US presidential elections: Bernie Sanders challenges Hillary Clinton's view on outsourcing

Sanders dug out an old TV interview in which Clinton is seeing saying that "outsourcing" is part of India-US economic ties

Democratic presidential aspirant Bernie Sanders has challenged his party's front-runner Hillary Clinton's view on outsourcing by digging out her four-year-old interview to an Indian TV news channel in which she is seeing saying that "outsourcing" is part of India-US economic ties.

"Well, you know, it's been going on for many years now and it's part of our economic relationship with India," Clinton told the Indian news channel on May 7, 2012.

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The interview video along with the relevant transcripts was distributed to media yesterday by the Sanders Campaign.

"This new video shows Secretary Clinton says different things to different audiences about outsourcing," said Jeff Weaver, Bernie 2016 campaign manager.

"In the US she condemns it but when she's in India she says it has benefitted many parts of our country. Secretary Clinton should explain to the people of Michigan how they have benefited from the outsourcing of their manufacturing jobs," Weaver said.

Asserting that the former Secretary of State is the only candidate in this race with a comprehensive agenda to create jobs, the Clinton campaign said Sanders should tell voters how he will create manufacturing jobs and grow the economy.

"It's no longer a surprise but it's still disappointing that Bernie Sanders campaign would attack President Obama's policies, and attack Hillary Clinton for defending his agenda as Secretary of State," Jesse Ferguson, deputy national press secretary of the Clinton Campaign, said.

"Clinton is the only candidate in this race with a comprehensive agenda to create jobs, revitalise manufacturing communities, and break down barriers for small businesses to start and grow," she said.

"Rather than attacks on the past, Senator Sanders should tell Michigan voters how he will create manufacturing jobs and grow our economy," Ferguson said in response to a question.

In a statement, Sanders campaign alleged Clinton's remarks to the Indian audience stand in stark contrast to her comments here in the United States denouncing outsourcing.

"I think that there are advantages with it that have certainly benefited many parts of our country and there are disadvantages that go to the need to, you know, improve the job skills of our own people and create a better economic environment, so it's, like anything it's, you know, got pluses and minuses," Clinton had told the channel.

Weaver said given the Clinton's long history of supporting job-crushing trade deals it's not a surprise she thinks there are 'pluses' to outsourcing.

"But to go abroad and just describe it 'as part of our economic relationship with India' is disturbing when so many communities like Detroit and Flint that have been hurt so badly by outsourcing. America workers need a president they can trust to protect their jobs," he said.

Weaver said the video shows why voters should be allowed to see the transcripts of Clinton's secret paid speeches.

"If she's willing to say positive things about outsourcing when she knows she's on film in India, we can only imagine what she told Goldman Sachs, foreign banking interests, drug companies and other corporate interests in those closed-door speeches she was paid millions to give. Voters deserve to see them," Weaver said.