Sanders shames Disney a block away from Disneyland amid California swing

Just a block down the street from Disneyland, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called out the heads of the Walt Disney Company for their corporate greed.

‘I’m probably the only politician to come to Anaheim and say this,’ Sanders told a boisterous crowd gathered Tuesday morning at the Anaheim Convention Center, before going on a tirade about Disneyland employees’ working conditions.

‘Is anybody making  a living wage at Disney?’ Sanders said, surveying his crowd, to which he received a chorus of noes.

The Vermont senator, who is fighting for his political life in California before the state’s June 7 primary, noted that employees of the popular amusement park ‘are forced to live in motels, because they can’t afford a place to live.’  

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Sen. Bernie Sanders used his Anaheim rally's proximity to Disneyland to shame the corporation for its corporate greed 

Sen. Bernie Sanders used his Anaheim rally’s proximity to Disneyland to shame the corporation for its corporate greed

Bernie Sanders' first rally today was just a block down from the Disneyland Resort, which the Vermont senator chided for paying low wages and high CEO pay 

Bernie Sanders’ first rally today was just a block down from the Disneyland Resort, which the Vermont senator chided for paying low wages and high CEO pay

Sen. Bernie Sanders is fighting for his political life, hoping that a big win in California can keep his campaign rolling onto the Democratic National Convention 

Sen. Bernie Sanders is fighting for his political life, hoping that a big win in California can keep his campaign rolling onto the Democratic National Convention

Sanders broadened his point to the other coast as well, noting how employees at Disneyland’s sister park, Disney World, trained foreign workers coming in on H-1B visas, before they were all laid off.

‘Meanwhile, the CEO of Disney made $46.5 million in total compensation,’ the Vermont senator said.

He talked about how the many t-shirts and souvenirs sold at the Disney theme stores weren’t made in America, but made in China, and suggested the company should reinvest in the United States by reopening factories here.

‘Poverty is not discussed in Congress, not discussed in the media,’ Sanders said at another point.

Sanders wrapped his point into an attack on the corporate media as well.

‘Let me make a prediction that that statement won’t appear on ABC tonight,’ Sanders said, pointing out that Disney owns ABC News.

Disney snapped back at Sanders attack with Suzi Brown, a spokeswoman for Disneyland, saying the senator ‘clearly doesn’t have his facts right.’

‘The Disneyland Resort generates more than $5.7 billion annually for the local economy, and as the area’s largest employer has added more than 11,000 jobs over the last decade, a 65 percent increase,’ she continued.

‘These numbers don’t take into account our $1 billion expansion to add a Star Wars-themed land, which will create thousands of additional jobs across multiple sectors,’ she added.

An audience member in Anaheim, California holds up a Bernie Sanders muppet while supporters wait for the Vermont senator to start another day of his Southern California swing 

An audience member in Anaheim, California holds up a Bernie Sanders muppet while supporters wait for the Vermont senator to start another day of his Southern California swing

Sanders was echoing his opening act, The Young Turks host and co-creator Cenk Uygur, who railed against the reporters standing in the back.

Uygur called out his media brethren for reporting that Hillary Clinton is the strongest candidate to go up against the Republicans’ presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

The Young Turks host read off some of the recent polls that showed Trump ahead of Clinton in the general election race.

‘Embarrassing!’ yelled one excited member of the crowd.

Sanders, in these head-to-head match-ups would beat Trump, Uygur pointed out.

‘But only by 15 points!’ the host joked.

The Sanders campaign has used general election match-ups for months to make their case against Clinton, who has an almost insurmountable lead in the pledged delegate count.

Sanders, consistently, has out-performed Clinton against Trump, though Clinton has usually still beaten the billionaire.

This week, however, polling started to show Trump overtaking Clinton in some of these match-ups, making team Sanders make the case even more loudly.

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