Democratic debate 2016: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders spar over guns, healthcare, Obama

Sanders swiftly responded, saying that Clinton was being “very disingenuous” and pointed to his lifetime rating of “D-minus” from the National Rifle Association.

Hours before the debate, Sanders released a plan to raise income taxes across the board, substantially more on high earners, to pay for a a universal health care plan that includes an expansion of Medicare.

Mrs Clinton attacked Mr Sanders for repeatedly voting with the powerful gun lobby and criticised his health care plans in what was the liveliest Democratic TV debate so far – the last before Iowa’s caucuses launch the nominating race on February 1. Clinton poured it on thick last night about how she, and not Sanders, would be the inheritor of the Obama legacy.

“My relationship with him – it’s interesting”, Clinton said to laughs in the debate hall. “We need to build on the Affordable Care Act, do things that work, and reduce costs and increase access”. “I don’t want to start over again with a contentious debate”.

“Do I think that a gun shop in the state of Vermont that sells legally a gun to somebody, and that somebody goes out and does something insane, that that gun shop owner should be held responsible?”

“It’s a Republican criticism”, he said.

“I have huge doubts when people receive money from Wall Street”. “Sanders won’t even admit voting for it”. “We’re at least having a vigorous debate about reining in Wall Street”, she declared. Moderators Lester Holt and Andrea Mitchell kept the discussion mostly civil, and they did well keeping focus on the candidates and away from themselves.

Hillary Clinton. Clinton-faced with Sanders’ “louder and bolder” vision-offered “aggressive lessons on political practicality”, trying to portray herself as the more pragmatic and electable candidate, writes Rick Klein at ABC News. But it also included moments of levity.

One topic that drew the fiercest division was health care.

Clinton said Sanders was criticizing not just her but also President Obama who took donations from Wall Street.

Questioning her commitment to policing excess on Wall Street, Sanders twice invoked Clinton’s receipt of lucrative speaking fees after leaving her post as secretary of state in early 2013.

“Clearly they are ready to sharpen their contrasts on issues with each other”, said Brad Anderson, an Iowa-based Democratic strategist who was state director for President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.

The debate is scheduled to take place just blocks from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where nine parishioners were killed during Bible study in a mass shooting last summer. He voted for immunity from gunmakers and sellers which the NRA said, “was the most important piece of gun legislation in 20 years”.

Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Sen.

Clinton immediately cast the latest move as a “flip-flop”. Sanders said he backed the 2005 law in part because of provisions that require child safety locks on guns and ban armor-piercing ammunition.

The top trending question regarding her nearest rival Vermont Senator Bernard Sanders was: “Why is Bernie Sanders so popular?”, and Americans questioned why former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley was still in the race, googling: “Why is Martin O’Malley running for president?” She was helped that the first questions were about gun control, race relations and drug addiction, which she has talked about for months on the campaign trail.