Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks as former Vice President Joe Biden gestures during the fourth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season in Westerville, Ohio on October 15, 2019. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Jan 06, 2020
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday evening took aim at the legislative record of 2020 Democratic primary rival former Vice President Joe Biden, calling Biden--who also served in the U.S. Senate representing Delaware for 36 years--the wrong candidate to take on President Donald Trump in the general election this November.
Sanders hit Biden on voting for the Iraq War, a pattern of supporting disastrous trade deals, and Biden's many efforts as a lawmaker to cut social programs.
"I just don't think that that kind of record is going to bring forth the kind energy we need to defeat Trump," Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper.
Watch:
\u201cPresidential candidate @BernieSanders hammers Joe Biden for his Iraq War, NAFTA votes.\n\n\u201cI just don\u2019t think that that kind of record is going to bring forth the kind energy we need to defeat Trump.\u201d\u201d— Anderson Cooper 360\u00b0 (@Anderson Cooper 360\u00b0) 1578361999
Sanders has recently focused on providing a contrast between the two men's decades-long records of public service. Biden's longtime, consistent support for cutting Social Security and Medicare and tax breaks for the wealthy are a stark difference from Sanders' career goals of expanding social programs and taxing the rich.
"Joe Biden has been on the floor of the Senate talking about the need to cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid," said Sanders.
Campaign speechwriter David Sirota shared video of Biden doing just that in 1995.
On CNN Monday, Sanders also hit Biden for supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement and being a booster of former President George W. Bush's war on Iraq.
"Do you think that's going to play well in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania?" Sanders asked Cooper.
According toNew York Magazine, the answer to that question from progressives and Sanders is, "not well":
Biden's record, the Vermont senator said, won't inspire young people and working people. It will also allow President Trump to attack him in some of the Rust Belt states Democrats are trying to claw back from the GOP. Sanders's conclusion? Biden won't be able to "bring forth the energy we need to beat Trump."
The two frontrunners for the 2020 Democratic nod, Sanders and Biden are locked in tight battles in Iowa and New Hampshire, which caucus and cast votes respectively to officially kick off the primary starting next month. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg round out the top contenders in the Democratic field.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday evening took aim at the legislative record of 2020 Democratic primary rival former Vice President Joe Biden, calling Biden--who also served in the U.S. Senate representing Delaware for 36 years--the wrong candidate to take on President Donald Trump in the general election this November.
Sanders hit Biden on voting for the Iraq War, a pattern of supporting disastrous trade deals, and Biden's many efforts as a lawmaker to cut social programs.
"I just don't think that that kind of record is going to bring forth the kind energy we need to defeat Trump," Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper.
Watch:
\u201cPresidential candidate @BernieSanders hammers Joe Biden for his Iraq War, NAFTA votes.\n\n\u201cI just don\u2019t think that that kind of record is going to bring forth the kind energy we need to defeat Trump.\u201d\u201d— Anderson Cooper 360\u00b0 (@Anderson Cooper 360\u00b0) 1578361999
Sanders has recently focused on providing a contrast between the two men's decades-long records of public service. Biden's longtime, consistent support for cutting Social Security and Medicare and tax breaks for the wealthy are a stark difference from Sanders' career goals of expanding social programs and taxing the rich.
"Joe Biden has been on the floor of the Senate talking about the need to cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid," said Sanders.
Campaign speechwriter David Sirota shared video of Biden doing just that in 1995.
On CNN Monday, Sanders also hit Biden for supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement and being a booster of former President George W. Bush's war on Iraq.
"Do you think that's going to play well in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania?" Sanders asked Cooper.
According toNew York Magazine, the answer to that question from progressives and Sanders is, "not well":
Biden's record, the Vermont senator said, won't inspire young people and working people. It will also allow President Trump to attack him in some of the Rust Belt states Democrats are trying to claw back from the GOP. Sanders's conclusion? Biden won't be able to "bring forth the energy we need to beat Trump."
The two frontrunners for the 2020 Democratic nod, Sanders and Biden are locked in tight battles in Iowa and New Hampshire, which caucus and cast votes respectively to officially kick off the primary starting next month. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg round out the top contenders in the Democratic field.
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday evening took aim at the legislative record of 2020 Democratic primary rival former Vice President Joe Biden, calling Biden--who also served in the U.S. Senate representing Delaware for 36 years--the wrong candidate to take on President Donald Trump in the general election this November.
Sanders hit Biden on voting for the Iraq War, a pattern of supporting disastrous trade deals, and Biden's many efforts as a lawmaker to cut social programs.
"I just don't think that that kind of record is going to bring forth the kind energy we need to defeat Trump," Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper.
Watch:
\u201cPresidential candidate @BernieSanders hammers Joe Biden for his Iraq War, NAFTA votes.\n\n\u201cI just don\u2019t think that that kind of record is going to bring forth the kind energy we need to defeat Trump.\u201d\u201d— Anderson Cooper 360\u00b0 (@Anderson Cooper 360\u00b0) 1578361999
Sanders has recently focused on providing a contrast between the two men's decades-long records of public service. Biden's longtime, consistent support for cutting Social Security and Medicare and tax breaks for the wealthy are a stark difference from Sanders' career goals of expanding social programs and taxing the rich.
"Joe Biden has been on the floor of the Senate talking about the need to cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid," said Sanders.
Campaign speechwriter David Sirota shared video of Biden doing just that in 1995.
On CNN Monday, Sanders also hit Biden for supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement and being a booster of former President George W. Bush's war on Iraq.
"Do you think that's going to play well in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania?" Sanders asked Cooper.
According toNew York Magazine, the answer to that question from progressives and Sanders is, "not well":
Biden's record, the Vermont senator said, won't inspire young people and working people. It will also allow President Trump to attack him in some of the Rust Belt states Democrats are trying to claw back from the GOP. Sanders's conclusion? Biden won't be able to "bring forth the energy we need to beat Trump."
The two frontrunners for the 2020 Democratic nod, Sanders and Biden are locked in tight battles in Iowa and New Hampshire, which caucus and cast votes respectively to officially kick off the primary starting next month. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg round out the top contenders in the Democratic field.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.