Release Watch: "Bitter" Bucks

Depending on which campaign you ask, Obama's "bitter" comments are either a fair (if perhaps poorly articulated) characterization of the frustrations of working class voters or a sign that the Democratic frontrunner is elitist and out of touch with the average American.

There is one thing all three campaigns appear to agree on, however: For whatever else it may be, this latest dustup makes for a prime fundraising opportunity.

Consider the releases sent out by the campaigns today. McCain Campaign Manager Rick Davis sent out an email early this afternoon suggesting that Obama's comments "expose the out-of-touch beliefs to which John McCain offers stark contrast."

"If Barack Obama is the Democrat nominee in the general election, the American people will have a clear choice between two different visions - Senator Obama's liberal, elitist philosophy and John McCain's faith in the small town values that continue to make America great," he added. "John McCain will not forget them or write them off. Neither should Barack Obama."

The kicker? A link to a page on the McCain campaign's page where you can make an online contribution.

The Clinton campaign was somewhat more subtle. Geoff Garin, new co-leader of the campaign's strategy team, sent an email introducing himself to voters and asking for suggestions, vowing to read every message sent to him about how the campaign should be run. But he can't help a subtle reference to the "bitter" dustup. Key line:

"The voters in Pennsylvania know that she is the candidate who understands their lives and respects their values, and that every day she will be a president who stands up for them instead of looking down on them."

At the bottom of the email? A big button marked "CONTRIBUTE."

And just because he's taking the heat doesn't mean Obama can't get in on the action. Campaign manager David Plouffe sent an email less than an hour ago about the dustup suggesting that "our opponents have been spinning the media and peddling fake outrage around the clock."

The two other candidate's comments concerning Obama's words "show just how out of touch Senator McCain and Senator Clinton are with the reality of what's happening in this election," he writes.

"There's nothing elitist about a movement of more than a million people standing up for a different kind of politics," Plouffe adds. "If you're fed up with these kinds of tired attacks, you can do something about it right now. We're setting a goal of 1.5 million people giving to this campaign by May 6th."