Clinton ally David Brock: Sanders a ‘typical politician’

An ally of Democratic primary front-runner Hillary Clinton on Thursday said her primary rival, Bernie Sanders, is a “typical politician” who has tried to pass himself off as somehow above the political fray.

{mosads}David Brock, who founded the pro-Clinton progressive watchdog group Media Matters and heads the fierce opposition research and rapid response group Correct the Record, said Sanders “needs to be brought back down to Earth.”

“Well, what I mean is, I think that Senator Sanders has portrayed himself as being above politics, and the reality is he isn’t,” Brock said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” 

“This is politics as usual,” he added. “In a lot of ways he’s a typical politician. And I think he’s gotten a pass being able to present himself as something other than that.

“And so I think he needs to be brought back down to Earth and looked at more objectively.”

Brock also said Sanders is incapable of “cementing and building on President Obama’s legacy,” pointing to comments the Vermont senator has made criticizing the president.

“And, you know, there’s quite a treasure trove of statements from Senator Sanders that indicate that he’s had, you know, serious issues, serious reservations about President Obama — wanted to, in fact suggested, primary challenging him in 2012,” he said.

The comments come after several key Democratic players told The Hill they are worried about Brock’s hardball tactics to get Clinton elected.

“I have heard people express concern that what he does could be harmful generally” to the Clinton campaign, one donor told The Hill. 

“He rubs people up the wrong way,” another mega-donor to the Clinton campaign added.

Others offered praise for Brock, calling him a realist in an election that will play an outsized role in deciding America’s future.