President Obama on Letterman acknowledges mistake in 2008

President Obama, asked by David Letterman how Mitt Romney's "47 percent" video compares to his 2008 comments that rural voters frustrated by the economy "cling" to guns and religion, noted that he acknowledged he had made a mistake at the time.

"When you run for president you are under a microscope all the time," he said. "All of us make mistakes, all of us say the wrong thing once in awhile. You know, that incident in 2008... I immediately said, you know, I regret this. I think it sent the wrong message to the country. So people understand, I think, that you're going to make mistakes on the campaign trail. What I think people want to make sure of, though, is you're not writing off a big chunk of the country."

Romney has reaffirmed his hidden camera remarks, although he's admitted he made the point "inelegantly."