CNN hosts town halls with Sanders, Buttigieg, Klobuchar and Patrick
Sanders: I’ll look at compromising with Republicans on health care "case by case"
Bernie Sanders said he – as president – would take the idea of compromising with Republicans on health care on a “case-by-case” basis, arguing that he could convince the American public to join him.
Sanders’ ability to move the American people is central to many of his policy pitches. And Sanders critics often raise questions about how the Vermont senator would actually pass the sweeping changes he proposes.
“Are there compromises you're willing to make with Republicans to get close to what you want,” CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Sanders.
“You got to look at it at a case by case moment,” Sanders said. “I think, for example, you go to Mitch McConnell’s state of Kentucky, which is a state where a lot of people are struggling, and you” make the case directly to them.
"My guess is 70 to 80% of the people" will end up supporting his plans, he said.
“My job as president is to rally the people and tell their senators to support it. I think we can do that,” Sanders said.
Watch:
Sanders on health care: ‘I can’t do it alone’
Bernie Sanders responded to former Joe Biden’s attacks on the political feasibility of his “Medicare for All” plan, saying his policy objectives require involving “millions of people in the political process.”
“I admit, it is a different type of campaign, because I’m not here to tell you vote for me, I’m going to do all these great things. Ain’t gonna happen that way. Never happens that way,” Sanders said.
“That’s why we call our campaign us, not me,” he said. “Because I’m not going to tell you I can do it alone. I can’t do it alone. We need to all stand up to take on the power of the health care industry.”
Biden has sharpened his attacks on Sanders’ health care proposal in recent days as he campaigns in New Hampshire.
“People need hope now,” the former vice president said Tuesday in Nashua. “So we want real progressive change in health care. Real change, not just talk. And I’m the only one in this race who’s ever gotten a big health care reform bill through the Congress. It’s called Obamacare.”
Watch more:
Bernie Sanders: Enough of Iowa
Bernie Sanders is over Iowa.
After a protracted, incomplete count of the caucuses has left Sanders and Pete Buttigieg in a virtual tie for the lead, Sanders balked at the prospect of a recanvass of the vote in the state's caucuses.
"We've got enough of Iowa," he said to laughter. "Move on to New Hampshire."
Sanders said the process "distressed" him and called it "sad" that the Iowa Democratic Party, as he put it, "screwed up the counting process quite so badly."
The Vermont senator added that, in the end, he expected to share the lead in DNC delegates with Buttigieg.
Watch more:
The town hall with Deval Patrick has begun
Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has taken the stage. CNN's Dana Bash is moderating.
The town hall with Bernie Sanders has begun
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has taken the stage. CNN's Anderson Cooper is moderating.
Here's tonight's lineup
Four candidates will appear for an hour each tonight:
- Bernie Sanders at 8 p.m.
- Pete Buttigieg at 9 p.m.
- Amy Klobuchar at 10 p.m.
- Deval Patrick at 11 p.m.
Chaos in Iowa continues as candidates campaign in New Hampshire
Candidates may be in New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary, but the results from the Iowa caucuses remain unclear, and the chair of the Democratic National Committee has now called for a recanvass.
The move is a significant step and raises further questions about how long the results of the key Iowa caucuses will remain outstanding. In a recanvass, all the numbers that were released by the state party would be checked against the results that were recorded at caucus sites.
"Enough is enough," Perez tweeted. "In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass."
Watch more: