Buttigieg, Sanders beat back debate attacks

Manchester (New Hampshire): Democratic presidential front-runners Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg beat back a barrage of attacks during a debate as rivals raised persistent questions about their ideology and experience, hoping to sow doubts about their ability to defeat Donald Trump.

Reeling from a weak finish in this week’s Iowa caucuses, former Vice President Joe Biden was a chief aggressor throughout Friday night. He questioned Sanders’ status as a democratic socialist and said Buttigieg, the 38-yearold former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, doesn’t have the background to lead in a complicated world. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who is struggling to break into the top tier, voiced similar criticisms. But Sanders and Buttigieg largely brushed off the broadsides. “Donald Trump lies all the time,” Sanders said in response to suggestions that Trump would use his self-described identity as a democratic socialist to brand him — and all Democrats — as radical. Buttigieg sought to turn skepticism of his resume into a positive, portraying himself as a fresh face from outside Washington with experience in dealing with real-life problems. “I’m interested in the style of politics we need to put forward to actually finally turn the page,” Buttigieg said. He added a jab at Biden: “I admit that if you’re looking for the person with most years of Washington establishment experience under their belt, you’ve got your candidate, and of course it's not me.”