The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Biden faces criticism on legislative history
DETROIT >> The ideological divisions gripping the Democratic Party intensified on Wednesday as presidential candidates waged an acrimonious battle over health care, immigration and race.
Biden, who found himself the target of criticism from nearly half the candidates on the debate stage, was forced to defend his decades-old political record on multiple fronts as other White House hopefuls sought to tear him down. One of his chief rivals, California Sen. Kamala Harris, charged that Biden’s past work with segregationists in the Senate could have prevented Barack Obama from becoming the nation’s first black president, and stopped her and fellow presidential candidate Cory Booker, both of whom are black, from becoming senators.
“Had those segregationists had their way, I would not be a member of the United States Senate, Cory Booker would not be a member of the United States Senate, and Barack Obama would not have been in a position to nominate” Biden to become vice president.
When pressed, Biden repeatedly leaned on his relationship with Obama.
“We’re talking about things that occurred a long, long time ago,” Biden said. He added: “Everybody’s talking about how terrible I am on these issues. Barack Obama knew who I was.”
Biden and Harris also had a spirited exchange over health care, with Harris saying Biden’s plan was too timid and the former vice president saying that the senator’s plan was vague and far too expensive. But it was the discussion of race that marked an escalating rift in the Democratic primary just two weeks after President Donald Trump issued racist calls for four female congresswomen of color to leave the country, even though all of them are American citizens. Over the weekend, Trump again took aim at a prominent congressman of color, charging that “no human being would want to live” in his “rat-infested” Baltimore district, which has a large black community.
This is an internal fight many Democrats do not want, fearing that it could alienate some white voters they would like to reclaim from Trump in 2020. For Biden’s struggling competitors, however, they see no better way to undermine his candidacy than raising questions about his commitment to black voters.
While Biden took many hits on the stage, there were multiple opponents aiming for Harris as well. Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard tore into Harris’ record as a prosecutor and attorney general in California.
Biden, who leads virtually all early polls, is considered the leading moderate onstage. In addition to Harris, Booker and Gabbard, his more progressive opponents include New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
The evening opened with a spirited exchange over the future of health care. Biden charged that Harris’ plan would cost taxpayers $3 trillion even after two terms in office and would force middleclass taxes to go up, not down.
He said that would put Democrats at a disadvantage against Trump.
“You can’t beat President Trump with double talk on this plan,” he said.
Harris slapped back that Biden was inaccurate.