Kuwait- Clinton Sanders strive to appear as most progressive in town hall

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON Feb 4 (KUNA) -- Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders faced off with Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the CNN moderated presidential town hall meeting late Wednesday six days before the New Hampshire primary where the remaining democratic candidates' both strived to characterize themselves as the more progressive option.Before the debate began Sanders went off on Clinton for not being progressive an undesirable trait amongst liberal voters."You can't be a moderate on some days and then a progressive on others" he said at the start of the debate.Despite calling her a very "respectful politician" Sanders added "I don't know any progressive that takes millions of dollars from super PACs (political action committee)".In New Hampshire Sanders leads Clinton byl 57 to 34 points according to the latest CNN/WMUR poll. This is unsurprising as the state the neighbors Vermont the state Sanders represents in the Senate.Much of Sanders' half of the town hall focused on domestic policy and his strife for a "revolution".The Senator was pushed to defend his tax policy for universal healthcare and appeal to blacks and latino groups in his fight to lower the minority populations in US prisons.Sanders who is Jewish but claims he is not a participant in organized religion said" I would not be here tonight if i did not have very religious or spiritual feelings ... when children go hungry that very much impacts me." On foreign policy Sanders argued "we have got to crush ISIS." "As somebody who voted against the war in Iraq is but we must learn the lessons from that war. We must work with a large Muslim coalition of Muslim troops .. King Aabdullah made the point (to do so)" Sanders said."Internally what we've got to do is significantly improved intelligence and i think we are not as strong as we can be" Sanders said."I happen to believe that we should accept refugees from Syria and Afghanistan but I also appreciate the concern others have that we have got to screen these people between federal state and local police" said the Senator.He again acknowledged Clinton's "great deal of experience" but pressed that the "key foreign policy vote" was if the US should go into Iraq which Clinton should not have voted for.Sanders closed "If I believed in establishment politics and establishment economics I would not be running the campaign." Clinton who won the Iowa caucus by obtaining 23 delegates to Sanders' 21 said in her half of the town hall that the goal of her campaign had to be "preventing Republicans from getting into the White House." But is proud of the campaign of herself and Sanders who share the "same progressive goals"."I'm a progressive who likes to get things done I'm amused Senator Sanders has made himself to be the gatekeeper of who is a progressive ... I'm not going to let that bother me ... I don't think it helps for the Senator to be making those kinds of comparisons" she said.In response to Sander's stance that he is the only Democratic candidate without a super PAC the Secretary said "the wall street interests are spending a lot of money to defeat me" and stated she is going after them.When asked about a paid speech of USD 670000 by Goldman Sachs she responded that she is not influenced by anyone else that her record proves that she is not easily influenced and she does not regret making the speech.In the war against global terrorism Clinton said that she "cannot" provide assurances that she would not expand US military involvement abroad but would do everything possible to "avoid" sending troops overseas."We will continue to use special forces and we have to because of the kinds of threats we face because of the networks of terrorists we face not just because of ISIS" said Clinton. "I would be a very careful deliberate decision maker".In response to her self-proclaimed "mistake" of voting for the Iraq war the Secretary argued it came from the "appeal" President George W. Bush made as a way to "leverage" the inspections of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). It was a "breach of faith" she said."I really regret that is the way that President Bush preceded that is not the way you would have to be concerned with me" said Clinton.On domestic policy Clinton began to align herself with Sanders as "sharing the same goal" on healthcare but doesn't agree with Sanders on "starting over".Clinton was given many off kilter questions that Sanders didn't receive reagarding women registering for the draft end-of-life choices and her response to a Jewish proverb. Despite responding with indirect answers Clinton remained quick on her feet and remarking "another great question".Tomorrow Clinton and Sanders will face off head-to-head in the last Democratic debate before the New Hampshire primary scheduled next Tuesday. (end) ak.gta