Sen. Claire McCaskill Slams Media Over Bernie Sanders: “He’s a Socialist, Too Liberal”

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, an early and vocal Hillary Clinton supporter, ripped the media over their coverage of Bernie Sanders on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. McCaskill said the media wanted “a fight in the Democratic Party” and was giving Sanders a “pass.”

“I think the media is giving Bernie a pass right now,” McCaskill said. “I very rarely read in any coverage of Bernie that he’s a socialist. I think everybody wants a fight and I think they are not really giving the same scrutiny to Bernie Sanders that they’re giving certainly to Hillary Clinton and the other candidates.”

She outright dismissed the large crowds at his rallies, chocking it up to what she says is a propensity of people to follow “extreme” politicians. McCaskill also said the media “rarely” reports that Sanders is a self-proclaimed socialist. Sanders, an Independent, caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate.

“Well, you know, Rand Paul’s father got massive crowds, Ron Paul,” McCaskill said. “He got the same sized crowds. Pat Buchanan got massive crowds. It’s not unusual for someone who has an extreme message to have a following, and massive is relative.”

McCaskill went on to make an electability argument for Hillary Clinton, arguing that Sanders is “too liberal” to win a national election in the United States. Hillary, McCaskill argued, has solid numbers and is unfairly being overshadowed by Sanders because the media wants drama in the primary.

“Any other candidate that has the numbers that Hillary Clinton has right now would be, you know, talked about as absolutely untouchable and all of a sudden, oh, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie,” McCaskill said. “I think Bernie is too liberal to gather enough votes in this country to become president, and I think Hillary Clinton is going to be a fantastic president. This is somebody who can carry the torch of middle class opportunity without alienating a wide swath of voters by being, frankly, a socialist.”

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MIKA BRZEZINSKI: But what do you make of these massive crowds he’s getting and the impact that could have on Hillary’s message? And they do account for something, don’t they?

McCASKILL: Well, you know, Rand Paul’s father got massive crowds, Ron Paul. He got the same sized crowds. Pat Buchanan got massive crowds. It’s not unusual for someone who has an extreme message to have a following, and massive is relative. I think Hillary had a massive crowd at her announcement. Certainly as large as any crowd that Bernie Sanders has had.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: So you think Bernie Sanders has an extreme message?

McCASKILL: I think Bernie Sanders has a message that’s touching people’s frustration and I totally get that, but so does Hillary Clinton. And she’s got years of experience working in the very same arena, working on behalf of income inequality and middle class values, middle class families, opportunity for college, opportunity for preschool. This is somebody who can carry the torch of middle class opportunity without alienating a wide swath of voters by being, frankly, a socialist.