Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
CAMPAIGN Presidential hopefuls speak at union events
Presidential candidate sticks to talking points
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar returned to Las Vegas Saturday for the latest round of Culinary Local 226 presidential candidate forums, where she mixed moderate proposals and attacks on President Donald Trump with jokes and personal stories during her 40-minute question-and-answer session.
The Minnesota senator was well-received by a crowded union hall assembled on a Saturday morning.
Klobuchar stuck mostly to her key campaign talking points — her working-class upbringing, her record as a moderate Democratic senator and repeated assaults on Trump’s leadership and character. Her roots and beliefs appeared to fall right in line with those of the audience, who cheered her answers on key Nevada issues such as health care and immigration.
The town hall was part of a series hosted by the union and its parent organization, UNITE HERE.
■ Health care the top issue: As with previous town halls, the Culinary union laid down a marker on health care: Its members fought to get the best benefits in the state, and they want to keep them.
Klobuchar, who has opposed “Medicare for All” in the Senate and on the campaign trail, breezed through the question by promising exactly that. She shared an anecdote about needing to build bridges, not blow them up, to get across Minnesota’s
many lakes.
“We do not want to take those benefits away,” she said. “We do not want to blow those up. And that’s why I believe in a public option and expanding on the Affordable Care Act.”
■ Path to citizenship: When asked about protecting immigrants, Klobuchar referenced the U.S. Senate’s 2013 passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The measure was never taken up in the
House of Representatives.
She promised to get a similar bill promising a path to citizenship for immigrants of varying legal statuses passed through Congress in her first year if elected president.
■ Iran: When asked about more possible conflict in Iran, Klobuchar said she would not put U.S. soldiers in danger unless absolutely necessary. She also criticized Trump for failing to consult with Congress before acting in the Middle East.
Trump campaign spokesman Keith Schipper accused Klobuchar of being a false moderate bent on raising taxes on Nevadans and destroying the booming economy.