Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren went after former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg in the Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday night, but that does not mean she would not support him in a general election.
In the debate, Warren brought up some of Bloomberg’s most controversial past comments and attempted to draw a parallel between him and incumbent president Donald Trump.
“So I’d like to talk about who we’re running against, a billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians’,” she said. “And, no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.”
“Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women, and of supporting racist policies like redlining and stop and frisk,” she added.
The quote about women that Warren referred to comes from a booklet called The Portable Bloomberg: The Wit & Wisdom of Michael Bloomberg. As The Washington Post reported last week, Elisabeth DeMarse, Bloomberg L.P.’s former chief marketing officer, produced the booklet in 1990 and gave it to Bloomberg on his 48th birthday. In the introduction she wrote that she compiled memorable things Bloomberg had said over the years – and left out some she didn’t consider worthy of print.
One of those quotes is: “The royal family – what a bunch of misfits – a gay, an architect, that horsey-faced lesbian, and a kid who gave up Koo Stark for some fat broad.”
A campaign spokesman told The Washington Post, “Mike simply did not say the things somebody wrote in this gag gift.”
However, the spokesman also said: “Mike openly admits that his words have not always aligned with his values and the way he has led his life and some of what he has said is disrespectful and wrong.”
Bloomberg did not directly respond to Warren’s attack during the debate. Instead, he highlighted his executive experience in business and politics and what he described as his electability.
“I think we have two questions to face tonight. One is, who can beat Donald Trump? And, number two, who can do the job if they get into the White House? And I would argue that I am the candidate that can do exactly both of those things,” Bloomberg said.
During the debate Wednesday, February 19, Bloomberg stated that his tax returns are too complicated to release at this time. This makes him the only major Democratic nominee for president still left in the race who has not released his returns. As New Boston Post noted in January, Warren released hers and they revealed that she opted against paying the voluntary 5.85 Massachusetts state income tax rate until 2017.
Even though Warren offered these criticisms of Bloomberg, she said she would still vote for him.
“Look, I’ll support whoever the Democratic nominee is,” she said during the debate. “But understand this: Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another.”
“This country has worked for the rich for a long time and left everyone else in the dirt. It is time to have a president who will be on the side of working families and be willing to get out there and fight for them,” she added. “That is why I am in this race, and that is how I will beat Donald Trump.”
According to RealClearPolitics, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner in the race with 27.8 percent support. Former Vice President Joe Biden is second with 17.8 percent support while Bloomberg (16.1 percent) and Warren (12.3 percent) rank third and fourth, respectively.
