Bloomberg co-hosts Mark Halperin and John Heilemann said Tuesday that Hillary Clinton’s "disingenuous" attacks against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) were a sign of weakness in important primary states.
"They’re trying to attack Bernie Sanders from the left on health care. He supports single-payer. I’m stunned by the whole thing," Halperin said.
Clinton and her campaign proxies have lobbed rhetorical grenades at Sanders in recent days, attacking the socialist senator before hotly contested early primaries. In the past, Clinton has savaged Sanders for opposing gun control. Now, she is attacking him on issues where his liberal credentials are well-established.
"If that’s the kind of revolution he is talking about, I am worried folks," Clinton said to an Iowa audience while discussing Sanders’ positions on health care and Wall Street.
Stumping for her mother in New Hampshire, Chelsea Clinton said that Sanders wanted to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and other federal health entitlements.
"I never thought that I would be arguing about the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare in the Democratic primary," Clinton said. "Senator Sanders wants to dismantle Obamacare, dismantle the CHIP program, dismantle Medicare and private insurance."
While it is true that Sanders supports a government takeover of the health insurance sector, which would replace existing health programs, Clinton seemed to imply that Sanders would boot individuals off their insurance with no alternative.
Heilemann said these attacks amounted to a smear.
"It’s just so disingenuous. They’re arguing that what he wants to do is strip away health care from people," Heilemann said. "It’s just a lie."
Halperin said the campaign’s ferocious rhetoric was a sign Clinton was slipping behind in New Hampshire and Iowa.
"They clearly are threatened in both states," Halperin said.