PHILADELPHIA — In her first campaign stop following her Tuesday loss in Wisconsin, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continued hitting Sen. Bernie Sanders in an attempt to separate herself from him while talking up her support for unions.
Clinton, who was speaking to directly to unions at the AFL-CIO convention, kept up her attacks against Sanders after his Tuesday victory in the Badger State, saying that he “doesn’t have a plan at all” on a number of important issues after a lackluster performance before the editorial board of the New York Daily News last week.
“I am concerned that some of [Sen. Sanders’] ideas just won’t work because the numbers won’t add up. Others won’t even pass Congress or rely on Republican governors to suddenly have a conversion experience and become progressives,” Clinton said, echoing comments made to “Morning Joe” earlier in the day. “Well, in a number of important areas, he doesn’t have a plan at all.”
Like Sanders last week in Pittsburgh, Clinton spoke multiple times directly to the crowd before her, which crawled with supporters from local unions who are backing her presidential bid.
“Republican governors and legislatures are waging a relentless assault on workers rights. Ted Cruz and other Republicans are pushing a national right to work law … Right to Work is wrong for workers and wrong for America,” Clinton said to thunderous applause from attendees. “Here’s my promise to you: If I’m fortunate enough to be elected president, organized labor will always have a champion in the White House and a seat at the table.”
The former secretary also made some Pennsylvania-centric comments to the crowd, praising Gov. Tom Wolf for raising the minimum wage to $10.15 for state government workers. She also kicked off her speech to talk up the Villanova men’s basketball team’s national championship victory on Monday, telling the crowd that she “loves those come-from-behind victories.”
The stop was Clinton’s first public event in Pennsylvania during the campaign, where she beat then-Senator Barack Obama in 2008. Longtime Democratic Rep. Bob Brady is excited that Clinton, along with Sanders, are beginning to hone in on Pennsylvania as the state readies itself to be a 2016 player in three weeks time.
“I think it’s great. Love to have them. It brings an excitement — it’s absolutely great,” Brady told the Washington Examiner prior to Clinton’s address. “We’re going to have a race [in Pennsylvania], but I think Hillary will do good in New York and she’ll do great in Pennsylvania, and Bernie’s staying in. He should stay in. It’s good for all of us.”
“I think she’s got to be herself,” Brady said when asked the key for Clinton to replicate her 2008 success. “She’s doing it.”
Clinton is also will be rallying supporters in Pittsburgh later on Wednesday, with former President Bill Clinton set to campaign for her Thursday in Philadelphia.
