Rocker BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN has defended U.S. presidential hopeful BARACK OBAMA, insisting the Democrat's comments about "bitter" small town Americans has been taken out of context.
Last week (12Apr08), Obama tried to explain to an audience in San Francisco, California, why he was struggling to win over white working class voters.
He told the crowd, "You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them.
"And it's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
The Illinois senator's comments have stirred a lot of controversy since, but the Born To Run singer insists Obama's words have been twisted to paint him in a bad light.
And he is adamant Obama is the best candidate for the U.S. presidency to repair the "terrible damage" the current leader, George W. Bush, has caused since 2000.
In a message to fans on his website, he writes, "Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
"He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems.
"At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision... often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment."
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