OH, FOR THE LOVE OF. . .NOW WHAT? "Obama 'Deeply' Regrets Choice of Words" reads the headline that appeared on the front screen on AOL during most of the weekend. The Associated Press story refered to the "political tempest" unleashed by Barack Obama's description of some small town Pennsylvanians as "bitter." The New York Times reported, "The Democratic nominating fight took a sudden turn" in the wake of Obama's remarks at a private fundraser in San Francisco.

Hillary Clinton has accused Obama of being "elitist and out of touch" for daring to suggest that rural Pennsylvania is populated with right wing whack jobs holding a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other.

If only Obama had said "right wing whack jobs" then maybe this (air quotes) political tempest would make some sense. Instead, what he said is so clearly true and inoffensive that it's a wonder anyone could be upset. Describing the mentality of some working class small town Pennsylvania voters, Obama said, "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."

Clearly, these are the words of the antichrist. On Saturday Obama said he regets his choice of words but stood by the truth of his observation, and I paraphrase, that rural Pennsylvania has its share of bandolier-and-camo wearing gun freaks who wouldn't vote for a black man named Barack Hussein Obama until their cold dead fingers are pried off their NRA membership cards.

Hillary Clinton said Obama is trying to divide the country between "those who are enlightened and those who are not." As if politics isn't all about that all the time. Whenever "we" stand up against "special interests" that's a stand by the enlightened versus those who are not, isn't it? What's amusing to me is how the news media is reacting to this like a hungry dog smelling bacon bits.

"Political tempest" my patoot. What kills me is that Obama's remarks are being parsed for evidence of elitist tendencies when we've just suffered under eight years of a presidential admiministration whose attitude toward the will of the majority of Americans was brilliantly summed up recently by Dick Cheney, "So?" Or as he calls those right wing whack jobs in rural Pennsylvania, "My base."