Said he has considered resigning as attorney general over President Trumps tweets interfering in Justice Department cases. It is not clear whether the attorney general is still considering that or simply trying to send a message to the president. If it is a message, its not getting through. Because on tuesday, the president declared himself the chief Law Enforcement officer of the country. And he spoke out again about the roger stone case. And he issued a flurry of pardons and commutations in political corruption cases. Lets begin with arlette saenz. She is live in las vegas where tonights debate will happen. Set the stage for us, arlette. Reporter well, alisyn, the new york billionaire Michael Bloomberg will be making his debut on the debate stage and his rivals have shown that they are ready to pounce. Already accusing him of trying to buy the election. Michael bloomberg on the debate stage for the first time tonight. But he wont be receiving a warm welcome from his democratic rivals. Anybody here worth 60 billion . You can run for president. Reporter bloomberg has spent over 400 million on ads across the country. But his team argues theres more to his campaign than money. Mike believes President Trump is a threat to the country. So he will spend whatever it takes to get donald trump out of office. Reporter the former new york city Mayor Holding mock debate sessions in recent days to prepare. Three candidates previewing their attacks on bloomberg at cnn town halls last night. I actually thought he should be on the debate stage, because i dont think you should just be able to buy your way to the presidency. But i do think its a bit obscene that we have somebody who, by the way, chose not to contest in iowa, in nevada, in South Carolina, in New Hampshire. He said, i dont have to do that. Im worth 60 billion. Do you think Michael Bloomberg is trying to buy the democratic nomination for president . Yes. What else do you call it when you dip into your endless reserves of millions and billions and dont go through the process of campaigning . Reporter Pete Buttigieg who leads the delegate count right now also taking aim at front runner Bernie Sanders. Were asking people to choose between a revolution and the billionaire. I just dont think thats speaking to where most of us are right now. Reporter sanders trying to disavow the tactics that some of his supporters have taken. There are people out there who want to divide the progressive movement. We can have a debate about the issues, but i do not believe in online bullying. End of discussion. Im Elizabeth Warren, im going the woman who is going to beat donald trump. Reporter Elizabeth Warren losing her voice on the campaign trail, but tweeting this. Apparently comparing bloomberg to trump. Writing, at least now primary voters can get a live demonstration of how we each take on an ego maniac billionaire. Joe biden is hoping for a strong finish in nevada after disappointing showings in iowa and New Hampshire. We choose unity over division. We choose we choose compassion over cruelty. And maybe most importantly, we choose truth over lies. Truth over lies. So folks, its time for us to get up. Reporter tonights debate will be one of the last chances these democrats have to leave their mark on nevada voters with those caucuses just three days away and Michael Bloomberg isnt competing here in nevada or South Carolina focusing instead on those super tuesday contests. Thank you very much. Joining us now, paul begala and andrew gillum. Andrew, i want to start with you. Two major things have happened since the last time democrats debated. Number one, Bernie Sanders is clearly the National Front runner now. Every poll is in agreement on that. And the second thing is, this will be the first debate where Michael Bloomberg is on stage with the other democrats and the first where hes been on any stage since 2009. When we were all younger. Well, and that couldnt be better for Bernie Sanders. Both of those things. Obviously its good to be the leader, but the bad part of being a front run ser that you become the lightning rod. Everybody attacks you. Guess what . Bernie has a lightning rod out there for himself and its Mike Bloomberg. Bernies going to win the debate. Period. Because first, he know what is hes saying and has a powerful message. More importantly tactically everybody is going to be attacking Mike Bloomberg whos not even on the ballot in nevada this saturday. So i think this matches up perfectly for bernie. He can attack bloomberg, im sure he will. His rivals will attack bloomberg diverting fire away from the front runner. That is a rare thing in a debate. Do you agree . Is that a fore gone conclusion . Is klobuchar and biden and buttigieg all definitely going to go after bloom boring . Or is sanders their new target . I think theyre going to have a bifurcated strategy here. There is no way you cannot go after Bernie Sanders who is our unquestioned front runner in this race. Youve got to put some dents in his armor. Youve got to make the case hes unelectable. Youve got to make the case what will happen to if you believe that. Thats not necessarily my shared belief. But i believe thats the argument many of the other candidates are making. But the problem is that they cannot get away with tonight allowing Michael Bloomberg to go unscathed. The only if i had advice to give, if they take it it would be that sort of lay down in this argument around buying the election and what he can afford. Because i actually think that Everyday Americans will include if the man got out there and earned resources, why shouldnt he be able to spend it . Especially if our number one concern is competing with a president who himself has what might be unlimited sources to compete for the presidency. I think its much more Fertile Ground to go after what his record has been. Talk about stop and frisk. Talk about what his experience has been with women in the past. Some of those issues. Talk about what he thinks about red lining. But hes got three terms as mayor of Public Policy to dissect. And also god knows countless speeches and statements hes made that points to a political philosophy that i think is pretty vulnerable in a democratic primary. I would much prefer they go after that saying hes a rich guy that doesnt deserve to be here. I get the point, but im not sure thats whats going to be motivating and activating regular everyday voters hooer. So paul, when the other candidates do go after mayor bloomberg for not just the money but the other issues mayor gi gillum brought up there, how should he respond . Thats the challenge. Finally well see him without ads and aides. Hell be standing a i loan. I looked at the last debate he had in 2009. Where he debated the titan, the titanic talent of bill thompson. Hes a fine guy, but he was in the new york city controller. And bloomberg was unruffled. Thompson did exactly what andrew is advising against. He attacked bloombergs wealth. He attacked his record a little bit. I think andrew is right. It is the wrong thing to go after bloombergs wealth. They should be talking about him, his words on red lining which is discriminatory practice on africanamericans, stop and frisk, these outrageous comments about women. But they wont. They wont. You watch. Theyll go after his wealth. And he will say, look. If you want purist, its not me. But if you want the toughest, it is me. And i can take the fight to trump. Thats what all of them ought to be doing. Yeah. It plays directly into his strength. Right . Im talking to so many voters who were saying, you know, theyre kind of willing to look past some of these things because hes got the resources. He can go headtohead with trump. Listen. There are weaknesses to that line of thinking. And i think these candidates if they want to really pierce through, they ought to be piercing through what are the weaknesses in those arguments that okay maybe your wealth gets you a democratic primary. But these issue wills come back. We will be carpet bombed with your comments, with your statements. And it will have an impact on an election that is largely going to be decided in the margins. Especially in a state like mine like florida where, you know, our president ials have been decided by about one percentage point. If i could jump in here. Sorry to interrupt, but this is why its so important. At this stage of the race, candidates have become very selfreferential. Because theyre working their hearts out. I love politicians, but theyre thinking about themselves. And bloombergs wealth wounds them. It doesnt wound my mama. Right . They need to be talking about what bloomberg has said about stop and frisk. What hes said. This is why theyre going to fall for it. Theyre going to rise to it. How do you know that . Because i know politicians. Because i know these people. Theyre politicians and theyre great people and i love them all, but they cant resist when theyre wounded. By the way, if you make a Million Dollars a year, youll have 60 billion in 10,000 years. Thats how much money he has. All right. So andrew, paul doesnt have much faith in their strategy. Stylistically i want to ask you a question about bloomberg. Were told this is not the debate forum is not his forte. And in fact, he is not great at speaking off the cuff. This is what people who know him say he has been preparing for weeks. If he has just a passable performance, is that a win for him tonight . No. I think its got to be better than passable. He owes the American People a deeper explanation across the issues we talked about. Some of them very painful for certain communities. I hope they dont believe simply because there are some encouraging numbers amongst the africanamerican community, that black people have or brown people have suspended with their concerns around lets just take for instance stop and frisk. There isnt a black man my age in america who does not remember the first time they were pulled over. Mine was 24 years ago. I remember it was like yesterday. The experience was so traumatic i had to drive a few blocks later to pull over because i couldnt stop shaking. And so when you consider that over the course of his term as mayor, over 5 million of these, 900,000 in one month black and brown boys thrown up against the wall. When mothers hear that narrative, there has to be an explanation for why that is. And if theres an apology and there has been, you got to tell us where the growth moment has been so we can be assured if were to trust you with our nomination, with the presidency and youre the chief policy officer as it relates to Public Policy around a criminal justice issue in this country, how do we ensure it doesnt happen again . And you put us on a better pathway to the future . Im not a never bloomberger, but he has to give much more compelling heart felt answers here. Voters can be looking for that. If he does that, i think he can help right his own course. But if he fails to, then i dont think an okay performance is going to be acceptable enough for him to be able to stop what appears to be a train moving amongst at least Bernie Sanders in this democratic nomination. It is notable there will not be a candidate of color on stage tonight to bring out these issues. You know, there were other candidates who could speak to them personally before and tonight there wont be. Not exactly. And john, to your point, i think that sometimes takes a little bit of the wind out of the argument. One person ive seen do it very well has been Elizabeth Warren. I think Bernie Sanders has been effective here. But they will have to be able to compel and tell a story around how these Public Policies really impacted the everyday lives of people. And if they can do that, then i think that they start to shred away at the attraction of bloomberg. And bloomberg can have a good answer, then maybe he stops some of the bleeding. Billions of dollars worth of knowledge right here from you two gentlemen. Ill take the billions instead though. Thanks for being with us this morning. It is not over in nevada tonight. Cnn will host two more town halls tomorrow. Joe biden 8 00 p. M. Eastern followed by Elizabeth Warren at 9 00 p. M. All right. So is President Trumps inability to stop tweeting about Justice Department cases going to be a breaking point for his attorney general . 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What about internet speeds that keep up with my gaming . Lets hook you up with the Fastest Internet from xfinity. What about wireless data options for the family . Of course, you can customize and save. Can you save me from this conversation . That we cant do, but come in and see what we can do. Were here to make life simple. Easy. Awesome. Ask. Shop. Discover. At your local xfinity store today. Developing overnight. A source telling cnn that attorney general bill barr has told people he considered resigning over President Trumps tweets interfering with Justice Department cases. President trump addressed barrs concerns yesterday after he granted clemency to a laundry list of highprofile white collar criminals. The attorney general is a man with incredible integrity. Just so you understand, i chose not to be involved. Im allowed to be totally involved. Im actually, i guess, the chief Law Enforcement officer of the country. But ive chosen not to be involved. All right. Joining us now with her thoughts, lisa monaco. Great to have you here. You worked for 15 years in the department of justice under democrats and republicans. I did. This is a very worrisome moment for the president the chief Law Enforcement officer . Im really glad you asked because i think people have been getting this wrong. The president is the chief Law Enforcement officer. Of course he is. Just like hes the commander in chief of the armed forces. Just like hes the chief diplomat. But the difference here is past president s have chosen to delegate those powers to their attorney general, to their secretary of defense, to their secretary of state. Why . Because the president occupies a unique role. He is both the head of our government and the head of his Political Party. That makes him a uniquely partisan political figure. And we historically have wanted our institutions of government to operate in ways that are indifferent from partisan shish. Thats really the difference here. We want people to have faith in how those institutions are run in nonpartisan ways. Particularly with regard to the Justice Department. Is the difference between can and should . And is the difference between laws and norms . That is what has been tested so fundamentally during the presiden presidency. He has clearly broken the norms that have governed how a president behaves. In reading what you have written to me, it strikes me that youre trying to make the case that what we are seeing now is just so fundamentally different that you decided you had to speak out. Its right. So usually you have me here talking about National Security issues. So this is different for me. And i did choo se to speak out. I wrote an article in just security. I chose to speak out because i grew up in the Justice Department. And were seeing the department tested in ways it hasnt been before. The part that wears really two hats in our system is both policy arm of the executive branch. It has to follow whatever president is in power, what their policies are. But importantly it is an independent investigator and prosecutor. And its that second function that has to be both actually fair in how the laws administered and perceived to be fair. In the last week, weve seen the resignation of a withdrawal from the stone case of four career prosecutors and the resignation all together from the department of one of those prosecutors. Thats an unprecedented thing to happen in my experience. And youve seen the attorney general reach in to affect the sentencing of an individual and overturn the career prosecutors recommendations. That has not happened before in my memory. So, you know, the issue here is both the appearance of political influence and any direct political influence that may be at issue. Youre in