regarding small-town America. In Obama's most recent equation, road-tested Monday night in Pennsylvania, "bitter" now means "angry," which when coupled with "hope" equals "Obama."

"I said people were bitter," Obama said. "People seemed to misunderstand. Yes, people are angry. If you've been filling up your gas tank, you're angry.

"You've got to feel some frustration. You've got to feel some anger," he said, "when you get the sense that the ...

American way of life for so many people is slipping away."

But, he said, that was "not a reason to give up hope."

In his most direct shot at Clinton, whom he never specifically mentioned, he said: "If anyone denies that people are frustrated and angry and, yes, sometimes bitter, then they are out of touch."

He reserved most of his criticism for McCain, whom he took to task for reversing his stand on repealing President Bush's tax cuts for wealthy Americans.

Obama was introduced by Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, who made much of Obama's common touch, speaking well-worn lines about him turning down a job on Wall Street to become a community organizer in Chicago and about how he and his wife, Michelle, took years to repay student loans.

"He turned down the big money," McCaskill said. "He went to do what was right for our country."

In that vein, Obama told the crowd: "You can trust me. Politics didn't lead me to working people. Working people led me to politics."

After the speech, a group of painters and union members from Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee said that, in their view, Obama had made short work of the "bitter" controversy.

"I thought he handled that real well," said Robert Liphard.

"He's done it right," said Jarrell Miskenen. "He got right back on it."

Liphard added: "What I'd like to see is a combined ticket." He said who was first or second on that ticket didn't matter.

-- James Oliphant

James Oliphant of the Chicago Tribune's Washington bureau writes for the Swamp.

Comments

[Ron]

With all of the insight these bloggers have, I am surprised that more of them are not working for the CIA. Except for the automated robot blogs for Hillary that show up 2 or 3 times on every discussion, when they have nothing to do with the article.

[Erik Ostermueller]

Could someone post the sources for the $ amounts posted by "Robert" on April 15, 2008 at 10:39 AM?

Thanks,

--Erik Ostermueller

[bruce becker]

57% of the public believes Bill will be running things behind the scenes. no third term. Period. She is not Evita.
Peron was dead when Evita ran for Argentine president.

[rosie]

I can only hope that Americans can rise to the occasion, and not be bamboozled by the Mc-Hillary hype. Anyone who has read either of Obama's books about his life knows where he stands, values-wise, who he has sacrificed for, and what he believes in -- which is participatory democracy. He wants to re-configure the power structure to restore government to the PEOPLE, not special interests.
So, carry on Hillary - trying to make people forget about your intentional lies about Bosnia --
The truth will set us all free. It ain't always pretty, but we need to face facts so we can find solutions to our problems.
Carry on, Barack! We're with you....

[Kathy]

Oh please, Obama's time of playing defense has just begun.

[earl]

I wonder why a lot of people cannot see up to now the obvious implication and meaning of Obama's "bitter" fiasco.
Isn't it obvious that he was making a comparison of his 20 year spiritual adviser Rev. Wright's bitter and passionate comments about the black experience? In other words Obama was putting side by side the white blue collar workers and the the black american members of his church. Furfthermore he was implying that it is okay for everyone , regardless of race, to be bitter and angry. He just could not believe that others outside his church, specially the blue collor workers of Pennsylvania and other states, have different moral values. Obama, correctly, is out of touch.

[Greg Vanderford]

In response to Roberts information about Obama accepting lobbyist money, all I have to say is this: Obama has already raised hundreds of millions of dollars from more donors than anyone in history. $1.8 million from lobbyist hardly makes a difference, and is indeed a laughably small sum not only compared to his total money earned through donations but compared to any and all other politicians. How is Obama going to hide from that information you ask? He doesn't have to. He will win, and he will do it telling more truth than any other politician in a generation, even if he does have to backpedal sometimes due to unreasonable sifting of his words by the petty and inferior opponents of his

[Mary]

Obama is finally showing his true colors - he's a FAKE. Funny thing is his supporters are so blind. Are they so blind that they don't want to admit that he could be wrong or wrong for our country? He just completely insulted so many people behind closed doors in a fund raising event and got busted, but yet he blames others for calling him out on it. He did this to himself - no one else did this to him. Wake up people!

[Jondo369]

Too funny!
Obama already managed 'offense' with the "bitter" comments. But I'm sure that he's capable of more of the same. He's catching up to the Clintons in 'nuance' and 'explanations' and campaign 'eruptions' and outright lies - we're getting to know you, Obama!

He won't lose the Democratic nomination because his base has no idea what's wrong.
But in the general Obama will repaint the electoral map in Republican red!

[John McKeatingFive]

"Hillary has a 35-year record of standing up to special interests and delivering results."

I like how they didn't mention that hillary had more lobbyists backing her than ALL THE REPUBLICANS COMBINED. She won't do jack about special interests.

[CleanFeeling]

Meet the new boss,
Same as the old boss

Vote for real change
http://www.lp.org

[Josh]

Yes, I'm bitter and angry when I fill my truck and always late on my rent payments because jobs are hard to find these days. And we spend $ Billions in Iraq!. I guess, Clinton and McCain would like me to smile in my present situation. They're out of touch.

[Dr. Dave]

Sounds like Barak's gettin tired of tap-dancing around all his "misspoken", "boneheaded" "meant-to-say" remarks.

Too bad Obama. You're the one with the "gifted" silver tongue. Like wright, you have to own up to what uncontrolable dribble pours outta your mouth.

[Tyler in Iowa]

To A Taylor:

Obama won in Iowa.

[Michael]

Ralph-

Either you didn't read the transcript, or you lack the ability to read critically. In fact, this article states that Sen. Obama did not say what you claim he did. I suggest that you shed your opinion on what you think he said, and instead educate yourself by reading what he actually said. I think you'll be surprised with what you'll find.

[David]

Between the blue-collar trailer folk and Hillary McCain, Barack Obama is stuck between a rock and a snake. If he doesn't wear a tie, isn't polite, or seems angry, he'll be lumped with Al Sharpton and Rev. Wright and will scare white voters. If, on the other hand, he does dress and act respectfully and does speak intelligently and intelligibly, he's called an elitist who's out of touch.

The thing is, Hillary and John McCain can go have a shot and a beer at bars throughout Pennsylvania and the people cheer. But if Ed Rendell is right, Barack Obama wouldn't even be allowed in some of those bars if he didn't dress and act like a modern Sidney Poitier.

[Aman]

YEAH! the fact that Hillary will do whatever it takes to win, I will vote for Mccain if she steals the nomination.

[Ray]

Historically proven, all presidential candidates, either for the nomination or the election, are liars. They pander to the voters preceding the election. They make all sorts of promises that they know they cannot fulfill but make great sound bites. I recall the election of Jimmy Carter who promise the people deserves a president as good as the people. That immediately caused me great concern. The "people" are rarely educated on the true nature of the political issues. Remember the years of 20% interest rates under Jimmy Carter??? The naive voters truly believe the simple and optimistic solution to great problems facing the nation. Look at the history of the recent presidents: preceding the election they utter great solutions, e.g. balancing the budget, solve the social security funding issues, solve the health care issues, etc. You name it and they have a simple [15 second] sound bite solution. Have these problems been properly addressed?

Don't believe that Obama or Hillary will carry out their promises to the voters now. They will start blaming others. Liars, liars. These candidates take the voters as fools. Once in office, they will continue their smooth rhetorics but not come close in fulfilling their promises...

[mtt]

I'm done with the redneck tactic of Clinton and his supporters. They will spread their "rust" to the rest of the country.

It's time for Obama to form a new party.

[Human]

Bitter=angry, hope=obama, any other modifications to the english language you would like to make in order to make yourself sound better? How about these, clinging=holding and guns and religion = jobs and values. Now we have small towners angry, but still holding on to their jobs and values, and not giving up hope. I think thats what I meant, yeah, thats it.

[mtt]

I'm done with Clintons and their supporters.
They will lead this country to become a very BITTER,giant rust belt.

It's time for Obama and his followers to form a new party.

[reason]

Obama actually has me wanting to vote for Hillary. I never would have thought it possible to make her look good but Obama has succeeded where noone else could.

I guess it's true one man can make a difference. Obama has singlehandedly destroyed the democratic party. This is republican heaven.

[Coonie in SC]

The real malcontent in this picture is Obama.
Obama is bitter over all of the handicaps that life has dealt him, his mixed heritage that made him an outsider, his abandonment by his father, and later, by his mother.
This is the reason he chose an angry black woman as his wife, and an angry mixed race pastor as a mentor, so he will have an ear for his complaints, and a voice to air his issues with people who are not like him.

[Cerebral]

What happened to the man of better judgement? A person who has a private persona and public persona often slip up. Can't believe a word he says.

You want an administration worse than GW and Jimmy, vote for him and we all pay for it. Look at his followers, venom spewing hate mongers who can't carry on a decent exchange without being in the gutter.

Go McCain a man of will, character and priciple.

[billy]

Quote: "Hillary has a 35-year record of standing up to special interests and delivering results."

Here we go again with the 35 years of experience thing. Thirty-five ago years puts her in the year that she graduated from law school. Yep she received lots of experience making coffee as a junior partner in a law firm. Get real, and check your facts. Don't believe everything that you read.