Hillary: Dad Taught Me How to Shoot

The Democratic candidates for president are brawling over just how much they are “in touch” with ordinary voters.

Last week, Sen. Barack Obama claimed that many Midwestern voters “cling” to guns and religion to placate themselves for their loss of jobs and economic prosperity.

On Sunday, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton slammed Obama’s comments as "elitist, out of touch and, frankly, patronizing."

“You know, the Democratic Party, to be very blunt about it, has been viewed as a party that didn't understand and respect the values and the way of life of so many of our fellow Americans," she said.

Clinton also sought to identify with those “fellow Americans,” recalling during a weekend campaign event when her father taught her how to shoot.

“You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl,” she said.

“You know, some people now continue to teach their children and their grandchildren. It’s part of culture. It’s part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it’s an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter. ... As I told you, my dad taught me how to shoot behind our cottage. I have gone hunting. I am not a hunter. But I have gone hunting."

Also this weekend, Hillary shored up her Average Joe credentials by stopping by an Indiana bar. After ordering a beer, the bartender asked, "You want a shot with that, Hillary?"

Hillary agreed to a shot of Crown Royal, a Canadian whiskey.

Obama’s campaign Monday was quick to describe Hillary’s efforts as “Annie Oakley” and nothing more than a sham.

Clinton spokesman Phil Singer struck back: "With all due respect, this is the same politician who spent six days posing for clichéd camera shots that included bowling gutterballs, walking around a sports bar, feeding a baby cow and buying a ham at the Philly market (albeit one that cost $99.99 a pound). Sen. Obama's speeches won't hide his condescending views of Americans living in small towns."

More: Hillary once claimed to be a duck hunter.