Time is come to turn the page and open up a new chapter in the american story. Let us go forward, lets win this thing, lets transform america. America deserves a president who is as resilient as her people. 2020 is our time to change and makes the rules. One stage. This election is just too important, we cannot afford to get it wrong. There is no limit to what we can become in the next four years. Show up in november 2020. Seven democratic candidates. Together, have built a movement. We have a fantastic, diverse and wonderful country. We chose hope over fear. We are going to get it done. We will deliver a democracy, worthy of the name. We are here and we are strong. [applause] live from the Juilliard Center and charleston South Carolina, this is the cbs news democratic debate. Here are the seven candidates for the president ial nomination. [applause] [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [cheering] 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. This is the biggest primary day of the year as voters in 14 states cast ballots. And many of them tells them not actually made up their mind. So this debate, when you think about it tonight, may be the last and best chance for the candidates to make their case to South Carolina and super tuesday voters. Cbs news is proud to bring in 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 trading political leaders. We are also partnering tonight with twitter so you at home can participate as debate. How do you do that . Send us your questions for the candidates by using twitter to debates. Here are the rules for the next two hours. When you are asked a question you have a one minute and 15 seconds to answer in 45 seconds for followup. Lets begin. Senator sanders, we have not had a National Unemployment rate this low for this long and 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 . You are right, the economy is doing really great for people like mr. Bloomberg and other billionaires. In the last three years, billionaires in this country saw an 850. 000000000 increase in their wealth. But do you know what . For the ordinary americans, 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. 87million americans have no Health Insurance or are underinsured. 45million 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 . We are going to create an economy for all, not just wealthy. Mayor bloomberg ill let you respond to that do you think senator sanders economy would be better for america than President Trump . I think Donald Trump Thanks he would be better if he was president. I dont think so. That an important things donald trump should be president of the United States and that is why russia is helping you get elected so. [inaudible] and that is what he is helping him. Let me tell mr. Peyton, i am not a good friend of president xi jinping of china. I think he is the most authoritarian leader. And let me tell mr. Pruden who interfered in the 2016 election, trying to bring americans against americans. Hey mr. Poon, if im president of the United States, trust me, you are not going to interfere in any more american elections. We dont russia once, its chaos. The way i see this is that bernie is winning right now because the Democratic Party is a progressive party, and progressive ideas are popular ideas. Even if there are a lot of people on the state you dont want to say so. But bernie and i agree on a lot of things, but i think i would make up better president than bernie. The reason for that is getting a Progressive Agenda enacted is going to be really hard. And it is going to take someone who digs into the details to make it happen. Bernie and i both wanted to help her rein in wall street. In 2008, we both got our chance. But i dug in, i thought the big banks, ive built coalitions, and i won. Bernie and i both want to see universal healthcare. But bernies plan does not explain how to get their comment doesnt show how we are going to get enough allies into it, and doesnt show enough about how we are going to pay for. I did again, 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 ha have one shot and we need to spend it with a leader who will get something done. Why would the russians want to be working on behalf of Bernie Sanders . I will tie with the russians want, they dont have a political party. They want chaos. And chaos is what is coming our way. If you think the last four years, has been chaotic, divisive, toxic, exhausting, imagine spending the better part of 2020 with the Bernie Sanders versus donald trump. Think about what that will be like for this country. And meanwhile, folks at home, from South Carolina to south bend, are trying to figure out what any of this means for us. Because it is right that there is a progressive majority, an american majority that wants to see real change. Once deceit 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 who i think right now, just want to be able to turn on booktv, see their president , and actually feel their Blood Pressure go down a little bit instead of up to the roof. Bernie sanders analysis is right. The difference is i dont like his solutions. I dont believe 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, because we need to have an alternative to donald trump. I am talking about doubling the minimum wage, tatting taxes by 10 for everybody who makes less than 250,000, and creating over four and a half million good paying union jobs. Donald trump thanks he is competent as a steward of the american economy. We have to show that we can create a growing and prosperous economy for american working people. Mr. Perspire think your time is up. Vice President Biden . We talk about progressive talk about being progressive. Within walking distance is the mother emmanuel church. They were shot dead by white supremacist. Bernie voted five times against the brady bill, and waited, and waited, waiting period of 12 hours. I am not saying hes responsible for the nine deaths, but that man would not have been able to get that weapon if the waiting period would have been what i suggest until he is cleared. In addition to that, being progressive he thought barack obama, he said we should primary barack obama. Someone said, the president is weak in our administration is not up to it. Look folks, lets talk about progressive. Progressive is getting things done and thats what we got done. We got a lot done. Senator sanders, your response. Pete mentioned i am hearing my name mentioned a little bit tonight. [laughter] and may be 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 like candidates running to billionaires for huge amounts of money. Hes got people. [inaudible] what the American People want, by the way, and a lot of the issues will be talking tonight are issues i raised four years ago. Raising the minimum wage to a living wage, 15 bucks an hour. Making public colleges and universities tuition free, and finally doing what every other major country on earth does, guaranteeing healthcare for all people as a human rights through medicare for all, single pay healthcare. That is just not true now dont people believing something that is unsure about my campaign. The idea that most of my campaign is funded by billionaires mark justin charlson over 2000 people have contributed to my campaign. That means the dollars it come to my campaign, just from charlston, is more than his come from the 50 people you mention. Grassroots contributions are the lifeblood of my campaign. In fact they should not miss the opportunity, if youre watching right now you support my campaign. [cheering] go to pete for america. Com and chip in. After watching right now and you are a billionaire, i will raise your taxes. [laughter] but if youd like to defeat donald trump, please go to pete for america. Com and donate the legal maximum of 208,000. Billion. I want to bring us to another topic. We are in South Carolina, is the first primary with a significant black voting population. Your and numbers appear to be slipping with black voters. I wonder if you could respond why that is happening to you at this particular time . First of all, the latest poll i saw im still 15 points ahead. The latest poll. [cheering] but senator sanders is within striking distance of you. You are within the margin of error in this state. Look, i have earned the vote. I have worked like the devil to earn the vote of the africanamerican community. Not just here but for across the country. Ive been coming here for years and years, creating jobs here, making sure that the court that in ploys 111 people we put five in a Million Dollars in the Administration Just in this county. We created jobs for people, the people know me. My entire career has been wrapped up in dealing with civil rights and civil liberties. I dont expect anything, i plan to earn the vote. I am here to ask. Folks i intend to win South Carolina, and i will win the africanamerican vote here in South Carolina. [cheering] mr. Biden, will you continue if you do not win South Carolina . You said South Carolina will determine the outcome of this president ial race. If you dont win South Carolina we continue on . I will win South Carolina. Mayor bloomberg i would like to bring you into this conversation. I like to ask you about a question that impacts a black and brown community. You have apologized for stop and frisk repeatedly. What exactly are apologizing for . We let it get out of control, when we realize that i cut it by 95 . I have apologized and asked for forgiveness. I have 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. And let me tell you i have been working very hard. We have improve the School Systems are black and brown students in new york city. We have increased the jobs that are available to them. We have increased the Housing Available to them. 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 who have endorsed me. A lot of them are in the audience tonight. I have earned the respect of the people in new york city. I was the mayor of the largest, most popular city and the United States for 12 years. People will tell you, its a lot better city today. Its safer for everybody, the School System is better, the budget is under control, we have done the things that people in new york city need for all ethnicities to cheese. Married to mary youve certainly had your issues with the black community as well. Do you think the black cities implementation of stop and frisk was racist . Yes it was. It was about profiling people based on their race. The mayor even said that they disproportionately stopped white people too often and minorities too little. I am 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 humility because im conscious of the fact that there are seven white people on the stage talking about Racial Justice. [applause] 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 a 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. Having going into a doctor and have less likely of your description of being in pain believe because we dont have the next best thing we can do is actually listen to those who do. Wait a second i know if i were black my success wouldve been a lot harder to achieve. I know a lot of black people, if they were white, it wouldve been a lot easier for them. That is just a fact of it got to do something about it rather than just demagogue about it. Senator klobuchar was the way the mayor implemented stop and frisk races . Yes, i think what we need to do instead of just reviewing everything from the past is talk about where we are 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 a sentencing reform like the First Step Act and extending that to the states with their second step act. It means equal opportunity. Because if we dont pass representative clyburns bill out of South Carolina to invest in impoverished communities, we are never going to get to that single garment of destiny. We also need to do something about childcare, about making sure we increase the minimumwage, and finally, voting. While we are all sitting here debating, wisconsin has kicked hundreds of thousands of people off of their voting roles. Georges kicked a hundred thousand off. As president , i will give Voting Rights to be a reality for everyone. Senator warren im coming to you. I want to direct this question to you because mayor bloomberg has 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, he is the riskiest candidate. What you mean by that . So i mean, lets think of it this way. We are here in charleston and you know is can be in charleston later this week . Donald trump. He will be here to raise money for his buddy senator Lindsey Graham, who funded Lindsey Grahams campaign for reelection lesson . It was mayor bloomberg. And 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 anti choice right wing we publican senator. I just want to say a woman challenger was terrific and she lost by a single point. In 2012, he scooped into try to 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 the stage. So right senator warren thank you mayor bloomberg would you like to respond . So i have been training for this job since i stepped on the pile that was still smoldering on 911. I know what to do, i have shown i know how to run a country. I have run this city that is bigger than most countries in the world. I am the one choice that makes sense. I have the experience, i have the resources, and i have the record. All of those sideshows the senator wants to bring up have nothing to do with that. When people hired me to it run new york city, three times in an overwhelmingly democratic progressive city, they elected me again and again. I would like to respond. He called out by name and referred to what i talk about as a sideshow. You know, this is personal for me. When i was 20 years old, i got my first job as a special ed teacher. I loved that job. And by the end of the first year i was visibly pregnant. The principal wished me luck and gave my job to someone else. Pregnancy discrimination, you bet. But i was 21 years old, i did not have a union