Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders hammered Hillary Clinton over the Iraq War and Wall Street during Monday night’s CNN town hall event in Iowa.
“This calls for a standing-up response,” Sanders said, rising from his seated position the stage.
“Let me shock everybody here. I’ve known Hillary Clinton for 25 years. I like Hillary Clinton. I respect Hillary Clinton,” Sanders said, noting that he tries to keep the Democratic Party rancor “on a high level.”
Then, as he often does, he pivoted to slamming Clinton. Sanders called the vote for Iraq War authorization “The most significant vote and issue when it comes to foreign policy that we have seen” in our recent history.
“I voted against the war in Iraq… Go to my website. Listen to the speech I gave in the House in 2002,” he said, noting that there would be instability in the country post-Saddam Hussein.
“Hillary Clinton voted for the war in Iraq,” Sanders said.
“In terms of Wall Street, I fought against de-regulation” when it came to a vote to repeal the financial regulation package Glass-Steagall, which President Clinton repealed. “Unfortunately my side lost.”
“Experience is important. But judgment is also important… Dick Cheney — he had a lot of experience too,” Sanders said.
Sanders was asked by an audience member about his recent claim that Planned Parenthood is part of the “establishment.” Bill Clinton has used that talking point to hammer Sanders on the stump in New Hampshire in support of his wife Hillary.
Sanders sucked up to Planned Parenthood in his answer but still noted that the party leadership operates differently than Planned Parenthood supporters.
“The base of an organization looks at things a little bit different than the leadership,” Sanders said, noting that his campaign can’t get the group’s endorsement even with his pro-choice voting record.
“This is a matter of endorsement policy.”
As Breitbart News reported, Clinton’s campaign hired Lily Adams, daughter of Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, as its Iowa communications director.