Clinton pitches Sanders supporters, Republicans

Bloomberg News (TNS)

WASHINGTON

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said she sees “a great role” for Bernie Sanders and his supporters in a “unified party,” even as she said she welcomed Republicans who are not supporting the presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Days after Trump’s remaining Republican competitors dropped out of the race, the former secretary of state continues to battle for her party’s nomination against the Vermont senator, who has taken several positions to her left on economic issues.

“Obviously I’m reaching out to Democrats, Republicans, independents, all voters who want a candidate who is running a campaign based on issues,” Clinton said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Clinton said she and Sanders have similar views on issues, including raising the minimum wage and reining “in bad actors on Wall Street and in corporate America.” She said she wants to unify Democrats around those issues.

“I see a great role and opportunity for him and his supporters to be part of that unified party to move into not just November to win the election against Donald Trump, but to then govern based on the progressive goals that he and I share,” she said.

Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver last week warned Clinton against moving back to the middle – a common tactic by presidential nominees from both parties as they move from the primary season to the general election. Many Sanders supporters would “just sit home, frankly” in November if Clinton shifted toward the center on important issues, Weaver said. Though working to not alienate the party’s left wing, Clinton said she had communicated with members of the Republican Party who weren’t supporting Trump. They “take their vote seriously and who really see this as a crossroads kind of election,” she said.

Clinton didn’t say who she’d spoken with. Several prominent Republicans, including former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, and House Speaker Paul Ryan, have said they did not yet or would not support Trump.