‘People Aren’t Dumb,’ Bernie Sanders Slams Hillary Clinton’s Dodge on Wall Street Cash

Bernie Sanders slammed Hillary Clinton’s evasive answer to concerns over her Wall Street campaign contributions during Thursday night’s Democratic debate in Milwaukee.

Clinton was asked about the pro-Hillary PAC Priorities USA’s massive haul from progressive super-donors George Soros and Donald Sussman. Soros alone recently gave $6 million to Priorities USA Action.

“You’re talking about a super PAC that we don’t coordinate with,” Clinton said, noting that Priorities was founded to help President Obama. “They are the ones who should answer any questions” about funding.

“It’s not my PAC,” Clinton said.

Clinton attacked the idea that “If you take donations from Wall Street, you can’t be independent.” President Barack Obama in 2008 “was the recipient of the largest number of Wall Street donations of anybody on the Democratic side ever … [but] when it mattered, he stood up and took on Wall Street” by passing the Dodd-Frank Act.

“Let’s not in any way imply here that President Obama or myself would not take on any vested interest…to stand up to do what’s best for the American people,” she said.

But Sanders was not having it.

“Let’s not insult the intelligence of the American people. People aren’t dumb,” Sanders said. “Why does Wall Street make huge political contributions? I guess just for fun. They just want to throw it around.”

Sanders noted how drug companies make political contributions to keep drug prices up, and that Wall Street also expects favors in return for cash.

“Super PAC’s have raised more money than individual candidates,” Sanders said. “I’m the only candidate up here, of the many candidates, who has no super PAC … Look, we know things are tough, but go beyond establishment politics … our average contribution is $27. I’m very proud of that.”

Clinton also tried to claim that any Republican who makes it to the general election would be financially dependent on the Koch Brothers, even though frontrunner Donald Trump is self-funding his own campaign.