PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Armed with a blistering tabloid cover, Hillary Clinton is pitting Bernie Sanders against the parents of children murdered in Sandy Hook, part of an effort to punch her way into the critical New York primary.
The inflammatory rhetoric underscores the importance of the New York contest on April 19 to her campaign and the mounting frustration of Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, with the lingering primary battle.
That irritation spilled out in public arena on Wednesday, when Clinton released a flurry of attacks on Sanders, questioning his truthfulness, preparedness for the presidency and loyalty to Democratic party principles.
During an appearance on MSNBC Wednesday morning, Clinton pointed to the cover of the New York Daily News criticizing Sanders for saying he did not think victims of a gun crime should be able to sue the manufacturer. His comments came when the newspaper’s editorial board asked him about a wrongful death lawsuit against a rifle maker over the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
“That he would place gun manufacturers’ rights and immunity from liability against the parents of the children killed at Sandy Hook is just unimaginable to me,” said Clinton, who has long sought to highlight the candidates’ differences on guns.