Bernie Sanders: Unlike Hillary Clinton, ‘I’ve Taken On The Big Money Interests.’

On MSNBC, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders strongly contrasted his record with Hillary Clinton’s by saying, “I have taken on every element of the big money interests in this country.”

Bernie Sanders was asked if the big crowds he is drawing can translate into votes. He answered, “I truly absolutely think that they can. Look, what exists in the real world, whether it’s Denver, Minneapolis, New Hampshire, Iowa, or Vermont is very different than the kind of discussions that take place here in Washington where so much of what Congress does is dominated by big money. Look, the average American understands that our middle-class is disappearing. Ninety-nine percent of all new income is going to the top one percent and that we need some fundamental changes in economic and politics so that the government begins working for all of us, not just the billionaire class.”

When Mika Brzezinski pointed out that this is the same thing that Hillary Clinton is saying, Sanders replied, “No, I don’t think it is. And I think if you look at my life’s work, what I’ve been struggling with for the last twenty-five to thirty years, I have taken on every element of the big money interests in this country. Whether it is Wall Street. Whether it is the pharmaceutical industry. Whether it’s the Military Industrial Complex. People can judge Hillary Clinton’s record on their own.”

Sen. Sanders also pointed out that Hillary Clinton has yet to take a position on TPP.

Bernie Sanders didn’t mudsling, but the message was clear. Hillary Clinton is a new convert to the fight against the big money interests, while Sanders has been fighting these forces for decades.

The discussion that Sanders and Clinton are creating within the Democratic Party is important. Democrats are resolving as a party to take on the big money interests in American politics. The question is which candidate do voters trust to lead this fight?

In a discussion of records, Bernie Sanders clearly has the longer record of fighting against the big money interests in our political system. Sen. Sanders is contrasting himself with his opponent’s record, and he has a message to voters. Both candidates may be saying the same things, but only one candidate has spent decades taking up the fight.

Hillary Clinton is more liberal than many give her credit for, but compared to Bernie Sanders she looks like a right-wing conservative, which is why Sen. Sanders could be a thorn in her side all through the Democratic primary campaign.