Hillary Clinton Slams Bernie Sanders On Gun Control Record
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Hillary Clinton is attacking her opponent's record on stronger gun laws, highlighting Bernie Sanders' position against tougher comprehensive background checks for gun buyers, and in favor of immunity for gun manufacturers whose weapons are used in violence.
COMPLETE CAMPAIGN 2016 COVERAGE
She even blamed Sanders' home state for much of the gun violence in New York, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported.
"And the state that has the highest per capita number of those guns that end up committing crimes in New York, come from Vermont," she told voters.
Clinton was applauded as she called for tougher, more sensible gun laws and painted her opponent as someone not willing to lead the way.
PHOTOS: Clinton Campaigns In Queens, Appears On Long Island
Sanders has cited his background as a senator from Vermont as the reason for some of his votes against gun control measures, saying that rural states have a different relationship to guns.
Clinton said: "This is not, 'Oh, I live in a rural state, we don't have any of those problems.' You know what, it's easy to cross borders.''
She added that people who are "dangerously mentally ill, they cross borders too and sometimes they do it to get the guns they use.''
Clinton made the comments Monday during a panel discussion on gun violence in the Landmark Theater in Port Washington.
The panel included women who lost loved ones to gun violence, much of which Clinton said could have been prevented with stronger background checks and closing loopholes.
"What the gun lobby has done is to block every possible avenue to doing that," Clinton said. "What stands in the way is the most powerful lobby in Washington."
The message resonated with many audience members and panelists.
"To be honest with you, I was a little bit indecisive between her and Bernie, and the approach she has toward gun control really is making me lean a lot more toward her than I did before," said Arlette Landers of Port Washington.
"I was an undecided voter before, I but am I with her now," said panelist Natasha Christopher, whose teenage son was shot and killed in Brooklyn four years ago.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
