Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden sparred Sunday over Super PACs and big money in federal elections.
Sanders and Biden squared off in the first one-on-one debate, hosted by CNN and Univision, which was held with no studio audience due to coronavirus concerns. (RELATED: ‘The Thing In Africa’: Biden Stumbles Over Virus Names, Can’t Remember Ebola)
WATCH:
Biden began by saying that in order to make elections more fair, “Do what I proposed over 30 years ago. Federally fund all elections. No private contributions in the election process. If you want to do that, join me. Maybe you and I can fundamentally change that.”
“It’s good that you had an idea 30 years ago,” Sanders snapped. “I don’t want to join you. Why don’t you join me? Why don’t you get rid of the Super PAC that you have right now, which is running very ugly negative ads about me by the way.”
Biden laughed, and Sanders snapped again, saying, “Don’t laugh, Joe, that’s just the truth.”
Biden kept laughing as Sanders continued, “And they got two other Super PACs running ads against us.”
“You get rid of the nine Super PACs you have?” Biden shot back.
“I don’t have nine, I don’t have any Super PACs,” Sanders protested.
“You have nine, you want me to list them?” Biden asked.
“Yeah, go ahead and list them,” Sanders said.
“Come on. Give me a break,” Biden waved Sanders off.
“I won’t give you a break on this one,” Sanders said, immediately pivoting back to income inequality. “Here’s the point. This is the point. In the richest country in the history of the world, half of our people should not be struggling to put food on the table,” he concluded.