Clinton seeks debate bounce after New Hampshire rout

“She has labored in various capacities all of her adult life and now she is ready to serve our country by occupying the highest office in our country”, said U.S. Representative G.K. Butterfield. She is expected to attack Sanders more aggressively on issues that matter to minority voters, defending policies like the health care law achieved by President Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president.

In 2008, Obama defeated Clinton in South Carolina’s Democratic primary, 55.4 percent to 26.5 percent – a crucial step toward winning the nomination.

Sanders accused Clinton of spreading the idea that Sanders wants to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which he said is untrue.

“In the last debate, and I believe in her book … she talked about getting the approval or support or the mentoring of Henry Kissinger”, Sanders said.

With Clinton looking to rebound after her crushing 22-point loss to Sanders in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, the two also differed over healthcare and Wall Street.

Their manner generally was carefully courteous to one another – after all, the debate was hosted by PBS – but their words often were caustic, and they became more heated as the debate wore on.

“Look, I think that she’s been saying that for as long as I’ve known her, which is about 25 years”.

In a swipe at Sanders, Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the country needs a president “who doesn’t simply campaign and promise wonderful things, things that are politically impossible to achieve”.

On criminal justice, a particular concern for African-Americans, Clinton recalled the shooting death of Dontre Hamilton at the hands of a Milwaukee police officer.

The next Republican debate is Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina.

Clinton got a huge boost ahead of the debate when she won the endorsement of the political arm of the Congressional Black Caucus.

“I am proud to say Henry Kissinger is not my friend”, Sanders said, hitting Clinton for in the past saying she took advice from the former secretary of state and linking him to genocide in Southeast Asia. Voters in the Badger State will have all that time to mull over what Clinton and Sanders said Thursday night.

“I want my daughter to see anything is possible”, she said.

“Super PAC’s have raised more money than individual candidates”, Sanders said.

For his part, Senator Sanders, an independent from Vermont who calls himself a democratic socialist, hoped to harness the momentum and enthusiasm he gained from the first two contests and prove he can be a viable contender to lead the Democratic Party to victory in the November 8 presidential election. Clinton is mindful of a need to not turn off Sanders’ voters, particularly the young people that are supporting him in overwhelming numbers.

Obama remains popular with rank-and-file Democrats, including African-American voters in SC. In November, the Times reported that former President Bill Clinton would be a “special guest” at a donor meeting for the group, called “Priorities USA Action”.