The Vermont senator touted the “enormous progress” the president has made in the face of Republican obstructionism.
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USA presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have battled for the crucial support of black and Hispanic voters in a Democratic debate in Milwaukee that marked a shift in the primary towards states with more minority voters. The remaining two Democratic presidential candidates squared off on a range of issues, including race, immigration and how to defend President Obama’s legacy during a debate moderated by PBS in Milwaukee and simulcast on CNN ahead of a looming caucus in Nevada and a primary in SC.
The former secretary of state cast herself as best prepared to address persistent racial inequality in the United States, putting forward the outlines of a plan she said would extend beyond addressing a criminal justice system that sees blacks incarcerated at higher rates. As a senator, yes, I was a senator.
But also Thursday, The Washington Post revealed new details about a State Department investigation into Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state.
A moderator asked Sanders whether race relations would be better under his presidency than under Barack Obama’s.
Bernie Sanders was not the least bit impressed with Hillary Clinton’s decision to defend her foreign policy credentials by touting her association with former Secretary of State under Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger.
Sanders said he thought the African-American community in particular had been gravely affected by the financial crisis.
Like the Clinton troops, the Sanders team has picked space in the heavily Democratic area of North Nashville for its office.
“We have got to stand up to the Trumps of the world who are trying to divide us up”, said Mr. Sanders, referring to Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who has called for deporting everyone in the country illegally and constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. “I think he represents opportunity”.
As in other debates, Sanders began by talking about his two favorite issues: a “rigged” economy and a “corrupt” campaign finance system. “I’m the only candidate up here, of the many candidates, who has no super PAC …”
Clinton took an aggressive stance on health care from the outset, arguing that Sanders’ plan to create a universal health care system by expanding Medicare would undermine Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
But near the end of the 90-minute forum, Clinton turned a question about leaders she admired into calling Sanders out for his past criticism of Obama. He said he was the candidate willing to take on drug companies, the insurance industry and medical equipment suppliers who might be opposed to an overhaul. There are more than 1,400 delegates at stake in states such as South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana.
This debate is likely to focus on the concerns of African American and Latino voters, who will play key roles in several upcoming Democratic contests.
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Sanders trumpeted his large number of small donors who have given, on average, $27.
