Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, following a meeting with President Barack Obama.
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-It was their first extended sit-down since Sanders launched himself into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
“She’s extraordinarily experienced – and, you know, wicked smart and knows every policy inside and out”, Obama said, unabashedly touting Clinton’s readiness to be commander-in-chief.
“We strongly encourage every Democratic candidate to leap at the opportunity to add an additional debate to the absurdly limited official DNC schedule and work to find other opportunities to make the presidential contest the fierce competition of progressive ideas that Democrats deserve”, DFA Executive Director Charles Chamberlain said.
The New Hampshire Union Leader announced Tuesday that it will partner with MSNBC to host a Democratic debate on February 4 – five days before the state’s crucial presidential primary.
But the White House isn’t suggesting Obama and Sanders are kindred spirits, or even close political allies. Clinton’s campaign had pushed for fewer debates earlier in the campaign, but now says she will participate in the forum if her competitors do.
“By and large, over the last seven years on major issue after major issue, I have stood by his side where he has taken on unprecedented Republican obstructionism and has tried to do the right thing for the American people”, Sanders said after the meeting. We disagree over (the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal).
Recent polls in Iowa have shown Sanders running virtually even with Hillary Clinton among Democrats.
Democratic presidential candidate, Sen.
“Sen. Sanders is happy to have more debates but we are not going to schedule them on an ad hoc basis at the whim of the Clinton campaign”. The White House did not disclose the session ahead of time, and said afterward it was mostly a “social occasion”.
“Today is a big victory not only for our campaign and our supporters that championed this effort, but it is also a victory for voters across New Hampshire and the United States”, John Bivona, a spokesman for O’Malley, said.
Obama and his aides have regular contact with Clinton and her staff, which includes former Obama White House staffers.
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The White House visitor logs show Sanders making only one previous solo visit with Obama in the Oval Office, on December 15, 2014. It was the latest in a long series of meetings between the two former colleagues, both at the White House and on Martha’s Vineyard, where both of their families spend time in August.
