Sanders meets with President Obama ahead of Iowa caucuses

After a private meeting at the White House, Sen.

Bernie Sanders had a rare Oval Office meeting on Wednesday with President Barack Obama, just days after Obama praised Hillary Clinton, Sanders’ rival and the front-runner in the race to become the Democratic presidential candidate.

I’ve read, seen and heard many Obama interviews over the past eight years, but I don’t believe I’ve ever heard him this relaxed and reflective.

On Wednesday night, an emotional actress Susan Sarandon took the stage at Music Man Square in Mason City to introduce friend and current Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

“There was some discussion the other day about a Politico interview where he (Obama) was tipping the scales towards Secretary Clinton”, Sanders told reporters after the 45-minute meeting.

Mr Sanders said he expected the president to continue to be “fair and even-handed”. “If not, I think we’re going to be struggling”, he noted.

Clinton said on Wednesday that she was “anxious” to debate more.

Clinton’s push for more debates signals her deficit in New Hampshire against Sanders, who has represented neighboring Vermont in Congress for more than two decades.

It was the first extended conversation between the two since Sanders launched an unexpectedly strong challenge to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. Both O’Malley and Sanders have blasted the DNC for limiting the number of the debates and scheduling them during inconvenient viewing times, such as Saturday nights.

The degree to which Sanders has energized and inspired voters “will be critical to the success of Democrats up and down the ballot, whether Sen. And I hope we can get this done”.

On Tuesday, Sanders put a hold on Obama’s nominee for the Food and Drug Administration, claiming the nominee is too close to the pharmaceutical industry.

“No, of course not”, Sanders said when asked if he asked for Obama’s endorsement.

Sanders also discussed Monday’s Iowa caucuses, saying his campaign is “feeling really good about where we are”, but that in the end “what the Iowa campaign ends up being about is one word, and that is turnout”.

“We were disappointed but not surprised that Secretary Clinton has made a decision to broadcast a television ad in Iowa that completely distorts my record”, Sanders said in a statement.