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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 3 March 2020

Klobuchar is ending her presidential bid, will endorse Biden

By SARA BURNETT and universities because
Associated Press the U.S. cannot afford it.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobu- "I've got to tell the truth,"
char ended her Democrat- she said during a CNN town
ic presidential campaign hall at a college campus,
on Monday and plans to where she acknowledged
endorse rival Joe Biden in her position may be unpop-
an effort to unify moder- ular with younger voters.
ate voters behind the for- Klobuchar was one of the
mer vice president's White first candidates to outline a
House bid. plan for addressing addic-
She is flying to Dallas and tion and mental health, an
plans to join Biden at his ral- issue she described as per-
ly Monday night, accord- sonal because of her fa-
ing to her campaign. ther's longtime struggle. Her
Klobuchar's exit reflects an accounts of growing up
urgent push among moder- with a father suffering from
ates to consolidate behind alcoholism and watching
Biden as a counter to pro- him be forced to choose
gressive rival Bernie Sand- between prison or treat-
ers. Pete Buttigieg ended ment were some of the
his campaign on Sunday most compelling moments
and will also join Klobuchar In this Feb. 25, 2020, file photo Democratic presidential candidates, former Vice President Joe of speeches, interviews
Biden, left, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., participate in a Democratic presidential primary
and Biden in Dallas later debate at the Gaillard Center in Charleston, S.C., co-hosted by CBS News and the Congressional and discussions with vot-
Monday. Black Caucus Institute. ers. Klobuchar said that her
Klobuchar outlasted sev- Associated Press father described getting
eral better-known and help as being "pursued by
better-funded Democrats, tougher when Biden joined happened. Kavanaugh re- sistencies, raising questions grace" and that it's an op-
thanks to a better-than- the race in April, starting as torted, "Have you?" Klobu- about whether Myon Burrell portunity all people fighting
expected third-place finish a front-runner and remain- char continued, unruffled, was railroaded by police. addiction deserve.
in in New Hampshire. But ing there. Klobuchar also and Kavanaugh later The issue followed Klobu- But Klobuchar couldn't
she couldn't turn that into was quickly overshadowed apologized to the senator, char on the campaign trail, match her top competitors
success elsewhere, as she by Buttigieg, a fellow Mid- whose father is recovering with protesters forcing her in fundraising. She raised
struggled to build out a westerner who shot from from alcoholism. to cancel a rally in subur- about $11 million in the last
campaign that could com- being the largely unknown Even before she got into ban Minneapolis days be- quarter of 2019 — roughly
pete across the country mayor of South Bend, Indi- the race, Klobuchar was hit fore Super Tuesday. half of what Sanders and
and had poor showings in ana, to a top contender on with news stories claiming Klobuchar campaigned on Buttigieg received. The
the next contests. a mix of intelligence, strong she mistreated her Senate her productivity in Wash- lack of finances early on
The three-term senator had oratory and youthful opti- staff, and she had a higher- ington, where she led more in the campaign meant
one of this cycle's more mism. than-usual turnover rate in than 100 bills that were Klobuchar wasn't able
memorable campaign Klobuchar entered the her office. Klobuchar said signed into law. And she to expand her operation
launches, standing outside race with low name rec- she is a "tough boss" but criticized the more liberal on the ground in Iowa
in a Minnesota snowstorm ognition compared with countered that she has sev- candidates in the field, and New Hampshire until
last February to tout her many of her rivals, a disad- eral longtime employees, Sens. Elizabeth Warren months after her rivals. She
"grit" and Midwestern sen- vantage she was still citing including the manager of and Sanders, for running then scrambled to put an
sibilities. Klobuchar argued a year into her campaign. her presidential campaign. on promises she said they operation in place in Ne-
that her record of getting Outside Minnesota, the She also faced questions couldn't keep. vada, South Carolina and
things done in Washington lawyer and former pros- over her prosecutor past. Rather than advocate for the 14 states that will vote
and winning even in Re- ecutor was best known for In January, The Associat- "Medicare for All," for ex- on Super Tuesday.
publican parts of her state her questioning of Supreme ed Press published a story ample, Klobuchar favored Still, there were bright spots,
would help her win tradi- Court nominee Brett Kava- about Klobuchar's office in expanding the Affordable including strong debate
tionally Democratic heart- naugh during a 2018 Sen- Minneapolis having pros- Care Act and working to performances that helped
land states like Wisconsin ate Judiciary Committee ecuted the case of a black reduce prescription drug bring in new donors. Her
and Michigan that flipped hearing. teenager accused of the costs — changes she said campaign credited Klobu-
in 2016 to give Donald Klobuchar asked Kavana- 2002 shooting death of an had a chance of passing char's showing in a de-
Trump the presidency. ugh, who was accused of 11-year-old girl. Klobuchar and would make a sig- bate days before the New
She was hoping to own sexually assaulting a fellow has cited the story to show nificant impact. She sup- Hampshire primary with
the moderate lane of a teenager when both were her toughness on crime. But ported making community helping her clinch a better-
Democratic field that grew in high school, if he ever an AP/APM Reports investi- colleges free but said she than-expected third place
to some two dozen candi- had so much to drink that gation uncovered new evi- wouldn't promise to do the in the state's primary, top-
dates. But that got much he didn't remember what dence and myriad incon- same for four-year colleges ping Warren and Biden.q