Bernie Sanders Sandy Hook Comments: His ’47 Percent’ Moment?
Bernie Sanders is drawing criticism today after his controversial interview with New York Daily News, specifically for his comments on gun rights which have implications for the survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting, which saw twenty children murdered by a gunman.
Bernie Sanders sat down to speak with the editorial board of New York Daily News yesterday, as the Inquisitr reported previously, and the interview was something of a stumbling block for Bernie Sanders – who is drawing significant criticism after his comments on the Sandy Hook massacre and the lawsuit filed by the families of the victims seeking compensation from the manufacturer of the firearms used in the massacre.
“Do I think victims of a crime with a gun should be able to sue the manufacturer, is that your question? No, I don’t,” said Bernie Sanders, speaking with the New York Daily News yesterday.
Sandy Hook victim's daughter criticizes @BernieSanders over gun policy https://t.co/jjFUtWhPQn | AP Photo pic.twitter.com/TTwiKtoZIi
— POLITICO (@politico) April 6, 2016
Some commentators drew attention to Bernie Sanders’ comments on other aspects of the interview – his positions on Israel, and Wall Street – but advocates speaking for the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre are speaking out against Bernie Sanders this morning. Bernie Sanders’ controversial comments on the Sandy Hook shooting are leading some commentators to predict that his position on the Sandy Hook lawsuit could cost the Bernie Sanders campaign in the upcoming New York primary where gun control is a hotly debated issue, reports The Washington Post.
Already, the Hillary Clinton campaign has taken Bernie Sanders to task for his comments on the Sandy Hook shooting, calling the statements ‘unimaginable’ and a ‘clear difference’ between the two candidates who find themselves sharing similar views on many issues. Clinton spoke to CNN today, citing the New York Daily News interview, and Bernie Sanders’ comments on Sandy Hook as a sticking point for voters in the New York primary.
“I think what you saw in the New York Daily News raises questions for voters and the front page of The News, which is one of my biggest contrasts with Senator Sanders, that he would place gun manufacturers’ rights and immunity from liability against the parents of the children killed at Sandy Hook is just unimaginable to me,” said Hillary Clinton in an interview with MSNBC this morning.
Hillary Clinton: I'm "appalled" at Bernie Sanders' stance on the Sandy Hook gun lawsuit https://t.co/aDM1Kcugq2 https://t.co/Des02cqfpd
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 6, 2016
Bernie Sanders comments on the Sandy Hook lawsuit have drawn not only criticism from the Clinton camp, but some of his own supporters are questioning the logic of Bernie Sanders’ statements on social media today. Chris Murphy, a U.S. Senator from Connecticut, commented on Bernie Sanders’ statements on Twitter last night, saying that ‘Bernie is a friend, but this is really bad,’ calling the interview a misstep for his close friend, Bernie Sanders.
“Democrats cannot nominate a candidate who believes that toy gun makers should be held to a higher legal standard than real gun makers,” said Senator Chris Murphy, who was an early Clinton supporter, on Twitter last night.
For Sanders to say that the Sandy Hook families should be barred from court, even if the weapon was negligently made, is wrong.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 5, 2016
Some media observers have commented that the Sandy Hook statements might not seem like a big deal to voters in other states, where the issue is more about gun control than a particular incident, but Salon points out that the Sandy Hook shooting still looms large in the minds of many New York voters – in particular, the New York liberals that Bernie Sanders has been courting for months.
The families of the Sandy Hook victims filed a lawsuit against ‘Bushmaster’ the manufacturer of the assault rifle used by shooter Adam Lanza to kill 20 first-graders and six school staff members in less than 264 seconds. The families of the Sandy Hook victims filed the lawsuit alleging that the firearm should not have been in the hands of the shooter, and the manufacturer is at fault because the ‘Bushmaster’ rifle is ‘unsuited to home defense or recreation.’
[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images]
