Bloomberg gets an earful in Vegas debate

The fireworks started immediately between Michael Bloomberg and the five other Democratic presidential candidates on the stage for the ninth 2020 Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday in Las Vegas. 

The former New York mayor and multibillionaire, who celebrated his 78th birthday last Friday, got an earful from US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, also 78, but five months older than Bloomberg.

"In order to beat Donald Trump, we're going to need the largest voter turnout in the United States," Sanders said, adding that "stop and frisk" is "not a way you're going to grow voter turnout".

He was referring to a controversial New York Police Department policy when Bloomberg was mayor in which mostly African American and Hispanic young men were stopped by police in searches for illegal guns. Bloomberg recently disavowed the policy. 

Sanders dominated in floor time in the first hour of the debates, often in his signature booming voice.

"I don't think there's any chance of the senator beating Donald Trump," Bloomberg countered, by taking away the insurance that 160 million people "love".

"If he (Sanders) is the candidate, we will have Donald Trump for another four years."

US Senator Elizabeth Warren said there is "a billionaire who calls women fat broads" running for the White House. "I am not talking about Donald Trump. I am talking about Michael Bloomberg," she said, adding that Democrats would take a "huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another".

Bloomberg also was challenged on the issue of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) signed by women in sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits against his financial news company.

"We are not going to beat Trump with a man who has who knows how many NDAs with women," Warren said.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, 59, of Minnesota said she was "not going to step aside for a campaign memo" in reference to a release she said the Bloomberg team put out to get other Democrats to drop out so Bloomberg could challenge Sanders on his own.

"Two questions," offered Bloomberg. "Who can beat Donald Trump? Who can do the job if they get into the White House?"

Bloomberg said he was the only one qualified to do both.

"I'm a New Yorker. I know how to take on an arrogant con man like Donald Trump," he said. "I knew what to do after 9-11. I'm a philanthropist who didn't inherit his money."

"In terms of who is best prepared to beat Donald Trump, look at your poll," chimed in former vice-president Joe Biden, 77.

Pete Buttigieg, 38, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor who performed well in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, let loose some memorable one-liners early on: "Let's put forward someone who is actually a Democrat," in a barb against Bloomberg and Sanders.

He said one candidate (Sanders) "wants to burn the party down", another (Bloomberg) wants to "buy it out".

Bloomberg maintained his composure despite the incessant attacks, and he probably solidified his reputation as a manager.

When the issue of Sanders' health came up, he motioned toward Bloomberg, saying, "We both have two stents," in reference to a common heart procedure.

When Buttigieg brought up a story about a hospitality workers union in Nevada criticizing Sanders' Medicare for all plan — and the alleged subsequent attacks on the union by Sanders supporters — Sanders replied: "We have more union support than you've ever dreamed of."

One of the more tense moments of the debate came when Klobuchar was asked by moderator Vanessa Hauc, a Noticias Telemundo senior correspondent, how she could not know the name of the Mexican president (Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador), in a previous interview with Telemundo.

Klobuchar defended herself by championing her work on the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade.

When Buttigieg singled her out, in a reprise of a former debate showdown they had over each other's qualifications, Klobuchar replied: "Are you trying to say that I am dumb, or are you mocking me here, Pete?"

Warren jumped in to defend Klobuchar: "I understand that she forgot a name. It happens. I just think this is unfair."    

Bloomberg showed command of numbers on climate change as the second hour of the debate opened.

He also got into a heated exchange with Sanders over the tax code, with about 45 minutes left, in what could be a sampling of the tone of the remainder of the primary campaign.

"I'm the only one here who has ever started a business," he said later.

The debate took place at the Paris Hotel and Casino and was hosted by NBC and MSNBC in partnership with The Nevada Independent news website.

In addition to Hauc, the moderators were Lester Holt, NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC anchor; Chuck Todd, Meet the Press moderator and NBC News political director; Hallie Jackson, NBC News chief White House correspondent and host of MSNBC Live; and Jon Ralston of The Nevada Independent.