Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., clashed in the opening moments of Wednesday night’s Democratic primary debate on the question of health care — with Biden accusing Harris of “double talk,” and Harris implying that Biden was “confused.”
Harris was asked about the Biden campaign’s criticism that her plan to give all Americans health care was a “have it every which way approach.”
“Well, they’re probably confused because they’ve not read it,” she said, saying it was a “plan that was responsive to the needs of the American people.”
Biden was pointed in his response, warning the audience that they should be skeptical of a plan that claims to achieve something in 10 years: “You should wonder why it takes 10 years.”
He then said there was “no talk” about the cost of the plan or that Americans would lose employer-based coverage.
“To be very blunt and be very straight forward, you can’t beat President Trump with double talk on this plan,” he told Harris.
“Unfortunately Vice President Biden, you’re simply inaccurate in what you’re describing,” Harris responded. She later said Biden’s own plan was insufficient as it does not cover every American — something she said was “without excuse.”
Biden had warned ahead of the debate that he was looking to avoid a repeat of last month’s debate in which he was savaged by Harris for his past in finding common ground with segregationists in the 1970s and opposition to federally mandated busing.
He subsequently saw a dip in the polls, although he has maintained his status as the front-runner, with Harris running in second place in many polls. He has appeared more clued in that, as the man to beat, he has the biggest target on his back.
“I’m not going to be as polite this time,” Biden told supporters at a recent fundraiser.
Biden told reporters last week that he “was probably overly polite in the way I did respond to an attack” in the first debate.
And a source close to Biden’s inner circle said to a reporter that the former vice president was prepared and “plans on being a little feistier.”
When he took the stage, however, he was conciliatory with Harris, shaking her hand and adding with a smile: “Go easy on me kid.” Her campaign, though, took exception to the term “kid” on Twitter.
But the positioning of the candidates on the stage was likely to make the debate trickier for Biden, who was flanked Wednesday by both Harris and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. — who has also been fierce in his criticism of the former vice president.
Also in the wings waiting were candidates such as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who were likely to push back against Biden’s brand of bipartisan centrism in favor of a more progressive agenda.
De Blasio went for both Harris and Biden in his opening remarks, flagging statements in which he said Biden had told wealthy donors that nothing would fundamentally change if he became president, and remarks in which Harris said she isn’t trying to restructure society.
“Well I am,” he said.
