Bennet (RIGHT) speaks to moderator Lawrence O’Donnell at the Texas Tribune Festival/Photo by Tom Warren

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet was one of a number of presidential candidates appearing in Texas this week, and he used his time on stage to cast his vision for his presidential campaign and to talk about what he sees as the dysfunction in Washington.

In a panel at the 2019 Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Bennet took to the stage to talk about his new book, The Land of Flickering Lights, his time in the U.S. Senate, and why he plans to run for president in 2020. Bennet spent his time on Saturday casting a solutions-based platform for America, Bennet also pitched himself as a swing-state Democrat who knows what it will take to win in 2020, regardless of whether he qualifies for the next presidential debate stage.

“I am the only candidate who has won two national races in a purple swing state in the middle of the country,” Bennet said. “If we’re going to win back the presidency, these are the states we have to win. So, kicking me off the [debate] stage because I’m not a celebrity politician…that’s not a great idea, but that’s what [the DNC] has done.”

Bennet also weighed in on a number of other national issues, saying that he believes U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr “needs to go,” and said that he believes “disruptors” are cause of much of the political friction in Washington today.

For additional details on Bennet’s campaign, visit michaelbennet.com