TOLEDO, Iowa — Sen. Bernie Sanders told Iowans Friday that former President Bill Clinton’s White House sexual misdeeds were “totally disgraceful and unacceptable.”
Sanders, who was holding a town hall, made the comments when pressed by an attendee about the former president’s behavior, specifically the affair with Monica Lewinsky during his second term in office. Sanders was asked specifically whether “moral authority” is needed to assume the presidency, with the attendee openly questioning her decision to stay with her husband.
“Hillary Clinton is not Bill Clinton,” Sanders said. “What Bill Clinton did, I think we can all acknowledge was totally, totally, totally disgraceful and unacceptable.”
“I am running against Hillary Clinton, we’re not running against Bill Clinton,” Sanders said, noting he was in Iowa recently. “But I am running against Hillary Clinton, and I believe … what we need to do as a nation — certainly something the Republicans are not doing — is focus on the bloody issues facing this country!”
Sanders noted further that what he is trying to do is contrast his record with that of the former secretary of state.
“I am not going to get into the personal stuff. We’re looking at somebody who, in a long political career — you can call my friends in Vermont to verify this — I’ve never run a negative TV ad in my life.”
The comment from Sanders came days after the 42nd president made his solo debut on the trail to campaign for his wife. It also follows renewed chatter about his past transgressions while in the White House after Donald Trump brought up the issue.
In addition, Juanita Broaddrick — who has alleged in the past that that Clinton raped her — tweeted out Wednedsday that the former first lady tried to “silence her,” adding that it “never goes away” despite it allegedly occuring 38 years ago.
