Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to Claire McCaskill's shot at him for being "too liberal to win" the Democratic presidential primary race and Jake Tapper's question about why more members of Congress aren't supporting his candidacy.
As Sanders rightfully noted, of course the Democratic establishment is going to support a member of their own party, but his message is resonating with their voters. Hillary Clinton would be wise to just take a page out of Sanders' playbook and get out there and campaign and make her case to the voters, rather than sending surrogates out to attack him and alienate the progressive base of the party.
Bernie Sanders calls Hillary Clinton ‘the candidate of the Democratic establishment’:
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday he is not surprised by the lack of support from other members of Congress for his presidential bid because former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is “the candidate of the Democratic establishment.”
“I think we will get some endorsements, but I think it’s very clear to say that Secretary Clinton is the candidate of most of the members of Congress, is the candidate of the Democratic establishment,” Mr. Sanders said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Mr. Sanders, who is challenging Mrs. Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, added that many voters want a candidate willing to challenge the establishment.
“Secretary Clinton has long ties with many of the Democrats in Congres,s so it should not be surprising,” he said. “But I think what is equally interesting is the fact that all over this country, ordinary people, working people, elderly people are moving in our direction because they do want a candidate to take on the establishment.” [...]
He also is drawing attacks from Democrats who back Mrs. Clinton. Sen. Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, said on MSNBC last month that “Bernie is too liberal to gather enough votes in this country to be president.”
That didn’t faze Mr. Sanders.
“I think we will get some congressional support as this campaign progresses, but one should not be surprised that much of the establishment is not with me at this point,” he said.
