Sanders draws on pope's message in Dubuque

DUBUQUE, Ia. – With more than 1,500 supporters at his side Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders played to his audience on the campus of a Catholic college.

Standing under an image of Loras College's Duhawk mascot and not far from a large crucifix, the independent senator from Vermont said his message of correcting income inequality, rebuilding the middle class and protecting workers was a perfect fit for the venue. Specifically, he said his plans for a Sanders White House are parallel to the message of Pope Francis, who has admonished politicians to focus more on climate change and the poor.

"Pope Francis is raising these issues all over the world," Sanders said. "And anybody who thinks what I am saying is radical, read what the pope is saying."

Sanders, the only Democrat within reach of frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the polls, has focused his campaign on railing against the ultra-rich, big banks and a political landscape defined by money. At the same time, he's pushing a doubling of the federal minimum wage, universal health care and free college tuition for all.

With classes still out for summer, Loras College junior Rachael Collins traveled to Dubuque for Sanders' rally from her home in the Chicago suburbs.

She said she long considered herself a Clinton fan. But the more she learned about Sanders, the more she came to realize she shared his views, she said. As the only Democrat in her conservative Irish Catholic family, Collins said even some in her family are starting to relate to Sanders' message.

MORE:

Download Iowa Caucuses app

Candidate tracker

Full Iowa Caucus coverage

"I'm going to be a junior in college and I'm already $16,000 in debt. That's a terrifying thought," said Collins, 20. "And for someone to say that's not right — it's monumental."

The Dubuque rally capped off a three-day Iowa swing for Sanders, who spoke earlier Sunday in Marion, Eldridge and Clinton. On the trail Sunday, supporters said the campaign seems to be gaining legitimacy by the day. The latest rolling average of polls from Real Clear Politics puts Sanders' Iowa support at 26.3 percent to Clinton's 50.5 percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers.

"I admire his moxie. People thought he was a joke, but he may beat Hillary Clinton," said John C. Anderson of Silvis, Ill.

Anderson, one of hundreds to attend a Sunday afternoon rally at the Scott County Park in Eldridge, said he has a "visceral reaction" to Clinton. And the more he hears Sanders speak, the more he likes him.

"He's making inroads and people see him as a real candidate, not just a disgruntled socialist," said Anderson, a 70-year-old retiree. "He's a real factor in this election."

At a firefighter union building in Clinton, Sanders met with about 60 supporters, many of them union members. Sanders touted his decades of fighting for working people and said he's voted in line with the AFL-CIO 98 percent of the time. He said trade unions, though constantly under attack by conservatives, are the last line of defense against a "horrendous" corporate agenda. At some point, Sanders said, politicians have to choose whether to back the common man or the elite.

"Which side are you on? Are you on the side of ordinary people struggling to put food on the table, send their kids to college, live with some dignity — or are you on the side of millionaires and billionaires whose greed has no end?" Sanders said. "And once you make that choice, the rest becomes pretty easy. And for me that was not a difficult choice."

Rich Gelhar, a Clinton factory worker and member of the United Steelworkers, said trade unions are under attack.

"We see it every day," he said.

Gelhar, who generally votes Democratic, hasn't known about Sanders for very long. At first, he thought the senator didn't stand a chance at winning the nomination. But he said his odds are "getting better all the time."

"He seems to be saying the stuff that I'm thinking," Gelhar said.

AT THE EVENT

SETTINGS: Scott County Park in Eldridge, firefighter union hall in Clinton, Loras College fieldhouse in Dubuque

CROWDS: More than 500 in Scott County, about 60 in Clinton and about 1,500 in Dubuque.

REACTION: Sanders enjoyed raucous crowds on Sunday. In Dubuque, his speech was often interrupted for applause and some standing ovations. His stump lines on income inequality, climate change and equal pay for women were particularly popular all day.

OTHERSTOPS: Office opening celebration Sunday morning in Marion.

WHAT'S NEXT: Sunday wrapped up a three-day Iowa swing for Sanders. He'll attend a Chicago fundraiser on Monday, with upcoming campaign stops announced for Nevada, South Carolina and New Hampshire.