Sanders meets with Obama, says president will remain neutral in primary race

After the 45-minute meeting, Sanders said Obama has been “even-handed” in publicly staying neutral in the long drawn out campaign, even though USA political analysts have long assumed the president favors Clinton’s nomination as the Democratic candidate.

Maddow – who earlier this year hosted a Democratic forum in SC attended by Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley – has been rabble rousing when she’s interviewed the candidates on her show.

In New Hampshire, Sanders has increased his lead among likely Democratic primary voters, now besting the former secretary of state 57 percent to 38 percent.

Sanders is trying to upset Clinton in Iowa, where her advantage has narrowed in recent, weeks and then take advantage of his edge in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary on February 9.

“I enjoyed the meeting and I thought it was a very positive and constructive meeting”.

The Vermont senator said the caucuses on Monday will be decided by how big voter turnout is and seemed to downplay expectations about the final result. “And I think the (Democratic National Committee) and the campaigns should be able to work this out”.

The Sanders campaign released a statement Wednesday proposing three debates in addition to the last-minute contest on February 4.

Clinton’s lead is down from 22 points just one month ago.

“Sanders will change his mind and join us”, Clinton told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews in a phone interview.

Days before the vote in Iowa, Sanders met with President Obama at the White House Wednesday for talks on foreign policy and the economy.

Spokesmen for Clinton and Sanders did not respond to emails asking if the two campaigns were now in agreement.

“She (Clinton) can govern, and she can start here, day one, more experienced than any non-vice president has ever been who aspires to this office”, said Obama, a remark widely interpreted by observers as a tacit endorsement of Clinton. I like debating. And I think it was important that my supporters, leaders in New Hampshire, said they wanted a debate. We disagree over the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

“We will win if the turnout is large”, Sanders said at a Bloomberg Politics breakfast in Des Moines.