Warren, Sanders voice progressive unease with Obama's Wall Street speech
Politics
Warren, Sanders voice progressive unease with Obama’s Wall Street speech
U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are not happy about reports that former President Barack Obama will be paid $400,000 to speak at a September health care conference put on by the Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Warren said Thursday on SiriusXM’s “Alter Family Politics” program that she is concerned about the overall influence of money in politics. Sanders, a fierce Wall Street critic, described Obama as a friend and said he represented the United States with intelligence and integrity. But he also said he wishes the Democratic leader had passed on the offer.
I think at a time when people are so frustrated with the power of Wall Street and the big money interests, I think it is unfortunate that President Obama is doing this.
Bernie Sanders
Sanders’ distrust of politicians receiving what he considers exorbitant paychecks for speaking to major investment banks is well known. He relentlessly criticized former rival Hillary Clinton for her speeches to Goldman Sachs when they were vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination last year. Amid criticism from many on the left for accepting the speaking fee, Obama spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement that the Democratic former president accepted the invitation to speak because health care is “an issue of great importance to him.” He added that Obama implemented financial reforms even after taking money from Wall Street as a candidate in 2008.
