On Monday's New Day, CNN's Chris Cuomo touted Hillary Clinton's attack on Bernie Sanders on gun control during an interview of Sanders supporter Cornel West: "She [Clinton] says... I voted for the Brady Bill; Bernie Sanders voted against it many times. He wanted to protect gun manufacturers." When West shot back that the Vermont socialist has "a D-minus when it comes to the NRA," and that Clinton "uses that one little element to take the subject matter somewhere else," Cuomo retorted, "[The] Brady Bill is a little element to the African American community?" [video below]
The anchor first prompted the leftist Princeton academic to respond to the Clinton campaign's assertion that "while Bernie Sanders says the right things, he's had a lot of years in the Senate. He has not done things for the African community the way Hillary Clinton has." West replied, in part, that "Hillary Clinton is the Milli Vanilli of American politics. She lip syncs; she gives lip service; but when it comes to policy... [she] supported the — not just the deregulating of...banks; but also, pulled the rug from under welfare."
Cuomo followed up with the former secretary of state's gun control attack on Sanders. The professor contended that the Brady Bill didn't rise to the same level as the Vermont politician's support for "jobs with a living wage; when it comes to education; when it comes to decent housing, and when it comes to Wall Street." He added, "You know and I know she and Bill received $151 million [in] speaking fees."
Later, West claimed that "part of the problem is...corporate media hasn't been as fair to Bernie as it should." The CNN journalist went on the defensive: "Nobody's had him on more than New Day has." The guest clarified that he was "talking about corporate media as a whole, because...we know Donald Trump himself was the Frankenstein of corporate media. They cover every Twitter; they cover every speech; every word. If Bernie had that kind of coverage, people would know who he is."
The full transcript of the Cornel West segment from the February 22, 2016 edition of CNN's New Day:
CHRIS CUOMO: So, let's just say this the way it should be said: Democrats need black voters. The African American community is very important to that party. You could argue they're very important, period; but that's a discussion for a different day. So, what do we see in that voting block support that came out big in Nevada for Hillary Clinton? She is presumed to have an in with African-American voters in a way that the Vermont senator, Bernie Sanders, does not. Is that true? How can it be turned around?
[CNN Graphic: "Can Sanders Win Over African-American Voters?; Nevada, Black Democratic Caucus-Goers: Hillary Clinton, 76%; Bernie Sanders, 22%; Entrance Polls"]
Let's discuss with someone who knows all of these issues better than I ever will: professor emeritus at Princeton, author, and Bernie Sanders supporter, Professor Cornel West. Professor, always a pleasure; always a pleasure.
So, let's look at the field and you make the case. The presumption from the Clinton campaign is, this isn't just about likeability. This isn't just about familiarity. This is about what has been done. And while Bernie Sanders says the right things, he's had a lot of years in the Senate. He has not done things for the African community the way Hillary Clinton has. Fair criticism?
[CNN Graphic: "Clinton And Sanders Vie For Black Voters"]
CORNEL WEST, PROFESSIONAL EMERITUS, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: No, not at all. I mean, Bernie Sanders is one of the two white public officials who supported Jesse Jackson in the 80's. That took tremendous courage. Why did brother Jesse win the primary in Vermont? Bernie Sanders.
My dear brother, Chris, sister Hillary Clinton is the Milli Vanilli of American politics. She lip syncs; she gives lip service; but when it comes to policy, who supported [the] crime bill? Who supported the — not just the deregulating of market — of banks; but also, pulled the rug from under welfare?
She talks about her work with the Children's Defense Fund way back in the 70's — doesn't say a word about being a Goldwater girl; doesn't say a word about supporting a candidate who Martin Luther King called the — there's no moral case for Goldwater. He's the most dangerous politician. She's vigorously campaigning. She shows up and gives these wonderful speeches, sounding like Bernie Sanders — Bernie Sanders on the ground getting arrested, marching with Martin.
The problem is, black voters don't know his history in a way in which they know the symbolic language of Hillary Clinton. But on the ground, she's calling black youth 'super predators' in the 1990's. That is the most demeaning, degrading language to our precious young folk — sometimes do the wrong thing, yes; acting gangsters, yes. We know they got gangsters on Wall Street. How many Wall Street executives go to jail? Zero. She's too tied to Wall Street, with all that big Wall Street money flowing her way, my brother.
CUOMO: She says, on the other side, I voted for the Brady Bill; Bernie Sanders voted against it many times. He wanted to protect gun manufacturers. He hasn't done what I have done to address the actual problems.
WEST: Then why does he have a D-minus when it comes to the NRA? She uses that one little element to take the subject matter somewhere else, and not focus on her record—
CUOMO: Brady Bill is a — is a little element to the African American community?
WEST: One element, in terms of jobs with a living wage; when it comes to education; when it comes to decent housing, and when it comes to Wall Street. You know and I know she and Bill received $151 million speaking fee—
CUOMO: You're saying the money's a problem?
WEST: Unless she thinks we were born at night, but not last night. Good God almighty, we know the Wall Street influence on her has been intense. That's precisely why she and Bill repealed Glass-Steagall. These has (sic) direct connection with black folk. We got a male liberal black political class who's on the Clinton bandwagon and the gravy train, and they are trying to convince large numbers of black folk we won't do it.
Now, part of the problem is, my brother, corporate media hasn't been as fair to Bernie as it should. You all did encourage him, and I appreciate that, but when it comes to coverage—
CUOMO: Nobody's had him on more than New Day has.
WEST: No, no. This particular program has been — I'm talking about corporate media as a whole, because — I mean, we know Donald Trump himself was the Frankenstein of corporate media. They cover every Twitter; they cover every speech; every word. If Bernie had that kind of coverage, people would know who he is.
CUOMO: He's got his own hashtag.
WEST: But look how much money he's saved because the corporate media follows him every second, every minute. But this is — but when it comes to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, Bernie — thank God to this show; but now, your show is not typical — he hasn't got the exposure to see one fundamental thing — profound integrity, genuine conviction, and building on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. What other higher standard do we have in American politics? How many politicians do we know have genuine integrity? You can count them on your hand, and Hillary Clinton's not one of them. She's not one of them, brother.
