iowa forum Clinton, Sanders woo undecided voters

Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa

Wooing undecided Iowa voters, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on Monday night each cast themselves as lifelong champions for tackling economic inequality, but offered differing visions for addressing the nation’s problems.

Sanders, who is riding a burst of enthusiasm in Iowa, reiterated his calls for free tuition at public colleges and universities and implementing a single payer health care system that would cover all Americans, even though he’d raise taxes to pay for the latter proposal.

“Yes, we will raise taxes,” said Sanders, an admission rarely heard in presidential campaigns. “We may raise taxes, but we are going to eliminate private health insurance premiums for individuals and businesses.”

Sanders and Clinton spoke separately at a CNN town hall forum, fielding questions predominantly from voters still undecided ahead of the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, which kick off the nominating process.

Clinton pushed back at suggestions that she’s new to the economic issues that have been at the center of Sanders’ campaign.

“I think it’s fair to say I have a 40-year record in going after inequality,” said Clinton, adding that she’s also fought inequality on the basis of race, gender and sexual orientation. While the questions she faced where less specific on policy, she emphasized that the tough challenges a president faces – an implicit suggestion that Sanders is proposing unrealistic ideas.

Though Clinton has led the Democratic field for months, she’s being challenged anew by Sanders in Iowa, as well as in New Hampshire, which votes second in the primary contest.

The latest Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll found Clinton with 42 percent, Sanders with 40 percent and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley with just 4 percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers. The poll, conducted between Jan. 7 and 10, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, suggesting it could be a toss-up between the former secretary of state and the Vermont senator.

O’Malley has struggled to win support in the race, despite aggressive campaigning in Iowa.