CNN reported Saturday that Hillary Clinton's campaign was working the spin room hard to explain her remarks invoking the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to defend her ties to Wall Street.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) ripped Clinton's connections with the financial industry during the debate, and Clinton's response surprised and upset many observers, complaining Sanders had impugned her integrity.
"I represented New York and I represented New York on 9/11 when we were attacked. Where were we attacked? We were attacked in downtown Manhattan where Wall Street is," she said. "I did spend a whole lot of time and effort helping them rebuild. That was good for New York, it was good for the economy and it was a way to rebuke the terrorists who had attacked our country. So it's fine for you to say what you're going to say ... my proposal is tougher, more effective and more comprehensive because I go after all of Wall Street, not just the big banks."
CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked if the campaign needed to do some "cleanup" over the remarks.
"Are they doing some cleanup right now, the Hillary Clinton campaign, on this specific issue, her use of 9/11 to justify the support she's apparently given, if you listen to Bernie Sanders, to Wall Street?" Blitzer asked.
"They are, Wolf," correspondent Brianna Keilar said. "Her communications director, Jen Palmieri, working the room right now, surrounded by a lot of reporters behind me. This is the issue that she's tackling, so the campaign is obviously aware this was the weak spot for her. Palmieri saying, basically, that Hillary Clinton was trying to explain why she's had some favor from Wall Street, and she was proud to stand with the Wall Street community following 9/11.
"Of course, that's not exactly how it came out of Hillary Clinton's mouth when she was explaining this, and I think there's an awareness by the campaign that there was some awkwardness on that, certainly as we see some of the criticism following what she said."