CHARLESTON, S.C. In their final debate before the Iowa caucuses, the gloves came off between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
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Sanders and Clinton sparred, sometimes intensely, over plans for universal health care, guns, battling Islamic State extremists and reining in Wall Street.
Clinton has also criticized Sanders’ universal health care plan, arguing that his proposal would undercut President Barack Obama’s signature health care law and suggesting a tax increase on the middle class might be required to pay for it. The Democratic candidates also spent several minutes sparring over their plans to build upon or revise the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.
“And President Obama has led our country out of the Great Recession”, Clinton said. Isaac Chotiner at Slate, however, declares her the victor, praising her ability to bring Sanders “to earth and seem like just another politician”.
And Clinton made an all-purpose case for her leadership and her ability win the White House, saying, “We need a president who can do all aspects of the job”. “But we are going to move on top of that to a Medicare-for- all system”. “We’re going to go forward”.
“He has voted with the NRA (National Rifle Association), with the gun lobby numerous times”, she said, highlighting his votes against legislation that mandated background checks for gun sales.
Sanders, after pointing out that she had not answered the question, said that his plan would provide health care for all as a right.
The debate is scheduled to take place just blocks from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where nine parishioners were killed during Bible study in a mass shooting last summer.
As expected, the candidates clashed on gun control. In the discussion of health care – as well as in defending herself against Sanders’ criticism of her ties to Wall Street – Clinton identified herself closely with the Obama administration. “I don’t get personal speaking fees from Goldman Sachs”, the USA senator from Vermont said, adding: “I have huge doubts when people receive money from Wall Street”.
“Your profusion of comments about your feelings towards President Obama are a little odd given what you said about him in 2011”, Mrs Clinton said in response. Then, she took a step back to put those differences in a different perspective. I don’t know the exact state of the Clinton marriage in 2000, but it seems highly unlikely that Hillary would have voted against an act her husband was willing to sign. On March 1, or “Super Tuesday”, voters in 11 states, many of them in the South where Clinton has big poll leads, will cast primary ballots.
“My relationship with him – it’s interesting”, Clinton said to laughs in the debate hall. Kitchen table adviser, perhaps?
“We have differences and that’s what I’m focusing on now”. I’m going to ask for his advice.
“When you’re running for president and you’re serious about getting results for the American people, details matter-and Senator Sanders is making them up as he goes along”, Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said.
“Yes, his behavior was deplorable”.
“That question, annoys me”, Sanders said.
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Martin O’Malley on the other hand struggled to be heard.
