TIME: How the Democratic Primary Got Real – “It was only a matter of time before Hillary Clinton began taking fire”. Clinton’s campaign has raised about $7.3 million from the finance and insurance industry, according to Crowdpac.com, a nonpartisan political research company.
Advertisement
“To me, democratic socialism means democracy”, Sanders said during a campaign stop in Iowa. Given that his own campaign is funded by small donations from individual supporters, the Vermont senator has been a leading advocate for campaign finance reform.
But Clinton’s response was…odd.
“I represented NY, and I represented NY on 9/11 when we were attacked”, she said.
“Where were we attacked?” That was good for NY. “She is proud to have stood by her home state economy after disaster struck early in her time as Senator”, the official said, adding “using that to falsely represent her record on financial regulation is unfair and wrong”. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie used a similar tactic in August to deflect questions about his support for bulk data collection.
For a moment, Clinton paused, seemingly stunned by the implication that she had politicized the 2001 terror attack. In a statement, Clinton thanked the SEIU and pledged to support their membership.
Even Clinton’s allies suggested that the tactic was a gamble that might have repercussions. In the post-debate “spin room”, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley told reporters, “I’ll let her answer that gaffe”.
During the Central Iowa Democrats fall barbecue on Sunday, Clinton’s aides were put on the defensive over the controversial comment. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., blamed her leadership as secretary of state for contributing to the unrest in the Middle East. Sanders also criticized Clinton’s 2002 Senate vote for the war in Iraq for helping the rise of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, saying the decision to invade “unraveled the region completely”. Bernie Sanders questioning why large Wall Street firms have contributed to the former secretary of state’s campaign, Ms. Clinton accused him of making “an attack on my integrity” and then mentioned that the World Trade Center attacks impacted lower Manhattan-arguments the mayor backed up today. “It’s just an unfair attack”.
“We need a person whose values align with ours…who’s going to fight for what we believe in”, one woman said. Sanders received almost as many moderator-directed questions or rebuttal opportunities as Clinton, but proved less successful in running the clock or pleasing the crowd.
Advertisement
Sanders has long said that he is the only Democratic candidate to run a campaign without the help of moneyed Wall Street players, and that Clinton, who is being supported by two super-PACs, has given voters no indication that she would govern free of their influence. “She doesn’t have to mask it. It is what it is”, O’Malley said.
