tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221545944710995423.post-71224251095199149892008-04-17T08:51:00.003-04:002008-04-17T09:05:31.004-04:00<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The matter came up again last night in the Democratic candidates' debate in Pennsylvania. Barack Obama had said, in a comment in San Francisco, that some Americans have become bitter and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them." Hillary Clinton, his rival for the nomination, is not going to let him — or any potential voters — forget it. Clintonian "I'm not bitter" stickers were seen when former President Bill Clinton came to Wilson last Saturday to tout his wife's candidacy. The Clintons say commenting on working-class bitterness makes Obama elitist.<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The whole episode has been overblown, it seems to me. "Bitter? Damn right, I'm bitter," plenty of Americans would be justified in saying. "Our leaders dragged us into a war on false pretenses, and it has wasted the lives of 4,000 good Americans and crippled thousands more. Tax and industrial policies are exporting jobs to other countries, throwing millions of Americans out of work and permanently reducing the living standards of millions more. Business execs get rewarded with millions of dollars in bonuses, even if their corporations tank, while workers' inflation-adjusted earnings decline. Social Security is headed for a train wreck because Democrats and Republicans would rather play politics than fix the problem. Health insurance is unaffordable for us, but members of Congress get blue-ribbon treatment at taxpayers' expense. Congress can't balance the federal budget, but it expects me to live within my means even while prices rise while wages stagnate.<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Bitter? Damn right, I'm bitter! I've got reason to be. I'll cling to guns or religion or family or anything else that helps me through this."<br /></div>Hal Tarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736629619718340570noreply@blogger.com