Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) apologized to 2020 rival Joe Biden for a supporters op-ed that accused the former vice president of corruption.
Sanders, 78, said he didnt agree with the op-ed, which was written by Zephyr Teachout, a law professor who lost a 2014 New York gubernatorial bid.
Teachout said that Biden “has a big corruption problem and it makes him a weak candidate,” citing a bankruptcy bill that Biden supported and how the candidate accepts money from healthcare and fossil fuel executives and companies.
Sanders told CBS he regretted Teachouts message. “It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way. And Im sorry that that op-ed appeared,” Sanders said.
“If anyone knows me, what I believe is we need a serious debate in this country on issues. We dont need to demonize people who may disagree with us,” Sanders added, appealing to his supporters to “engage in civil discourse.”
Biden responded on social media, writing: “Thanks for acknowledging this, Bernie. These kinds of attacks have no place in this primary.”
“Lets all keep our focus on making Donald Trump a one-term president,” he added.
The day before Sanders apologized, his campaign circulated the op-ed to supporters.
The day before the Senate impeachment trial against Trump begins, the Bernie Sanders campaign circulates this op-ed attack on Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/ReEsU2Lkrn
— Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) January 20, 2020
Thanks for acknowledging this, Bernie. These kinds of attacks have no place in this primary. Lets all keep our focus on making Donald Trump a one-term president. https://t.co/tmFbLm98xd
— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) January 21, 2020
The contention came after Sanders and his campaign criticized Biden over his comments on Social Security funding, circulating a video that showed Biden saying former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan was “correct” about the funding.
“We need to do something about Social Security and Medicare. Thats the only way you can find room to pay for it,” Biden said in 2018 (pdf) while speaking at the Brookings Institution.
Bidens campaign has said he was being sarcastic and his next comments indicated support for Social Security and Medicare, though he said the programs “needs adjustments.”
“Now, I dont know a whole lot of people in the top one-tenth of 1 percent or the top one percent who are relying on Social Security when they retire. I dont know a lot of them. Maybe you guys do. So we need a pro-growth, progressive tax code that treats workers as job creators, as well, not just investors; that gets rid of unprotective loopholes like stepped-up basis; and it raises enough revenue to make sure that the Social Security and Medicare can stay, it still needs adjustments, but can stay; and pay for the things we all acknowledge will grow the country,” he said.
Past comments by Biden support the charge he wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare. “When I argued that we should freeze fRead More – Source
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The Epoch Times
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