Sanders’ return is revitalized by endorsement from Ocasio-cortez
NEW YORK >> Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont needed a big moment at the Democratic debate Tuesday. Absent from the campaign trail after suffering a heart attack two weeks earlier, he and his aides were aware that his performance and his health would be under intense scrutiny.
Sanders made his mark, but it did not occur onstage: His presidential campaign confirmed that he had secured the endorsements of two of the most prominent left-wing women of color in Congress, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
Sanders appeared alongside Ocasiocortez Saturday at Queensbridge Park in New York at his first rally since his heart attack. She announced her support and hailed the Democratic primary field.
“No one wanted to question the system, and in 2016, he fundamentally changed politics in America,” she told an enthusiastic and diverse crowd. “We right now have one of the best Democratic presidential primary fields in a generation and much of that is thanks to the work that Bernie Sanders has done in his entire life.”
Sanders hailed Ocasio-cortez as “an inspiration to millions of young people not just here in New York but across this country who now understand the importance of political participation and standing up for justice.” He said, “I am so delighted that Alexandria is part of our campaign, and I look forward to traveling with her all over this country.”
Sanders briefly, and somewhat indirectly, addressed his health. “I am happy to report to you that I am more than ready, more ready than ever, to carry on with you the epic struggle that we face today,” he said. “I am more than ready to assume the office of president of the United States.”
He added, “To put it bluntly, I am back.” It was a theme that dominated the afternoon, as progressive activists and leaders paraded onto the stage to offer words of support. There was his wife, Jane Sanders, who declared him “healthy” and “more than ready to continue his lifelong struggle to fight for the working people of America.”
There was Michael Moore, the filmmaker, who said he was “glad” Sanders was 78. “We will benefit from his wisdom.”
And there was Tiffany Cabán, who nearly won the Queens district attorney race earlier this year; Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan; and Nina Turner, a vocal supporter at his rallies on the campaign trail.