Sen. Michael Bennet this week said it’s time for a “new generation” of leadership and that he doesn’t think former Vice President Joseph R. Biden necessarily falls into that category.
“No, I don’t think so,” the 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful said when asked if Mr. Biden represents the future.
“It’s time for a new generation of leadership,” Mr. Bennet, Colorado Democrat, said Wednesday in an interview for PBS’s “NewsHour.” “And I’m not surprised that he’s leading in the polls, because he has more name recognition certainly than I do.”
Mr. Bennet said he thought there was room to get in the race because he thought the American people needed somebody “who would tell them the truth.”
Unlike other candidates, Mr. Bennet has not embraced a “Medicare-for-All” universal health care plan, instead pitching a public buy-in option called Medicare X.
“I think the successful candidate in the Democratic Party — and I expect that it will be me — will be somebody who levels with the American people through the primary into a general election,” he said.
“That may sound naive, but I think the American people … are tired of this game of pandering at the beginning and then finding your way later,” the senator continued. “I think they’re going to nominate somebody who tells them how hard this is going to be and what we need to do together to get there.”
Mr. Bennet’s comments came before Mr. Biden flipped and said Thursday that he was dropping his longtime support for the Hyde Amendment, which generally bans federal money from being used to fund abortions, amid pressure from the left and abortion rights groups.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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