Obama Counterattacks

After two days of watching his explanations disappear into the black hole of press punditry, Barack Obama is using the dawn of the week to reorient his message.

1. Show outrage. As in -- How Dare They?

But, when people suggest that somehow I was demeaning religion, when I know that I am a man of deep faith somebody who in my own life has held on to faith, held on to my confidence in God during times of trial and tribulation it sounds like there’s some politics being played. When people suggest that I am somehow being elitist and demeaning hunters, when I have repeatedly talked about the tradition that people pass on from generation to generation, hunters and sportsmen and how I have consistently spoken about my respect for the Second Amendment. When people try to suggest I was demeaning those traditions, then it sounds like there’s some politics that are being played. And what really burns me up is when people suggest that me saying that folks are mad, they are angry, they are bitter after 25, 30 years of seeing jobs shipped out, pensions not fulfilled, healthcare lost, the notion that people are surprised and are suggesting that I’m out of touch because I spoke honestly about people’s frustrations.

2. Mock Hillary, as in

But I’ve gotta say, I’m a little disappointed when I start hearing the exact same talking points coming out of my democratic colleague Hillary Clinton. She knows better. She knows better. Shame on her. Shame on her. She knows better. She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen. She, how she values the second amendment, she’s talking like she is Annie Oakley. Hillary Clinton is out there like she’s out in the duck blind every Sunday. She’s packing a six shooter. Come on. She knows better. That’s some politics being played by Hillary Clinton. I want to see that picture of her out there in the duck blind. You know, come on. When Hillary Clinton says I’m out of touch, I just have to remind people of the track record. Senator Clinton, this is the same person who has taken more money from lobbyists than any other candidate -- Democratic or Republican. Taken more money from drug company lobbyists and insurance company lobbyists and she is saying that I’m out touch. Who do you think is out of touch? This is the same person who took money from financial folks on wall street and then voted for a bankruptcy bill that makes It harder for folks right here in Pennsylvania to get a fair shake. Who do you think is out of touch? This is the same person who spent a decade with her husband campaigning for NAFTA and now goes around saying how she was opposed to NAFTA. Does that sound like she is in touch with Pennsylvania? Does that sound like she is in touch with you? This is the same person who says she is voting for the Colombia trade deal. Turns out that her top advisor, her top strategist was working for the Colombian government to get the bill passed. Does that sound like she is in touch with you? She must, what’d somebody say? What’d she think you were? Come on, she knows better than that. She knows better than that.

3. Serve it all up with a helping of humble pie, courtesy of high-wattage surrogates like Sen. Bob Casey: