No national journalist has brought more attention to the Flint water contamination crisis than Rachel Maddow, who hosted a recent town hall in the beleaguered former automotive hub. So it wasn’t a surprise to see the MSNBC host ask the candidates about the disaster authored by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s Republican administration.
Both Clinton and Sanders issued strong condemnations of what led to the poisoning of Flint, whose population is mostly black. Clinton said that were she president right now, she would have the federal government intervene. Sanders agreed, and re-issued his call for Snyder to resign. But he capped off his remarks with an odd comment.
“Last point on this, and I suspect the Secretary agrees,” Sanders said. “One wonders if this were a white suburban community, what kind of response there would have been.”
I say it was odd because Clinton said just about the exact same thing when she brought Flint into the last debate unprovoked: “I’ll tell you what, if the kids in a rich suburb of Detroit had been drinking contaminated water and being bathed in it, there would’ve been action.”
I suspect she agrees, too, senator.
Watch the exchange, then view Clinton’s remarks from the earlier debate.