Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, currently taking on Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, knows he won't be able to raise as much money as the former secretary of state, but nonetheless, he confidently asserted on Sunday that he can beat her, pointing to a number of issues which he believes set the two worlds apart.
"Let me just ask you right now," CBS "Face the Nation" moderator Bob Schieffer said to Sanders. "Do you really think you could beat Hillary Clinton? And, if so, how and where is she vulnerable?"
"The answer is, yes," Sanders replied.
Sanders brought up again what he believes is the elephant in Clinton's room: that most Americans are dissatisfied with the "corporate establishment and the greed of corporate America and an incredibly unequal distribution of wealth and income which currently exists." But, Sanders says, Clinton is explicitly linked to that exact billionaire class.
"When you have 99 percent of all new income generated today going to the top one percent, when you have the top - you have the top one-tenth of one percent, only - almost as much income as the bottom 90 percent, people working longer hours for low wages and all of the money was going to the people on top," Sanders said. "You know what people don't think that's a good idea."
As proof of his dedication, Sanders pointed to his 25-year record of fighting for working families and taking on the "billionaire class," Wall Street, private insurance companies and drug companies. While he "respects and admires" Clinton, he's not so sure she truly stands for progressive America.
"Let me give you an example," Sanders said. "Congress is in the midst of a debate on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). I am strongly opposed to that trade agreement because I think it follows in the footsteps of other disastrous trade agreements which have cost us millions of jobs."
The TPP is the largest multinational free trade deal in U.S. history, and while the Obama administration supports the deal, many establishment Democrats strongly oppose it. Critics like Sanders say the agreement would protect the interests of the "largest multi-national corporations at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment and the foundations of American democracy," as well as "negatively impact some of the poorest people in the world."
Clinton, on the other hand, has historically backed free-trade deals. When she was secretary of state, she referred to the TPP as "the gold standard in trade agreement," according to NPR. Since announcing her bid for the White House, she's remained relatively vague regarding her support for the TPP, likely an attempt to prove she is worthy of the liberal vote.
Last month, Clinton's campaign chief, John Podesta, was caught asking donors in private if they could "make it go away," according to the Guardian.
As for foreign policy, Sanders pointed out how Clinton voted for the war in Iraq. "Not only did I vote against it, I helped lead the effort against what I knew would be a disaster," Sanders told CBS.
"In terms of climate change," Sanders continued, "I have helped lead the effort against the Keystone Pipeline. I'm not quite sure that Hillary Clinton has come out with a position on that. So those are just some of the areas where we differ."
Sanders also spoke of his intention to get money out of politics, starting by overturning the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision.
"In terms of the politics of America, as a result of this disastrous Citizens United, Supreme Court decision, clearly, the billionaires, Koch brothers and others, are owning the political process," he said. "They will determine who the candidates are. Let me say this thing. If elected president, I will have a litmus test in terms of my nominee to be a Supreme Court justice. And that nominee will say that we are all going to overturn this disastrous Supreme Court decision on Citizens United because that decision is undermining American democracy. I do not believe that billionaires should be able to buy politicians."
