Sanders aims to boost vulnerable Democrats in US tour

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders kicked off an eight-state tour in Oregon on Thursday by talking about abortion, but honed in on a topic some Democratic candidates have largely avoided on the campaign trail: The economy.  

The tour is an effort to energize young voters and shore up support for vulnerable Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections. Other planned stops for Sanders include California and the battleground states of Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.  

“This is the most important midterm election in the modern history of our country,” Sanders told the crowd of hundreds of people gathered at downtown Portland's Roseland Theater.  

He criticized the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned the right to abortion, and then turned to the talking points he's been urging Democratic candidates to take up for months, including the nation's wealth inequality; fears that a Republican-controlled Congress may cut Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare; and the way that high corporate profits in the oil, food and prescription drug industries may be fueling inflation.