Biden entry triggers new, uglier phase of Democratic primary on WTOP| NEW YORK (AP) — The early days of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary have been defined by order, amicable disagreement and an overwhelming focus on defeating President Donald Trump. No more. Joe Biden’s campaign launch…
NEW YORK (AP) — As she campaigned through Iowa this week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts didn’t hesitate to jab the newest contender in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary: Joe Biden.
“Our disagreement is a matter of public record,” Warren said, referring to Biden’s past support of a massive bankruptcy overhaul. “Joe Biden was on the side of the credit card companies.”
The early days of the 2020 Democratic primary have been defined by order, amicable disagreement and an overwhelming focus on defeating President Donald Trump.
No more.
Biden’s campaign launch on Thursday ushered in a new phase in the nominating contest. With the field largely set, the leading candidates have begun to turn on one another, raising the prospect of an ugly fight for the future of the party that could have lasting consequences for Democrats’ quest to reclaim the White House.
Progressive groups aligned with Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont took aim at Biden, portraying him as out of step with today’s Democratic Party. They railed against his connections to big corporations, his past support for a “grand bargain” that would have cut Social Security and Medicare, and his support for a 1994 crime bill that disproportionately hurt minorities.
“For numerous reasons, Joe Biden is the least electable Democrat that we could possibly nominate,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the liberal group known as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which has long supported Warren’s presidential ambitions. “We’re in a new moment. This is not Joe Biden’s moment.”
Sanders’ campaign manager slapped at the former vice president in a fundraising message titled “Joe Biden.
