During an interview on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell reports, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) got warmed up for the upcoming Democratic debate by contrasting his consistent positions on Keystone XL and TPP with Hillary Clinton’s recent adoptions of popular Democratic positions.
Video of Sanders on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports:
Sanders contrasted his long-term opposition to TPP to Hillary Clinton’s movement to TPP opponent, “All I know, Andrea, is that when we try to understand why the middle class of this country is disappearing, a lot of that has to do with the disastrous trade policies that have been passed in recent years, NAFTA, CAFTA, permanent normal trade relations with China and in my view, the TPP is just a continuation of disastrous trade policies. I have been against it from day one.”
On the Keystone XL pipeline, Sen. Sanders said, “That’s just another example. I understood from early on, several years ago, that if you are serious about slowing down climate change and transforming our system away from fossil fuels to sustainable energy, you can not support the excavation and transportation of some of the dirtiest oil in the world, which is what the Keystone pipeline is about. I knew that back then. I am glad that Secretary is now on board on that issue as well.”
Sanders also suggested that he is the candidate who is better prepared to take on the billionaire class, “I think the question is when so few have so much in this country today, which candidate is better prepared to stand up to the billionaire class and fight for working families? I will let the voters make that decision. But I’m confident if they study my record, they will respect what I have done.”
Viewers should be prepared to see several of the points above brought up during tomorrow night’s Democratic debate. Sen. Sanders is positioning himself as the leader on the issues. In recent interviews, he has also been highlighting the consistency of his positions.
Notice that Sen. Sanders can refer to the differences between himself and his opponent without personal attacks or name-calling. Sanders was correct. Democrats should be happy that former Sec. Clinton has embraced these widely popular positions within her party, but he does have a longer record of holding these views.
The Democratic debate should be a fun evening of issue-based discussion, but Sen. Sanders is demonstrating that there are plenty of differences between the top two candidates for the party’s nomination.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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