SANDERS DEFENDS VIEWS IN SPEECH ON SOCIALISM
Candidate Eric Swalwell talks guns in Vegas visit
WASHINGTON — Bernie Sanders on Wednesday mounted a strong defense of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career, even as Republicans and some of his Democratic presidential opponents have seized on it to brand him as too radical.
Sanders’ speech, coming two weeks before the first debates of the Democratic primary, is his most aggressive attempt yet to reframe the conversation about his political views.
“Let me be clear: I do understand that I and other progressives will face massive attacks from those who attempt to use the word ‘socialism’ as a slur,” Sanders said. “But I should also tell you that I have faced and overcome these attacks for decades, and I am not the only one.”
Sanders’ speech comes in a political environment where he is no longer the sole progressive taking on an establishment candidate.
He’s now one of two dozen Democratic White House hopefuls, several of whom are also unabashed liberals, like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has been rising in the field.
And they’re operating in an environment dominated by President Donald Trump, who has called Sanders “crazy” and seized on some of the proposals that he and other Democrats are running on and portrayed them as outside the mainstream of most Americans’ views.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail Wednesday:
Democratic presidential candidate Eric Swalwell said that he would support laws in every state requiring gun owners to be licensed and wants to explore requiring gun owners to carry insurance. Swalwell detailed some of his plans for tackling gun violence during a campaign appearance in Las Vegas, the city where the country’s deadliest mass shooting in modern history occurred on Oct. 1, 2017.
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’rourke unveiled a plan to protect LGBTQ rights on the morning he led a Pride Run through a New York City park. The former Texas congressman promises to use executive orders to overturn Trump administration policies. O’rourke also wants to work with Congress to pass The Equality Act.
Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro said Wednesday that he’ll push for national standards on when police can use deadly force and will seek to restrict immunity that protects officers from civil lawsuits. The former housing secretary and San Antonio mayor touted his plans for police reform to a mostly Latino audience in Phoenix.
Democrat Kamala Harris said that if she is elected president, she will pursue a series of executive actions to make it easier for immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children to apply for green cards. Among them, Harris said she would create a “parole in place” program during which they can apply to live in the country legally until they receive permission to stay.
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he’s taking a “detour” from a possible independent presidential bid. The billionaire businessman cited health concerns in a message to supporters, and said he will revisit his presidential ambitions after Labor Day.
Many of the Democrats seeking their party’s nomination plan to attend a forum on reproductive rights later this month in South Carolina. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund said 11 of the 24 Democratic hopefuls intend to participate in the June 22 event in Columbia. It coincides with the South Carolina Democratic Party convention.