Clinton vows to ‘unify’ Dems after big wins

Hillary Clinton vowed to “unify” the Democratic Party in a Tuesday victory speech meant as an olive branch to supporters of rival Bernie Sanders.

Clinton addressed her supporters at the Philadelphia Convention Center after posting victories over Sanders in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. 

{mosads}Sanders won the primary in Rhode Island and might also win in Connecticut, but Clinton is poised to build on her delegate lead and could end the night as the party’s presumptive nominee.

In her victory speech, given just miles from where Democrats will crown their nominee in July, Clinton said she’d bring liberals of all stripes together in the fight against Republicans in the fall.

“With your help we’re going to come back to Philly for the Democratic National Convention with the most votes and the most pledged delegates,” she said. “And we will unify our party to win this election and build an America where we all rise together, where we lift each other up instead of tearing each other down.”

At a rally earlier in the day in West Virginia, Sanders kept the heat on Clinton, saying he’s the more electable candidate in the fall and vowing to make that argument to the super-delegates who have already pledged their support to Clinton.

But Clinton on Tuesday did not once go on the attack against Sanders. Instead, she praised him for bringing renewed focus to issues that energize the liberal base.

It was a clear attempt by Clinton to build a bridge for Sanders supporters to coalesce behind her in the fall.

“I applaud Sen. Sanders and his millions of supporters for challenging us to get money out of our politics and putting greater emphasis on closing the gap on income inequality,” Clinton said. “And I know we will get that done, because whether you support Sen. Sanders or me, there’s much more that unites us than divides us.”

Clinton ticked through all of the areas where she said Democrats are on the same page – repeating over and over again that “we all agree” on income inequality, regulating Wall Street, expanding Social Security, making college affordable, universal healthcare, climate change, and equal rights for women, gay people, minorities, and people with disabilities.

“In this election we’ll have to stand together to work hard and prevail against candidates on the other side who would threaten all those rights and pit Americans against each other,” Clinton said.

Instead of attacking Sanders, Clinton saved most of her fire for GOP front-runner Donald Trump.

Clinton said that “instead of building walls we should be breaking down barriers,” and directly addressed Trump’s remark that she is playing “the woman card.”

“The other day, Trump accused me of playing the woman card,” Clinton said. “Well, if fighting for women’s healthcare and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card, then deal me in.”

This story was updated at 9:54 p.m.