Compassion Forum On CNN: Clinton, Obama Square Off

At the Compassion Forum, Hillary Clinton commented on Obama's remarks about economically-depressed voters, saying they seemed "elitist, out of touch and, frankly, patronizing," and pointed to what she described as a perception of Al Gore and John Kerry that they "did not really understand or relate to or frankly respect their ways of life."

i do think it raises a lot of concerns, and we've seen that exhibited in the last several days, by people here in Pennsylvania, in Indiana where I was yesterday, and elsewhere, because it did seem so much in line with what often we are charged with. Someone goes to a closed door fund-raiser in San Francisco and makes comments that do seem elitist, out of touch and, frankly, patronizing. That has nothing to do with him being a good man or a man of faith. We had two very good men and men of faith run for president in 2000 and 2004. But large segments of the electorate concluded that they did not really understand or relate to or frankly respect their ways of life.

Watch it:

Barack Obama also spoke about the reaction to his remarks at the San Francisco fundraiser:

Watch the exchange with CNN's Campbell Brown:

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CNN is airing a "Compassion Forum," featuring the first back-to-back appearances from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton since Obama's remarks about economically-depressed small town voters were reported. Here's a description of the event from Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, where the event is being held:

Messiah College has been selected to host The Compassion Forum, an unprecedented bipartisan presidential candidate forum dedicated to discussing pressing moral issues that bridge ideological divides within our nation. Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama have accepted the invitation to participate in the Forum. Senator John McCain has thus far declined the invitation, which is still open. The Compassion Forum is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, in Brubaker Auditorium, and will be covered by mainstream media and religious media outlets alike. CNN is the exclusive broadcaster of The Compassion Forum and will televise and stream the event live from 8-9:30 p.m.

The Church Communication Network (CCN) will broadcast the event to tens of thousands of people of faith in at least 1,000 congregations nationwide on April 20, the Sunday evening before the Pennsylvania primary.

Now more than ever, Americans motivated by faith are bridging ideological divides to address domestic and international poverty, global AIDS, climate change, genocide in Darfur, and human rights and torture. The Compassion Forum will provide the opportunity for candidates to discuss how their faith and moral convictions bear on their positions on these important issues.

The Compassion Forum will be a unique and unprecedented event. Each candidate will participate in a separate substantive conversation. This will not be a debate. Questions will be posed by co-moderators Jon Meacham, editor of "Newsweek," and Campbell Brown, anchor of CNN's Election Center.

Check back to The Huffington Post for updates and video highlights.

Comments

[Seattlelite]

Hello boys and girls Hillary is going to teach us a new word today, the word is ELITIST -- can you you say Elitist boys and girls.

[Seattlelite]

Hillary Clinton the new Mr. Rodgers -- she's taught us all a new word "elitist". Can you say ELITIST boys and girls?

[nana53nana]

Hey, Working class folks of America
stop thinking that the Republicans are going to
save your butts when and if you decide to vote
for John McCain. You'll still end up with no jobs
in your communities, you'll have to send you kids
off to win a war where the folks in whatever country
your in don't want your asses, and Blue Collar folks, the gas is still
going to go up. But that won't matter if there aren't any jobs to drive to anyway.

[vsign]

This reminds me of a situation I had -

About two months ago before my state voted, a long ago friend evangelized to me about Obama. When I responded with my passion for Hillary as the best President at this time in history - he responded by saying -

Are you bitter and frustrated?

Ha*.......­..That's when I knew this was a religious movement and anyone not voting for Obama would be blamed as morally deficient. It is an attitude that is acceptable in those religious people in ties who knock on the door with their bibles. It is not acceptable in an election. It wasn't acceptable in 2000 and 2004 when the religious right took over the Republican Party and it isn't acceptable when the religious left is taking over the Democratic Party in 2008.

These are Obama's words - bitter and frustrated! Remember them.

When anyone uses them on you - run away! Or shut the door! Or say - I already have my own church!

[marc1antony]

you are truly a caricature - the BS that you and your sister stand on are pathetic - here's something for you to defend

TRIP to Africa with Wilson - never happened

Peace Treaty in Ireland - Nobel Prize winner says she's a wee bit silly

Bosnia Sniper Fire - Well we all saw the three times she supposedly had lack of sleep and misspoke the same fantasy.

NAFTA - she was for the sending of our jobs to canada and mexico, as is evidenced in the WH schedules.

CAFTA - her chief strategist and her husband have both taken money from Colombia to promote sending MORE of our jobs to foreign countries.

please defend these points and stop playing the Rove game by pointing to the opposition - just answer the damned questions.

[Aleka]

Well its is good to know you base such important decisions on what your friend said and not on facts or reality!

And then you take your obvious lack of thought and smear up blogs with it. Excellent!

[faeriewidow]

The elitest in this country are no longer the educated "upper class". It is now a bad thing to be intelligent and free thinking. The new elitest are the christian right wing and their ilk. They claim to be the "true and choosen Amercians". That is elitest if you ask me. They are the elitest who think that they are entitled to some kind of recognition of their religious beliefs. As if anyone cares. Not only is that elitest but arrogant.

Nobody recognizes my beliefs as a ahteist, yes beliefs, atheism is the belief that there is no higher power and the belief that proper evidence is required to claim such a thing. Intelligence, free thinking and reason are now demonized. This is how they divide. Us vs them. Make middle America think that the "elitest" are out to get them. The truth is that the same people who call others elitest are usually the "truly elite" AKA wealthy. They just pull a switch-a-roo on us. Political magicians.

[EyeWantOneNation]

Sweet one...trus­t me...there is NO "christian right wing" or "christian left wing"

Government is ONE...the projected image is there are two sides...th­at keeps people busy going against each other...le­ft / right...De­mocrats / Republicans. Doesn't matter !!!

The government of this country, and other countries, have been uniting for a very, very long time. It is just about complete..­.call it New World Order...On­e World Order...do­esn't matter.

With people like you and me, it will always be Us vs them...thi­s is somewhat officially a "Christian nation"...­freethinke­rs will be ostracised till the end of time, I'm afraid !!!

B.B.

[Seattlelite]

Every time I think it's impossible for me to dislike this women anymore than I already do she manages to prove me wrong. It's to the point I can't even look at a picture of her and scowl. The women hasn't an ounce of integrity. She never misses an opportunity to take cheap nasty shots does she.

[AC500]

The elephant in the room during the Forum attended by religious leaders was Hillary's penchant for lying. Isn't lying considered a sin? Why was the elephant not addressed?

[Aleka]

Because CNN likes Clinton and doesn't like to do anything that might contradict her version of reality.

[transendentilist]

Oh boo hoo. Once again the victim?

[elainebarili]

because Obama has had his share of lies to.

[Seraphim99]

The lyrics as promised:

"On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we wont understand
Don't accept that whats happening
Is just a case of others suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away

Its a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting its shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that were all alone
In the dream of the proud

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
Its not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?"

[Seraphim99]

As I listen to and read about Obama...no­t simply the man himself, but also the spirit he has fomented among the nation, I am reminded of the lyrics to the song "On the Turning Away" by Pink Floyd. I list them in a following post to illustrate the feelings I've been having, and leave them for the deliberation of all. And I guess I also want to express that I realize, and by the admission of the man himself, that Obama is a flawed vessel. Truly, we are all flawed vessels...­and often our inadequacies and weaknesses prevent us from the good we might have done and may yet accomplish. Yet at the same neither we nor Obama are inadequate vessels and can indeed accomplish great things. I see that spirit in him, and I admire him specifically for the sake that he rekindles that spirit in myself. I reiterate, he is imperfect, and if we look hard enough we will find time to discover such imperfections in each one of us....but I am compelled by the better angels of our nature to invest in this man and this candidate. That may not persuade everyone, and I certainly know its not a formal argument or an appeal based on evidence. That may be for another time, and I do have more concrete reasons for liking Obama, but let it be for now.

[fourex]

To ask voters to put religion, and guns, first over their economic interests is a corporate wet dream (see Hillary, McCain). Voting against your own economic interests is a major reason for the economic decline for the past 25 years of the middle class, (see Greider, Phillips and Frank).

[transendentilist]

Who's asking anybody to put religion and guns "first?"

[CindyKay]

All Rethuglikkkons & Plenty of Phoney Christians .

[Aleka]

Uhm...that is what this whole thing is about.

What Obama was -actually- talking about was how these people -vote- against their own economic interests. They do not beleive that politicians will keep economic promises, so they vote on the basis of cultural and religious issues.

The whole quote, had you bothered to listen to it in context, was talking about their voting patterns, not lifestyle. THAT is why it is such a distortion.

I don't know if you knew that or not, but I would hope that you inform yourself from here on out.

[druidlady42]

Get a clue, "TransCend­entalist"! That's exactly what Obama was alluding to in his comments,---the callous, calculated use of those "wedge issues", like religion, guns, gays, immigrants---by the Republicans and now Hillary to draw blue collar voters to the polls to vote for them and against their own best interests. Those same voters, who flocked to the polls the past eight years to vote against some ballot issue like "gay marriage" are the same ones who are now having to park their trucks because the cost of a barrel of oil has gone from $28 to $110 during the same time; their health insurance costs have tripled or more due to the greed of Insurance/drug companies; they're losing their house because of unregulated Wall Street regulators; their streets and schools are threatened by guns in the wrong hands; and we're all stuck in a war without end! Why, -- because someone voted Republican due to "gay marriage" or some other "wedge issue"!

[rosal]

The queen of hiporcisy! All the people have to do, is to follow the money. All roads lead to Colombia, NAFTA, Dubai, and other foreign places.
You don't get $109,000,000, just for nothing.
And for the Clinton enablers, yes he made some of the money for speeches, but Hell-ary mentioned speeches are "just words". So now we see, speeches are not just words, they are also profitable
Profitable, the mantra of their lives. Pay attention workers.

[CindyKay]

Exactly!

[transendentilist]

That's right, Hillary said words alone, don't matter. Please try for a little accuracy. Obama said words are important. So what he said was to be considered what he felt. Another glaring double standard.

[KimberlyKay]

So, are you suggesting that Senator Clinton does not mean for voters to believe the words in her own speeches? Or are you suggested that the words in Senator Clinton's speeches don't reflect what she actually believes?

I think you just successfully labelled all of Senator Clinton's campaign promises false. You might want to word your posts more carefully, unless you do want to participate in another glaring double standard.

[jstock]

I see, Hillary's knee-capping Obama out of her concern for the Democratic Party. What a phony she's turned out to be. I used to really like the Clintons, but there's apparently no low to which either of them will not sink, if they think it will advance their interests. It's always about them. Both the Clintons and McCain know exactly what Obama meant, and they're shamelessly acting "offended.­" This is "gotcha" politics at its worst. I've written CNN and MSNBC about this, asking them to stop milking a phony controversy. And I'm sending another donation to the Obama campaign. Obama 08!

[transendentilist]

So Hillary made Obama say the things he said???

[KimberlyKay]

No, Senator Clinton decided to interpret what Senator Obama said through Republican lenses despite the fact that she claims to be a Democrat.

[liz3]

GOOD I'm sure he can use the TEN CENTS

[KimberlyKay]

I watched the Compassion Forum last night. Senator Clinton's use of this at the "compassion forum" showed a desperation that almost made me pity her. And then I remembered this is a Republican tactic to attempt to turn a Democrat into an "elite" despite the fact that Senator Obama is actually a "Horatio Alger" American story -- he is a man raised by a single mother who had to resort to food stamps to feed her son on occasion. Why would Senator Clinton engage in the "bizarro world" definition of elite that would try to turn a "rags to riches" American story into a scion of an elite family story? Everybody remember how President Bush was made into a "regular guy" even though he is one of the most elite President's we have had in years -- more elite family even than John F. Kennedy, not more so than Franklin Roosevelt. 'Bizarro world" at the "Compassion Forum" -- what an odd strategy for Senator Clinton to try.

[Aleka]

Yea..but it seems that there are those who are willing to buy it, despite how it contradicts common sense.

[KimberlyKay]

I don't think so, not really. We are just witnessing Republican operatives of Operation Chaos pretending to be Democrats and some serious supporters of Senator Clinton exhibiting their glee at the possibility that she has restored her once "inevitable" candidacy. I hope soon all of the Democrats will remember that we are allies, not enemies. I also hope soon all of us Democrats will realize that Senator Obama is the political phenomenom for whom we have been waiting for years. This will probably occur around the same time that people remember that the involvement of young people in the political process is a VERY GOOD THING and bodes very well for the future of this Country.

[AnninCA]

We'll take that pity.

[KimberlyKay]

Really? People don't vote based on pity in the general election. Even though I am a woman, I won't vote based on pity in any election, especially not one as important as this one. Personally, I would rather not pity Senator Clinton. I would rather I could continue to believe in both Clintons as decent, Democrats who have our best interests at heart, but cannot understand the new kind of politics offered by Senator Obama. I would prefer to continue to respect Senator Clinton; pity is not conducive to respect although it is conducive to compassion.

[argent1]

Rumor mill from some of my jewish friends: Obama - Farakahn connection not spelled out as much as it should be. The "award" Farakahn was given by Rev. Wright in his Church was in the presence and approval of Obama, and during Farakahn's acceptance speech he ripped once again into the Jewish religion, ripped into mainstream American life (white world). I would like to notr believe this but if it comes out to be a bigger problem how will that effect Obama's chances in the general election?

[ohioangel]

After the word "rumor" the rest of your post is insignificant.

Thanks for playing.

[argent1]

Politics are played out this way, and it only takes a match to burn down a forest. Wait til Joe Lieberman starts swinging on this one!

[KimberlyKay]

I am sorry, but either your ignorance is showing or you are relying on some truly inaccurate reporting. Trinity United Church's magazine (not Reverend Wright) gave an award to Mr. Farrakhan for good works he had done with HIV-Aids. At the time, the magazine was run by Reverend Wright's daughters. Senator Obama had absolutely nothing to do with the award. Senator Obama was a parishioner, not a Church elder, or functionary. I hope you don't believe that Catholics are to blame for the recent scandal involving Priests. Mr. Farrakhan certainly rips into everyone on every occasion, but Senator Obama has already "denounced and rejected" him and no-one can find a single instance where Senator Obama did anything other than "denounce and reject" Mr. Farrakhan. If "guilt by association" is the standard, we can all probably be traced/linked somehow to Mr. Farrakhan -- have you heard of 7 degrees of separation?

[AnninCA]

It was. His support of Hammas is now the talk of the Middle East. His bid for the Jewish Dem. vote has failed completely.

Carter didn't help, of course.

But the Dems definitely will lose Florida if he's the nominee. The word is that Jewish Dems there really have sort of wanted to swtich parties for awhile.

He's the excuse.

[MichaelTenery]

"His bid for the Jewish Dem. vote has failed completely­."

Based on what. Thus far he has done fine with Jewish vote which is usually educated upper middle class. His history with that segment in this nomination has been that it is in his base.

[KimberlyKay]

What support for Hamas? Senator Obama specifically said he would not negotiate with Hamas. President Carter is his own agent, he is neither part of, nor a consultant to Senator Obama's campaign.

[transendentilist]

I think he lost some black votes too, by not attending Dr. Kings memorial. He owes every bit of his success to Dr. King, and he can't attend the man's memorial service??
This is not to say Obama didn't work hard to get where he is, but whithout Dr. King and his dream, Obama wouldn't have had such opportunities.

[Pammy1151]

Ann the democrates will never win Florida no matter the candidate. I live here now and trust me it is Republican country all the way.

[StandingStill]

You guys are REALLY afraid Obama can win, aren't you? GO OBAMA! He's got these people running scared! It's so funny but so sad that they are willing to hang onto the status quo who do nothing but hurt Americans.

[jstock]

Prove it, argent1. What's that? Oh, you can't? Well then STFU!

[fatherof5women]

American Research Group today released the first Pennsylvania poll taken over the weekend. In the last ARG poll on April 5-6, Obama and Clinton were tied at 45%. Clinton now leads Obama 57%-37%. That's a 20 point swing to Clinton in one week. No amount of whining or cover-ups by Obama or his surrogates can hide the fact that his "cling" comments have destroyed his campaign.

[HypocrisySlayer]

YEAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAHHHH­HHHHHH!!!

Obama is unelectable. Just go away and take your bitter wife and racist pastor with you. Please just go away.

[marc1antony]

my how very mature of you.... have nothing to say of value so resort to calling people names - way to get people to support your candidate.