thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Finally, The Real Elizabeth Warren Steps Up

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
has been playing nice .
She has emphasized unity instead of attacking other Democratic presidential candidates .
She has stuck to her campaign themes instead of criticizing opponents .
And she has been sliding steadily downward in the polls for the 2020 Democratic nomination .
Again and again on Wednesday night , Warren humiliated former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ― not only by presenting him with his own words but also by pressing him to release an unknown number of women who worked for him from nondisclosure agreements pertaining to sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg really has a slogan that was thought up by his consultants to paper over a thin version of a plan that would leave millions of people unable to afford their health care .
It ’ s not a plan , it ’ s a PowerPoint , ” she said .
“ And Amy ’ s plan is even less ― it ’ s like a Post-It Note : ‘ Insert plan here.
’ Bernie ... has a good start .
But instead of expanding and bringing in more people to help , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks a question or tries to fill in details about how to actually make this work.
” On Wednesday night , Elizabeth Warren sounded like the Elizabeth Warren who Washington insiders have come to fear over the past dozen years .
But it was an Elizabeth Warren who has been all but invisible over the course of her 2020 campaign .
And it might be too late to save her deliberately milquetoast run for president .
With rare exceptions , she has declined to criticize the other candidates , sticking to an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Democrats ” mantra .
And since the new year , her campaign has played her up as a “ unity candidate ” ready to bring the warring wings of the Democratic Party together , rather than highlighting their differences .
This strategy peaked in New Hampshire , where Warren finished a disappointing fourth and failed to net any delegates .
During a debate before the primary in Manchester , she barely mixed it up with the other candidates .
Her speech , delivered early in the night , consisted primarily of asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These harsh tactics might work if you ’ re willing to burn down the rest of the party in order to be the last man standing , ” she said at the time .
“ They might work if you don ’ t worry about leaving our party and our politics worse off than how you found it .
They might work if you think only you have all the answers and only you are the solution to all our problems.
” But Warren has never been subtle during her career in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big stick ― frequently against her own party .
She was Obama ’ s chief antagonist over the Trans-Pacific Partnership , a trade deal that ultimately failed due to opposition from progressive Democrats and a sizable block of House Republicans .
But on Wednesday night , Warren seemed back to her old self , as her staffers tweeted “ BLOOD AND TEETH ” ― a reference to something she said in an interview with HuffPost in 2010 , when she was battling to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau .
While she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates during the New Hampshire debate , she led the field in speaking time on Wednesday night .
Warren ’ s fan base responded .
She raised more money during the first hour of the debate than she had in any previous hour of the campaign , and she raised $ 2.8 million over the course of the day Wednesday .
( She narrowly edged Sanders , who raised $ 2.7 million . )
“ She ’ s always been so passionate .
... People might say she ’ s angry .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to make .
And that ’ s the way to make it , ” said June Blankin , 55 , a Warren supporter from Falls Church , Virginia , who attended the senator ’ s town hall event in Arlington last week .
But this performance may come too late .
Sanders has largely consolidated the most liberal primary voters and young people , and remains the clear front-runner for the nomination .
Early voting in Nevada is already done , and more than 500,000 people have already voted in delegate-rich California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be awarded in less than 13 days .

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has been playing nice. She has emphasized unity instead of attacking other Democratic presidential candidates. She has stuck to her campaign themes instead of criticizing opponents. And she has been sliding steadily downward in the polls for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
That changed Wednesday night at the Democratic debate.
“I’d like to talk about who we’re running against: a billionaire who calls women ’fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians,’” Warren said in her opening comments. “And, no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.”
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Again and again on Wednesday night, Warren humiliated former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ― not only by presenting him with his own words but also by pressing him to release an unknown number of women who worked for him from nondisclosure agreements pertaining to sexual harassment. Bloomberg refused.
But Bloomberg wasn’t the only source of her ire. In less than a minute, she pummeled three other opponents ― former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ― on health care.
“Mayor Buttigieg really has a slogan that was thought up by his consultants to paper over a thin version of a plan that would leave millions of people unable to afford their health care. It’s not a plan, it’s a PowerPoint,” she said. “And Amy’s plan is even less ― it’s like a Post-It Note: ‘Insert plan here.’ Bernie ... has a good start. But instead of expanding and bringing in more people to help, instead his campaign relentlessly attacks everyone who asks a question or tries to fill in details about how to actually make this work.”
This is the Warren who made Wall Street executives wilt at Senate hearings and became a feminist icon on the left for refusing to stop speaking when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tried to silence her.
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It’s the Elizabeth Warren who infuriated President Barack Obama by attacking his trade agenda and assailing his budget deals with Republican leaders.
It’s the Elizabeth Warren who promised to leave “plenty of blood and teeth on the floor” fighting for a tough Wall Street reform bill.
In 2016, Senate Banking Committee member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf during a hearing on bank employees opening millions of unauthorized accounts to meet sales targets. Susan Walsh/Associated Press
On Wednesday night, Elizabeth Warren sounded like the Elizabeth Warren who Washington insiders have come to fear over the past dozen years. But it was an Elizabeth Warren who has been all but invisible over the course of her 2020 campaign. And it might be too late to save her deliberately milquetoast run for president.
Warren’s preference for a fight has been consistently downplayed throughout the campaign, and completely absent from her performance in recent months.
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With rare exceptions, she has declined to criticize the other candidates, sticking to an “I’m not here to attack other Democrats” mantra. And since the new year, her campaign has played her up as a “unity candidate” ready to bring the warring wings of the Democratic Party together, rather than highlighting their differences.
This strategy peaked in New Hampshire, where Warren finished a disappointing fourth and failed to net any delegates. During a debate before the primary in Manchester, she barely mixed it up with the other candidates. Her speech, delivered early in the night, consisted primarily of asking the other candidates to stop fighting.
“These harsh tactics might work if you’re willing to burn down the rest of the party in order to be the last man standing,” she said at the time. “They might work if you don’t worry about leaving our party and our politics worse off than how you found it. They might work if you think only you have all the answers and only you are the solution to all our problems.”
But Warren has never been subtle during her career in Washington. She speaks loudly and carries a big stick ― frequently against her own party. She was Obama’s chief antagonist over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that ultimately failed due to opposition from progressive Democrats and a sizable block of House Republicans.
At the close of 2014, she led a congressional insurgency that nearly shut down the federal government in an effort to block a deal between Obama’s administration and congressional Republicans to deregulate risky Wall Street trading.
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She earned the ire of many of her fellow Democrats by calling out their support of Trump’s effort to eliminate protections against racial discrimination in mortgage lending.
“Tonight, Elizabeth Warren showed us why she makes billionaires literally cry.” - Nelini Stamp, Working Families Party
But on Wednesday night, Warren seemed back to her old self, as her staffers tweeted “BLOOD AND TEETH” ― a reference to something she said in an interview with HuffPost in 2010, when she was battling to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. While she spoke far less than the other major candidates during the New Hampshire debate, she led the field in speaking time on Wednesday night.
Warren’s fan base responded. She raised more money during the first hour of the debate than she had in any previous hour of the campaign, and she raised $2.8 million over the course of the day Wednesday. (She narrowly edged Sanders, who raised $2.7 million.)
“Tonight, Elizabeth Warren showed us why she makes billionaires literally cry. She’s smart, she’s a fighter and she’s the single best person to take on Donald Trump on the debate stage,” said Nelini Stamp, director of strategy and partnerships at the Working Families Party, which has endorsed Warren.
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Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), a Warren supporter, made it clear her attacks on Bloomberg were meant as a preview of how she would battle a different superrich New York businessman with a history of derogatory comments about women.
“She stood right next to Michael Bloomberg and she took him down,” he said in the spin room after the debate. “And Michael Bloomberg has a lot in common with Donald Trump.”
That fighting spirit is what draws many of her supporters to her.
“She’s always been so passionate. ... People might say she’s angry. But I think she has a point she wants to make. And that’s the way to make it,” said June Blankin, 55, a Warren supporter from Falls Church, Virginia, who attended the senator’s town hall event in Arlington last week.
“She’s a fighter,” added her husband, Duane Ludwig, 47.
But this performance may come too late. Sanders has largely consolidated the most liberal primary voters and young people, and remains the clear front-runner for the nomination. Early voting in Nevada is already done, and more than 500,000 people have already voted in delegate-rich California. More than one-third of the delegates will be awarded in less than 13 days.
Warren’s polling has been steadily dropping for months, and the crowded field may prevent her from reaching the 15% viability threshold necessary to earn delegates in key states.
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Jeff Weaver, a top adviser to Sanders, didn’t seem worried about facing a revitalized Warren, noting the Vermont senator had triumphed in both Iowa, where Warren outperformed her polling, and in New Hampshire, where she slipped into fourth place.
“In places where she’s done well, we’ve won,” Weaver said. “In places where she hasn’t done well, we’ve won. So we just play our own game.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Elizabeth Warren Gets In One More Savage Bloomberg Burn After The Debate

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
didn ’ t let the end of Wednesday night ’ s Democratic debate put an end to her attacks on rival Mike Bloomberg .
Warren ’ s supporters cheered as she took on the billionaire former mayor of New York throughout the debate , delivering some of the night ’ s most memorable zingers .
And after it was over , she let loose with another verbal haymaker over the hundreds of millions he ’ s spent on his campaign so far .
“ Understand this : After his performance tonight , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop ― tonight ― another $ 100 million in this campaign , ” she said during a post-debate interview with MSNBC ’ s Chris Matthews .
“ Why does this performance lead to more spending ?
” Matthews asked .
“ Oh , come on !
” she shot back .
“ In order to try to erase America ’ s memory of what happened on that debate stage.
” She also told Matthews that Bloomberg shouldn ’ t even be a consideration for Democratic voters .
“ How can we say we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your arrogant billionaire , especially when this is a man who has treated women so badly , ” she said .
See more of her conversation with Matthews above .

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) didn’t let the end of Wednesday night’s Democratic debate put an end to her attacks on rival Mike Bloomberg.
Warren’s supporters cheered as she took on the billionaire former mayor of New York throughout the debate, delivering some of the night’s most memorable zingers.
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And after it was over, she let loose with another verbal haymaker over the hundreds of millions he’s spent on his campaign so far.
“Understand this: After his performance tonight, I have no doubt he is about to drop ― tonight ― another $100 million in this campaign,” she said during a post-debate interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews.
“Why does this performance lead to more spending?” Matthews asked.
“Oh, come on!” she shot back. “In order to try to erase America’s memory of what happened on that debate stage.”
She also told Matthews that Bloomberg shouldn’t even be a consideration for Democratic voters.
“How can we say we want to trade our arrogant billionaire for your arrogant billionaire, especially when this is a man who has treated women so badly,” she said.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--George Conway Resurrects Monster Of An Old Nickname For Donald Trump

George Conway on Wednesday explained why he thinks this week proves “ King Kong ” is a suitable nickname for @ @ @ @ @ conservative attorney ― in a new opinion column for The Washington Post titled “ Trump @ @ @ @ @ ’ nickname has come into full fruition ” ― noted the president was initially given @ @ @ @ @ White House counsel Don McGahn , who resigned in October 2018 , following heated exchanges @ @ @ @ @ , a staunch critic of the Trump administration despite his wife Kellyanne Conway ’ s @ @ @ @ @ said the president ’ s “ behavior this week demonstrates ” how it “ fits @ @ @ @ @ ” “ It reflects Trump ’ s desire to escape constraints — in particular , @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
“ That Kong-like urge was illustrated by two developments : the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ and his continued attacks against the federal judiciary .
”

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George Conway on Wednesday explained why he thinks this week proves “King Kong” is a suitable nickname for President Donald Trump.
The conservative attorney ― in a new opinion column for The Washington Post titled “Trump’s ‘King Kong’ nickname has come into full fruition” ― noted the president was initially given the moniker by his first White House counsel Don McGahn, who resigned in October 2018, following heated exchanges with his boss.
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Conway, a staunch critic of the Trump administration despite his wife Kellyanne Conway’s lofty role within it, said the president’s “behavior this week demonstrates” how it “fits for another reason as well.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--GOP Group Uses Billboard Truck To Ask William Barr A Very Simple Question

A conservative group will hit Attorney General William Barr with one simple question ― on a mobile billboard ― on Thursday .
Republicans for the Rule of Law said it will drive a truck with pictures of Barr and the query “ Have You Forgotten Your Oath ?
” around Washington at the same time that President Donald Trump ’ s longtime ally Roger Stone is being sentenced for a slew of convictions stemming from former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation .
Republicans for the Rule of Law Republicans for the Rule of Law shared this mocked-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week sparked anger by overruling prosecutors ’ recommendation that Stone should serve seven to nine years in prison .
The move prompted widespread outrage , and all four prosecutors who ran the case against Stone withdrew .
Trump had raged against the initial recommendation on Twitter .
Republicans for the Rule of Law on Wednesday released a video of former Department of Justice officials , who served in Republican administrations , speaking out against Barr ’ s intervention .
“ The executive branch has enormous power to investigate and prosecute Americans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement to be supervised in individual cases by non-political , non-partisan career prosecutors , ” the anti-Trump group ’ s spokesperson , Chris Truax , told HuffPost in a statement on Thursday .
“ The American people — especially conservatives and Republicans who are so often skeptical of corruption — shouldn ’ t stand for this administration ’ s abuse of power and politicization of law enforcement , ” Truax added .
“ We salute the men and women of the Justice Department , the thin grey line defending America ’ s tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for Attorney General Barr to decide which side of that line he is on.
” The same group taunted Trump last month with a billboard truck emblazoned with the message “ President Pence.
” It also described Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) as a “ patriot ” in this ad that thanked him for being the only Senate Republican who voted to convict Trump for his Ukraine misconduct :

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A conservative group will hit Attorney General William Barr with one simple question ― on a mobile billboard ― on Thursday.
Republicans for the Rule of Law said it will drive a truck with pictures of Barr and the query “Have You Forgotten Your Oath?” around Washington at the same time that President Donald Trump’s longtime ally Roger Stone is being sentenced for a slew of convictions stemming from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
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Republicans for the Rule of Law shared this mocked-up version the truck with HuffPost. Republicans for the Rule of Law
Barr last week sparked anger by overruling prosecutors’ recommendation that Stone should serve seven to nine years in prison.
The move prompted widespread outrage, and all four prosecutors who ran the case against Stone withdrew. Trump had raged against the initial recommendation on Twitter.
Republicans for the Rule of Law on Wednesday released a video of former Department of Justice officials, who served in Republican administrations, speaking out against Barr’s intervention.
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Check out the clip here:
“The executive branch has enormous power to investigate and prosecute Americans. That’s why we leave law enforcement to be supervised in individual cases by non-political, non-partisan career prosecutors,” the anti-Trump group’s spokesperson, Chris Truax, told HuffPost in a statement on Thursday.
“The American people — especially conservatives and Republicans who are so often skeptical of corruption — shouldn’t stand for this administration’s abuse of power and politicization of law enforcement,” Truax added. “We salute the men and women of the Justice Department, the thin grey line defending America’s tradition of impartial justice. It’s time for Attorney General Barr to decide which side of that line he is on.”
The same group taunted Trump last month with a billboard truck emblazoned with the message “President Pence.” It also described Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) as a “patriot” in this ad that thanked him for being the only Senate Republican who voted to convict Trump for his Ukraine misconduct:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--5 Takeaways From The Nevada Democratic Presidential Debate

Bloomberg took a punch .
And another punch .
And then another one .
And another one .
“ Look , let ’ s get something straight here .
It ’ s easy .
All the mayor has to do is say , “ You are released from the nondisclosure agreement , ” period , ” Biden said .
“ You think the women , in fact , were ready to say I don ’ t want anybody to know about what you did to me ?
That ’ s not how it works .
The way it works is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what you did to me , and the mayor comes along and his attorneys said , I will give you this amount of money if you promise you will never say anything .
That ’ s how it works.
” Bloomberg should have expected these hits .
His record with communities of color , his wealth , and his record with women have all come under intense scrutiny in the last week .
Yet he appeared unprepared on all fronts .
He was muted in his defense of stop-and-frisk policies .
He chalked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they didn ’ t like a joke I told , ” refusing to free the women at his companies from the NDAs they ’ d signed , and didn ’ t have an answer for why he has yet to release his tax returns other than to say he ’ s working on it .
Warren has had a hard time finding her footing in the race .
She had an epic rise in early fall of 2019 , when her brand as the woman with the “ plans ” made her look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa and New Hampshire .
Then her support fled to other candidates , such as Buttigieg and Klobuchar .
And her third- and fourth-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire , respectively , stifled any momentum she had in earlier months of campaigning .
Buttigieg and Klobuchar really don ’ t seem to like each other .
The “ Medicare For All ” fight you have definitely heard before isn ’ t going anywhere .
Bernie Sanders isn ’ t going anywhere either .

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The Democratic presidential candidates didn’t come to the debate Wednesday in Las Vegas to be nice.
The feistiest debate of the 2020 presidential election cycle came three days before the Nevada caucuses, and it’s understandable why. The first two contests of the primary race, in Iowa and New Hampshire, were a wash. And in two weeks, a third of all the delegates in the Democratic primary will be decided in one day, likely sealing the fate of most of the candidates in the race.
There were six presidential candidates on the debate stage in Nevada: former Vice President Joe Biden, billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Each one still sees a path to the White House, but the clock is ticking.
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It was Bloomberg’s first Democratic debate. The former Republican New York City mayor made it on the debate stage after the Democratic Party changed the qualification rules to focus more on poll numbers instead of grassroots donations (Bloomberg is self-funding). From the get-go, the other Democrats on the stage made it clear Bloomberg wasn’t getting a first-timer’s free pass.
“So I’d like to 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 said in her first remark of the night.
But then again, the candidates weren’t giving any of their fellow competitors a free pass either. Warren went after just about everyone on stage — twice over. Buttigieg seemed to have it out for Sanders and Klobuchar. And Biden and Sanders took their turns punching at Bloomberg, like the rest of them.
Here are five takeaways from Wednesday’s debate:
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) try to get in their time at the Democratic presidential primary debate Wednesday in Las Vegas. John Locher/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Bloomberg took a punch. And another punch. And then another one. And another one.
People of color, women and his exorbitant wealth: the three areas of Bloomberg’s record that came under attack Wednesday night. And the attacks were unrelenting and from every direction.
Sanders got to take the first swing at Bloomberg: He went after Bloomberg’s record on police policy when he was New York mayor. Namely, the stop-and-frisk policy, the directive to police to stop, question and search suspicious people that disproportionately targeted Black and brown teenagers. It increased sevenfold under Bloomberg’s tenure from 2002 to 2013.
“Mr. Bloomberg had policies in New York City of stop-and-frisk that [targeted] African American and Latino people in an outrageous way,” Sanders said. “That is not how you’re going to grow voter turnout.”
Warren and Biden took their turns. They hit Bloomberg on stop-and-frisk and his record with women. Over the past several decades, 64 women have brought forward nearly 40 sex discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits against Bloomberg and his company. Women at Bloomberg LP have reportedly been bound by nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), which Bloomberg refused to break when pressed on the debate stage.
“He has gotten some number of women ― dozens, who knows ― to sign nondisclosure agreements, both for sexual harassment and for gender discrimination in the workplace,” Warren said. “So, Mr. Mayor, are you willing to release all of those women from those nondisclosure agreements, so we can hear their side of the story?”
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Biden pressed on the NDA issue further.
“Look, let’s get something straight here. It’s easy. All the mayor has to do is say, “You are released from the nondisclosure agreement,” period,” Biden said. “You think the women, in fact, were ready to say I don’t want anybody to know about what you did to me? That’s not how it works. The way it works is they say, look, this is what you did to me, and the mayor comes along and his attorneys said, I will give you this amount of money if you promise you will never say anything. That’s how it works.”
Bloomberg should have expected these hits. His record with communities of color, his wealth, and his record with women have all come under intense scrutiny in the last week. Yet he appeared unprepared on all fronts. He was muted in his defense of stop-and-frisk policies. He chalked up the harassment complaints to “maybe they didn’t like a joke I told,” refusing to free the women at his companies from the NDAs they’d signed, and didn’t have an answer for why he has yet to release his tax returns other than to say he’s working on it.
“Remember, I only entered this race 10 weeks ago,” Bloomberg said. “All of my associates here have been at this for a couple of years.”
That only opened him up to further attack.
“That’s right, we have,” Buttigieg jumped back. “Engaging with voters and humbling ourselves to the backyards and diners.”
Elizabeth Warren came ready to fight.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wasn't the only one to take a jab at debate stage newcomer Mike Bloomberg, but she hit him early and hard. John Locher/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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No one was holding back, but Warren was in a particular fighting mood, and it was a notable shift from past debates.
Her hits on Bloomberg were numerous and incisive, but on multiple occasions, Warren literally went down the line of competitors alongside her on stage, picking apart their campaigning styles, records and policy platforms.
“Mayor Buttigieg really has a slogan that was thought up by his consultants to paper over a thin version of a plan that would leave millions of people unable to afford their health care,” Warren said of his so-called “Medicare for All Who Want It” public option plan. “It’s not a plan; it’s a PowerPoint. And Amy’s plan is even less. It’s like a Post-it note, insert plan here.”
Warren later added Klobuchar’s plan was only “two paragraphs” to really drive the point home.
She even took a jab — albeit a smaller one — at Sanders, whom she has often buddied up with on the debate stage.
“Bernie has started very much — has a good start. But instead of expanding and bringing in more people to help, instead his campaign relentlessly attacks everyone who asks a question or tries to fill in details about how to actually make this work. And then his own advisers say, eh, probably won’t happen anyway.”
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Warren has had a hard time finding her footing in the race. She had an epic rise in early fall of 2019, when her brand as the woman with the “plans” made her look like a favorite for the early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. Then her support fled to other candidates, such as Buttigieg and Klobuchar. And her third- and fourth-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively, stifled any momentum she had in earlier months of campaigning.
Warren’s campaign made it clear that they see this primary process in the long term, and Warren herself made it clear that she’s not standing down.
Buttigieg and Klobuchar really don’t seem to like each other.
It’s been clear for a couple of debates that Klobuchar and Buttigieg have some sourness toward each other. Early on, Klobuchar questioned whether Buttigieg had the experience to hold the nation’s highest office.
On Wednesday night, Buttigieg seemed to imply Klobuchar didn’t have the intelligence, highlighting a moment last week when the senator couldn’t name the president of Mexico.
“You’re staking your candidacy on your Washington experience,” Buttigieg said. “You’re on the committee that oversees border security. You’re on the committee that does trade. You’re literally in part of the committee that’s overseeing these things and were not able to speak to literally the first thing about the politics of the country to our south.”
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“Are you trying to say that I’m dumb? Or are you mocking me here, Pete?” Klobuchar retorted.
And that wasn’t the only tense moment between the two.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) got into a dust-up with Pete Buttigieg over a gaffe last week about the name of Mexico's president. John Locher/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The “Medicare For All” fight you have definitely heard before isn’t going anywhere.
Like at every Democratic debate, the health care fight Wednesday was about “Medicare for All,” and, drum roll please, how the country can pay for it.
Buttigieg seemed most eager to pick this fight with Sanders, especially in light of recent news about the Culinary Workers Union — a powerful organizing force in Nevada that said it received harassing messages from Sanders supporters after signaling to its members that Medicare for All would be bad for them.
“We can actually deliver health care without taking it away from anyone,” Buttigieg said. “And we can build a movement without having legions of our supporters online and in person attacking Democratic figures and union leaders alike.”
Buttigieg brought up the subject again later in the debate, focusing on the cost of Medicare for All.
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“He’s said that it’s impossible to even know how much it’s going to cost, and even after raising taxes on everybody making $29,000, there is still a multitrillion-dollar hole,” Buttigieg said.
For close watchers of the debate, Buttigieg is repeating an attack that Sanders, and Warren, have confronted before. As proposed, Sanders’ Medicare for All plan, which would move all Americans to a single government-run health insurance program, is more generous than most private-sector plans. He has not identified a payment plan but instead cites a list of possible taxes he supports. And for unions with even stronger health care plans, Sanders has since said he would include a provision mandating companies with union-negotiated health plans to enter contract negotiations under the National Labor Relations Board.
Democrats have been in a seemingly never-ending debate about the appropriate future of health care in the United States. That fight doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Bernie Sanders isn’t going anywhere either.
Sanders is a leading candidate. He’s rising in the polls. He looks poised to win the caucuses in Nevada and have a strong showing on Super Tuesday, March 3.
Sanders faced some difficult subjects. He was met with familiar attacks on his health care plan and his self-proclaimed democratic socialism. And he was asked yet again to answer for angry online supporters.
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“We have over 10.6 million people on Twitter, and 99.9% of them are decent human beings, are working people, are people who believe in justice, compassion and love,” Sanders said. “And if there are a few people who make ugly remarks, who attack trade union leaders, I disown those people. They are not part of our movement.”
But Sanders was doing just as much of the attacking Wednesday. He came to the debate already a winner of a primary contest and with the momentum behind him.
Seeing how feisty the rest of the field was, it’s clear that some of the other candidates got that message, too: If things continue as they are, the race could consolidate around Sanders in a couple of weeks.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Twitter Users Pull Out The Popcorn As Democratic Debate Goes Into Total Smackdown

The Democratic debate quickly intensified into a heated showdown Wednesday night as candidates wasted no time in tearing into Michael Bloomberg ― and each another ― during the billionaire presidential contender ’ s first appearance on the debate stage .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) set the tone , taking aim at Bloomberg from the get-go by pointing to the former New York City mayor ’ s controversial stop-and-frisk policing policy , which disproportionately affected Black and Latino people .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
came out ( and kept on ) swinging , blasting Bloomberg for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women .
“ I ’ d like to talk about who we ’ re running against : a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians , ” Warren said .
“ And no , I ’ m not talking about Donald Trump .
I ’ m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.
” Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , also dove in , blasting Sanders and Bloomberg as the “ two most polarizing figures on this stage.
” Warren went on to go after Buttigieg and Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care proposals , labeling Buttigieg ’ s “ thin ” plan as nothing more than a “ PowerPoint ” and scorning Klobuchar ’ s as nothing more than a “ Post-It Note.
” “ I take personal offense because Post-It Notes were invented in my state , ” Klobuchar replied .
Buttigieg countered that he was “ more of a Microsoft Word guy.
” Later , the two Midwestern candidates exchanged blows .
Buttigieg criticized Klobuchar for forgetting the name of Mexico ’ s president , and Klobuchar accused him of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dumb.
” They faced off again toward the end of the debate : Klobuchar derided the mayor ’ s lack of experience , and Buttigieg retorted that you “ don ’ t have to be in Washington to matter.
” As things on the debate stage spiced up , so did the reactions on Twitter .
Here ’ s a glimpse of what viewers had to say .
frankly , we 're wasting our time investing in renewable energy because there is no fuel source purer or more plentiful than amy klobuchar 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ ashleyfeinberg ) February 20 , 2020 I have never hated anything as much as Amy Klobuchar hates Pete Buttigieg and I once accidentally went on a date with a confederate Civil War re-enactor .
— Chloe Angyal ( @ ChloeAngyal ) February 20 , 2020 Warren 's advisors : Senator , we need you to get a bit more aggressive in the debate .
Warren : Say no more.
# DemDebate — Charlotte Clymer 🏳🌈 ( @ cmclymer ) February 20 , 2020

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The Democratic debate quickly intensified into a heated showdown Wednesday night as candidates wasted no time in tearing into Michael Bloomberg ― and each another ― during the billionaire presidential contender’s first appearance on the debate stage.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) set the tone, taking aim at Bloomberg from the get-go by pointing to the former New York City mayor’s controversial stop-and-frisk policing policy, which disproportionately affected Black and Latino people.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) came out (and kept on) swinging, blasting Bloomberg for his wealth and past offensive comments about women.
“I’d like to talk about who we’re running against: a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians,” Warren said. “And no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.”
Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, also dove in, blasting Sanders and Bloomberg as the “two most polarizing figures on this stage.”
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Warren went on to go after Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) for their health care proposals, labeling Buttigieg’s “thin” plan as nothing more than a “PowerPoint” and scorning Klobuchar’s as nothing more than a “Post-It Note.”
“I take personal offense because Post-It Notes were invented in my state,” Klobuchar replied. Buttigieg countered that he was “more of a Microsoft Word guy.”
Later, the two Midwestern candidates exchanged blows. Buttigieg criticized Klobuchar for forgetting the name of Mexico’s president, and Klobuchar accused him of “trying to say that I’m dumb.” They faced off again toward the end of the debate: Klobuchar derided the mayor’s lack of experience, and Buttigieg retorted that you “don’t have to be in Washington to matter.”
As things on the debate stage spiced up, so did the reactions on Twitter. Here’s a glimpse of what viewers had to say.
"Candidates, please raise your hand if you wanna talk some big sh*t about Bloomberg" pic.twitter.com/58WPR9LoSC — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) February 20, 2020
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Every interaction between Pete and Amy Klobuchar has the energy of this video https://t.co/hRpFQeGnL6 — Ryan Brooks (@ryanbrooks) February 20, 2020
frankly, we're wasting our time investing in renewable energy because there is no fuel source purer or more plentiful than amy klobuchar's visceral hatred for pete — Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) February 20, 2020
Is this debate the patriarchy because Liz Warren is crushing it — Jake Maccoby (@jdmaccoby) February 20, 2020
I'm eating the rich vicariously through Liz Warren — Erin effing golden Ryan (@morninggloria) February 20, 2020
"I wish everyone was as perfect as you, Pete" -@amyklobuchar
My god, this is Bravo level drama — Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) February 20, 2020
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Klobuchar waiting for Mayor Pete after the debate. pic.twitter.com/Vm0bVxGNSd — Tuxedo Mask (@TheLoveBel0w) February 20, 2020
I have never hated anything as much as Amy Klobuchar hates Pete Buttigieg and I once accidentally went on a date with a confederate Civil War re-enactor. — Chloe Angyal (@ChloeAngyal) February 20, 2020
Bloomberg brought a wallet to a knife fight. — Bruce Mehlman (@bpmehlman) February 20, 2020
Warren's advisors: Senator, we need you to get a bit more aggressive in the debate.
Warren: Say no more.#DemDebate — Charlotte Clymer 🏳🌈 (@cmclymer) February 20, 2020
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"post-it notes were invented in my state" is a hall of fame klobucharism — Matt Pearce 🦅 (@mattdpearce) February 20, 2020
Warren: Amy's bunk ass healthcare plan was written on a post-it note!
Sen Klobuchar: pic.twitter.com/A8BVlExx7Q — Miles (@milesofgray) February 20, 2020
”I’m more of a Microsoft word guy” is a devastating self own. pic.twitter.com/8RVkrIerR3 — Matt Bernico (@Matt_Bernico) February 20, 2020
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Somebody stop and frisk Liz Warren. She came with a murder weapon. — Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) February 20, 2020
Liz warren tonight pic.twitter.com/ALnlU6Qpyd — Robbie Couch (@robbie_couch) February 20, 2020
This is the biggest post-it scandal since Berger dumped Carrie with one. #DemDebate #SATC pic.twitter.com/NMFu81Jc98 — Haleigh Hoffman (@HaleighHoffman) February 20, 2020
lester holt: thanks for being here
liz warren: mike bloomberg is an absolute piece of shit — Very Calm Sporting Enthusiast (@CalmSporting) February 20, 2020
Liz Warren trending is what I like to see as I tune into the #DemDebate. pic.twitter.com/yKqYeUXEs3 — Jennifer Armstrong (@jmkarmstrong) February 20, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Trump Brings Normal Fare Of Rambling Boasts And Falsehoods To Arizona Rally

“ We ’ ve done more than any administration in history , ” he told supporters during his 82-minute address , in which he veered from boasting of his accomplishments to insulting the Democratic candidates who were in the midst of a primary debate a few hundred miles north in Las Vegas .
“ Millions of registered Democrat voters are leaving their party to join our Republican Party.
” While Trump often makes false assertions in official speeches , posts online , and off-the-cuff remarks to the media , his campaign rallies tend to deliver the largest number of falsehoods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s event did not disappoint .
Trump claimed he had created the strongest economy ever — even though former President Barack Obama oversaw the creation of 1.5 million more jobs in his last three years as president than Trump has in his first three .
He claimed African American and Latino unemployment are at all-time lows — despite the fact that those rates have been creeping upward for the past several months .
On health care , Trump said , “ We ’ re protecting people with preexisting conditions and we always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his administration is backing a lawsuit that would eliminate that protection and that he previously pushed a bill to repeal it .
He even claimed to have 25,000 attendees at his rally — though the arena in which it was held , the Veterans Memorial Coliseum , only holds 15,000 .
Trump is renowned for the sheer volume of his falsehoods , as well as his general willingness to lie about topics large and small .
A number of Trump ’ s fans , though , disputed that he ever says anything false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runs a group that aims to put more Christians in elected office , said it was Trump ’ s critics and the news media who are dishonest , not the president .
“ I love what Trump has done for this country , ” said Bachman , who is 70 and retired from his real estate and insurance businesses .
Leo Cote , an 18-year-old construction worker from Tucson who said he will cast his first presidential ballot for Trump this November , said Trump is “ only a bit ” dishonest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ The whole political system is corrupt.
” One woman wearing a Trump T-shirt and a “ Women for Trump ” button got so angry when HuffPost pointed out two of Trump ’ s repeated falsehoods that she refused to participate in the interview further .
“ This is why I hate the media , ” she said before walking away .
Trump won Arizona in 2016 , but by a significantly smaller margin than previous Republican nominees , defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton by just 3.5 percentage points .
In contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beat Obama by 9 points in 2012 , and the late Sen. John McCain won his home state by the same amount in 2008 .
Democrats ’ ability to win the Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Jeff Flake in the 2018 midterm election increased their optimism that they can defeat Trump this November and win the state ’ s 11 electoral votes .
Trump is in the middle of a rare multi-day trip , and spent Tuesday and much of Wednesday in California raising money for his reelection campaign before coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign rallies in Colorado Springs on Thursday and Las Vegas on Friday before returning to the White House .

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PHOENIX ― President Donald Trump kicked off a three-day string of rallies with a typically rambling, typically falsehood-strewn speech on Wednesday in a traditionally Republican state that he barely won four years ago.
“We’ve done more than any administration in history,” he told supporters during his 82-minute address, in which he veered from boasting of his accomplishments to insulting the Democratic candidates who were in the midst of a primary debate a few hundred miles north in Las Vegas. “Millions of registered Democrat voters are leaving their party to join our Republican Party.”
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While Trump often makes false assertions in official speeches, posts online, and off-the-cuff remarks to the media, his campaign rallies tend to deliver the largest number of falsehoods per unit of time, and Wednesday’s event did not disappoint.
Trump claimed he had created the strongest economy ever — even though former President Barack Obama oversaw the creation of 1.5 million more jobs in his last three years as president than Trump has in his first three.
He claimed African American and Latino unemployment are at all-time lows — despite the fact that those rates have been creeping upward for the past several months.
He claimed to have cut taxes “by a record amount” — even though former presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush both signed larger tax cut bills.
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On health care, Trump said, “We’re protecting people with preexisting conditions and we always will” — ignoring the fact that his administration is backing a lawsuit that would eliminate that protection and that he previously pushed a bill to repeal it.
He claimed to have passed the Veterans Choice Act — although Obama signed that legislation into law years before Trump took office.
He even claimed to have 25,000 attendees at his rally — though the arena in which it was held, the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, only holds 15,000.
Supporters cheer at President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Phoenix, Feb. 19, 2020. Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
Trump is renowned for the sheer volume of his falsehoods, as well as his general willingness to lie about topics large and small. A number of Trump’s fans, though, disputed that he ever says anything false at all.
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David Bachman, who runs a group that aims to put more Christians in elected office, said it was Trump’s critics and the news media who are dishonest, not the president. “I love what Trump has done for this country,” said Bachman, who is 70 and retired from his real estate and insurance businesses.
Leo Cote, an 18-year-old construction worker from Tucson who said he will cast his first presidential ballot for Trump this November, said Trump is “only a bit” dishonest. “All politicians lie,” Cote said. “The whole political system is corrupt.”
One woman wearing a Trump T-shirt and a “Women for Trump” button got so angry when HuffPost pointed out two of Trump’s repeated falsehoods that she refused to participate in the interview further. “This is why I hate the media,” she said before walking away.
Trump won Arizona in 2016, but by a significantly smaller margin than previous Republican nominees, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton by just 3.5 percentage points. In contrast, now-Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) beat Obama by 9 points in 2012, and the late Sen. John McCain won his home state by the same amount in 2008.
Democrats’ ability to win the Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Jeff Flake in the 2018 midterm election increased their optimism that they can defeat Trump this November and win the state’s 11 electoral votes.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Ex-Fox News Reporter Nails What Donald Trump Is Really Doing To The Swamp

Donald Trump ’ s recent clemency blitz came under fire Wednesday from former Fox News reporter Carl Cameron , who said it proved the president wasn ’ t fulfilling his promise to “ drain the swamp ” of corruption in Washington .
Cameron , in an interview with CNN ’ s Brianna Keilar , noted how hollow Trump ’ s 2016 campaign vow now sounded , following his pardons and sentence commutations this week for individuals who have “ done damage to the American public.
” “ So , they ’ re swamp monsters , right ?
” asked Keilar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump granted clemency to , including former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and former Illinois Gov .
Rod Blagojevich .
Elsewhere in the segment , Cameron analyzed the link between those who had been pardoned and how their appeals to Trump were previously reported by Fox News , the widely watched conservative network he left in 2017 .
“ It could be a two-way street , ” he explained .
“ These may be people that Trump had seen on the list and decided he wanted them publicized on Fox News , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to Fox News in order to use the venue in order to get to the president.
” “ As you saw , the president himself said , ‘ I saw it on the news , I saw it on television , ’ and it was , of course , a Fox News interview that that happened , ” Cameron added .

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Donald Trump’s recent clemency blitz came under fire Wednesday from former Fox News reporter Carl Cameron, who said it proved the president wasn’t fulfilling his promise to “drain the swamp” of corruption in Washington.
Cameron, in an interview with CNN’s Brianna Keilar, noted how hollow Trump’s 2016 campaign vow now sounded, following his pardons and sentence commutations this week for individuals who have “done damage to the American public.”
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“So, they’re swamp monsters, right?” asked Keilar, of some of the people that Trump granted clemency to, including former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
“Yeah,” replied Cameron “He’s not draining it, he’s deepening it.”
Elsewhere in the segment, Cameron analyzed the link between those who had been pardoned and how their appeals to Trump were previously reported by Fox News, the widely watched conservative network he left in 2017.
“It could be a two-way street,” he explained. “These may be people that Trump had seen on the list and decided he wanted them publicized on Fox News, and it may have been people who went to Fox News in order to use the venue in order to get to the president.”
“As you saw, the president himself said, ‘I saw it on the news, I saw it on television,’ and it was, of course, a Fox News interview that that happened,” Cameron added.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Melania Trump Hails ‘Healthy Online Behavior' And People Can't Handle The Hypocrisy

Define “ healthy online behavior ” Melania .
Please enlighten us !
!
As Im confident that we are not @ @ @ @ @ page but not even in the same book located in the same country .

Define “healthy online behavior” Melania. Please enlighten us!! As Im confident that we are not only NOT on the same page but not even in the same book located in the same country.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Sam Donaldson Defends Endorsing Michael Bloomberg For President

Donaldson last week said the former New York mayor was the “ best-suited ” Democratic candidate to take on President Donald Trump ― who he described as a “ sick , ignorant man ” ― in the November election .
Donaldson told host Chris Cuomo that he ’ d signed on “ as an unpaid volunteer ” to work toward getting Bloomberg into the White House because he believes “ this is the most important election since the Civil War and one on which the country ’ s future , ” values and freedoms will be determined .
He acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he should maintain the “ credibility ” and objectivity he displayed during his 52 years as a reporter in Washington .
I ’ m not there anymore .
I ’ m me .
I ’ m a private citizen and I ’ m going to work hard for Michael Bloomberg because I think he ’ s best-suited to beat Donald Trump and would make a very good president .
Donaldson ’ s comments came as Bloomberg made his Democratic debate debut in Las Vegas , which didn ’ t go entirely to plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist policing strategies as mayor and accused him of attempting to buy the presidency .
`` I 'm a private citizen and I 'm going to work hard for [ Michael ] Bloomberg because I think he 's best suited to beat Donald Trump and would make a very good president . ''
Legendary newsman Sam Donaldson defends his decision to make his first presidential endorsement .
pic.twitter.com/9DT0pMXWBR — Cuomo Prime Time ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) February 20 , 2020

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Veteran ABC news anchor Sam Donaldson defended his backing of billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg for president.
Donaldson last week said the former New York mayor was the “best-suited” Democratic candidate to take on President Donald Trump ― who he described as a “sick, ignorant man” ― in the November election.
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The famed journalist explained his endorsement Wednesday on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time.”
Donaldson told host Chris Cuomo that he’d signed on “as an unpaid volunteer” to work toward getting Bloomberg into the White House because he believes “this is the most important election since the Civil War and one on which the country’s future,” values and freedoms will be determined.
He acknowledged some of his former colleagues likely thought he should maintain the “credibility” and objectivity he displayed during his 52 years as a reporter in Washington.
But Donaldson continued:
I’m not there anymore. I’m me. I’m a private citizen and I’m going to work hard for Michael Bloomberg because I think he’s best-suited to beat Donald Trump and would make a very good president.
Donaldson’s comments came as Bloomberg made his Democratic debate debut in Las Vegas, which didn’t go entirely to plan as his rivals roasted him over his racist policing strategies as mayor and accused him of attempting to buy the presidency.
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Check out the clip here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Read Live Updates From The Las Vegas Democratic Debate

Caroline Brehman via Getty Images UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 19 : Democratic presidential hopefuls Mike Bloomberg , left , Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , former Vice President Joe Biden , Mayor of South Bend , Indiana , Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. , participate in the Democratic Presidential Debate hosted by NBC News and MSNBC with The Nevada Independent at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday , Feb. 19 , 2020 .
( Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call , Inc via Getty Images ) Six Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Las Vegas , just three days before Nevada ’ s “ first in the West ” caucus .
The ninth of the Democratic primary cycle is the first to include former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg , who entered the race late and didn ’ t compete in key early-voting states Iowa and New Hampshire .
( He also isn ’ t on the ballot in Nevada . )
He ’ ll be joined by Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
and Amy Klobuchar ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
The debate is hosted by NBC News , MSNBC , Noticias Telemundo and The Nevada Independent .
There will be five moderators : “ NBC Nightly News ” anchor Lester Holt , NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” host Chuck Todd , NBC White House correspondent Hallie Jackson , Noticias Telemundo correspondent Vanessa Hauc and Nevada Independent editor Jon Ralston .
Read the latest updates from the debate below :

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 19: Democratic presidential hopefuls Mike Bloomberg, left, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., former Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., participate in the Democratic Presidential Debate hosted by NBC News and MSNBC with The Nevada Independent at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Caroline Brehman via Getty Images
Six Democratic presidential hopefuls are debating Wednesday night in Las Vegas, just three days before Nevada’s “first in the West” caucus.
The ninth of the Democratic primary cycle is the first to include former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who entered the race late and didn’t compete in key early-voting states Iowa and New Hampshire. (He also isn’t on the ballot in Nevada.)
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He’ll be joined by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
The debate is hosted by NBC News, MSNBC, Noticias Telemundo and The Nevada Independent. There will be five moderators: “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt, NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd, NBC White House correspondent Hallie Jackson, Noticias Telemundo correspondent Vanessa Hauc and Nevada Independent editor Jon Ralston.
Read the latest updates from the debate below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Michael Bloomberg: My Taxes Are Too Complicated To Make Public Right Now

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg claimed that releasing his tax returns to the public would be complicated and take “ a long time ” during Wednesday ’ s ninth Democratic presidential primary debate in Las Vegas .
“ It just takes us a long time .
Unfortunately or fortunately , I make a lot of money and we do business all around the world and we are preparing it , ” the billionaire , who is self-funding his presidential campaign , said when asked about making them public .
“ The number of pages will probably be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t go to Turbo Tax.
” Bloomberg entered the race in November , months after his competitors had already begun their campaigns .
In addition to not releasing his tax returns , Bloomberg has twice delayed filing a personal financial disclosure form with federal regulators , leaving details of his self-financed campaign hidden , potentially until after the critical Super Tuesday contests next month .
“ We ’ re releasing them .
They ’ ll be out in a couple of weeks .
That ’ s as fast as we can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate Wednesday .
The former mayor ’ s answer didn ’ t sit well with the other candidates on stage , who groaned and immediately shot their hands in the air to register their desire to respond .
“ Everyone up here has returned their tax returns , ” Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-Minn. ) said .
“ It is a major issue because the president of the United States ... has been hiding behind his tax returns.
” Donald Trump was the first major party nominee since Gerald Ford to not release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
He has since claimed they are under an audit that has now lasted four years .
In January 2016 , Trump ’ s explanation for not releasing his tax returns was similar to Bloomberg ’ s : “ We ’ re working on that now .
I have very big returns , as you know , and I have everything all approved and very beautiful and we ’ ll be working that over in the next period of time , ” Trump said at the time .
“ This is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg claimed that releasing his tax returns to the public would be complicated and take “a long time” during Wednesday’s ninth Democratic presidential primary debate in Las Vegas.
“It just takes us a long time. Unfortunately or fortunately, I make a lot of money and we do business all around the world and we are preparing it,” the billionaire, who is self-funding his presidential campaign, said when asked about making them public. “The number of pages will probably be in the thousands of pages. I can’t go to Turbo Tax.”
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Bloomberg entered the race in November, months after his competitors had already begun their campaigns. In addition to not releasing his tax returns, Bloomberg has twice delayed filing a personal financial disclosure form with federal regulators, leaving details of his self-financed campaign hidden, potentially until after the critical Super Tuesday contests next month.
“We’re releasing them. They’ll be out in a couple of weeks. That’s as fast as we can do it,” Bloomberg said at the debate Wednesday.
The former mayor’s answer didn’t sit well with the other candidates on stage, who groaned and immediately shot their hands in the air to register their desire to respond.
“Everyone up here has returned their tax returns,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said. “It is a major issue because the president of the United States ... has been hiding behind his tax returns.”
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Donald Trump was the first major party nominee since Gerald Ford to not release his tax returns during the 2016 presidential campaign. He has since claimed they are under an audit that has now lasted four years.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--CNN's Chris Cuomo, Don Lemon Issue Scathing Assessments Of Donald Trump's GOP

CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon on Wednesday criticized what the GOP has become under President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ who savaged Trump ahead of the 2016 election but now wholeheartedly endorse him of “ @ @ @ @ @ fealty.
” “ I argue that the GOP is no longer grand , the mighty @ @ @ @ @ , ” Cuomo said .
“ In fact , Trump is not a member of @ @ @ @ @ are all now part of the Trump Organization , ” the “ Cuomo Prime Time @ @ @ @ @ You sound more like representatives of his failed casinos than people elected to check his @ @ @ @ @ it over to “ CNN Tonight ” host Lemon , who lamented how the GOP @ @ @ @ @ of hypocrites ” who are either afraid of Trump or just want power .
Check @ @ @ @ @ :

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CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon on Wednesday criticized what the GOP has become under President Donald Trump.
Cuomo accused Republican lawmakers who savaged Trump ahead of the 2016 election but now wholeheartedly endorse him of “feeding off the teat of fealty.”
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“I argue that the GOP is no longer grand, the mighty pachyderm is packing it in,” Cuomo said. “In fact, Trump is not a member of the GOP.”
“You are all now part of the Trump Organization,” the “Cuomo Prime Time” host added. “You sound more like representatives of his failed casinos than people elected to check his power.”
He then handed it over to “CNN Tonight” host Lemon, who lamented how the GOP is now “a party of hypocrites” who are either afraid of Trump or just want power.
Check out the full clip here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Trump Names Richard Grenell Acting Director Of National Intelligence

President Donald Trump appointed U.S .
Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as the acting director of national intelligence on Wednesday .
Richard Grenell , in his role as U.S. ambassador to Germany , has been a vocal defender of President Donald Trump , especially his policies affecting Europe .
Grenell will replace Joseph Maguire , who has been serving in the temporary role since Dan Coats retired as the head of intelligence in August .
Federal law prevents Maguire from serving in the role past March 11 .
The president thanked Maguire for his service and suggested that he could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
I am pleased to announce that our highly respected Ambassador to Germany , @ RichardGrenell , will become the Acting Director of National Intelligence .
Rick has represented our Country exceedingly well and I look forward to working with him .
I would like to thank Joe Maguire ... .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) February 20 , 2020 ... .for the wonderful job he has done , and we look forward to working with him closely , perhaps in another capacity within the Administration !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) February 20 , 2020 Grenell , a Michigan native and the former U.S. spokesman at the United Nations , will be the first openly gay cabinet member .
He ’ s an outspoken Trump supporter who , like the president , regularly voices strong opinions on political matters via Twitter .
Trump , by appointing Grenell to the temporary position instead of formally nominating him to be the permanent national intelligence director , skirts a Senate confirmation process in which Grenell might not be confirmed .
The New York Times reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone with more national security experience to be nominated .
Prior to taking on the role of acting DNI , Maguire was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center , an organization within the DNI ’ s office .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether Maguire would return to his old job or step down from the government .
Trump ’ s decision to appoint Grenell , who has a reputation of launching sexist attacks against some of his female critics , drew condemnation from Democrats and former intelligence officials .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former intel colleagues , ” tweeted Ned Price , a former CIA officer .
“ Grenell is a partisan bombthrower whose only skill is defending Trump .
Trump ’ s decision not to nominate a permanent DNI underscores that he has no use for intel and no regard for national security .
”

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President Donald Trump appointed U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as the acting director of national intelligence on Wednesday.
In a tweet, Trump described Grenell as a “highly respected” diplomat who “represented our Country exceedingly well.”
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Richard Grenell, in his role as U.S. ambassador to Germany, has been a vocal defender of President Donald Trump, especially his policies affecting Europe. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Grenell will replace Joseph Maguire, who has been serving in the temporary role since Dan Coats retired as the head of intelligence in August. Federal law prevents Maguire from serving in the role past March 11.
The president thanked Maguire for his service and suggested that he could work in “another capacity” within the White House.
I am pleased to announce that our highly respected Ambassador to Germany, @RichardGrenell, will become the Acting Director of National Intelligence. Rick has represented our Country exceedingly well and I look forward to working with him. I would like to thank Joe Maguire.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2020
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....for the wonderful job he has done, and we look forward to working with him closely, perhaps in another capacity within the Administration! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2020
Grenell, a Michigan native and the former U.S. spokesman at the United Nations, will be the first openly gay cabinet member. He’s an outspoken Trump supporter who, like the president, regularly voices strong opinions on political matters via Twitter.
Trump, by appointing Grenell to the temporary position instead of formally nominating him to be the permanent national intelligence director, skirts a Senate confirmation process in which Grenell might not be confirmed. The New York Times reported that some Republican senators were reportedly pushing for someone with more national security experience to be nominated.
Prior to taking on the role of acting DNI, Maguire was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, an organization within the DNI’s office. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Maguire would return to his old job or step down from the government.
Grenell, 53, is scheduled to start as acting DNI on Thursday, Bloomberg News reported.
Trump’s decision to appoint Grenell, who has a reputation of launching sexist attacks against some of his female critics, drew condemnation from Democrats and former intelligence officials.
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“Another slap in the face to my former intel colleagues,” tweeted Ned Price, a former CIA officer. “Grenell is a partisan bombthrower whose only skill is defending Trump. Trump’s decision not to nominate a permanent DNI underscores that he has no use for intel and no regard for national security.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Elizabeth Warren Interrogates Michael Bloomberg On Sexism At His Company

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
called on former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to release women who worked at his company from nondisclosure agreements they signed after making sexual harassment and sex discrimination allegations .
The challenge , issued at Wednesday night ’ s Democratic presidential primary debate in Las Vegas , came as Warren hammered Bloomberg over the scores of allegations that have been made over the years .
“ The mayor has to stand on his record , and what we need to know is exactly what is lurking out there , ” Warren said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to release all those women from these nondisclosure agreements so we can hear their side of the story ?
” Warren described Bloomberg as having “ muzzled ” women who signed nondisclosure agreements while working at his company .
Bloomberg and Bloomberg LP have faced almost 40 lawsuits from 64 women in recent decades .
In several heated exchanges , Bloomberg described his hiring practices as progressive on gender equality , but Warren was not satisfied .
“ I hope you heard what his defense was : ‘ I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t cut it , ” Warren said .
Warren continued pressing Bloomberg as he attempted to minimize the allegations against him and his company .
When Bloomberg said there were “ very few ” nondisclosure agreements , Warren interjected , asking , “ How many is that ?
” Bloomberg struggled to respond to Warren ’ s jabs , and his defense that “ none of them accused me of doing anything other than maybe they didn ’ t like a joke I told ” drew groans from the audience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as mutual agreements that neither party would want disclosed , prompting Warren to challenge Bloomberg to release any signatory who did want to speak about her case .
“ If they wish to speak out and tell their side of their story , that ’ s OK with you ?
You ’ re releasing them on television tonight ?
” Warren said .
“ This is not just a question of the mayor ’ s character .
This is also a question about electability , ” Warren added .
“ We are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man who has who-knows-how-many nondisclosure agreements and a drip , drip , drip of stories of women saying they have been harassed.
” Bloomberg ultimately declined to say he would release women from their NDAs , falling back on his explanation that the agreements “ were made consensually.
” Former Vice President Joe Biden added to the criticism of Bloomberg ’ s NDAs , telling the former mayor to “ say yes ” to allowing the women to speak .
Bloomberg ’ s use of NDAs and refusal to release women from these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for weeks , as the former mayor has denied any wrongdoing and tried to dodge Warren ’ s criticism .
On the debate stage Wednesday , however , Warren was placed next to Bloomberg and repeatedly went on the offensive .
Warren ripped into Bloomberg at the outset , describing him as “ a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians , ” while multiple candidates condemned the racially discriminatory police policy of stop-and-frisk , which he expanded as mayor .

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called on former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to release women who worked at his company from nondisclosure agreements they signed after making sexual harassment and sex discrimination allegations. The challenge, issued at Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential primary debate in Las Vegas, came as Warren hammered Bloomberg over the scores of allegations that have been made over the years.
“The mayor has to stand on his record, and what we need to know is exactly what is lurking out there,” Warren said. “Mr. Mayor, are you willing to release all those women from these nondisclosure agreements so we can hear their side of the story?”
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Warren described Bloomberg as having “muzzled” women who signed nondisclosure agreements while working at his company. Bloomberg and Bloomberg LP have faced almost 40 lawsuits from 64 women in recent decades. In several heated exchanges, Bloomberg described his hiring practices as progressive on gender equality, but Warren was not satisfied.
“I hope you heard what his defense was: ‘I’ve been nice to some women.’ That just doesn’t cut it,” Warren said.
Warren continued pressing Bloomberg as he attempted to minimize the allegations against him and his company. When Bloomberg said there were “very few” nondisclosure agreements, Warren interjected, asking, “How many is that?”
Democratic presidential candidates Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sparred over nondisclosure agreements at the Democratic presidential primary debate Wednesday in Las Vegas. Mario Tama via Getty Images
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Bloomberg struggled to respond to Warren’s jabs, and his defense that “none of them accused me of doing anything other than maybe they didn’t like a joke I told” drew groans from the audience. Bloomberg also attempted to frame the NDAs as mutual agreements that neither party would want disclosed, prompting Warren to challenge Bloomberg to release any signatory who did want to speak about her case.
“If they wish to speak out and tell their side of their story, that’s OK with you? You’re releasing them on television tonight?” Warren said.
“This is not just a question of the mayor’s character. This is also a question about electability,” Warren added. “We are not going to beat Donald Trump with a man who has who-knows-how-many nondisclosure agreements and a drip, drip, drip of stories of women saying they have been harassed.”
Bloomberg ultimately declined to say he would release women from their NDAs, falling back on his explanation that the agreements “were made consensually.” Former Vice President Joe Biden added to the criticism of Bloomberg’s NDAs, telling the former mayor to “say yes” to allowing the women to speak.
Bloomberg’s use of NDAs and refusal to release women from these confidentiality agreements has been a campaign issue for weeks, as the former mayor has denied any wrongdoing and tried to dodge Warren’s criticism. On the debate stage Wednesday, however, Warren was placed next to Bloomberg and repeatedly went on the offensive.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--California Governor's State Of The State Speech Is Almost All About Homelessness

After kicking off his remarks to lawmakers at the state Capitol in Sacramento by celebrating several wins for the state — including an increase in jobs and providing two years of free community college — Newsom said , “ No amount of progress can camouflage the most pernicious crisis in our midst , the ultimate manifestation of poverty : homelessness.
” “ Let ’ s call it what it is , a disgrace , that the richest state in the richest nation — succeeding across so many sectors — is failing to properly house , heal and humanely treat so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Amid an affordable housing crisis nationwide , more than half a million people across the U.S. were homeless on a given night in 2019 — and more than a quarter of these lived in California , per a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development .
The number of homeless residents in California went up an alarming 16 % from 2018 to 2019 alone , according to the report .
Newsom spotlighted systemic issues contributing to the problem , such as a decades-long disinvestment in the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushes lower-income communities of color out of neighborhoods they had lived in .
One result of such factors : While Black people represent about 9 % of Los Angeles County ’ s population , they make up an estimated 33 % of its homeless residents .
Earlier this year , Newsom signed an executive order that set up a fund to combat homelessness , made travel trailers available for emergency housing and ordered state agencies to identify land and property that can be used to provide temporary shelters .
In his Wednesday address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailers had been sent to Los Angeles and Oakland and that more could be going to Sonoma County and other jurisdictions .
He also said that 286 state properties — including vacant lots and fairgrounds — had been identified for potential use for free by local governments for the housing for homeless residents .
Newsom also decried the “ underproduction of affordable housing.
” He added that while he “ respect [ s ] local control , ” it should not come “ at the cost of creating a two-class California ” — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not In My Backyard ) movements that have repeatedly sought to block the building of more multi-family , affordable housing in higher-income areas .
The governor urged state lawmakers to pass legislation that would “ eliminate red tape and delays ” to build more affordable housing , particularly near transit hubs .
A controversial bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener ( D ) — SB50 — which sought to do just that failed in the Legislature earlier this year .
Wiener said last week that he plans to rework and reintroduce the legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Trump administration , saying the federal government “ has an obligation to match its rhetoric with specific , constructive and deliverable results.
” President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked California ’ s Democratic elected officials over the high rates of homelessness in the state ’ s major cities .
At one point last year , he said that people living on the streets were ruining the “ prestige ” of Los Angeles and San Francisco .
A February poll by the University of Southern California found that likely voters in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue facing the state ( 23 % ) , followed by climate change or the environment ( 15 % ) , immigration ( 9 % ) and “ Trump ” ( 7.5 % ) .
“ The state of California can no longer treat homelessness and housing insecurity as someone else ’ s problem , ” Newsom said in his speech .
“ It is our responsibility .
And it must be at the top of our agenda .
”

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) delivered his State of the State address on Wednesday and dedicated nearly the entire speech to one issue: homelessness.
After kicking off his remarks to lawmakers at the state Capitol in Sacramento by celebrating several wins for the state — including an increase in jobs and providing two years of free community college — Newsom said, “No amount of progress can camouflage the most pernicious crisis in our midst, the ultimate manifestation of poverty: homelessness.”
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“Let’s call it what it is, a disgrace, that the richest state in the richest nation — succeeding across so many sectors — is failing to properly house, heal and humanely treat so many of its own people,” he said.
Amid an affordable housing crisis nationwide, more than half a million people across the U.S. were homeless on a given night in 2019 — and more than a quarter of these lived in California, per a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The number of homeless residents in California went up an alarming 16% from 2018 to 2019 alone, according to the report.
Tune in to watch my State of the State address live. I’m addressing the national crisis that is homelessness, and how we’re working to solve it. https://t.co/faAwMup6oZ — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 19, 2020
Newsom spotlighted systemic issues contributing to the problem, such as a decades-long disinvestment in the state’s social safety net and gentrification that pushes lower-income communities of color out of neighborhoods they had lived in. One result of such factors: While Black people represent about 9% of Los Angeles County’s population, they make up an estimated 33% of its homeless residents.
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Earlier this year, Newsom signed an executive order that set up a fund to combat homelessness, made travel trailers available for emergency housing and ordered state agencies to identify land and property that can be used to provide temporary shelters.
In his Wednesday address, the governor announced that the first trailers had been sent to Los Angeles and Oakland and that more could be going to Sonoma County and other jurisdictions. He also said that 286 state properties — including vacant lots and fairgrounds — had been identified for potential use for free by local governments for the housing for homeless residents.
Newsom also decried the “underproduction of affordable housing.” He added that while he “respect[s] local control,” it should not come “at the cost of creating a two-class California” — an apparent reference to the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) movements that have repeatedly sought to block the building of more multi-family, affordable housing in higher-income areas.
The governor urged state lawmakers to pass legislation that would “eliminate red tape and delays” to build more affordable housing, particularly near transit hubs. A controversial bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D) — SB50 — which sought to do just that failed in the Legislature earlier this year. Wiener said last week that he plans to rework and reintroduce the legislation.
Newsom also called for more support from the Trump administration, saying the federal government “has an obligation to match its rhetoric with specific, constructive and deliverable results.”
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President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked California’s Democratic elected officials over the high rates of homelessness in the state’s major cities. At one point last year, he said that people living on the streets were ruining the “prestige” of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Despite such rhetoric, Trump’s 2020 budget request proposed sweeping cuts to affordable housing programs.
A February poll by the University of Southern California found that likely voters in California ranked homelessness or housing as the top issue facing the state (23%), followed by climate change or the environment (15%), immigration (9%) and “Trump” (7.5%).
An alarming 37.5% of California voters said they were afraid they or someone in their family could become homeless.
“The state of California can no longer treat homelessness and housing insecurity as someone else’s problem,” Newsom said in his speech. “It is our responsibility. And it must be at the top of our agenda.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Meghan McCain Confronts Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez About Bernie Bros On 'The View'

“ I ’ m really glad that you decided to come and talk to us , ” McCain said .
“ I feel like you ’ re the boogie woman of the right and I ’ m the bogey-woman of the left so it ’ s interesting to be talking to you.
” The conversation between the two was polite but pointed , especially when the subject turned to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , the so-called “ Bernie Bros. ” “ The one thing that connects women on the left and women on the right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , guests that come on , is the abuse that we have all been subjected to by the Bernie Bros , ” McCain began .
“ It is by far the most violent , most misogynistic , the most sexist , the most harmful , ” and also called it ” disgusting and vitriolic.
” McCain then asked Ocasio-Cortez , a Sanders supporter , about her opinion on the Vermont senator being “ attached to this deeply misogynistic , and I would go so far as to say , violent sector of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ whether we are cognizant of it or not , it nearly always concentrates on women , people of color , and we experience the brunt of it.
” “ I think that to a certain extent we have to always reject hate , reject vitriol , and denounce that kind of behavior , ” she added .
Ocasio-Cortez defended Sanders ’ attempts to control the behavior of his supporters , saying Sanders “ works very hard… we send out messaging emails.
” She then turned to her original point that toxic behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You know what , I ’ ve been subject to a lot of this stuff from all sorts of pockets from the internet .
[ Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Corrections and Border Protection ] officers targeted me when I went to visit the border , ” she said .

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First, she noted they both attract extreme reactions, albeit from different demographic groups.
“I’m really glad that you decided to come and talk to us,” McCain said. “I feel like you’re the boogeywoman of the right and I’m the boogeywoman of the left so it’s interesting to be talking to you.”
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The conversation between the two was polite but pointed, especially when the subject turned to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the so-called “Bernie Bros.”
“The one thing that connects women on the left and women on the right, at least a lot of guest co-hosts, guests that come on, is the abuse that we have all been subjected to by the Bernie Bros,” McCain began. “It is by far the most violent, most misogynistic, the most sexist, the most harmful.” She also called it “disgusting and vitriolic.”
McCain then asked Ocasio-Cortez, a Sanders supporter, about her opinion on the Vermont senator being “attached to this deeply misogynistic, and I would go so far as to say, violent sector of people?”
The congresswoman responded that “internet culture” in general “can often be very toxic.”
She then pointed out that “whether we are cognizant of it or not, it nearly always concentrates on women, people of color, and we experience the brunt of it.”
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“I think that to a certain extent we have to always reject hate, reject vitriol, and denounce that kind of behavior,” she added.
Ocasio-Cortez defended Sanders’ attempts to control the behavior of his supporters, saying Sanders “works very hard... we send out messaging emails.”
She then turned to her original point that toxic behavior is bigger than the Sanders campaign.
“You know what, I’ve been subject to a lot of this stuff from all sorts of pockets from the internet. [Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Corrections and Border Protection] officers targeted me when I went to visit the border,” she said.
You can see the complete exchange below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Bloomberg, Apparent Climate Champion, Defends Fossil Fuel In His First Debate

Yet at his first debate as a 2020 presidential candidate on Wednesday night , the former New York City mayor defended fossil fuels and pitched what ’ s widely considered the lowest baseline for any federal response to global warming .
Bloomberg , the world ’ s eighth richest man , took credit for the closure of hundreds of coal-fired plants in recent years , a nod to the hundreds of millions of dollars he has spent on climate causes .
In 2017 alone , he gave the Sierra Club $ 64 million to fund its Beyond Coal campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in house , budgeting $ 500 million for his own Beyond Carbon initiative .
Yet data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows the primary driver of coal plant closures is higher operating costs , as well as the proliferation of cheap fracked gas and , increasingly , solar and wind energy .
The data prompted Associated Press fact-checkers to label Bloomberg ’ s claim that he was “ killing coal ” false .
And , despite the Beyond Carbon campaign ’ s focus on slowing the expansion of gas-fired plants , Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came as peer-reviewed research published Wednesday in the journal Nature showed that surging concentrations of methane ― a gas that traps 84 times more heat over a 20 year period than carbon dioxide ― in the atmosphere are overwhelmingly from industry .
There was a stark contrast between the former Republican mayor and his progressive rivals Sens .
Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
and Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , who support banning the controversial drilling technique on public lands .
Sanders , the Democratic front-runner and top-ranked candidate in environmental groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month that would start to phase out fracking across the country .
“ This is an existential threat , ” Sanders said .
“ This is a moral issue , my friends .
We have to take responsibility of making sure that the planet we leave our children and grandchildren is a planet that is healthy and habitable.
” Warren went beyond the promise of generational fairness and criticized the moderators for failing to pose a question about environmental justice for minority and poor communities , which typically suffer from the worse exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now in this country , toxic waste dumps , polluting factories have been located in or near communities over and over and over .
... We have to own up to our responsibility , ” she said , adding that the next president must crack down on polluting industries ’ corrupting influence on the policymaking process .
The more centrist candidates veered closer to Bloomberg .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-Minn. ) also talked about the need for fracked gas as a “ transitional fuel ” but vowed to review existing drilling permits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg made vague platitudes about the need to elect a president in 2020 who believes in climate science , but offered few specifics of his own .
Former Vice President Joe Biden called for ending fossil fuel subsidies , but said he ’ d support prosecuting oil , gas and coal executives who funded climate misinformation campaigns ― a common refrain of Sanders ’ campaign .
Biden ultimately pivoted to international diplomacy .
He said the United States should rally the world behind an effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so far alarmingly ineffectual , Paris Agreement .
“ What you have to do is convince the Chinese it ’ s in their interest as well .
Their people are going to die just as our people are going to die , ” Bloomberg said .
“ It ’ s India that ’ s a bigger problem .
”

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Billionaire Michael Bloomberg tied his late entry to the Democratic presidential primary in large part to his reputation as a deep-pocketed philanthropist who supports environmental groups seeking to curb climate change.
Yet at his first debate as a 2020 presidential candidate on Wednesday night, the former New York City mayor defended fossil fuels and pitched what’s widely considered the lowest baseline for any federal response to global warming.
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“If you’re president, the first thing you do the first day is rejoin the Paris Agreement,” Bloomberg said.
Bloomberg, the world’s eighth richest man, took credit for the closure of hundreds of coal-fired plants in recent years, a nod to the hundreds of millions of dollars he has spent on climate causes. In 2017 alone, he gave the Sierra Club $64 million to fund its Beyond Coal campaign. Last year, he took the effort in house, budgeting $500 million for his own Beyond Carbon initiative.
Yet data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows the primary driver of coal plant closures is higher operating costs, as well as the proliferation of cheap fracked gas and, increasingly, solar and wind energy. The data prompted Associated Press fact-checkers to label Bloomberg’s claim that he was “killing coal” false. And, despite the Beyond Carbon campaign’s focus on slowing the expansion of gas-fired plants, Bloomberg defended the fracking industry.
“It’s a transition fuel,” Bloomberg said. “We want to go to all renewables, but that’s still many years from now.”
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The remarks came as peer-reviewed research published Wednesday in the journal Nature showed that surging concentrations of methane ― a gas that traps 84 times more heat over a 20 year period than carbon dioxide ― in the atmosphere are overwhelmingly from industry.
“It’s a technique,” Bloomberg said, calling for the “enforcement of rules” to lower emissions. “But we’re not going to get rid of fracking for a while.”
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg speaks during the Democratic presidential primary debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Mario Tama via Getty Images
There was a stark contrast between the former Republican mayor and his progressive rivals Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who support banning the controversial drilling technique on public lands. Sanders, the Democratic front-runner and top-ranked candidate in environmental groups’ climate scorecards, proposed legislation this month that would start to phase out fracking across the country.
Sanders’ hard-line stance has drawn criticism from unions and some Democrats who warn that nominating a candidate who supports banning fracking threatens to cede gas-producing swing states like Pennsylvania to President Donald Trump, an unabashed champion of fossil fuels.
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“This is an existential threat,” Sanders said. “This is a moral issue, my friends. We have to take responsibility of making sure that the planet we leave our children and grandchildren is a planet that is healthy and habitable.”
Warren went beyond the promise of generational fairness and criticized the moderators for failing to pose a question about environmental justice for minority and poor communities, which typically suffer from the worse exposure to industrial pollution.
“For generations now in this country, toxic waste dumps, polluting factories have been located in or near communities over and over and over. ... We have to own up to our responsibility,” she said, adding that the next president must crack down on polluting industries’ corrupting influence on the policymaking process.
The more centrist candidates veered closer to Bloomberg. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) also talked about the need for fracked gas as a “transitional fuel” but vowed to review existing drilling permits to determine what is safe. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg made vague platitudes about the need to elect a president in 2020 who believes in climate science, but offered few specifics of his own. Former Vice President Joe Biden called for ending fossil fuel subsidies, but said he’d support prosecuting oil, gas and coal executives who funded climate misinformation campaigns ― a common refrain of Sanders’ campaign.
Biden ultimately pivoted to international diplomacy. He said the United States should rally the world behind an effort to lower emissions that goes beyond the nonbinding, and so far alarmingly ineffectual, Paris Agreement.
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“On Day One, when I’m elected president, I’m going to invite all of the members of the Paris Accord to Washington, D.C.,” Biden said. “They make up 85% of the problem. They know me. I’m used to dealing with international relations. I will get them to up the ante in a big way.” On this topic, Bloomberg had something new to say. The billionaire deflected blame from China, the world’s current largest emitter. Bloomberg recently defended the country’s authoritarian president and shielded its leaders from the scrutiny of the reporters he employed.
“What you have to do is convince the Chinese it’s in their interest as well. Their people are going to die just as our people are going to die,” Bloomberg said. “It’s India that’s a bigger problem.”
Bloomberg did, at one point, make a more impassioned call for action.
“The world is coming apart faster than any scientific study had predicted,” he said. “You’ve just got to do something now.”