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Sanders Highlights His Iraq Vote:
Three days ahead of the first Democratic debate, Bernie Sanders' campaign reminded voters on Saturday that he voted against the Iraq War in 2002 -- emailing out his 13-year-old speech from the House floor.
Going into Tuesday night's faceoff on CNN, the email was effectively the Sanders' campaign telegraphing an expected line of attack that the independent Vermont senator could use against Hillary Clinton, who voted the other way, giving then-President George W. Bush the authority to wage war.
The email, which came from Michael Briggs, Sanders' spokesman, said the 2002 speech "shows that he has the judgment and experience to make foreign policy decisions in the best interests of the United States and our allies" and called the Iraq war vote "one of the worst foreign policy blunders in the history of the United States."
Sanders brought the same message to his last rally before the critical debate, telling an audience of 9,000 in Boulder, Colorado, that he never believed the Bush administration's talking points on the war so he gave it a thumbs down.
Bernie On Guns/Assault Rifles:
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday called for an assault weapons ban in his second straight day of talking about an issue — guns — where he has sometimes deviated from the Democratic Party's consensus.
In a campaign appearance ahead of next week's Democratic presidential debate, Sanders cited two shootings Friday at universities in Arizona and Texas as well as last week's slayings at an Oregon community college.
"Instead of people yelling at each other, we have got to come together on commonsense approaches which, in fact, the vast majority of the American people support," said Sanders, who represents a rural state with few gun law
Bernie's National Debate Debut:
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has been one of the biggest surprises of the early presidential campaign season, as he steadily rises in the Democratic primary polls and draws adoring throngs numbering tens of thousands to his rallies across the country.
On Tuesday, with the lead-off of six scheduled Democratic debates, voters will have their first chance to take the measure of the passionate newcomer to the national scene alongside front-runner Hillary Clinton.
For the former secretary of state, the debate stage is a familiar setting and one where she has performed well in her previous races for senator and for president.
But it is also well-suited to Sanders, say according to his aides and those who have seen him square off against opponents in Vermont.
Robert Reich Wants Glass Steagall Back:
Giant Wall Street banks continue to threaten the wellbeing of millions of Americans, but what to do?
Bernie Sanders says break them up and resurrect the Glass-Steagall Act that once separated investment from commercial banking.
Hillary Clinton says charge them a bit more and oversee them more carefully.
Most Republicans say don’t worry.
Clearly, there’s reason to worry.
Bernie In Boulder:
Before an estimated crowd of 9,000, standing on a stage on an outdoor running track that was backdropped by the sun-soaked Flatirons, the longtime Independent senator from Vermont-turned-Democratic presidential hopeful delivered his wildly popular manifesto to an audience that loved every word of it.
He said like to pass comprehensive immigration reform with policies that are "humane, sensible and keep families together." He spoke of the country's "grotesque" income inequality. He reminded his fans that his campaign is fueled not by a Super PAC or his private wealth, but rather by hundreds of thousands of individual donations that average about $30.
When he said that a bank "too big to fail" is also "too big to exist," some in the crowd seemed to mouth the punchline along with him, like concertgoers giddy at the chance to hear a favorite song in person, at last.
The die-hard support Sanders has inspired across the country is a reflection of the sort of race the 74-year-old wants to run.
Bernie's Big Week:
Bernie Sanders has a big week ahead in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president.
Vermont’s independent senator will join six other presidential candidates Monday for New Hampshire’s No Labels Convention.
Sanders, 74, will address (via satellite) the same crowd as businessman Donald Trump and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is not expected to speak at the event.
No Labels is a national bipartisan organization formed by former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman. The group is focused on practical solutions to issues like job creation, balancing the federal budget, securing Social Security and Medicare and energy security.
Organizers anticipate the attendance of nearly 2,000 New Hampshire voters
Local Boulder Coverage:
Nestled under the picturesque Rocky Mountains, where the political landscape is much less diverse than the ever changing fall leaves, a stampede of more than nine thousand people converge on Boulder's University of Colorado campus.
“I think Boulder is a spark plug of a town,” said Lee Nemerowicz, a small business owner who lives in Boulder.
“This is like, amazing to see,” said Molly Cooper, who drove eight hours from southwest Colorado for Saturday’s rally.
The crowd, filled with students and young voters chanted and cheered as Democratic Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders made an appearance on stage.
“It's families, it's working people and it's retirees. Its everybody. It is what America is,” said Nemerowicz of the crowd.
Some more:
Nine thousand people crammed into CU-Boulder's Potts Field Saturday to hear an hour-long speech from Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who touched on topics ranging from gun control to Citizens United to income inequality to immigration.
The 74-year-old independent Vermont senator vowed to implement three months of paid family medical leave and to use an anti-Citizens United litmus test for his Supreme Court nominees during Saturday's campaign event, where a receptive Boulder crowd of an estimated 9,000 largely applauded the self-described "democratic-socialist."
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"One of the big things that interests me in him is he's not being funded by any huge corporation," supporter Clay Hamilton said. "He's a really grassroots-level guy, who's speaking things that we're feeling in our souls."
Hamilton said he supports Bernie because of his appeal for young people. Though a large number of younger voters attended the rally, they weren't the only ones.
"I think he's a positive alternate candidate," 66-year-old Bill Black, who attended the event, said. "I want to hear what he has to say, and I think it's exciting, what he's doing."
Talib Kwali Is Not Endorsing, But If He Had To...:
While other hip-hop artists have chosen sides for the 2016 presidential election, Brooklyn rapper Talib Kweli is not ready to endorse anyone.
In an interview with CNN, the hip-hop icon did have kind words for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who he said appears to "care about working class people."
"To be honest with you, out of all the politicians who are running for president, if I had to go with the lesser of two evils and I was forced to vote for somebody, [Sanders] would probably be the one to get my vote at this time," Kweli said. "But me saying that, that's really, really hypothetical. That's not at all me endorsing him as a candidate."
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And when asked what qualities he looks for in political candidates, he said, "You have to be grassroots."