1.  In the past several days I have been attacked as "elistist" or out of touch by the two Senators who are my opponents.   I find that a little strange.  Both of whom claim to having a better finger on the pulse of ordinary Americans despite the fact that they themselves are multi-millionaires and longtime Washington insiders with campaigns run by lobbyists (indeed, at least until very recently, run in large part by the same multinational lobbying and PR firm).   Both my opponents lately call me elite and out of touch even though it is our campaign, not theirs, that is powered to an unprecedented degree by the efforts and funds of millions of ordinary citizens.  It takes a certain amount of gall to make the kinds of claims Senators McCain and Clinton have been making lately.  

1. As Senator Clinton and Senator McCain have both recently had occasion to emphasize, on the campaign trail we give many talks, often on grueling schedules, and sometimes the words we use are not as well chosen as they might be.  As I have said, some of my remarks last weekend in San Francisco must be of this description – because they have been used by my opponents to suggest that I believe things that (as Imy opponents well know) I do not believe.  I obviously do not believe, as my opponents suggest, that economically struggling Americans are wrong to feel frustrated or even bitter about their leaders’ failure to listen to them or address their problems.  And, as someone whose experience has given me a keen understanding of the role and power of faith in providing comfort in hard times, and in bringing people to gether to address common problems, I obviously celebrate, rather than disparage, peoples’ decisions to turn to their religious faith and communities in challenging times.  My point was and is that we must find a way to restore people's faith in political solutions to our economic problems -- not that people are wrong to conclude that our politics is currently broken.    

    3.  But surely my opponents know all this.  Surely, Senator Clinton, who vacillates between harsh personal criticism of my character, to suggestions that I would be a good vice president for her, does not really believe that I somehow look down on working people.  This is not a sincere disagreement over policy, or approach, or personal disposition.   This is yet another effort to manufacture a reason, however strained, for old-fashioned attack politics.  And it is fodder for news media whose attention span is so short that it cannot even analyze or report complete thoughts, but that has plenty of tme to rebroadcast sensationalized snippets over and over in order to manufacture a ratings-boosting, but quite mindless, controversy.    

4.  When we are so focused on the rhythms of the
micro-scandal and the gotcha soundbite that cannot discuss our problems
in complete sentences; when our political handlers persuade us that we
must launch attacks that we do not really believe, then our  politics
are truly broken.   This is kind of thing that prevents us from getting
anywhere and that leads too many Americans, of all races, creeds and
income levels, too turn off politics altogether, to become cynical,
and, yes, bitter.  My entire campaign is dedicated to the proposition
that we can and must do better, that we can and we must change our
politics in order to change our country.   Senators
McCain or Clinton continue to demonstrate that they offer only more of the same.  .