Nov.
21--U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren drew wide criticism over her myriad progressive
policies in a Democratic presidential debate that offered little new for voters
except for a slew of one-liners.
Warren
was attacked by her moderate onstage rivals in Atlanta over her support of
"Medicare for All," her wealth tax, and her pledges to offer free
public college and to cancel student loan debt. Even the MSNBC and Washington
Post moderators questioned whether Warren's staunch backing of the government-run
health care system could cost her "critical votes."
The
Massachusetts senator came prepared to fight back, repeatedly tying the major
issues of the night -- climate change and health insurance among them -- back
to the premise of her campaign, rooting out corruption in Washington, D.C.
But
several candidates were able to get under her skin. From the far end of the
stage, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker jabbed at the center-stage Warren by calling her
wealth tax "cumbersome" and saying the focus should be on
"pathways to prosperity for more Americans" rather than just taxing
the rich.
Warren
said her wealth tax -- a 2% tax on wealth between $50 million and $1 billion,
and a 6% tax on net worth above $1 billion -- "is not about punishing
anyone."
But as
Booker continued to needle her, Warren snapped back, "I'm tired of
freeloading billionaires."
South
Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg was next, continuing his attacks on Warren
over Medicare for All by saying it's not an approach that would unify the
country.
Warren
has staunchly pushed for Medicare for All -- but recently amended her $52
trillion proposal to include a transition plan that begins with a public option
and wouldn't fully embrace the government-run system until her third year in
office.
That
allowed U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders -- the bill's original proponent -- to finally
strike a contrast with Warren, saying he would immediately push to implement
Medicare for All upon taking office.
Former
Vice President Joe Biden railed against Warren and Sanders by saying Medicare
for All "couldn't pass the U.S. Senate right now ... it couldn't pass the
House." Biden cited a lack of support from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi --
mirroring fears that if Democrats go too far left on health care they could
lose down-ballot seats to Republicans -- and pushed his own plan to expand the
Affordable Care Act.
The
progressive policies pushed by Warren and Sanders drew repeated attacks from
the moderates on stage throughout the night, highlighting the fractured state
of the Democratic Party.
U.S. Sen.
Amy Klobuchar turned a question on paid family leave into a broader rebuke of
the progressives' plans for canceling student loan debt and offering free
public college.
"I'd
love to staple free diplomas under people's chairs. I'm not going to go for
things just because they sound good on a bumper sticker and then throw in a
free car," Klobuchar said. "We have an obligation as a party to be,
yes, fiscally responsible -- yes, think big, but make sure we have people's
backs and be honest with them with what we can pay for."
Klobuchar
also hit hard at fellow Midwestern moderate Buttigieg over his lack of
experience in Washington -- the enduring line of attack against the 37-year-old
mayor and rising star of the moment in the Democratic field, who also took fire
Wednesday night over his issues connecting with black voters.
"Washington
experience is not the only experience that matters," Buttigieg shot back
in one exchange. "There's more than 100 years of Washington experience on
this stage and where are we right now as a country."
In a
debate that saw the 10 candidates on stage in their fifth outing offer little
new by way of policy -- and at times resort to old lines of attack or demure --
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard stood out in part by going after her own party.
Gabbard
derided the Democratic Party as one "that has been and continues to be
influenced by the foreign policy establishment in Washington represented by
Hillary Clinton and others' foreign policy, by the military industrial complex
and other greedy corporate interests" and called for an end to
regime-change wars.
The
Hawaii congresswoman has been blasting Clinton's lingering influence on the
Democratic Party after the former Democratic nominee last month alluded to
Gabbard being supported by the Russians.
U.S.
Sen. Kamala Harris was having none of it, slamming Gabbard by saying, "I
think that it's unfortunate that we have someone on this stage that is
attempting to be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, who
during the Obama administration spent four years full time on Fox News
criticizing President Obama, who has been full-time criticizing people on this
stage as affiliated with the Democratic Party."
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the Boston Herald
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