Yesterday Senator Barack Obama’s rivals jumped on a quote first posted on Huffington Post that they say shows Senator Obama is elitist and out of touch. While talking in Pennsylania Obama said the following:

“You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them,”

“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 remarks started a wave of criticism by the candidates and many commentators:

Hillary Clinton’s Reaction

YouTube video

(Clip found via Jack & Jill)

John McCain’s Reaction

An aide to McCain called the fundraiser comments “remarkable and extremely revealing.”

“It shows an elitism and condescension toward hard-working Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking,” said Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser to the Arizona senator. “It is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans.”

Obama defended his comments yesterday but today said he “didn’t say it as well as I should have.”