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Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders critical of Sen. Mitch McConnell during Louisville rally

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders critical of Sen. Mitch McConnell during Louisville rally
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL. IT WAS A DIRECT MESSAGE FROM VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS TO SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL SUNDAY. >> SENATOR MCCONNELL, END THE OBSTRUCTIONISM, LET US HAVE DEMOCRACY IN THE SENATE. LET US ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE WORKING CLASS IN THIS COUNTR SHAQUILLE: THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ADDRESSED HUNDREDS OF SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE THE ALI CENTER AT THE PEOPLE VS CORPORATE POWER RALLY. >> IT’S A MOVEMENT AND H SPEAKING AS ONE IS 100% CORRECT. SHAQUILLE: SENATOR SANDERS SPOKE ON BILLS THAT PASSED IN THE HOUSE BUT HAVEN’T BEEN BROUGHT UP IN THE SENATE LIKE RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 AN HOUR >> NOBODY, NOT IN KENTUCKY OR VERMONT, NOT ANYWHERE. NOBODY CAN MAKE IT ON $7.25, $8, $9 OR $10 AN HOUR. SHAQUILLE: MCCONNELL’S CAMPAIGN DIDN’T RELEASE A STATEMENT SUNDAY. BUT INSTEAD REFERENCED AN OP-ED FROM EARLIER THIS MONTH ON ISSUES INCLUDING GUN REFORM, BUT SUPPORTERS IN THE METRO CAME OUT TO HEAR SANDERS TAKE ON OTHER ISSUES. >>I REALLY WANTED HIM TO TALK ABOUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM A LITTLE MOR SHAQUILLE: A 2016 SANDERS SUPPOTER SAYS THERE’S A MAJOR DIFFERENCE IN THE SENATOR’S CROWD THIS TIME AROUND. >> ALL THE DIFFERENT AGES, ALL THE DIFFERENT RACES AND THERE WAS A LOT OF VERY HUMBLE LOVE
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Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders critical of Sen. Mitch McConnell during Louisville rally
Another major presidential candidate stopped in Louisville on Sunday.Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders held his People vs. Corporate Power rally in Louisville's Public Plaza on North Sixth Street, near the Muhammad Ali Center.Sanders said his reason for coming to Louisville was to tell Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “stop worrying about your billionaire friends and start worrying about the working families in this state and around the country who are struggling to make ends meet.”During a nearly 40-minute speech, Sanders touched on issues of raising the minimum wage, climate change, election security and common-sense gun safety laws.Sanders was critical of McConnell’s obstruction of voting on legislation throughout his address.“If you want to vote against any of that legislation, that’s fine. You then have the right to come back to Kentucky and tell the people why you voted the way you did,” Sanders said. “But you don’t have the right to stop democracy in the United States Senate.”Sanders was also critical of McConnell’s loyalty to the billionaire class and his campaign contributions“It’s not the billionaire class that needs help, it’s the working class,” Sanders said. “Ten out of the 25 poorest counties in America are located (in Kentucky). Stop turning your back on your constituents.”Before the rally, Sanders joined picketing Communications Workers of America members who are on strike against AT&T over what they allege are unfair labor practices.Sanders' visit comes just days after President Donald Trump stopped in Louisville to speak at a fundraiser for Gov. Matt Bevin and address the American Veterans' 75th annual national convention.The Republican National Committee released a statement about Sanders’ stop in Louisville: “Bernie Sanders is running on a platform which would devastate Kentucky: skyrocketing taxes on families and businesses, the elimination of its coal industry, and throwing millions off their current health insurance plan. While President Trump continues to enact prosperous policies and fight for fairer trade deals for the state, Sanders’ agenda would put them out of work and hand them a large tax bill in the process.”Bevin also issued a statement Sunday that said, in part: “In this race, in 2019 here in Kentucky, you’ll also have people on both sides of this equation. Andy Beshear, who is in line with Bernie Sanders -- they share the same party, the same ideology, they share the same values on many fronts. They are both strongly pro-abortion, they both strongly believe your second amendment rights should be restricted, they strongly believe that you are people who should be punished if somehow you are out there pursuing the American dream. These are the kind of things we want to reject here in Kentucky. Not only with crazy Bernie, but with Andy Beshear this fall in November. This is an opportunity for you to choose. Not only in 2019, but again in 2020.” Click this link to hear Senator McConnell's op-ed.

Another major presidential candidate stopped in Louisville on Sunday.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders held his People vs. Corporate Power rally in Louisville's Public Plaza on North Sixth Street, near the Muhammad Ali Center.

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Sanders said his reason for coming to Louisville was to tell Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “stop worrying about your billionaire friends and start worrying about the working families in this state and around the country who are struggling to make ends meet.”

During a nearly 40-minute speech, Sanders touched on issues of raising the minimum wage, climate change, election security and common-sense gun safety laws.

Sanders was critical of McConnell’s obstruction of voting on legislation throughout his address.

“If you want to vote against any of that legislation, that’s fine. You then have the right to come back to Kentucky and tell the people why you voted the way you did,” Sanders said. “But you don’t have the right to stop democracy in the United States Senate.”

Sanders was also critical of McConnell’s loyalty to the billionaire class and his campaign contributions

“It’s not the billionaire class that needs help, it’s the working class,” Sanders said. “Ten out of the 25 poorest counties in America are located (in Kentucky). Stop turning your back on your constituents.”

Before the rally, Sanders joined picketing Communications Workers of America members who are on strike against AT&T over what they allege are unfair labor practices.

Sanders' visit comes just days after President Donald Trump stopped in Louisville to speak at a fundraiser for Gov. Matt Bevin and address the American Veterans' 75th annual national convention.

The Republican National Committee released a statement about Sanders’ stop in Louisville:

“Bernie Sanders is running on a platform which would devastate Kentucky: skyrocketing taxes on families and businesses, the elimination of its coal industry, and throwing millions off their current health insurance plan. While President Trump continues to enact prosperous policies and fight for fairer trade deals for the state, Sanders’ agenda would put them out of work and hand them a large tax bill in the process.”

Bevin also issued a statement Sunday that said, in part:

“In this race, in 2019 here in Kentucky, you’ll also have people on both sides of this equation. Andy Beshear, who is in line with Bernie Sanders -- they share the same party, the same ideology, they share the same values on many fronts. They are both strongly pro-abortion, they both strongly believe your second amendment rights should be restricted, they strongly believe that you are people who should be punished if somehow you are out there pursuing the American dream. These are the kind of things we want to reject here in Kentucky. Not only with crazy Bernie, but with Andy Beshear this fall in November. This is an opportunity for you to choose. Not only in 2019, but again in 2020.”

Click this link to hear Senator McConnell's op-ed.