The Thursday debate was the first since President Obama put forward Merrick Garland, a centrist jurist on the US Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia, for the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Antonin Scalia.
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Bernie SandersBernie SandersFive takeaways from a fiery Sanders-Clinton clash in Brooklyn Clinton, Sanders appear to skip post-debate handshake Sanders: Clinton getting “nervous” MORE on Thursday night accused Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonFive takeaways from a fiery Sanders-Clinton clash in Brooklyn Clinton: Why no abortion questions in Dem debates?
But the most telling moment of the night came when CNN’s Dana Bash drilled to the heart of Sanders’ signature attack against Clinton.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders debate during at the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Thursday.
The 1990s and the legacy of Bill Clinton’s presidency are nearly assured to be a topic, after last week’s confrontation between the former president and Black Lives Matter activists.
CLINTON: “I have said from the very beginning that I supported the fight for $15”. “Secretary Clinton said, ‘Raise it to $12.’ There’s a difference”.
In the debate, Clinton certainly did not extend an olive branch to Bernie believers when she made remarks such as, “I happen to support democrats”, suggesting that Sanders does not. “These are the values we need to make America great again”.
Clinton responded, saying that attacking her for having super PACs is an attack on President Barack Obama as well.
She not only speared Mr Sanders on his patchy support for gun control but twisted the blade and he struggled to offer a coherent comeback.
“I think you need to have the judgment on day one to be commander in chief”, she declared.
Sanders came back by accusing Clinton of evading the question.
We hear a lot from Senator Sanders about the greed and recklessness of Wall Street, and I agree. While he is on a winning streak in recent primaries and caucuses, he desperately needs a big victory in NY if he hopes to cut into Clinton’s delegate lead and slow her march to the nomination.
Clinton criticised her opponent for not detailing how he would implement his sweeping promises to carry out a political revolution.
In the Bronx, there was huge openness to Socialist Alternative’s call for a new party of the 99% and for Sanders to run all the way to November as an independent, if he loses the primary. Sanders said that Clinton should have supported his view on breaking up the big banks, and talked about her speeches to the big banks.
Sanders has won seven of the last eight state nominating contests and beat Clinton 56% to 43% in the Wisconsin primary April 6. When the moderators turned to him and asked why he had recently criticized Clinton’s use of the term “super-predator” when the crime bill was debated in the ’90s, Sanders didn’t mince words.
Across the river, The New York Times reports hundreds of people gathered outside the Grand Hyatt New York, to protest an appearance tonight by Donald Trump. “I introduced legislation to do that, secretary Clinton was busy giving speeches to Goldman Sachs for $225,000 a speech”.
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He questioned what he said was Clinton’s too-firm commitment to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “When I was in public service serving as the senator from NY, I did stand up to the banks”. “Oh my goodness, they must have been really crushed by that”.
