The omission went unnoticed by the 700-person audience. | Getty Sanders drops line attacking super PACs from speech after super PAC backs him

Bernie Sanders’ disapproval of super PACs is a stand-by theme in his stump speech, and it’s a concept that was included in the prepared remarks of his much-anticipated speech on democratic socialism on Thursday.

But the pre-written line went missing on Thursday, as Sanders — with two TelePrompTers standing before him — skipped straight from a passage about mandatory voter registration to a line-by-line explanation of the differences between his own ideology and the socialism people commonly think of.


“It is unacceptable that we have a corrupt campaign finance system which allows millionaires, billionaires and large corporations to contribute as much as they want to super PACs to elect candidates who will represent their special interests,” Sanders’ was expected to say during his address at Georgetown University. “We must overturn Citizens United and move to public funding of elections."

The omission of that line went unnoticed by the 700-person audience, but it comes at a noteworthy time for Sanders: one day after the Sunlight Foundation noted that the National Nurses United union was using its affiliated super PAC to back Sanders with nearly $570,000.

Sanders did allude to the groups earlier in his speech, saying "Super PACs funded by billionaires buy elections," but the omitted line was slated to be his longest look at the issue.

After that report surfaced, Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver told CNN, “We have not started a super PAC, are not coordinating with a super PAC, and have not fundraised for a super PAC."

Sanders’ communications director did not respond to a POLITICO request for comment on Thursday.