The City That Loves You Back

April 15, 2008— -- A senior McCain adviser vowed Tuesday to keep Barack Obama's controversial depiction of small-town Americans alive through November.

"This is an important and defining moment in the race because it opened up a window into how Barack Obama feels about the people in this country and it will be an issue that continues to be spoken about, certainly by the McCain campaign, for the duration of Sen. Obama's candidacy," said McCain adviser Steve Schmidt on a conference call with reporters.

"All elections, at the end of the day," he added, "are [about] 'what does the American president believe about the American people?'."

"And, I think," he continued, "that many people in this country were rightly and justifiably offended by Sen. Obama's very condescending and elitist viewpoint towards them, towards their culture, towards their values, towards their lifestyles."

Although Schmidt is already gunning for Obama, Hillary Clinton is far from throwing in the towel and she gets a prime opportunity to confront the Democratic frontrunner at Wednesday's ABC News debate which will be moderated by Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.

The Philadelphia debate, which airs from 8:00 -- 10:00 pm ET/PT on the ABC Television Network, is taking place at the National Constitution Center.

It is the first Democratic debate since Obama and Clinton faced off in Cleveland on Feb. 26.

Bush Goes Gore?

Not quite, but ABC's Jonathan Karl reports that President Bush will use a Wednesday Rose Garden speech to announce what a senior White House official calls an "aggressive and ambitious but also realistic" way of dealing with the problem of global warming.

The Bush Administration has long resisted federal limits on green house gas emissions but the president is making Wednesday's announcement, according to Karl's reporting, to pre-empt Democratic proposals for more far-reaching efforts to limit green house gases.

During the first week of June, the Senate is scheduled to debate several Democratic bills, all of which are opposed by the White House.

"Still," according to Karl, "the move is likely to be criticized by conservatives, who have been urging the President not set specific goals."

The kicker:

"I think we got consensus here among the traveling press that nobody understood anything of what was just said" (laughter).

--Los Angeles Times' Michael Finnegan on the McCain campaign's efforts to explain the cost of its tax proposals

On the campaign front. . .

BARACK OBAMA

-- 8:00 pm ET: Participates in the ABC Philadelphia Democratic Primary Debate, Philadelphia, PA

MICHELLE OBAMA

-- 10:30 am ET: Attends event with voters, Evansville, IN

-- 3:30 pm ET: Attends event with voters, Indianapolis, IN

-- 6:30 pm ET: Attends event with voters, Anderson, IN

HILLARY CLINTON

-- 9:45 am ET: Delivers remarks to Building Trades National Legislative Conference, Washington, DC

-- 8:00 pm ET: Participates in the ABC Philadelphia Democratic Primary Debate, Philadelphia, PA

BILL CLINTON

-- 9:15 am ET: Attends event with voters, Indiana, PA

-- 11:00 am ET: Attends event with voters, Kittanning, PA

-- 1:00 pm ET: Attends event with voters, Clarion, PA

-- 3:45 pm ET: Attends event with voters, New Castle, PA

-- 5:45 pm ET: Attends event with voters, Cranberry Township, PA

As for the Republicans. . .

JOHN MCCAIN

-- 10:00 am ET: Attends economic summit with business and academic leaders, South Milwaukee, WI (closed to public)

At the White House and Beyond. . .

PRESIDENT BUSH

-- 10:30 am ET: Hosts arrival ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI with the first lady, Washington, DC

-- 11:15 am ET: Meets with Pope Benedict XVI, Washington, DC

-- 2:45 pm ET: Delivers remarks on the environment, Washington, DC

-- 7:30 pm ET: Hosts a dinner in honor of the visit of Pope Benedict XVI with the first lady, Washington, DC

POPE BENEDICT XVI

-- 10:30 am ET: Participates in arrival ceremony, Washington, DC

-- 11:15 am ET: Attends private meeting with President Bush, Washington, DC

-- 12:00 pm ET: Departs White House via Popemobile, Washington, DC

-- 5:15 pm ET: Participates in Parade to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC

-- 5:20 pm ET: Arrives at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC

-- 5:30 pm ET: Attends vespers in the Crypt of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC

-- 6:00 pm ET: Delivers address to bishops, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC

LABOR DEPARTMENT

-- 8:30 am ET: Releases the Consumer Price Index for March, Washington, DC

COMMERCE DEPARTMENT

-- 8:30 am ET: Releases the March report on housing starts, Washington, DC

FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

-- 9:15 am ET: Releases the March report on industrial production, Washington, DC

-- 2:00 pm ET: Releases the Beige Book, Washington, DC

POLITICAL NEWS STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Talal Al-Khatib: McCain Rewrites History on 'Rogue-State Rollback' LINK

ABC News' Jennifer Parker and Bill Blakemore: Bush Embraces Pope Benedict XVI LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: Clinton and Obama Appear at Religious College that Categorizes Homosexuality with Stealing, Adultery & Sexual Abuse LINK

ABC News' Sunlen Miller: Obama Limps 'Elitism' Slams with 'Political Silly Season' LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: New Quinnipiac PA Poll Numbers LINK

ABC News' Eloise Harper: Clinton Ignore 'Bitter' Controversy, But Targets Bush LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: Auchi, Ouch LINK

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf: Reid Jokes Drawn-Out Primary 'Makes Me Bitter' LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: LGBT Rights Group Faults CNN, Not Candidates, for Choosing Messiah College LINK

ABC News' Sunlen Miller: For One Day Only: Obama's Flag Pin Returns LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: Army Times: "McCain Reveals Confusion Over Petraeus Role" LINK

ABC News' David Chalian: Michelle Obama Defends Her Candidate LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: McCheese Still on the Fence; Quimby a No-Show LINK

ABC News' Sarah Amos: Bill Tells Crowd Hill Can Win; Checks Will Help LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: Irony, Thy Name Is Arianna LINK

ABC News' Bret Hovell, Tahman Bradley and Teddy Davis Report: McCain Fleshes Out Tax Proposals LINK

ABC News' Jan Simmonds: McCain Website Pilfers "Family Recipes" LINK

POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM

Politics Live: McCain's Economic Remedies

Sen. McCain lays out the economic policies he'll implement if elected president.

ABC's Karen Travers and Teddy Davis Interview GOP Strategist Sara Taylor about John McCain's Tax Proposals LINK

Clinton Makes Veiled Bush Obama ComparisonSen. Clinton ignores the "bitter" controversy and takes aim at President Bush's policy. LINK

Obama Says It's 'Political Silly Season'Obama argues the charge that he's "elitist" is part of "political silly season." LINK

McCain Proposes Gas Tax HaltSen. McCain introduces his economic plan which includes an alternative tax code. LINK

'Ladies of Liberty' and Justice for All!Cokie Roberts' new book on the inspiring women who helped to found our nation. LINK

Hasselbeck and Behar Talk Taxes "View" co-host Joy Behar compares Denmark's tax benefits with America's. LINK

Democrats and the Working ClassBarack Obama regrets calling small-town voters bitter about lack of jobs. LINK

Small Town With Many ViewsABC's Jake Tapper talks politics with a group of working class voters in Pa. LINK

Does Age Matter?As November nears, some Americans are concerned with John McCain's age. LINK

A Bitter BattleOnly one week of campaigning remains before the crucial Pennsylvania primary. LINK

'The Note' Rewinds the Week's Best MomentsABC News' Senior Political Reporter Rick Klein on the weekly political roundup. LINK