Warren argues case: Woman can become president
DES MOINES, IOWA: Elizabeth Warren made a forceful case for a female president and stood behind her accusation suggesting sexism by progressive rival Bernie Sanders in a Democratic debate that raised gender as a key issue in the sprint to Iowa’s presidential caucuses.
Sanders vehemently denied Warren’s accusation, which threatened to split the Democratic Party’s left flank - as well as the senators’ long-time liberal alliance - at a critical moment less than three weeks before voting begins.
“Look at the men on this stage. Collectively they have lost 10 elections,” Warren exclaimed on Tuesday night. “The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in are the women.” Sanders responded: “Does anybody in their right mind think a woman can’t be elected president? Of course a woman can win.”
There was a final moment of tension between Sanders and Warren after the debate ended. Having shaken the hands of her other competitors, Warren was shown in video declining to shake
Sanders’ extended hand.
With the Democratic field tightly bunched among four leading candidates, the debate offered an opportunity for separation. But none of the six candidates on stage had the kind of moment likely to reshape the race in the final weeks before voting starts. Instead, the debate was generally marked by a focus on weighty issues of foreign policy, climate change and how to provide health care for all Americans.
Even when disputes emerged, most candidates quickly pivoted to note their larger differences with President Donald Trump.
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: DEMS RELEASE PAPERS WASHINGTON: House Democrats have released a trove of documents they obtained from Lev Parnas, a close associate of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, including a handwritten note that mentions asking Ukraine’s president to investigate “the Biden case”.
The documents, obtained as part of the impeachment investigation, show Parnas communicating with Giuliani before the removal of Marie Yovanovitch, who was the US ambassador to Ukraine.