Facing primary fight from Sanders, Clinton embraces Obama

Democratic Party leaders were expecting jabs, barbs and an exchange of blows at the Gaillard Center in Charleston as the gap narrowed between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton in Iowa down to just a point or two.

The third participant in the debate, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, tried persistently to insert himself into the conversation, hoping to boost his poll numbers out of single digits.

Clinton wasn’t challenged on as many issues.

On health care, Clinton seemed to walk into a trap.

In one of the most contentious moments of the debate, the two offered sharply different visions of healthcare. We’re not going to tear up the Affordable Care Act. Clinton urged building on the existing system.

“Understanding that Iran’s behavior in so many ways is something that we disagree with, their support for terrorism, the anti-American rhetoric that we’re hearing from of their leadership is something that is not acceptable”, Sanders said.

Presidential front runner Hillary Clinton has said that if she wins the November elections, the role of her husband Bill Clinton would start at the “kitchen table” and she would ask for his ideas as a former president of the US.

“We finally have a path to universal healthcare, we’ve accomplished so much already”.

Instead, she urged a less-sweeping action to build on President Barack Obama’s health care law by working to further reduce out-of-pocket costs and control spending on prescription drugs.

Clinton said: “I am pleased to hear that Sen”.

“The fact that he keeps saying that Democrats can’t do things is just wrong”, said Clinton campaign strategist Joel Benenson.

Has Sanders forgotten how hard it was for Obama to get his plan passed – even though it resembled previous Republican plans, like the one created by Mitt Romney when he was governor of MA? In 2005 Sanders voted for legislation that gave gun manufacturers legal immunity.

Clinton holds a large lead in the most recent poll, which was done back in December.

Clinton’s case for tougher gun control also aimed to put her on the same side as Obama, who recently signed executive orders aimed at addressing a spate of shootings, including a deadly rampage last summer at a Charleston church, a few blocks from the debate hall.

While many political observers and armchair pundits have been getting all atwitter – in the old-fashioned, pre-Twitter way – about the Sanders boomlet, there’s a not-so-dirty-little secret that few have been talking about: Roughly one-fifth of the total number of delegates to the Democratic National Convention will be the so-called superdelegates, those not bound by state primaries or caucuses.

According to a Quinnipiac poll released last month, 59 percent of Americans view Mrs. Clinton as being “not honest or trustworthy”.

Indeed, Clinton owes her lead in the state – the first state where she does have a clear edge – largely to a big lead there among African-Americans.