U.S. Democratic rivals tell billionaire Bloomberg: Let's debate

[webfact]

U.S. Democratic rivals tell billionaire Bloomberg: Let's debate

By Doina Chiacu and Jason Lange

 

FILE PHOTO: Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg speaks during a campaign event at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. February 12, 2020. REUTERS/Doug Strickland/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidates said on Sunday billionaire Michael Bloomberg should face the same rigorous scrutiny as his rivals and they would welcome the chance to square off with him in a 2020 presidential debate.

 

Bloomberg, a media mogul and former New York City mayor, has vastly outspent other Democratic candidates in campaign advertisements. He was a late entry into the 2020 race for the nomination to face Republican President Donald Trump in November, and has not qualified for any presidential debates.

 

But Bloomberg will be included in Wednesday's event if he scores higher than 10% on one more public opinion poll.

 

"He just can't hide behind the airwaves," candidate and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I can't beat him on the airwaves but I can beat him on the debate stage and I think people of America deserve that to make a decision."

 

Former Vice President Joe Biden said he would challenge Bloomberg over his mayoral record, specifically his support for a policing strategy known as "stop and frisk" that was criticized for ensnaring disproportionate numbers of blacks and Latinos. Bloomberg apologised for it in November, shortly before announcing his candidacy.

 

"The point is that $60 billion can buy you a lot of advertising, but it can't erase your record," Biden said on NBC.

 

Bloomberg's campaign has also faced accusations he made inappropriate comments towards women and that his company, Bloomberg LP, fostered a hostile environment for female employees. His campaign has denied those allegations.

 

In a Jan. 15 interview with ABC's "The View," the 78-year-old Bloomberg said his company, which provides news and financial information to Wall Street, has "very few" cases of sexual harassment given its large size, and said he thinks "most people would say we're a great place to work."

 

The Washington Post on Saturday published what it said was a copy of a 32-page booklet distributed at a party in 1990 that included sexist remarks by Bloomberg, reportedly compiled by his colleagues. Reuters was unable to independently view the material.

 

The Washington Post also chronicled numerous discrimination lawsuits filed against Bloomberg LP over the last three decades.

 

In one notable instance, a saleswoman filed a lawsuit alleging that when she told Bloomberg she was pregnant in 1995, his response was, "Kill it." Bloomberg has denied making the remark, and the lawsuit was settled.

 

"IT'S EMBARRASSING"

On Sunday, Bloomberg campaign spokeswoman Julie Wood said of the Washington Post report: "Virtually all of this has been reported over the past two decades. In any large organisation, there are going to be complaints - but Mike simply does not tolerate any kind of discrimination or harassment, and he's created cultures that are all about equality and inclusion.”

 

Asked about the Washington Post report, Pete Buttigieg, the Democratic presidential candidate and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, told "Fox News Sunday", "I think he’s going to have to answer for that and speak to it."

 

About 10% of Democrats and independents who are women support Bloomberg’s nomination bid, the same share as in the general population, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted between Jan. 22 and Feb. 10.

 

Other Democratic candidates have faced issues involving women. Last spring, two women accused Biden of unwanted physical contact, prompting him to say "expressions of affections" were misconstrued. Last year, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders apologised to women who alleged they were sexually harassed or mistreated by male members of his 2016 presidential campaign.

 

In his interview on "The View," Bloomberg expressed regret over telling racy jokes in the past. "Did I ever tell a bawdy joke? Yeah, sure I did. And do I regret it? Yes. It's embarrassing," he said. "But, you know, that's the way I grew up."

 

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Jason Lange, Additional reporting by Lindsay Dunsmuir; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and David Gregorio)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-17

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[Puchaiyank]

The final contest could be between to men who are billionaires...

 

Let the non-stop TV ads begin...may become the most expensive campaigns in US and World history...

[earlinclaifornia]

Independents like myself VOTE Bloomberg/Kasich 2020

[ehs818]

It would have been better for Bloomberg to simply donate the the Democratic National Committee to support the other candidates and seriously outspend Trump. We don't need another billionaire in the WH. We need ballsy candidates to push the truth at Trump, his supporters, and remove this turd from the punchbowl.

[metisdead]

A Twitter post has been removed as this is not a Twitter site.

 

A troll post has been reported and removed. 

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

The final contest could be between to men who are billionaires...

 

Let the non-stop TV ads begin...may become the most expensive campaigns in US and World history...

Bloomberg is massively more wealthy than 45 so it misleading to suggest they are comparable that way. Of course that fact will drive 45 crazy. 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, ehs818 said:

It would have been better for Bloomberg to simply donate the the Democratic National Committee to support the other candidates and seriously outspend Trump. We don't need another billionaire in the WH. We need ballsy candidates to push the truth at Trump, his supporters, and remove this turd from the punchbowl.

Well he has pledged to spend if he isn't nominated and not only for president but for congress as well. 

 

I think Bloomberg has a strong case for the nomination and presidency. 

 

Of all the candidates he is the only one with significant executive experience with 3 terms as mayor of America's biggest city. Senators don't executive experience, Mayor Pete's experience is silly in contrast, and the vice presidency is a deservedly low rated office. 

 

OK. Bernie had been a mayor as well but I think nominating him would be a gift to 45.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Jingthing

[Tug]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Well he has pledged to spend if he isn't nominated and not only for president but for congress as well. 

 

I think Bloomberg has a strong case for the nomination and presidency. 

 

Of all the candidates he is the only one with significant executive experience with 3 terms as mayor of America's biggest city. Senators don't executive experience, Mayor Pete's experience is silly in contrast, and the vice presidency is a deservedly low rated office. 

He is also pragmatic intelligent and magmamus a decent reasonably moral man another words the real deal he’s smart enough to assemble a good team to help everything donald isent that beeing said it’s fair for him to debate with all the candidates 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

He is also pragmatic intelligent and magmamus a decent reasonably moral man another words the real deal he’s smart enough to assemble a good team to help everything donald isent that beeing said it’s fair for him to debate with all the candidates 

Yes he should debate but I think there is a case to be made for him to delay that until he is actually on the ballot, which he is not yet in Nevada or South Carolina.

[Bluespunk]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The point is that $60 billion can buy you a lot of advertising, but it can't erase your record," Biden said on NBC.

Money just doesn’t go as far as it used to these days. 
 

sarcasm alert

[thaibeachlovers]

I saw a VDO clip of Bloomberg speaking, and he has the charisma of a wet paper bag. He may be rich, but any media savvy person could make mincemeat of him in a live debate, IMO. Seems to me that the tv debates are more about showmanship than presenting a reasoned argument, which is one more strike against the US political system.

When Jack Kennedy debated Nixon on tv and radio, the listeners thought Nixon won, but Kennedy won the tv audience.

[Cryingdick]

20 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Bloomberg is massively more wealthy than 45 so it misleading to suggest they are comparable that way. Of course that fact will drive 45 crazy. 

 

I love it. First the rich are evil and now my daddy is richer than yours. lol 

[Cryingdick]

Welcome to the firing squad Mike. 

[englishoak]

Just what the American people need... another billionaire telling them the other one is in it for himself not the country... ... too funny. 

[rabas]

Democrats hated Trump for his billions. But Bloomberg's vastly greater wealth is OK, that's good.  They hated Trump for saying gold digger women liked you to grab their pussies. But Bloomberg's vastly more sexist, racist past, now coming out, is OK, never mind.

 

Houston, the Democratic party has a problem. 

 

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, rabas said:

Democrats hated Trump for his billions. But Bloomberg's vastly greater wealth is OK, that's good.  They hated Trump for saying gold digger women liked you to grab their pussies. But Bloomberg's vastly more sexist, racist past, now coming out, is OK, never mind.

 

Houston, the Democratic party has a problem. 

 

His issues with race and sexism will be heavily vetted and we'll see about that.

As far as his vast wealth, so much more massive than 45's and earned legitimately, a real self made men totally unlike the impeached president, of course it's more than OK if he spends a lot of it for good purposes. Indeed, Mike Bloomberg has a long record of spending for good purposes, particularly around the issues of medical access for those left out and sensible gun control. I recall he spent massively in 2018 to help the democrats with the blue wave in the house. Very good if true if not please correct me. He now pledges to spend an absurd amount of money in 2020 regardless of the nominee to rid the country of it's greatest instigator of un-American autocracy with money for the entire democratic down ticket. Beyond very good. Mike Bloomberg whether he's nominated or not, whether he's president or not, has the potential now to literally save American democracy from becoming a permanent banana republic dictatorship. 

[Jingthing]

Well, it's going to happen. Ready or not!

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/18/politics/bloomberg-qualifies-democratic-debate-nevada/index.html

Quote

Bloomberg qualifies for Wednesday's Democratic debate -- his first

 

 

It's silly at this point to predict who is eventually going to be nominated but I think people should take a step back and observe in awe how far Bloomberg has come so quickly without even being on any ballots as yet.

I predicted when he entered that he would gain some traction but things had to go his way for him to get further. 

From Bloomberg's POV things couldn't have possibly gone better at this early stage.

Biden crumbling way quicker than people thought would happen.

Bernie doing super well, freaking out the majority of democrats that don't think he can beat 45.

Warren fading quickly too.

The not Bernie lane emerging as the action place with Buttigieg doing way better than expected and Klobuchar starting to peak just before it would have been too late.

Bloomberg polling 3rd in national polls. That's amazingly good and again nobody would have predicted that would happen so quickly. 

But yeah, sure, he may very well crash out in debates. But if he doesn't, watch out!

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by Jingthing

[Tug]

12 hours ago, rabas said:

Democrats hated Trump for his billions. But Bloomberg's vastly greater wealth is OK, that's good.  They hated Trump for saying gold digger women liked you to grab their pussies. But Bloomberg's vastly more sexist, racist past, now coming out, is OK, never mind.

 

Houston, the Democratic party has a problem. 

 

Ahhhh no trump has a problem mike Bloomberg isent a flimflam man like Donald he’s not a pie in the sky dreamer like Bernie he’s smart practical and cares about America.If he is the nominee many of the financial type trump supporters will vote for him because they know he is practical and successful.furthermore he wasent screwing some used up porn (star) when his wife was home taking care of a new born saying he could grab the lady’s by the (deleted) he not an accused rapist no a peeping Tom at teen beauty pageants no sir I dare say what was once the Republican Party has the problem not the dems

[ChouDoufu]

it's not a good look for the democrats to change the rules halfway through the process.

 

oh, but he's rich, rules are for the plebs.

[Jingthing]

12 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

it's not a good look for the democrats to change the rules halfway through the process.

 

oh, but he's rich, rules are for the plebs.

I agree. It's not a good look.

But it's even a worse look if the democratic candidate now polling SECOND nationally (yes this just recently happened, from third to second in the most recent Marist poll) is not vetted in the DEBATE process the same as every other viable candidate.

At the end of the day this is a party nominating process and it's in the interest of the party at this point to have a look at Bloomberg in a presidential debate setting.