2020 Democrats step up attacks to blunt Bloomberg’s rise

by

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidates hoping to revive their flagging campaigns are increasingly taking aim at Mike Bloomberg.

https://media.graytvinc.com/images/0214_mikeb.jpg
Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks during his campaign launch of "Mike for Black America," at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

They are accusing their billionaire rival of trying to buy his way into the White House and raising questions about his commitment to racial equality.

Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden took the lead as they struggle to recover from poor showings in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

Meanwhile, billionaire Tom Steyer joined Biden in slamming Bernie Sanders, accusing him of not doing enough to explain how he’d pay for his “Medicare for All” proposal. The sniping reflects the remarkably fluid state of the Democratic race.

Warren says she’s raised about $6 million from online donors since last week’s Iowa caucuses, fueled by people who want to see her stay in the Democratic presidential primary despite an underwhelming performance there and in New Hampshire.

The Massachusetts senator told The Associated Press on Thursday that she had spoken to some of her Senate colleagues about the state of the race. She says, “Right now, it’s wide open.”

Hours later, during a raucous evening rally at a high school gym in Washington’s Virginia suburbs, Warren didn’t seem like a candidate worried about leaving the race. She was fired up, and so were her supporters.