Clinton And Sanders Clash As Poll Gap Closes

“He voted for immunity from gun makers and sellers, which the NRA said was the most important piece of gun legislation in 20 years”, said Clinton.

Video: Who is Hillary Clinton? Democratic presidential candidate, Sen.

The pair, along with ex-Maryland governor Martin O’Malley, took the stage in Charleston, South Carolina with the temperature rising in the primary battle, as frontrunner Clinton feels the heat from challenger Sanders in a tightening nomination race.

Despite Mrs Clinton’s attacks, the Vermont senator’s forceful responses are likely to have struck a chord with the party’s liberal grassroots who have been swept up by his insurgent campaign.

She also looked intently at Martin O’Malley as he attacked her on her relations with Wall Street. It couldn’t be clearer on Sunday night that NBC considers it irrelevant. When Sanders was asked whether he regretted calling “Bill Clinton’s past transgressions, quote, totally, totally, totally disgraceful”, the candidate took the high road. Reflecting Sanders’ rise in opinion polls, the two candidates went on each other with new urgency over who was best suited to lead Democrats in the November election. “What this is really about is not the rational way to go forward – it’s Medicare for all – it is whether we have the guts to stand up to the private insurance companies and all of their money, and the pharmaceutical industry”.

Sanders contended that he didn’t want to eradicate Obama’s health care law, but instead further build upon it and called her accusations “nonsense”. Clinton said she would improve Barack Obama’s healthcare act – and not increase taxes on the middle class. O’Malley said he knows how to balance a budget and increase services.

She praised Mr Obama for having “led our country out of the Great Recession”.

The candidates raced to the left on Wall Street, each arguing that their presidency would terrify financiers most.

Despite spending twice as much on healthcare than most wealthy countries, Americans have a lower life expectancy than their counterparts in the West. Bernie Sanders is keen to change that.

Throughout the night, Clinton embraced Obama’s legacy, assuming that the president’s popularity could help her with primary voters.

“We have to be sure that they are truly going to implement the agreement”.

Sanders pushed back at every turn.

Everyone agreed on the need for new gun control measures, but Sanders was put on the defensive. “I have avoided doing that, I’m trying to run an issues oriented campaign”.

The pair clashed on financial policy too, with Mr Sanders claiming Mrs Clinton will not be tough enough on Wall Street because of the big contributions and speaking fees she has accepted.

Clinton responded that Sanders himself had voted to deregulate the financial market in 2000, but it wasn’t as neatly-wrapped of a talking point.

“The debate is over: Climate change is real”, Sanders said. “The Republicans want to give them more power and repeal (the) Dodd-Frank (Act)”. But I think we still have to carefully watch them. “Yes, his behavior was deplorable”. Kitchen table adviser, perhaps?

Then, pointing to the successes of her husband’s administration, she added: “You bet I’m going to ask for his ideas”.

In past debates, moderators have tried to spark disagreements between Sanders and Clinton on issues of the data breach and the former secretary of state’s use of a personal email account, but it hasn’t worked.