And he reached back to Clinton’s 2002 vote to support the war in Iraq, an issue that plagued her eight years ago when she took the stage here.
Advertisement
Within Sanders‘ speech was the most pronounced challenge he has yet made against Clinton, who he implied, as Obama had in 2007, was more driven by polls than principle.
“What can I say – that’s just not the case”, the Vermont senator and Democratic presidential contender said Sunday in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union”. And Jon Karl, after the last ten days, Hillary Clinton now has the race she wants.
Clinton subtly framed Sanders as someone more comfortable yelling and complaining than getting things done.
The speech marked a more aggressive turn by Sanders, who struggled at times to scrutinize Clinton’s record during their first debate in Las Vegas earlier this month. “She posted photos of her Hillary 2016 manicure, meetings with Clinton volunteers, and a few selfies with the former secretary of state, including one with a caption reading, “#ImWithHer”.
If there was ever a question about what differentiated the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, both candidates and their supporters made it loud and clear Saturday night in Iowa. “We have raised more individual contributions than any candidate in the history of this country, at this point in a campaign, averaging all of $30 apiece”, Sanders said. She voted against the measure as a senator; Sanders voted in favor.
This time, Clinton presented herself as Obama’s heir, warning Republicans would seek to slash taxes for the wealthy and repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law.
His overall thesis was correct, at least on the issues that he chose to highlight: Sanders took positions that may not have been popular at the time but are today. His performance earned headlines dubbing him “fiery” and “bare knuckle”, however, his campaign insists the remarks aren’t the beginning of an all-out attack on Clinton in their race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
“So, I’m very, very pleased with our progress and our momentum, but nevertheless, I still need to introduce myself to about 40 percent of those who are watching who don’t know me and don’t know I’m running for president”, she said. “I’d seen his – in the 40 years we’ve been together, I’ve seen the strength of his character, his optimism, you know, his hope….”
Clinton placed third in Iowa in 2008 and has since vowed to build a formidable organization to power her to victory here.
At the Democratic Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, Sanders noted his longtime opposition tot the Keystone XL pipeline, which Clinton had refused to weigh in on for months.
He said the measure was pushed by GOP lawmakers – and “many of them, I’m sorry to say, were homophobic”.
Adding, ” I certainly do not have a problem with women speaking out, and I think what the secretary is doing there is taking words and misapplying them”. Instead, the Clinton administration compromised and the nation got “don’t ask, don’t tell”, which led to thousands of dishonorable discharges of men and women who were outed or did not stay in the closet.
Joe Trippi, a longtime Democratic strategist not working for any of the campaigns this cycle, said a head-to-head contest exposes a weakness for Sanders that has dogged him since the start of the campaign. The only other debate participant, Martin O’Malley, former governor of Maryland, is a mere blip in Democratic polls. Katy Perry was in the audience, along with a Left Shark impersonator who was rousing supporters. “It’s Katy Perry here”, the pop singer says in the call.
Advertisement
Jill Biden concluded: “I believed he would’ve been the best president”.
