Obama's "Bitter" Comment Comes Up During McCain Event in Kentucky

From CBS News' Dante Higgins:

While John McCain courted the rural vote in Inez, Kentucky today, a local leader got a standing ovation for defending his constituents against Barack Obama’s comments that were taken to mean that small town people are "bitter."

State senator Brandon Smith, R-Ky., stood up during McCain’s town hall meeting and said, “Recently Senator Obama directed some comments that I took personally for our region. He labeled us as being bitter and then pointed out for his case that we hide behind our guns and religion here. As someone who represents this area as a Senator here I took personal offense, but I wondered how you feel about this."

McCain put the question back to Smith, “Could I just ask you before you sit down, do you think those comments reflect the views of your constituents?” he asked.

“I think it reflects the views of somebody who doesn’t understand this neck of the woods, is what I think it reflects,” Smith said as McCain took the microphone and walked away as the audience cheered and stood to their feet.

McCain also answered questions about the economy, confirming that he indeed believes the U.S. is in a recession. He also delivered some straight talk to a questioner who wanted to know what he could do to keep jobs from going overseas. He told the woman those jobs were not coming back but the key to the future was new technology.

“The modern economy offers new opportunities for communities like Inez. In particular, through access to high-speed Internet services that facilitate interstate commerce, drive innovation, and promote educational achievements, there is the potential to change lives,” he said in Inez, the same city where former President Lyndon Johnson announced his "War on Poverty" in 1964.

He spoke about the need for community college programs to work with community businesses in assisting and re-training displaced workers and promised he would not leave displaced workers behind as president.