Sanders Blames The Media For His 'Unqualified' Tiff With Clinton

[MrWendel]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sanders-blames-media-unqualified-tiff-clinton

ByCAITLIN CRUZ

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) blamed the media at a press conference on Thursday morning for instigating and perpetuating the disagreement between himself and rival Hillary Clinton about their respective qualifications for the highest political office in America.

"So when, you have headlines in the Washington Post, 'Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be president,' my response is well, you know, if you want to question my qualifications, let me suggest this," Sanders said. "That maybe the American people might wonder about your qualifications, Madam Secretary, when you voted for the war in Iraq, the most disastrous foreign policy blunder in the modern history of America."

The Washington Post article he referenced pulled together numerous interviews in which Clinton said Sanders was ill-prepared for an interview with the New York Daily News and questioned his commitment to the Democratic Party. In those interviews, Clinton didn't explicitly say Sanders was unqualified for the presidency.

Sanders stressed that he was not willingly entering this "type of politics."

"This is not the type of politics that I want to get in, I know it's what the media loves," Sanders said in reference to Clinton and Sanders trading barbs. "It is not the type of politics that I want to get in, but let me also be very clear. If Secretary Clinton thinks that I just come from the small state of Vermont, we are not used to this, we will get used to it fast."

Sanders vowed that his campaign would not "get beaten up and lied about." He later pivoted to saying voters should question Clinton's qualifications after she raised "millions of dollars from Wall Street."

"I don't think I have to explain to the American people what Wall Street did to this economy," Sanders said. "Are you qualified to be president of the U.S. when you're raising millions of dollars from Wall Street, an entity whose greed, recklessly and illegal behavior helped destroy our economy?"

Sanders added he respects Clinton, though.

"What I just said is that she has attacked me for being unqualified. And if I am going to attack for being 'unqualified' I will respond in kind," he said, adding he hopes to move away from personal attacks.

[johnp3907]

1. The stench from the corpse of his campaign gets worse by the hour.

[pkdu]

2. He is incoherent. First he walks it back...then he puts it right back out there. Nt

[SharonClark]

13. According to reporters on MSNBC

He's frustrated because Clinton doesn't take him seriously, and she tried to pivot to Trump several weeks ago, and she needs his supporters if she wins the nomination. The reporters love to make every Sanders mistake a negative for Clinton. No wonder he thinks what he says has no repercussions.

[Her Sister]

3. Is an apology coming?

[Lucinda]

6. I think that was supposed to be the apology.

[upaloopa]

4. He never takes responcibility and never answers a question directly without

bringing up one or two of his talking points.

That's what little kids do. "Yea but Jonny said this and did that"

Bernie is no saint

[yallerdawg]

5. Let's watch the campaign donations.

Personal negative attacks either pump up the money or start to shut it down.

The campaign will act accordingly.

The Sanders campaign is all about the money now - this has become one of the most cynical, manipulative campaigns I have ever seen.

[Lucinda]

7. I'm out of words...

[Rose Siding]

10. He never read the f'ing article! Can't imagine a president reacting to criticism like that

Imagine an unflattering article in the foreign press. His pettiness could become an international incident!

[Lucinda]

15. He doesn't have the temperament to be POTUS

I already knew it, but this cements it.

[72DejaVu]

8. When Bernie drops out

Will he say that the media "won't have Bernie Sanders to kick around any more"?

[DoBotherMe]

16. LOL!

[stopbush]

9. The man has no grace, no ability to tame his inner demons.

He is always in full attack mode, no doubt because it took him the better part of three decades to get to the point where people outside of his immediate family want to hear what he has to say.

Like most people who have been champing at the bit forever and are finally given free rein, his first instinct is to impose himself on others, rather than letting them come to him.

This will end badly and sadly for Mr Sanders.

[Rose Siding]

12. His "honesty" is no more than bad manners and pettiness.

He talks about world peace, but doesn't have the personal skills to even get along with people in "his own" party.

[msongs]

11. when it comes to wars and killing bernie is right there with more money to finance them nt

[Walk away]

14. I can't believe so many people thought this poor man was smart!

This week has been an eye opener! All he can do is blame everyone else for his mistakes and he has clearly proven he hasn't a clue about his own platform.

[liberal N proud]

17. Oh for f#&$ sake

Take the blame for something Bernie!

[BlueMTexpat]

18. It's always every one else's fault.

First, the WaPo. Then Hillary. And, of course, the NYDN and its "gotcha" questions. And on. And on.

If he had only done as Hillary did, e.g.: "I don't know why she would say that (if she did). I know I'd take Clinton over Trump or Cruz any day."

But no, he launches right into full attack mode and then - when the issue has more context - blames everyone else.

Not someone I want to have near the nuclear missile launch button. Not at all.

But still, somewhat better than Trump or Cruz.

[Historic NY]

19. Bernie why blame them when all you have to do is STFU once in a while.

[DemonGoddess]

20. To take the blame for his own mistake

would be out of character. It's always everyone else's fault.

[Kaleva]

21. In Bernie's defense, the headline did use big, bold type.

[Cha]

22. Still didn't do his homework. He knows by now how the "media" can get it wrong.