WESTERVILLE:Surging White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren faced a barrage of attacks fromfellow Democrats at the party's fourth 2020 debate Tuesday, cementing herstatus as a frontrunner in the race to challenge Donald Trump. The presidenthimself loomed large as the dozen Democratic contenders trained their fire onhim, calling for his impeachment and assailing a Syria troop pullout that JoeBiden slammed as "shameful."
"The impeachmentmust go forward," thundered Warren, the progressive senator who is neckand neck with former vice president Biden at the head of the 2020 nominationrace -- a stance loudly echoed by her fellow Democrats on stage. Washington'simpeachment brawl has dominated US politics for weeks, centered on Trump'seffort to press Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden.
Dragged into thescandal, Biden made clear he believes Trump should be impeached -- and pushedback hard on the president's charge he himself intervened in Ukraine to protecthis son Hunter. "My son did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong,"Biden said, when asked about his son's employment with a Ukrainian company,which even some Democrats say held the appearance of a conflict of interest.
The Ukrainescandal thrust Biden into the spotlight, while 78-year-old liberal SenatorBernie Sanders -- the other heavyweight in the race -- was under pressure toproject fortitude two weeks after being sidelined by a mild heart attack. Butit was Warren who weathered the sharpest attacks from her fellow Democrats --on everything from kitchen-sink issues such as healthcare and taxation, toforeign policy and even business automation.
'Pipe dream'
On health -- aflashpoint issue for American voters -- Warren faced stiff blowback frommoderates who challenged her to come clean on how much her "Medicare forAll" plan would cost. "The difference between a plan and a pipe dreamis something that you can actually get done," said Senator Amy Klobuchar,while Biden called Warren's health policy "vague."
Ex-congressmanBeto O'Rourke accused Warren -- who advocates a wealth tax on the biggestfortunes -- of "punitive" policies, and "pitting some part ofthe country against the other." Warren stood out in calling for the UnitedStates to "get out of the Middle East" -- while most of her rivalsfocused on assailing Trump's decision to pull US troops out of northern Syria,which critics say amounted to a green light for a Turkish assault on America'sKurdish allies there.
"This isshameful, shameful what this man has done," Biden said of Trump's Syriapullout, while Senator Kamala Harris said she would "stop thismadness" if elected. With the candidates in broad agreement on theiropposition to Trump -- as well as on such issues as the opioid crisis andincome inequality -- much of the back-and-forth was about performance ratherthan substance.
And South BendMayor Pete Buttigieg, whose numbers are improving in early voting states likeIowa, repeatedly grabbed the limelight by clashing with rivals on everythingfrom foreign policy, to health care to gun control. When O'Rourke toldButtigieg it was time to ignore polls and be bold about buying back millions ofassault weapons, Buttigieg snapped back: "I don't need lessons from you oncourage, political or personal."
With 12candidates on stage, including billionaire activist Tom Steyer who was makinghis debate debut, each struggled to get heard. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang warnedcandidates must not forget the economic disillusionment that paved the way forTrump's 2016 victory. "When we talk about him, we are losing," hesaid, noting the dramatic manufacturing job losses in battleground states likeOhio. "These are the problems that got Donald Trump elected," Yangsaid. With the three frontrunners in their seventies, moderators confrontedthem directly on the sensitive subject of age.
Asked if he werehealthy enough for a year-long race after his heart attack, Sanders insisted hewill mount a "vigorous" campaign to "reassure" voters --while teasing a high-profile endorsement to come, which US media said was fromstar congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ilhan Omar, the first black Muslimwoman elected to Congress, announced late Tuesday that she was also endorsing Sanders'bid for the White House. Biden, 76, said his age and vast experience was anasset. "With it comes wisdom," he said. Warren for her part said shewould "outwork, out-organize, and outlast anyone, and that includes DonaldTrump, (vice president) Mike Pence, or whoever the Republicans get stuckwith." - AFP