By Colleen McCain Nelson, Laura Meckler and Peter Nicholas
MILWAUKEE--Hillary Clinton pressed Bernie Sanders on the
viability of his proposals for free health care and college tuition
in a Democratic presidential debate Thursday, warning that it is
important to level with the American people about what is
possible.
The Vermont senator, in response, didn't hesitate to stand by
his proposal to impose new taxes on the wealthy and Wall Street to
provide those new government services. However, he appeared to have
no reply when the former secretary of state pointed out that his
education proposal would require Republican governors to spend more
money to make it happen.
Mr. Sanders's plan "rests on making sure that governors, like
Scott Walker [of Wisconsin], contribute $23 billion on the first
day to make college free. I'm a little skeptical," she said, to
loud applause.
In a wide-ranging exchange, the first after the candidates split
victories in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, they
agreed with each other more than they disagreed and both appealed
to the minority voters who will play a larger role in the next two
races, in South Carolina and Nevada.
The debate elicited few surprises and revealed no significant
change in tactics by either camp that could shift the dynamics of
what appears to be a highly competitive fight for the Democratic
Party presidential nomination that is likely not to be resolved for
months.
The debate opened with a tense exchange over one of the pair's
sharpest policy differences--Mr. Sanders's proposal to create a
single-payer health-care system that would replace private
insurance with a government-funded system.
Mr. Sanders said it is imperative for the U.S. to guarantee
health care as a right, not a privilege. Mrs. Clinton questioned
his assertion that a typical American family will see $500 more in
taxes while saving $5,000 in health-care costs.
"The numbers don't add up," she said. "That's a promise that
cannot be kept."
Mr. Sanders responded by speaking of a general imperative. "Here
is the reality, folks. There is one major county on Earth that does
not guarantee health care to all people," he said.
Mrs. Clinton replied that the U.S. system is fundamentally
different from European countries, which have government systems,
and that the Affordable Care Act was meant to build on the
employer-based system in place.
Mrs. Clinton suggested that her opponent was promising more than
he could deliver as president and would plunge the country back
into another protracted debate over health care. "I feel we have to
level with people," she said, adding that "we have a special
obligation to make clear what we stand for, which is why we should
not make promises we can't keep."
She said she has specified what her proposals would cost--$100
billion a year. "Once I'm in the White House, we will have enough
political capital" to close tax loopholes and raise taxes on
wealthy Americans--steps that would pay for her programs, she
said.
In reply, Mr. Sanders seized on her confident prediction that
she will be the next president. "Secretary Clinton, you're not in
the White House yet," he said. He didn't put a dollar amount on his
proposals, which research by The Wall Street Journal suggests would
cost about $1.7 trillion a year.
On the issue of race, both candidates pledged to create new
opportunities and address inequities.
Mr. Sanders decried a broken criminal justice system that he
said allows mass incarcerations and "kids getting arrested." Mrs.
Clinton spoke about the challenges African-Americans face and said
she would "tackle those barriers that stand in the way of too many
Americans" by addressing a wide range of issues, from jobs to
criminal justice reform.
Thursday's matchup came on the heels of Mr. Sanders's convincing
win in the New Hampshire primary, where he won more women in every
age bracket except those 45 years and older.
When asked why she didn't garner broader appeal, Mrs. Clinton
demurred. "I have no argument with anyone making up her mind about
who to support, " she said. "I just hope that by the end of this
campaign, there will be a lot more supporting me."
Mrs. Clinton declined to agree or disagree with the
controversial comment from one of her supporters, former Secretary
of State Madeleine Albright, who said there was "a special place in
hell" for women who don't support one another. She noted instead
that her friend had been saying that for many years.
Mr. Sanders was asked if he was worried that he might be
standing in the way of a historic achievement: election of the
first woman president. He replied that given his background and
views--he says he's a democratic socialist--"a Sanders victory
would be of some historical accomplishment as well."
The Clinton campaign is counting on states with more diverse
electorates to create an election-race firewall that halts Mr.
Sanders's rise, but both campaigns are preparing for a prolonged
battle, stretching into March and perhaps beyond.
Polls taken before the New Hampshire primary showed Mrs. Clinton
with double-digit leads in Nevada and South Carolina, but Mr.
Sanders has moved quickly this week to capitalize on his win and
build support among minority voters.
Both Democratic contenders have rolled out endorsements from
African-American officials and celebrities in recent days. On
Thursday, the political arm of Congressional Black Caucus threw
their support to Mrs. Clinton, and entertainer Harry Belafonte
endorsed Mr. Sanders in a video message.
Mr. Sanders's decisive victory in New Hampshire highlighted the
resonance of his call for a political revolution and his argument
that a rigged economy is unfairly benefiting Wall Street and the
wealthy.
He hit upon those themes again Thursday, saying that his
campaign's success was evidence that the American people are tired
of establishment politics and establishment economics.
"They want a political revolution in which millions of Americans
stand up, come together, not let the Trumps of the world divide us,
and say, you know what, in this great country, we need a government
that represents all of us, not just a handful of wealthy campaign
contributors," Mr. Sanders said.
Write to Colleen McCain Nelson at colleen.nelson@wsj.com, Laura
Meckler at laura.meckler@wsj.com and Peter Nicholas at
peter.nicholas@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 11, 2016 23:11 ET (04:11 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.