Biden calls out Sanders on conduct
Criticism grows as Nevada caucus nears
LAS VEGAS: Former vice president Joe Biden took aim at Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont on Saturday, calling on him to condemn the “vicious, malicious, misogynistic” rhetoric of some of Sen Sanders supporters and to do more to stamp it out.
The remarks came at a key time for both campaigns, as Mr Biden tries to regain his footing after weak showings in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary — in which Sen Sanders surged toward the front of the Democratic pack — and a week before this Saturday’s key Nevada caucuses.
The zeal of Sen Sanders’ online base has been both a source of strength and perpetual aggravation for his campaign, which has delicately balanced condemning bullying without diluting the force of his most fervent followers.
Mr Biden’s comments on Saturday specifically seized on attacks that Sen Sanders supporters had made against officials at the powerful Culinary Workers Union, Local 226, after that union had criticised Sen Sanders’ health care plan.
“If any of my supporters did that, I’d disown them,” Mr Biden said as part of an interview with Meet the Press, which was to air yesterday on NBC. “To say ‘I disassociate’ is one thing. Find out who the hell they are, if any of them work for me. Fire them. Find out. See what’s going on.”
Asked about Mr Biden’s comments, a spokesman for Sen Sanders, Mike Casca, said that Sen Sanders “continues to be unequivocal on the issue”, pointing to remarks the senator had made earlier in the week. “Anybody making personal attacks against anybody else in my name is not part of our movement,” Sen Sanders had said. “And I’m not so sure, to be honest with you, that they are necessarily part of our movement. You understand, you know, the nature of the internet.”
Sen Sanders also went on an offensive of his own on Saturday night. At a Clark County Democratic Party dinner hosted at the Tropicana Las Vegas, Sen Sanders spoke first among all the candidates and devoted a sizable portion of his remarks to attacking an opponent who was not present: Michael Bloomberg.
Sen Sanders denounced “racist policies like stop-and-frisk”, a reference to the policing tactics under Mr Bloomberg when he was mayor of New York City, which have been criticised for disproportionately affecting minorities and for which Mr Bloomberg has apologised. Sen Sanders also criticised Mr Bloomberg as “a candidate who opposed modest proposals during Barack Obama’s presidency to raise taxes on the wealthy while advocating for cuts to Medicare and Social Security”.
He concluded: “The simple truth is that Mayor Bloomberg with all his money will not create the kind of excitement and energy we need to have the voter turnout we must have to defeat Donald Trump.”
The barbs came as early voting for Nevada’s Democratic caucuses began on Saturday, with most of the leading candidates rallying supporters amid lingering concerns about whether Nevada would be able to avoid a repeat of the caucus fiasco in Iowa.
As Sen Sanders addressed a crowd in a high school cafeteria on Saturday morning, with a mariachi band taking the stage before he did, his supporters were sharply focused on the process as well as on Sen Sanders and his opponents.