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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 17 February 2020
Rival Democrats accuse Bloomberg of trying to 'buy' election

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — or of New York, Bill de Bla-
With the Nevada caucuses sio, who just this week en-
less than a week away, dorsed Sanders. De Blasio
Democratic presidential introduced Sanders with
candidates campaigning an attack of his own on
Sunday were fixated on a his predecessor, telling the
rival who wasn't contesting crowd, "I'm sorry to report
the state. to you the chief proponent
Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, of stop and frisk is now run-
Amy Klobuchar and Pete ning for president."
Buttigieg all targeted bil- Klobuchar, speaking on
lionaire Mike Bloomberg, CBS' "Face the Nation," ac-
accusing him of buying his cused Bloomberg of avoid-
way into the election and ing scrutiny by blanketing
making clear they were the airwaves and sidestep-
eager to take him on in a ping debates or tough tele-
debate. vised interviews.
"He thinks he can buy this "I think he cannot hide be-
election," Sanders said of hind the airwaves and the
the former New York mayor money," she said. "I think he
at a rally in Carson City, Ne- has to come on the shows.
vada. "Well, I've got news And I personally think he
for Mr. Bloomberg — the Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is joined should be on the debate
American people are sick on stage by supporters during his campaign launch of "Mike for Black America," at the Buffalo stage."
and tired of billionaires buy- Soldiers National Museum, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Houston. Klobuchar said she's raised
ing elections!" Associated Press $12 million since her bet-
Their attacks are a sign of ter-than-expected finish in
how seriously the field is the Super Tuesday primary ment-aligned Democrats struggle to unite behind third place in New Hamp-
starting to take Bloomberg on March 3. He has spent over the early strength a candidate who could shire. She's maintained her
as he gains traction in the more than $417 million of of Sanders, who won last serve as a counter to the campaign through a series
race and is on the cusp of his own multibillion-dollar week's New Hampshire pri- Vermont senator, who has of strong debate perfor-
qualifying for Wednesday's fortune on advertising na- mary and essentially tied long identified as a demo- mances and argued that
Democratic debate in Las tionwide, an unprecedent- for first place in Iowa with cratic socialist. Bloomberg being on stage
Vegas. Bloomberg has by- ed sum for any candidate Pete Buttigieg, the former The hundreds of millions with his rivals would level
passed the traditional early in a primary. mayor of South Bend, Indi- of dollars that Bloomberg the playing field.
voting states including Ne- The focus on Bloomberg ana. Sanders is hoping to has pumped into the Su- "I'm never going to beat
vada, focusing instead on comes amid anxiety notch a victory in Nevada per Tuesday states has only him on the airwaves, but
the 14 states that vote in among many establish- on Saturday as moderates heightened the sense of I can beat him on the de-
uncertainty surrounding the bate stage," she said.
Democratic race. Biden, speaking on NBC's
At Sanders' rally, the "Meet the Press," suggested
crowded cheered as the that Bloomberg will face
Vermont senator joked that increased scrutiny as the
Bloomberg is "struggling, race continues, pointing to
he's down to his last $60 bil- his record on issues relating
lion" and derided him for to race.
skipping the early primary "$60 billion can buy you
states. a lot of advertising, but it
It marked an escalation of can't erase your record,"
the salvo Sanders launched he said.
Saturday against the for- Biden knocked Bloom-
mer mayor, when he ticked berg's past support of stop-
off a litany of conservative and-frisk policing policies
positions Bloomberg has and his comments sug-
taken in the past, including gesting cracking down on
opposing a minimum wage racist mortgage lending
hike and his opposition to a practices contributed to
number of Barack Obama's the financial crisis, as well
policies while president. On as his 2008 refusal to en-
Saturday, Sanders suggest- dorse Barack Obama for
ed the former mayor's past president. Bloomberg has
conservatism and contro- been airing ads that tie
versial comments make him him closely to Obama on
a weak candidate against issues like gun control and
President Donald Trump, climate change.
charging that Bloomberg, Buttigieg likened Bloom-
"with all his money, will not berg to Trump when asked
create the kind of excite- about reports that Bloom-
ment and energy we need" berg made sexist com-
to beat Trump. ments towards women and
And on Sunday, he was fostered a culture of sexism
joined by the current may- at his company.q