The debate will air on NBC, NBCNews.com and on YouTube and is being broadcast from the Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
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The Democratic presidential debate should be the most highly anticipated of the primary season so far, with independent Vermont Sen.
According to Sanders’ plan, individuals would pay a 2.2 per cent “premium” and employers would pay a 6.2 per cent payroll tax to fund the health care plan.
With polls showing Sanders neck-and-neck with Clinton in Iowa-and ahead of her in New Hampshire-the Clinton camp has begun launching its most aggressive attacks yet on Sanders.
Bernie Sanders is taking on criticism that he’s not as electable as Hillary Clinton or as popular as her among black voters. They have claimed that they knew the race would always be competitive (which, in fairness, her campaign leaders said from the very beginning).
Former President Bill Clinton himself is among the Democrats critical of the campaign’s handling of Sanders, The New York Times reported Saturday.
The diminishing distance between the two in most polls is perhaps reason for sharper rhetoric.
In the days before the debate, Clinton has railed against Sanders’ support for the 2005 law that gave immunity to gun manufacturers, saying he was unwilling to stand up to the National Rifle Association. Clinton, by contrast, urged less sweeping action to build on President Barack Obama’s health care plan.
The Clinton campaign has repeatedly attacked Sanders for being willing to raise taxes on the wealthy.
“Universal health care is an idea that has been supported in the United States by Democratic presidents going back to Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman”, Sanders said in a statement released by his campaign. Now I hope he will also join members of Congress to change what’s called the Charleston loophole that enabled the killer in Charleston to get the gun that he used to murder nine people at bible study here in Mother Emanuel Church.
In terms of ideology, Sanders might actually be closer to the Democratic base than Clinton.
The 69-year-old Clinton released a doctor’s summary of her health status in July.
This one’s sure to inspire a debate-stage fight: Sanders’ support for single-payer health care versus Clinton’s preference for tweaks to Obamacare.
Bernie Sanders of flip-flopping by voicing support for new legislation that would overturn a law protecting gun manufacturers and sellers from a wide range of lawsuits.
There’s another, potentially harder-to-solve element: Clinton’s brand of policy prescriptions, toughness and problem-solving could be out of sync with more deeply dissatisfied liberals who have yearned for Sanders’ fire-and-brimstone condemnations of the nation’s power structures – and there’s little Clinton can do to change it. “I think you’ve been around long enough to know, George, this is all part of the expectation”, Clinton said to Stephanopolous, a former adviser to her husband, Bill Clinton.
Some liberal activists said Sanders’ plan, like other federal programs such as Social Security, would deliver a better value for low and middle income taxpayers.
While leading nationally, Clinton suddenly finds herself under threat of losing the first two state contests, in February 1 in Iowa, where the pair are neck and neck in the polls, and February 9 in New Hampshire, where Sanders has a significant lead.
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Sanders has said he’ll reveal those details before Iowa votes.
