CNN, NEW YORK.
>>> SINGER-SONGWRITER CLAY AIKEN
RAN FOR A CONGRESSIONAL SPOT IN 
2013 AND NOW HE'S ACTIVELY 
SUPPORTING BERNIE SANDERS.
LAST MONTH YOU DECLARED YOUR 
SUPPORT FOR BERNIE SANDERS.
YOU WROTE THIS ARTICLE.
YOU SAID YOU LIKE HILLARY 
CLINTON AND EXPECT SHE WILL GET 
THE PARTY NOMINATION AND WROTE I
THINK SHE'S MORE QUALIFIED THAN 
ANYBODY IN DECADES, I JUST WISH 
SHE COULD EMBRACE SOME OF THE 
MORE PROGRESSIVE IDEALS SENATOR 
SANDERS WROTE ABOUT.
SHE NEEDS TO LEARN FROM THE 
BERN.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF REAL 
ANGER DIRECTED TOWARDS HILLARY 
CLINTON.
>> I'M A DEMOCRAT FIRST AND I 
THINK THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE IS 
WHO I WANT TO SEE IN THE WHITE 
HOUSE IN JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO 
SUPPORT BERNIE SANDERS, AND I'M 
ONE OF THEM TO SOME DEGREE, 
APPRECIATE THAT HE'S MORE 
WILLING TO DO THINGS AND SAY 
THINGS THAT NORMAL POLITICIANS 
WILL NOT DO.
HE DIDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE 
HILLARY CLINTON EMAIL SCANDAL, 
WHICH A LOT OF SEASONED 
POLITICIANS WOULD DO.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO 
SUPPORT HIM APPRECIATE THAT 
ABOUT HIM.
WHEN HILLARY CLINTON HAS, UP 
UNTIL NOW, USED SOMEWHAT TYPICAL
POLITICAL ATTACKS, SAYING HE'S 
RUNNING ONE OF THE MOST NEGATIVE
CAMPAIGNS IN -- I DON'T KNOW 
WHERE SHE WAS IN 2008 BUT THAT 
WAS PRETTY NASTY.
I THINK THAT PROBABLY UPSETS 
PEOPLE WHO ARE BERNIE SANDERS 
SUPPORTERS.
>> DOES IT WORRY YOU THAT THE 
RACE HAS ESCALATED IN THE 
NASTINESS WITH THE ATTACKS.
IT'S HAPPENED REALLY QUICKLY.
COULD THIS HURT THE PARTY IN THE
LONG RUN?
>> PROBABLY NOT WHEN YOU LOOK IN
COMPARISON ON THE REPUBLICAN 
SIDE.
WE STILL LOOK QUITE TAME 
COMPARED TO THAT CIRCUS.
THAT SAID,IUM AR I'M A BERNIE S 
SUPPORTER WHO SAYS I DON'T THINK
IT WAS THE MOST RESPONSIBLE MOVE
TO SAY SHE'S NOT QUALIFIED.
SHE CERTAIN LAE IS, I BELIEVE, 
STILL THE MOST QUALIFIED.
IT SHOULD BE UP TO THE SUPER 
DELEGATES TO DECIDE WHEN THEY 
SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT THEM TO.
I'D LIKE TO SEE HIM GET 
CONCESSIONS OUT OF THE PLATFORM 
COMMITTEE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO 
HAVE IT AS PART OF THE 
DISCUSSION.
>> IT IS GETTING FEISTY OUT 
THERE.
AND THERE WAS A HEATED EXCHANGE 
WITH A PROTESTER FROM THE BLACK 
LIVES MOVEMENT.
THEY'RE MAD ABOUT A CRIME BILL 
THAT HE WROTE.
LET'S LISTEN TO THAT EXCHANGE.
>> I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD 
CHARACTERIZE GANG LEADERS WHO 
GOT KIDS HUFFED UP ON CRACK AND 
ON TO THE STREET KILL OTHER 
AFRICAN AMERICANS.
MAYBE YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE GOOD
CITIZENS.
SHE DIDN'T.
>> WE HAVEN'T SEEN BILL CLINTON 
FOR A LONG TIME.
DOES THIS HURT?
>> I DON'T THINK IT DOES.
I JUST CAME FROM THE IDLE 
FINALE.
THAT REMINDS YOU ABOUT THE 
SPIRIT OF COMPETITION, IN A WAY 
AND THE CLOSER YOU GET TO 
WINNING, THE MORE DESPERATE YOU 
BECOME.
FOR BERNIE SANDERS, HE'S GOTTEN 
FURTHER THAN I THINK HE 
EXPECTED.
FOR HILLARY CLINTON, SHE'S 
FINDING HERSELF IN A RACE CLOSER
THAN SHE EVER PLANNED.
SO, WE'RE SEEING HER GET 
FRUSTRATED.
CERTAINLY BILL CLINTON IS 
GETTING FRUSTRATED AT HOW MUCH 
OF A FIGHT BERNIE SANDERS AND 
HIS SUPPORTERS ARE PUTTING UP.
HE PROBABLY GOT FRUSTRATED THAT 
HERE WE ARE IN MID TO LATE APRIL
AND HILLARY CLINTON HASN'T 
WRAPPED UP.
>> THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE 
RESTING, RAISING MONEY FOR THE 
GENERAL ELECTION AND YET, BERNIE
SANDERS IS HANGING IN THERE.
>> AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT 
FOR SECRETARY CLINTON TO 
CONTINUE TO ADDRESS IS THAT 
THERE IS A FACTION AND A PART OF
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT WANTS 
THESE PROGRESSIVE IDEALS 
EMBRACED AND WANTS HER TO MOVE 
TO THE LEFT ON TRADE, LIKE SHE 
DID IN THE WAKE OF MICHIGAN.
I THINK SHE NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO
EMBRACE THAT.
I THINK ATTACKING BERNIE SANDERS
AT THIS POINT IS PROBABLY NOT 
RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE SHE'S
