Lets get started. Time has come to turn the page and open a new chapter in the american story. Tonight let us go forward. Lets win this thing. Lets transform america. America decides. America deserves a president who is as resilient as her people. 2020 is our time to change who makes the rules. One stage. This election is just too important and we cant afford to get it wrong. Theres no limit to what we can do in the next four years. Show up in november, 2020, and win. Seven democratic candidates. Together we have built a movement. We have a fantastically diverse and wonderful party. We choose hope over fear. We are going to unite together. And together we are going to get it done. We are here and we are strong. Live from South Carolina, this is the thbs democratic debate. Here are the seven dand cats for the president ial nomination. The cbs news democratic debate. Here are the seven candidates for the president ial nomination. Cheers and applause] good evening and welcome. The democratic president ial primary here in South Carolina, the first primary in the south is just four days away. And super tuesday is just a week away. And this is the biggest primary day of the year. As voters in 14 states cast ballots and many of them tell us they have not actually made up their mind. So this debate when you think about it tonight may be the last, best chance for the candidates to make their case to South Carolina and super tuesday voters. And cbs news is proud to bring you this debate, along with our cosponsors. They are the Democratic National committee, and the Congressional Black Caucus institute, a Nonpartisan Organization committed to educating voters and training political leaders. And we are partnering tine also with twitter so you at home can participate in this debate. How do you do that . Send us your questioners in candidates using the twitter hashtag, demdebate. When you are asked a question you have one minute and 15 seconds to answer and 45 seconds for followups. Lets begin. Senator sanders, we havent had a National Unemployment rate this low for this long in 50 years. Here in South Carolina, the Unemployment Rate is even lower. How will you convince voters that a democratic socialist can do better than President Trump with the economy . Senator sanders youre right, the economy is doing great for people like mr. Bloomberg and other billionaires. In the last three years, last three years, billionaires in this country saw an 850 billion increase in their wealth. But you know what, for the ordinary american, things are not so good. Last year, real wage increases for the average worker were less than 1 . Half of our people are living paycheck to paycheck. 8 million americans have no Health Insurance or are underinsured. 45 Million People are struggling with student debt. 500,000 people tonight are sleeping out on the street, including 30,000 veterans. That is not an economy thats working for the American People. Thats an economy working for the 1 . Were going to create an economy for all, not just wealthy campaigns. [cheers and applause] mayor bloomberg, ill let you respond to that. Do you think senator sanders economy would be better for america . Minor bloomberg i think donald trump thinks it would be better for hes president. I do not think so. Vladimir putin thinks donald trump should be president of the United States, thats why russia is helping you get elected so oull lose to him. Senator sanders let me tell mr. Putin, im not a good friend of president xi of china. I think president xi is an authoritarian leader. Let me tell mr. Putin who interfered in the 2016 election trying to bring americans against americans, hey, mr. Putin, if im president of the United States, trust me, youre not going to interfere in my nor american elections. Senator warren. Mayor bloomberg we know what russia wants its chaos. Senator warren the way i see this, bernie is winning because the Democratic Party is Progressive Party and progressive ideas are popular ideas, even if there are a lot of people on this stage who dont want to say so. But bernie and i agree on a lot of things but i think i would make a better president than bernie. The reason for that is that getting a Progressive Agenda enacted is going to be really hard. And its going to take someone who dig into the details to make it happen. Bernie and i both wanted to help rein in wall street. In 2008 we both got our chance. But i dug in, i fought the big banks, i built the coalitions and i won. Bernie and i both want to see universal health care but bernies plan doesnt explain how to get there doesnt show how were going to get enough allies into it. And doesnt show enough about how were going to pay for it. I dug in, i did the work and then bernies team trashed me for it. We need a president who is going to dig in, do the hard work and actually get it done, progressives have got one shot and we need to spend it with a leader who will get something done. We want to bring you in this conversation. Why would the russians want to be working on behalf of Bernie Sanders . Ill tell you what the russians want. They dont have a political party. They want chaos. And chaos is what is coming our way. Look, if you think the last four years has been chaotic, divisive, toxic, exhausting, imagine spending the better part of 2020 with Bernie Sanders versus donald trump. Think about what that will be like for this country. [applause] d meanwhile, folks at home from South Carolina to south bend are trying to figure out what any of this means for us. Because its right that theres a progressive majority, an american majority, that wants to see real change. Wants to see wages go up and go up faster than the cost of health and saving for retirement but also theres a majority of the American People with i think who i think right now just want to be able to turn on the tv, see their president and actually feel their Blood Pressure go down a little bit instead of up through the roof. We have an opportunity your time expired. Bernie sanders analysis is right. The difference is i dont like his solutions. I dont believe that a government takeover of large parts of the economy makes any sense for working people or for families. I think that what we need to do is to present an alternative that includes a vibrant, competitive, private sector, but we all know, unchecked capitalism has failed. The answer is not for the government to take over the private sector, though. The answer is for us to break the corporate stranglehold on our government and have the government work for the people again. Let me just finish. We need to have an alternative to donald trump. Im talk about doubling the minimum wage, cutting taxes by 10 for everybody who makes less than 250,000 and creating over 4. 5 million goodpaying union jobs. Ld trump think he is can we have is to show we can create a growing, prosperous economy for the American People. Your time sup. Vice President Biden. When we talk about progressive, lets talk about being progressives. Walking distance here, mother emanuel church, nine people shot dead by a white supremacist. Bernie voted five times against the brady bill and wanted a waiting period of 12 hours. Im not saying hes responsible for nine death bus that man wouldnt have been able to get that weapon if he waiting had been what i suggest, until youre cleared. In addition to that he thought barack obama, he wanted a primary, he said we should primary barack obama. The president was weak and our administration was in fact not up to it. Look, folk, lets talk about progressives. Progressive is getting things done. Thats what we got done. Got a lot done. Senator sanders, your response . Pete mentioned, im hearing my name mentioned a little bit tonight. I wonder why. Maybe pete mentioned what the American People want. I will tell you, pete, what the American People want and joe, what the American People want. They dont want candidates to be running for billionaires for uge amounts. Speaking over each other] theyre raising the minimum wage to 15 an hour, making public colleges and universities 2003 igs tuition free and doing what every other major country on earth does, guaranteeing health care for all people as a human right through a medicare for all single payer system. I cant allow this to stand because its not true. Senator sanders well allow everyone an opportunity to respond. That is untrue about my campaign. The idea that most of my campaign is funned by billionaires, 50 people, all right, in charleston alone, just in charleston, over 2,000 people have contributed to my campaign. That means the dollars that have come to my campaign, just from charleston, is more than the dollars that have come from the 50 people that you mentioned. Grass roots contributions are the life blood of my campaign. I shouldnt miss the opportunity if youre watching right now and u support my campaign, go to peteforamerica. Com and chip in if youre watching right now and youre a billionaire, i will raise your taxes. But if youd like to defeat donald trump pleas go to peteforamerica. Com and doe mate the legal maximum of 2,800. All right. Vice President Biden. I want to bring us to another topic. Were in South Carolina. Its the first primary with a significant black voting population. Your numbers appear to be slipping with black voters. Im wondering if you could respond about why that is happening to you at this particular time . First of all, the latest poll i saw, my numbers, im still 15 points ahead. The latest poll. Look. Yes but senator sanders is in striking distance. You are within the margin of error within the state. It depends on which poll. Look. Ive earned the vote, ive work like the devil to earn the vote of the africanamerican commun, not just here but across the country. Ive been coming here for years an years, creating jobs here, making sure that the port that employees one in 11 people, we put 500 Million Dollars in our Administration Just into this county. E created jobs for people. The people know me. My entire career has been wrapped up in civil rights and civil liberties. I plan to earn the vote. Im here to act. Folks, i intend to win South Carolina and i will win the africanamerican vote here in South Carolina. Mr. Biden will you continue if you dont win South Carolina . You said that South Carolina will determine the outcome of this president ial race. If you dont win South Carolina will you continue i will win South Carolina. All right, sir. Mayor bloomberg, id like to bring you into the conversation. I want to ask you about a question that impacts the black and brown community. Youve apologized for stop and frisk repeatedly. What exactly are you apologizing for . We let it get out of control and when i realized that i cut it back by 95 and ive apologized and asked for forgiveness. Ive met with black leaders to try to get an understanding of how i can better position myself and what i should have done and what i should do next time but let me tell you i have been work very hard, weve improved the School System for black and brown students in new york city. Weve increased the jobs that are available for them. Weve increased the Housing Available to them. What can you say to put peoples fears and skepticism to rest. It continues to follow you. Thats because its in their interest to promote that. But if you talk to the people in new york city, i have over 100 black elected officials that have endorsed me. A lot of them are in the audience tonight. Ive earned the respect of the people in new york city. I was the mayor of the this of the largest, most populous city in the United States for 12 years and people will tell you its a lot better city today, it is safer for everybody, the School System is better. The budget is under control, weve done the things that people need for new york city for all ethnicities. Mayor buttigieg. Youve had your issues with the black community as well. Do you think new york citys implementation of stop and frisk was racist . Yes, in effect it was. Because it was about profiling people based on their race. The mayor even said that they disproportionately stopped white people too often and fores too little. And im not here to score points. I come at this with a great deal of humility because we have had a lot of issues, especially when it comes to Racial Justice and policing in my own community and i come to this with some humility because im conscious of the fact that theres seven white people on the stage alking about Racial Justice. None of us have the experience, the lived experience of, for example, walking down the street or in a mall and feeling eyes on us regarding us as dangerous without knowing the first thing about us just because of the color of our skin. None of us have the experience that black women have had that drives that Maternal Mortality gap that we are all rightly horrified by, but going into a doctor and being less likely of having your description of being in pain believed because we dont have the experience the next best thing we can do is listen to those we can do. I know if i were black my success would have been a lot harder to achieve and i know a lot of black people that if they were white it would have been a lot easier for them. Thats just a fact and weve got to do something about it rather than just demagogue aut it. Senator klobuchar, was the way the mayor implemented stop and terrific racist. Yes. I think that what we need to do instead of just reviewing everything from the past is talking about where were going to go forward. Martin luther king once said that we are all tied in a single garment of destiny and what affects one of us directly affects all of us indirectly. So when there is racism in the criminal Justice System we need to fix it. To me that means sentencing reform like the First Step Act and extending that to the states with the second step act. It means equal opportunity because if we dont pass representative clyburns bill out of South Carolina here to invest in impoverished communities, were never going to get to the single garment of destiny. We also need to do something about child care, about making sure we increase the minimum wage, and then finally voting. While we are all sitting here debating, wisconsin has kicked hundreds of thousands of people off of their voting rolls. Georgia kicked 100,000 off. As president i will get Voting Rights to be a reality for everyone. Senator warren, coming to you. I want to direct this question to you because mayor bloomberg said he got in this race late because he doesnt believe any of you on stage can beat donald trump you said mayor bloomberg is not the safest candidate, hes the riskiest candidate. What did you mean by that . I mean that mayor bloomberg lets look at thisy. Were in charleston you know who will be in charleston late they are week . Donald trump. Hell be here to raise money for his buddy senator Lindsey Graham. Who funded Lindsey Grahams campaign for reelection last time . Mayor bloomberg. Thats not the only right wing senator that mayor bloomberg has funded. In 2016, he dumped 12 million into the Pennsylvania Senate race to help reelect an antichoice, right wing republican senator, and i just want to say, the woman challenger was terrific she lost by a single point. To2012, he swooped in to try defend another republican senator against a woman challenger, that was me. It didnt work. But he tried hard. [applause] i dont care how much money mayor bloomberg has. The core of the Democratic Party will never trust him. He has not earned their trust. I will. And the fact that he cannot earn the trust of the core of the Democratic Party means he is the riskiest candidate standing on this stage. Senator warren, thank you. Mayor bloomberg, would you like to respond . Mayor bloomberg . I have been training for this job since i stepped on the pile that was still smoldering on 9 11. I know what to do. Ive shown i know how to run a country. Ive run the city which is almost the same size, bigger than most countries in the world. I am not i am the one choice that makes some sense. I have the experience. I have the resources. And i have the record. And all those sideshows that the senator wants to bring up have nothing to do with that. When people hired me to run new york city, three times in an overwhelmingly democratic progressive city, they elected e again and again. He called me out by name and referred to what i talk about as a sideshow. You know, this is personal for me. When i was 1 years old i got my first job as a special education teacher. I loved that job. And by the end of the first year i was visibly pregnant, the principal wished me luck and gave me job to someone else. Pregnancy discrimination, you bet. But i was 2 years old, i didnt ha