One of the most heated exchanges in last night’s debate came when Hillary Clinton defended President Obama’s legacy and called out Bernie Sanders for being dismissive of the President and his accomplishments.
CLINTON: “I don’t think [President Obama] gets the credit he deserves for being a president who dug us out of that ditch, put us on firm ground and send us into the future. The kind of criticism that we’ve heard from Senator Sanders about our president, I expect from Republicans. I do not expect from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama.”
SANDERS: “Madam Secretary, that is a low blow.”
Low blow? Watch here and see below for the real low blows, delivered time and time again from Senator Sanders on President Obama and his legacy.
Just this week, Bernie Sanders argued that President Obama hasn’t closed the “presidential leadership gap”
Bernie Sanders said a political revolution is about bringing millions of people into the political process “in a way that doesn’t exist right now” [NBC News, 2/11/16]
Bernie Sanders “questioned President Barack Obama’s leadership”, and he suggested “he would be able to close a divide between Americans and government that the Obama administration has left open throughout his presidency.” [Politico, 2/11/16]
Bernie Sanders wanted someone to primary President Obama in 2012.
Bernie Sanders said a primary opponent to President Obama “would do this country a good deal of service.” “I think it would do this country a good deal of service if people started thinking about candidates out there to begin contrasting what is a progressive agenda as opposed to what Obama is doing.” [Think Progress, 7/22/11]
Bernie Sanders: “I think one of the reasons the President has been able to move so far to the right is that there is no primary opposition to him.” [Thom Hartmann Radio Program, 7/22/11]
Bernie Sanders raved about a book that argues President Obama has “let progressives down.”
Bernie Sanders promoted a book about “the many ways President Obama has failed to live up to either his promises or his progressive potential.” [Politico, 1/30/16]