Primary Looms as Candidates Sharpen Attacks

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• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  The face-off in Philadelphia. Margaret Warner has our campaign story.

• MARGARET WARNER:

  With five days to go before the Pennsylvania primary, Hillary Clinton toured the state with her daughter, Chelsea. Barack Obama was in North Carolina, before heading back to Pennsylvania tomorrow.

  Both were coming off one of their most contentious debates of the campaign.

  For the first 45 minutes last night, Obama found himself playing defense against Clinton and the ABC News moderators over his recent statement about small-town values, his ties to two controversial figures, and his patriotism.

  Charlie Gibson first asked about Obama's comments that hard economic times made some blue-collar voters feel bitter and cling to guns and religion as a result.

  SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), Illinois: Well, I think there's no doubt that I can see how people were offended. It's not the first time that I've made a statement that was mangled up; it's not going to be the last.

  The point I was making was that, when people feel like Washington's not listening to them, when they're promised year after year, decade after decade that their economic situation is going to change and it doesn't, then politically they end up focusing on those things that are constant, like religion.

  And part of the problem is that, when those issues are exploited, we never get to solve the issues that people really have to get some relief on, whether it's health care or education or jobs.

• CHARLES GIBSON, ABC Debate Moderator:

  Senator Clinton?

  SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), New York: I don't believe that my grandfather or my father or the many people whom I have had the privilege of knowing and meeting across Pennsylvania over many years cling to religion when Washington is not listening to them.

  I think that is a fundamental sort of misunderstanding of the role of religion and faith in times that are good and times that are bad.

  And I similarly don't think that people cling to their traditions, like hunting and guns, either, when they are frustrated with the government. I just don't believe that's how people live their lives.

• MARGARET WARNER:

  Gibson's co-host, George Stephanopoulos, then asked Clinton if she thought Obama's remarks would damage him in the fall.

• GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC Debate Moderator:

  Do you think Senator Obama can beat John McCain or not?

• SEN. HILLARY CLINTON:

  Well, I think we have to beat John McCain, and I have every reason to believe we're going to have a Democratic president and it's going to be either Barack or me, and we're going to make that happen.

• GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS:

  But the question is: Do you think Senator Obama can do that? Can he win?

• SEN. HILLARY CLINTON:

  Yes, yes, yes. Now, I think that I can do a better job. I mean, obviously, that's why I'm here.

• GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS:

  Senator Obama, do you think Senator Clinton can win?

• SEN. BARACK OBAMA:

  Absolutely, and I've said so before. But I, too, think that I'm the better candidate. And I don't think that surprises anybody.

• MARGARET WARNER:

  Obama also was pressed again about incendiary comments by his former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

• GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS:

  If you get the nomination, what will you do when those sermons are played on television again and again and again?

• OBAMA:

  You know, the notion that somehow that the American people are going to be distracted once again by comments not made by me, but by somebody who is associated with me, that I have disowned, I think doesn't give the American people enough credit.

• MARGARET WARNER:

  Clinton disagreed.

• SEN. HILLARY CLINTON:

  These are problems, and they raise questions in people's minds. And so this is a legitimate area, as everything is when we run for office, for people to be exploring and trying to find answers.