Hillary Clinton, Sanders turn spiky ahead of New York primary

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes a selfie with supporters at a rally at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday. (Photo: AFP)

Hillary Clinton, stung by a string of losses, is testing a new line of attack against rival Bernie Sanders ahead of New York’s Democratic primary — sharply questioning his credentials and suggesting he lacks expertise to implement his campaign pledge to break up big banks.

Meanwhile, a Super PAC, an outside funding group, supporting Ms Clinton’s presidential bid, has circulated comparisons between Mr Sanders and divisive Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

The two-pronged attack, ahead of New York’s nominating contests on April 19, focused on Mr Sanders’ wide-ranging and policy-heavy interview with the New York Daily News.

The Super PAC, Correct the Record, circulated a mash-up of television pundits criticising Mr Sanders’ perceived missteps in the interview, quoting one calling it “almost Trumpian”.

In an email to supporters, a senior Clinton campaign aide said “even on his signature issue of breaking up the banks” Mr Sanders had been “unable to answer basic questions”. The email included a transcript of the full interview.

“If you are going to be a single-issue candidate, at least know your single issue,” Ms Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said on Twitter.

“After reading the NYDN interview today, I feel like someone should ask HOW after every one of these declarative sentences in Sanders stump,” spokes-man Jesse Ferguson posted Tuesday on Twitter.

Mr Sanders has made reducing income inequality and breaking up “too-big-to-fail” banks central to his presidential campaign, blasting Ms Clinton for money she received for speeches to banks and accusing her of being too closely tied to the financial industry.

The escalating tension between the two candidates, who for months refrained from criticising one another outright, comes after Mr Sanders took Wisconsin on Tues-day to notch six of the last seven contests for the Democratic nomination.

Buoyed by his win in the crucial Wisconsin primary, Mr Sanders has escalated his attack on front-runner Hillary Clinton, saying she is not qualified to be the US President as the two presidential aspirants engaged in a verbal duel.

Ms Clinton, 68, said she is unsure that the Verm-ont senator is a Democrat, a day after Mr Sanders, 74, defeated her in Wisconsin primary. Mr Sanders on the other hand alleged th-at Ms Clinton is not qualified to be the President.

“Secretary Clinton appe-ars to be getting a little bit nervous. She has been saying lately that she thinks that I am ‘not qualified’ to be the President,” he told his supporters at a campaign rally in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, a day after losing Wisconsin, Ms Clinton unleashed a blistering critique of China while campaigning in blue-collar Pennsylvania, warning the Asian giant must “toe the line” if she becomes the President.

The eastern US state, where organised labour is an influential force, hosts its presidential primaries on April 26.

“China illegally dumps cheap products in our markets, steals our trade secrets, plays games with their currency, gives unfair advantages to state-owned-enterprises and discriminates against American companies,” she said on Wednesday. “We will throw the book at China for their illegal actions.”