As Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton take the stage in Flint, Mich., for Sunday night’s Democratic debate, ME polls closed on a high turnout caucus that delivered an early, resounding victory for Sanders.
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Sanders, a US senator from Vermont, noted Clinton’s support for a variety of free-trade deals that he said killed American jobs, starting with the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiated by her husband, President Bill Clinton. He voted against the money that ended up saving the auto industry. “And there’s only one candidate in either party who has more votes than him, and that’s me”.
Clinton responded: “I believe if everybody voted the way he did, the auto industry would have collapsed, taking 4 million jobs with it”. “Sanders was against – he was against the auto bailout”, Clinton replied.
Asked at a debate in February about the historic potential of his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, becoming the first woman president, Sanders said someone of his “background” moving into the White House would be historic as well, without specifying that he would be the first Jewish president.
“Let me tell my story, you tell yours”, Sanders shot back at another.
With Clinton seeking to put away the race for the party’s nomination during the next few weeks, Sanders targeted her support for previous trade agreements, which he said “resulted in the shrinking of the American middle class”.
Bernie Sanders drew laughter and applause Sunday at CNN’s Democratic debate in Flint, Michigan, when he referenced the GOP slugfests as another reason to spend more on mental health programs.
Both called for repairs to “crumbling” infrastructure in Flint as well as cities across the nation but neither offered ways to pay for what would cost billions. Clinton said she will do so when other candidates, including Republicans, agree to do the same.
Clinton starting speaking, but Sanders interjected.
He also took direct aim at the former secretary of state’s paid speeches to Wall Street banks and other financial companies. Sanders said, “Excuse me, I’m talking!”
They talked personally about exposure to racism, Sanders about protesting and Clinton about her first treks into inner-city Chicago.
The debate in Flint, which is suffering a water contamination and public health crisis, came as Sanders has struggled to slow Clinton’s march to the presidential nomination.
But Flint’s problems are not limited to its water crisis alone.
Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton argues a point as Sen.
“It was beyond belief that children in Flint, Michigan, in the United States of America in the year 2016 are being poisoned”.
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Sanders, 74, faces a tough challenge erasing Clinton’s lead of about 200 bound delegates who will choose the nominee at the July convention. The Vermont senator has had significant success already in New England, where he has blown out Clinton in primaries both in his home state and New Hampshire.
