KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Sen. Bernie Sanders stumped in front of a large crowd of predominantly younger people at Western Michigan University for Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton on Wednesday.
Sanders was introduced by Paul Clements, the Kalamazoo-based Western Michigan University professor hoping to unseat Congressman Fred Upton. Clements received an endorsement from Sanders during his campaign.
Clinton’s former rival, who attempted to quell fears among progressives about Clinton not following the party’s platform if she were to be elected, dusted off some of his strongest attack lines from his run against Clinton.
“We’re not going back to more tax breaks for billionaires and cuts to programs for working people,” Sanders said.
Sanders also touted elements of the Democratic platform lifted from his presidential campaign.
“We need to raise the minimum wage to a living minimum wage,” Sanders said. “In my view, $15 an hour.”
One element of the platform, again lifted from Sanders’ run for the presidency, got full attention from the crowd and received one of longest amounts of sustained applause during the nearly hour-long speech.
“When we talk about pubic education today, it must mean making public colleges and universities tuition-free,” Sanders said.
Sanders, who, at times, sounded like he, not Clinton, was running for the presidency, also pledged the possibility of campaign finance reform under a Clinton, saying she would appoint Supreme Court judges who would view the Citizens United ruling unfavorably.
But the Vermont independent underlined to the partisan crowd at Miller Auditorium that none of that will happen if Donald Trump were elected next Tuesday. He said, if voter turnout is high, Clinton will win the election.
During his campaign, Sanders spoke in front of a crowd of 3,200 people at Wings Event Center. That stump speech occurred on March 7, just a day before he upset Clinton during Michigan’s primary.
On Monday, pop legend Cher visited the WMU campus to campaign for Clinton.
