The Hill News

Democrats have to make a stronger play for working class voters, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) urged Monday.

Sanders, an independent, liberal senator who caucuses with Democrats, said that President Obama and congressional Democrats need to do more to distinguish themselves from Republicans, particularly on issues like trade and taxes.

"The Democrats are going to have to come up with a simple, straightforward message that speaks to working families in this country," Sanders said on the Ed Schultz radio show.

Sanders said he wasn't fully satisfied by the "modest" outsourcing bill advanced last week through Congress, and put pressure on Obama and Democratic leaders to be tougher on trade.

"The president of the United States and the Congress has to be strong on this issue," he said. "The Democrats ... are going to have to be a lot tougher and a lot stronger on this issue."

Democrats have been working on boosting enthusi! asm from their own base to drive turnout for Nov. 2's elections. Obama has headlined "Move America Forward" rallies across the country, particularly to target young voters, minority voters, and first-time voters from 2008 who had helped propel Obama to the White House and congressional Democrats to larger majorities.

Those efforts have led Democrats, this week at least, to profess renewed confidence that they're climbing back into the fight against Republicans, who are within striking distance of winning the 39 seats necessary to take back control of the House.

Sanders said the Democratic enthusiasm would be bolstered by new policies tailored toward the working class.

"We need a strong set of policies that says we believe in fair trade, not unfettered free trade," Sanders said. "Democrats have got to make it very clear that we're for the working class."