Opponents Paint Obama as an Elitist

"It's a remarkable statement and extremely revealing," McCain adviser Steve Schmidt said in a statement. "It shows an elitism and condescension towards hardworking Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking, it is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans."

But before a raucous crowd in Terre Haute, Ind., Friday night, Obama not only repeated many of the same lines, he expanded on them.

"When I go around and talk to people, there is frustration and there is anger and there is bitterness. And what's worse is when people are expressing their anger, and politicians try to say, 'What are you angry about?' "

"Of course they're bitter. Of course they're frustrated. You would be, too -- in fact, many of you are," Obama said.

He also addressed the same social hot-button issues that Clinton and McCain pointed to as evidence of elitism. "And so people don't vote on economic issues, because they don't expect anybody's going to help them. People are voting on issues like guns, are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay marriage. They take refuge in their faith and their community and their families and the things they can count on. But they don't believe they can count on Washington."

Obama also returned fire on both his critics. "Here's what's rich: Senator Clinton says, 'I don't think people are bitter in Pennsylvania. I think Barack's being condescending.' John McCain says, 'He's obviously out of touch with people.' Out of touch? John McCain, it took him three tries to figure out the home foreclosure crisis was a problem and to come up with a plan for it, and he's saying I'm out of touch? Senator Clinton voted for a credit-card-sponsored bankruptcy bill that made it harder for people to get out of debt -- after taking money from the financial services companies -- and she says I'm out of touch?

"No, I'm in touch. I know exactly what's going on. . . . People are fed up. They're angry and they're frustrated and they're bitter, and they want to see a change in Washington."

Staff writers Alec MacGillis in Washington and Dan Balz in Chicago contributed to this report. Murray, traveling with the Obama campaign, reported from Indiana.