Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashed as never before in their first one-on-one Democratic presidential debate on Thursday night, arguing bitterly over purported Wall Street links and an economy and political system that, Sanders asserted, is “rigged against ordinary Americans”.
Clinton, livid at the Vermont Senator’s “artful smear” of her reputation over accepting campaign donations and speaking fees from Wall Street institutions, virtually challenged him to show if she had ever changed a view or a vote because of a contribution.
The gloves were off once Sanders spoke of a Clinton-affiliated super PAC raising $15 million from Wall Street in the last quarter, commenting: “If we do not get a handle on money in politics and the degree to which big money controls the political process in this country, nobody is going to bring about the changes that is needed in this country for the middle class and working families.”
Slamming the “innuendo” and “insinuation”, Clinton shot back: “I just absolutely reject that, Senator. And I really don’t think these kinds of attacks by insinuation are worthy of you. And enough is enough. If you’ve got something to say, say it directly. But you will not find that I ever changed a view or a vote because of any donation that I ever received.”
“I think it’s time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out in recent weeks,” Clinton said against the backdrop of other reports that she had received a hefty $600,000 as speaking fees from Goldman Sachs.