Hillary... Annie or Teresa?

Hillary Clinton didn't suspend her attack on Barack Obama, even at the nationally televised forum on religious and moral values last night.... "Obama Reinforcing Stereotypes, Clinton Asserts." (WaPo)

Hillary, the first to appear in separate 45-minute sessions answering questions from journalists and the audience, was quick to label Obama's recent description of small-town America.... where voters are bitter and cling to guns and religion, disillusioned by hard economic times and politicians who promise much but deliver little.... as reinforcing the stereotype of "out of touch" Democrats.

Comparing Obama to the failed Democratic presidential nominees Al Gore and John Kerry, Hillary asserted that "large segments of the electorate concluded that they did not really understand or relate to or frankly respect their ways of life" and again charged Obama as being "elitist.... and frankly patronizing."

Speaking of patronizing.... switching from her recent persona of a duck-hunting, shot-belting Annie Oakley to Mother Teresa when queried on religious subjects, Hillary's eyes-imploring-heaven, breathy replies to religious questions sounded contrived.

Rather than appearing as a Mother Teresa, Hillary, in her flared gold jacket and enveloping gold scarf, managed a closer likeness to a Buddha bobblehead.

Obama by contrast spoke thoughtfully.... without theatrical affectation.... in measured tones emphasizing his experience as a community organizer with Chicago churches, assisting workers of a steel plant that had just closed.

He walked "the uplifting peoples lives" walk. Answering the "elitist" charge, he said: "Religion is a bulwark, a foundation when other things aren't going well.... That's true in my own life.... what I was referring to was in no way demeaning a faith that I, myself, embrace."

Responding to Hillary's jab on the failed 2000 Democratic presidential campaign Obama noted, "By the way, I have to say, I think Al Gore won."

Tired of her relentless and reckless barrage of personal attacks, Obama commented to a working-class crowd at a union hall shortly before the forum that he expected such attacks from the Republican John McCain, but not a fellow Democrat.

"Shame on her. She knows better.... She's talking like she's Annie Oakley.... Hillary Clinton is out there like she's in the duck blind every Sunday," mocked Obama who laughed "She's packing a six-shooter.... That's some politics being played."

In the forum, Clinton declined repeatedly to describe her personal faith, instead falling back on "the way I was raised," implying it's too private a matter. However, earlier in the day, the opportunely-pious Hillary seemed frustrated when asked when she had last attended church or fired a gun.

"That is not a relevant question for this debate," Clinton said. "We can answer that some other time. I went to church on Easter.... "

But she shot the Easter bunny first.