At a campaign stop in Washington state on March 21, on behalf of his wife, Bill Clinton made an offhand comment about the “awful legacy of the last eight years.”
Out of context, it appears as a swipe at President Obama, but, as Hillary Clinton’s campaign points out, the former president was actually talking about Republican obstructionism, and not President Obama.
“Sanders is only Dem in race who actually attacks @POTUS,” Hillary Clinton’s press secretary Brian Fallon tweeted.
Pres Clinton was calling GOP obstruction of Obama ‘awful’. Sanders is only Dem in race who actually attacks @POTUS https://t.co/LMU35uRzY2
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) March 22, 2016
In the original quote, Bill Clinton said “if you believe we’ve finally come to the point where we can put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us,” according to USA Today.
Bernie Sanders was quick to pounce on the quote, tweeting “Don’t know that I‘d call President Obama’s 72 straight months of job growth an ’awful legacy.'”
Don’t know that I'd call President Obama’s 72 straight months of job growth an “awful legacy.” https://t.co/GUzlY6Wp4h
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 22, 2016
In response, Bill Clinton’s spokesman Angel Urena also clarified saying that Bill was referring to Republican obstructionism:
“When Republicans controlled the White House, their trickle-down approach drove our economy to the brink of a collapse. After President Obama was elected, Republicans made it their number one goal to block him at every turn,” spokesman Angel Urena said in a statement. “That unprecedented obstruction these last eight years is their legacy, and the American people should reject it by electing Hillary Clinton to build on President Obama’s success so we can all grow and succeed together.”
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