Clinton, Obama spar in 'faith forum'

GRANTHAM, Pa., April 13 (UPI) -- Democratic U.S. presidential rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama argued about faith and values Sunday in a forum at a Christian college in Pennsylvania.

CNN, which televised the event, said Clinton repeated her criticism of Obama's recent characterization of some voters as "bitter." Clinton and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has been criticizing Obama in recent days over an audio recording in which he says frustrated voters "cling to guns and religion."

Clinton Sunday said "the characterization of people in a way that really seemed to be elitist and out of touch is something that we have to overcome."

Sunday's event at Messiah College was not a debate. The candidates were questioned separately, with Clinton winning a coin toss and choosing to go first.

When Obama's turns came he repeated his concession that he had made a poor choice of words, and got a laugh when he said, "My words may have been clumsy, which happens surprisingly often on a presidential campaign ..."

"What I was referring to was in no way demeaning a faith that I, myself, embrace. What I was saying is that when economic hardship hits ... what people have is they've got family, they've got their faith, they've got the traditions that have been passed on to them from generation to generation."