Bernie Sanders' senior campaign adviser Larry Cohen wasn't happy about President Barack Obama's remarks to POLITICO. | Getty Top Sanders surrogate fires back at Obama

One of Bernie Sanders' top advisers fired back at President Barack Obama's remarks about the state of the 2016 presidential race, saying that the president's characterization to POLITICO that Hillary Clinton stands at a disadvantage in contrast to a "bright, shiny object that people ... haven't seen before" sounds awfully familiar.

"Well, I think that’s the parallel to his own journey eight years ago, and I was actually supporting him then, that he offered hope," senior campaign adviser Larry Cohen, a former labor leader, told CNN. "And I think Bernie and actually all of the Democratic candidates are about a positive vision of the future. Bernie’s is about change, not just continuity in the similar way that then-Sen. Obama was talking about change. And Bernie’s talking about, why can’t we have higher education that doesn’t leave our kids burdened with ridiculous debt? And why can’t we have Medicare for all? And why can’t we, even though the path would be difficult, imagine a country where people are working and they’re looking forward to a better America?"


Cohen remarked that in selecting her as secretary of state, the president "made a political decision after that election to unite with that part of the Democratic Party."

"And I would say to him, with all due respect, Mr. President, the same kind of change that you had hoped to work for, Bernie is trying to continue on that path, not go back to the 1990s of President Clinton," he said.

Cohen agreed at minimum with the CNN anchors' conclusion that Obama's interview amounted to praise of Clinton at Sanders' expense.

“Well, yeah, I see it minimally that way. And to be expected. And to be expected that the Cabinet members that served with her are mostly supporting her," he said, referring to other White House officials supporting her bid. "As Bernie puts it, the political establishment, and it doesn’t mean they’re bad — the political establishment is supporting continuity. Bernie is saying to millions of Americans, and that’s where the energy is coming from, that we can work for change. It’s not simple, it won’t be just ‘elect me,’ it’ll be that we have to work for change on city councils, on state legislatures, and everything up and down the scale. But that together, we can create a new populist moment in this country.”

