Clinton steps up criticism of Sanders as unrealistic

Indianola, Ia. — Hillary Clinton started digging in more sharply against rival Bernie Sanders Thursday.

With less than two weeks before the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, the former secretary of state questioned the Vermont senator’s ability to deliver on the promises he makes to liberal voters.

“I’ll tell you, I’m not interested in ideas that sound good on paper but will never make it in the real world,” Clinton said, drawing applause from more than 500 voters at Simpson College.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, Clinton rarely mentioned Sanders or the other Democratic presidential candidate, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. But with the caucuses approaching and polls tightening dramatically, she has stepped up her critique of Sanders.

In Indianola Thursday morning, Clinton stood at a lectern and used a teleprompter to give a more formal speech than she normally offers on the stump. As usual, she avoided personally insulting Sanders, who polls show is well-regarded by most Democrats.

“Now, Senator Sanders and I share many of the same goals, but we have different records and different ideas about how to drive progress,” Clinton said. She reiterated her stance that she would defend and improve President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. She contends Sanders would scrap it in a futile attempt to pass a more radical “Medicare for all” system, which he denies.

Clinton said Sanders would reopen the overall debate about health care, giving Republicans an opening to repeal what’s already in place. “Now I know that Senator Sanders cares about covering more people, as I do. But rather than build on the progress we’ve made, he wants to start over from scratch with a whole new system. Now in theory, there’s a lot to like about some of his ideas, but in theory isn’t enough. A president has to deliver in reality.”

Clinton said Sanders had a poor record of getting his proposals passed. “Senator Sanders has been in Congress for 25 years. He’s introduced his health care plan nine times. But he never got even a single vote in the House or a single Senate co-sponsor. Not one,” she said.

She also accused him of being naïve on foreign policy issues. “Senator Sanders doesn’t talk very much about foreign policy,” she said. “And when he does, it raises concerns, because sometimes it can sound like he hasn’t thought it through. For example, he suggested we invite Iranian troops into Syria. That is like asking an arsonist to be the firefighter. As bad as things are in Syria, more Iranian troops are only going to make it worse.”

Clinton portrayed herself as having better experience and better ability to work with other world leaders and with Republicans in Congress.