Democrat Debate: Candidates Try to Separate Themselves Ahead of Iowa Caucuses

Seven Democrats running for president took the debate stage at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles Thursday night. The latest face-off came one day after the historic vote in the House to impeach President Trump, a subject addressed right out of the gate.

"We've now seen the impact of corruption and that's what's clearly on the stage in 2020. Is how are we going to run against the most corrupt president in living history," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

"What conservatives, I think, understand is that we cannot have a President with that temperament who is dishonoring the presidency of the United States," Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) chimed in.

"My job is just to go out and make the case why he doesn't deserve to be president of the United States for another four years," explained Joe Biden.

With the timing of the PBS News Hour/Politico debate just weeks before the Iowa caucuses candidates appeared to distinguish themselves and diminish their opponents.

"The mayor just had a fundraiser that was held in a wine cave full of crystals and served $900 a bottle wine. Um, think about who comes to that," said Sen. Warren referring to Mayor Pete Buttigieg. "Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president," she continued.

"According to Forbes Magazine, I'm literally the only person on this stage who's not a millionaire or a billionaire. This is the problem with issuing purity tests you cannot yourself pass," Mayor Buttigieg fired back.

Biden went after Sander's plan to put all Americans on Medicare.

"Sixteen percent of the American public is on Medicare now and everybody has a tax taken out of their paycheck now. Tell me you're gonna add 84 percent more and there's not gonna be higher taxes. At least before he was honest about it. It's gonna increase personal taxes," Biden roared.

"That's right we are gonna increase personal taxes but we're eliminating premiums, we're eliminating co-payments, we're eliminating deductibles, we're eliminating all out of pocket expenses," Sanders responded.

Sanders, a Jew who lived in Israel as a child, called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "racist" and criticized US policy towards the Jewish State.

"But what US foreign policy must be about is not just pro-Israel. We must be pro-Palestinian as well," Sanders said waving his hands as he spoke.

Midwesterners Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) painted themselves as sensible progressives. 

"I think you can be progressive and practical at the same time," Klobuchar explained.

Speaking in Singapore this week President Obama said the world would be a better place if more women were in charge and suggested many of the world's problems stem from "old people, usually old men, not getting out of the way."

Debate moderator and chief political correspondent for Politico Tim Alberta asked Biden, "I'm going to guess that President Obama did not clear that comment through your campaign ahead of time."
 
"And I'm gonna guess he wasn't talking about me either," Biden said with a smile to applause from the audience. "Look, I'm running because I've been around...and with experience hopefully comes judgment and a little bit of wisdom."

Amid new reporting critical of Obama's handling of the War in Afghanistan Biden firmly diverged from his former boss.

"I'm the guy from the beginning who argued that it was a big, big mistake to surge forces to Afghanistan. period. We should not have done it," Biden said.

The former vice president remains the front runner. If elected he would be 82 years old at the end of his first term and was asked if he's committed to seeking a second term.
 
"No, I'm not willing to commit one way or another. Here's the deal - I'm not even elected one term yet and let's see where we are. Let's see what happens," he said to applause.

Candidates Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer were passionate about climate change. 

"We should obviously be paying to relocate Americans away from places that are hit by climate change," Yang said. "Part of my plan is literally called 'move people to higher ground,'" he explained.

"We actually have the technology that we need. It's called wind, and solar, and batteries," said Steyer.

And in this season of Christmas candidates were asked to either seek forgiveness or offer a gift.

"We have to bring people with us and now shut them out that is the gift we can give America in this election," Klobuchar said.

Democrats will debate four more times between now and the end of February.

All of the face-offs are located in early voting states.