This was the ninth debate of the primary season for Democrats, but tonight’s event in Nevada also boasted a huge first.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg participated in his inaugural debate, and it came as his standing in national polling begins to take off.
Now that the debate has concluded, some of Bloomberg’s answers to questions about sexual harassment allegations and “stop and frisk” policing policies are sure to be dissected for days to come.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota spent a lot of time attacking each other. But it is U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren who seemed to arrive with the most energy to punch back at her opponents, most of it directed at Bloomberg.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont was forced to defend his Medicare for All health plan and respond to concerns that his brand of democratic socialism would make it difficult for him to beat President Donald Trump in a general election.
And then there was former Vice President Joe Biden, who when he could get a word in attempted to position himself as the person on stage with experience and best positioned to beat Trump.
11:00 p.m.: Closing statements:
Klobuchar: We need someone who can unite and govern.
Bloomberg: Attacks Trump and says America needs a leader with experience and credentials.
Buttigieg: This is our only chance to beat Trump. He is a non-polarizing choice.
Warren: She will fight for families. Give her a chance to fight.
Before Biden gives his closing remarks, some people in the audience begin shouting at him. It’s hard to tell what they’re saying. Those folks are being removed.
Biden: He pushes some of his policies and attacks Sanders a bit.
Sanders: Real change comes with electing him.
The debate has concluded.
10:48 p.m.: Bloomberg says follow the convention rules.
Warren says everyone keeps their delegations going into the convention.
Biden says let the process work. So does Klobuchar.
Buttigieg said don’t necessarily give it to the person with the most delegations.
Sanders said the person with the most votes should become the nominee, which isn’t surprising since that could likely be him.
And now a final commercial break.
10:46 p.m.: Klobuchar is now taking heat for some of her votes in the Senate that some Democrats consider too friendly to Republican positions on immigration, among others.
Buttigieg, while criticizing Klobuchar, also takes some time to speak some Spanish.
Klobuchar says she did not support 2/3 of Trump-appointed judges. Then she and Buttigieg go back and forth.
“You have not been in the arena doing that work,” she tells him. “You have memorized a bunch of talking points.”
10:42 p.m.: Bloomberg has helped Democrats win in 2018 and donate to causes like climate change. Buttigieg is asked to explain why his spending is an issue now.
Buttigieg says Bloomberg should be supporting Democrats but is unfit to become president because of positions he has taken in the past. It’s not about how much money you have but what you stand for, Buttigieg says.
Biden says he is the person Trump is most concerned about running against.
Warren accuses Biden of having friendly relationships with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that empowered McConnell to stay in office and implement policies that Democrats now criticize.
10:35 p.m.: We have made it to another commercial break. Here is my quick Twitter analysis of how things are going thus far:
10:31 p.m.: Sanders is asked about a national poll that said 2/3 of all voters are uncomfortable with a socialist candidate. He points out that in that same poll he was in the lead.
Sanders says it was a cheap shot for Bloomberg to call democratic socialism communism. He said there is socialism already for the very rich and “rugged individualism” for the very poor.
Bloomberg says, “the best-known socialist in the country is a millionaire with three houses,” speaking about Sanders.
Bloomberg says he does agree the rich should be taxed more.
Biden says he made substantial money for the first time when he wrote the book about his son. He also supports taxing the rich more.
Buttigieg is asked if he is out of touch with his generation because millennials are supportive of democratic socialism. Buttigieg says he was a fan of Sanders and appreciates his honesty, even if they disagree.
10:22 p.m.: There is robust discussion about income equity and whether billionaires like Bloomberg should exist.
Chuck Todd asks Bloomberg should he have earned all the billions he has.
Bloomberg: “Yes, I worked very hard for it. And I’m giving it away.”
Buttigieg then points out he is the lone person on the stage who isn’t a millionaire.
Sanders said he is proud of a policy to limit wealth inequality by taxing the rich more. He said Bloomberg’s workers played some role in his riches and should share the benefits also.
Bloomberg said Sanders’ policy would not work and would guarantee Trump wins in November. Some boos from the crowd when he compares the policy to communism.
10:18 p.m.: The candidates are now talking about their plans to reverse some Trump tax cuts and how they will ensure that small businesses and people of color won't be negatively affected.
Warren says there is a gap in American between white entrepreneurs and black and Latino entrepreneurs. She said to create a level playing field she will put in $7 billion to manage a fund to create access to capital that is needed to close to gap.
Bloomberg is asked about previous comments that stopping redlining contributed to financial crisis. “That is exactly wrong,” Bloomberg said.
He said he has been on the record as being against redlining. The camera split-screens with Biden, who is staring with his mouth open as Bloomberg speaks.
10:10 p.m.: Climate change is still the topic of discussion.
Buttigieg talks about his plan to get to carbon neutral but says nearly everyone has a similar plan. He says the difference will be choosing the right leader to ensure it gets done.
10:05 p.m.: Coming off the commercial break, the first question is about the impact of climate change. Biden gets the first crack at it.
Biden says he wants to empower the EPA to increase oversight and invest in high-speed rail to take cars off the road.
Bloomberg talks about reducing the country’s dependence on coal, something that he has worked on as a philanthropist. He also says the U.S. should rejoin the Paris Agreement.
Warren said we should stop drilling and mining on public lands and all offshore drilling. And the nation should increase its investment in science.
Now Sanders is talking about his proposed ban on fracking.
9:53 p.m.: We are at halftime and the first commercial break. Bloomberg is definitely facing tough questions, as expected. And he has seemed rattled at times.
The women -- Klobuchar and Warren -- continue to speak up for each other.
Buttigieg has been forceful, but sometimes it was used against him particularly by Klobuchar.
Biden has had a hard time getting a word in at times, but when he does it’s often to remind the crowd that while everyone else is talking about what they want to do one day he does have experience in ways the others do not.
Sanders has been forced to defend his Medicare for All plan but otherwise I don’t feel like we’ve heard much from him on other topics.
9:51 p.m.: Klobuchar is asked about not knowing the name of Mexico's president when asked last week and whether that shows lack of preparation to face national security issues.
Klobuchar said she forgot the name. When Buttigieg brings up that she should know that information because of her position in the Senate, Klobuchar bucks back to tout her wins at the polls as a contrast to him.
There is a lot of candidates talking over each other at this point.
They may need a commercial break ...
Warren stands up to defend Klobuchar saying forgetting things on the stop happens. She says hold people accountable for policies, their positions and the issues. “Missing a name all by itself does not indicate that you do not understand what is going on,” Warren said.
Biden chimes in that he is the only one on the stage who actually has met with the Mexican president.
9:46 p.m.: Facing a question specifically about sexual harassment allegations he faces, Bloomberg deflects somewhat. He said he doesn't support any behavior along the lines exposed by the #MeToo movement and then starts talking about what a welcoming place his companies are for women.
Warren: I hope you heard what his defense was. “I’ve been nice to some women.”
Warren said the mayor’s full record should be examined. Calls on him to release women from non-disclosure agreements so we can hear their side of the story.
Bloomberg said there are “very few” NDAs and none accuse them of anything “other than they may not have liked the joke I told.” It’s up to them, he said, if they want to break agreements they signed.
Despite other candidates asking him, Bloomberg refuses to say he will release his accusers from the NDAs.
9:41 p.m.: Discussion about Sen. Sanders' health -- he had a heart attack in October -- has now pivoted back to debate about various candidates' health care plans.
Speaking of transparency, Bloomberg is asked about releasing his tax records. He said it will be thousands of pages and is being prepared now but will take time. He said it will take a few more weeks.
“The biggest item is all of the money that I give away,” Bloomberg said.
9:35 p.m.: Klobuchar now speaking about her decision not to prosecute a some police killings and to put a juvenile in prison for life in a case now considered flaws.
Before serving in the U.S. Senate, Klobuchar was a top prosecutor in Minnesota.
9:32 p.m.: Bloomberg's support of "stop and frisk" as a policing policy is now the topic of discussion. He said he is embarrassed for letting it get out of hand and implemented change. But he said something needed to be done to reduce crime in New York City.
Biden says “stop and frisk” ended only after the Obama administration stepped in to stop a policy that violated civil rights.
“He figured out it was a bad idea after we sent out monitors and said it must stop,” Biden said.
Bloomberg says he apologized and has asked for forgiveness for stopping too many people. “There is no great answer to a lot of these problems.”
He said everyone on this panel has been wrong on criminal justice at some point in their careers. Bloomberg does appear a little flustered here.
Warren says Bloomberg’s apology language is about how it turned it, not that it was wrong by design. “It targeted communities of color, it targeted black and brown men from the beginning. If he wanted to issue a real apology, then the apology has to start with the intent of the plan as it was put together and the willful ignorance” of ignoring those who were critical of the policy. “You need a different apology, Mr. Mayor,” Warren said.
9:29 p.m.: Bloomberg said he is a fan of Obamacare and urged support as far back as 2009. He said he was in favor but didn't think it goes as far as it should. "I am a fan of Obamacare," Bloomberg.
Biden: “Since when?”
Later, Biden tries to get Bloomberg to own up saying Obamacare was a disgrace. Bloomberg shuts him down kind of forcefully.
9:25 p.m.: Sanders said the United States is the only developed country that doesn't have universal healthcare because the health care industry and pharmaceutical companies are making high profit and donating to his opponents' campaigns.
Biden: “I’m the only one on this stage that got anything done on health care.” He said he has proposed adding a public option to Obamacare.
9:22 p.m.: Sanders faces a question about his Medicare for All health care plan. He said the criticism is wrong that it goes too far and will cause people to lose the health care plans they like.
Sanders brings up the number of uninsured and under-insured people, high costs of prescription drugs and other perceived failures of the health care system. He said he wants unions like the powerful Culinary Workers Union to feel protected by his plan.
“I will never sign a bill that will reduce the health care benefits that they have,” he said. “We will only expand it for them, for every union in America and for the working class of this country.”
Elizabeth Warren then gets in some digs about Buttigieg and Klobuchar’s health care plans. She says Klobuchar has a thin plan she compared to a post-it note.
Klobuchar quips back that post-its were invested in her home state.
9:14 p.m.: Sen. Elizabeth Sanders gets a question about Sen. Bernie Sanders' supporters, sometimes referred to online as "Bernie Bros." Warren has talked in the past about how some Sanders' supporters have attacked his critics online. But she uses this question to pivot to more attacks on Bloomberg and to talk up her own platform.
Sanders says the vast majority of his supporters are wonderful people, but he disowns the few people who may be behind the attacks online.
He also says some African-American women working on his campaign have also faced vicious, racist and ugly attacks.
9:10 p.m.: After facing attacks from his opponents, Michael Bloomberg gets a chance to respond. He says he is the candidate who can both beat President Donald Trump and also implement policies once in the White House.
“I know how to take on an arrogant con-man like Donald Trump who comes from New York,” Bloomberg said.
Biden is up next, saying he is the one who polls show is best positioned to beat Trump. Then he goes on the attack against Bloomberg again.
Buttigieg speaks up next. He says if the party isn’t careful, at the end the choice will be between U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Michael Bloomberg, “the two most polarizing figures on this stage.”
He gets lots of applause when he says the party should turn to a candidate who is actually a Democrat.
9:05 p.m.: Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont gets the first question, which asks him to respond to Michael Bloomberg joining the debate stage. Sanders' said Bloomberg's policies while serving as New York City's mayor do not bring people together and he can't beat Trump.
Bloomberg gets a chance to respond, saying Sanders can’t beat Trump. He criticizes Sanders’ health care plan.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren then goes for the jugular, bringing up sexual allegations that Bloomberg has faced.
“I wanna talk about who we’re running against: a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians. And no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump, I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg,” Warren.
9:00 p.m.: Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, who hails from Nevada, spoke before the debate. According to posts in Twitter, he spent at least some of that time talking about the benefits of electing women to public office.
8:55 p.m.: The candidates have arrived on stage to applause and are waiting to be introduced. The debate will get underway shortly.
6:30 p.m.: Several candidates hit the streets of Las Vegas ahead of tonight's debate to show up for a powerful union.
Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren at various times joined members of the Culinary Workers Union who are picketing outside of the Palms Casino Resort to amplify a contract stalemate.
Tom Steyer, who did not qualify for the debate, also spent time on the picket line today.
Read more | A Georgian's guide to the Nevada caucus
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