The legacy of Bill Clinton took center stage as the Democratic Party's two presidential candidates made their case to African-American voters during a town hall special that aired Sunday on "BET."
In two separate interviews, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton each discussed issues related to criminal justice and poverty while touting their records of helping the black community.
Sanders told BET host and CNN contributor Marc Lamont Hill that he opposed the 1996 welfare reform bill signed by former President Clinton, calling it "an attack, by and large, on low income African-Americans."
"Not only did I vote against it, but I spoke out strongly against it," Sanders told Hill.
Sanders sounded a plaintive note when discussing why the Clinton administration supported measures that many progressives consider abhorrent.
"The answer is, sadly, there are elements of the Democratic Party, historically, that have worked too closely with the big money interests that have made the agreements that were really not in the best interest of the constituents who supported them," Sanders said.