Bernie Sanders draws boisterous D.M. crowd of 700-plus

A boisterous crowd of more than 700 applauded presidential candidate Bernie Sanders more times than there were minutes in his speech Friday night.

The Vermont U.S. senator, an independent who is running for the Democratic nomination, spoke for a little more than an hour and answered questions for about 30 minutes at Drake University's Sheslow Auditorium.

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Sanders continues his streak of attracting large, loud crowds in Iowa. The audience of mostly professionals and older adults, mixed with some college-age and younger attendees, rewarded him with applause more than 100 times.

Sanders stuck with his main campaign topics of income inequality, climate change, free tuition and police brutality. He also touched on trade.

Here are some of Sanders' remarks that garnered the most applause:

1. On income inequality and gender inequality in pay: "Today, in my mind, the most significant issue from a moral perspective, from a political perspective and from an economic perspective is the grotesque level of inequality... A living wage should not only be fair, it should be equitable. That is why we must establish pay equity for women workers."

2. On paid vacation leave, sick time and maternity leave: "In recent years, there have been millions of women giving birth and unable to spend time with their newborn babies because they did not have the income, and they had to go back to work. Family values is not telling a woman that she can't spend time with a baby because she does not have enough money."

3. On the very wealthy: "There is something profoundly wrong when the top one-tenth of 1 percent owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent."

4. On trade policies: "It's not a sexy issue, but it is enormous. ...Our trade policies over the last 40 years ... have been a disaster. Since 2001, we have lost some 60,000 factories in this country and millions of decent-paying jobs. Trade isn't the only reason for those losses, but it is the major reason." He also said: "The House has put a kibosh on the Trans Pacific (Partnership). TPP is a continuation of these disastrous trade policies. Today, the good side won."

5. "If elected president, I will not (allow) any justice in the Supreme Court who is not prepared to be loud and clear in telling the American people ... to vote to overturn ... Citizens United," the 2010 ruling that gave corporations and unions free rein to spend unlimited amounts to call for a candidate's election or defeat.

About Sanders' visit

SETTING: Sheslow Auditorium, Drake University

CROWD: More than 700 people filled Sheslow Auditorium, not counting the 25 or so members of the media.

REACTION: The crowd applauded and shouted after Sanders brought up his main campaign themes. Many in the audience attempted to shake Sanders' hand after the almost hour-and-a-half appearance.

WHAT'S NEXT: This was the kickoff event of a three-day Iowa swing. He visits Marshalltown and Cedar Rapids on Saturday, and Waterloo, Iowa Falls and Indianola on Sunday.