Former DNC Chairman Paul Kirk Jr. Endorses Bernie Sanders

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is picking up the endorsement of former Democratic National Committee chairman Paul Kirk, an ally of the late Massachusetts Sen. Bernie Sanders by just two points – a big change from the same poll in December that showed Clinton with a 9-point lead.

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is coming down to character in the Iowa Democratic Caucus scheduled for February 1. While she can take comfort in her solid standing in SC and the other Southern states that follow, where African-American voters are likely to form a firewall against a Sanders surge, it will be other Democratic voters she will need to worry about.

“This advertisement does something that Senator Sanders said he wouldn’t do”, said Joel Benenson, Ms. Clinton’s chief strategist.

If Sanders can do what Barack Obama did six years ago, by nabbing the newbies and Independents, that might mean Iowa “Feels the Bern” on caucus night and wins. In an interview with CBS in September, Clinton said she “had no interest” in attacking Sanders. “One says it’s OK to take millions [in campaign contributions] from big banks, and then tell them what to do”, Sanders narrated in his spot. “Every analysis shows it’s going to cost middle-class families and working families”.

The Washington Post’s analysis shows at this time in 2008, when Clinton was still up against two strong opponents, she was doing much better nationally than she is now.

“We have differences on guns, on taxes, on healthcare”, Clinton said, “and I think people should have that information before they go to the caucus or the primary”. In all Sanders logged 29 events in Iowa, more than double the amount of Clinton’s appearances. In the survey, 48 percent of Democratic primary voters supported Clinton compared with 41 percent for Sanders.

The former secretary of state also raised the alarm Thursday about what it said was a “surprising” negative ad from Sanders’ team.

But Clinton’s campaign said Sanders, who has said he has never run a negative ad during his political career, had broken his commitment not to engage in negative campaigning.

Later Thursday, Sanders will be in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he will reportedly hold a 6 p.m. news conference to announce what his campaign is describing as “an important endorsement”.