Joe Biden Is Quickly Becoming a Punching Bag for the Rest of the 2020 Democrats
Joe Biden, the front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, became the object of attacks from fellow Democrats on Sunday during the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual Hall of Fame celebration.
While not specifically mentioning him by name, several contenders gave Biden veiled swipes, The Hill reported.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was one such competitor, clearly referring to Biden when he described Democrats favoring the “middle ground.”
“I understand that there are some well-intentioned Democrats and candidates who believe that the best way forward is a middle-ground strategy that antagonizes no one, that stands up to nobody, and that changes nothing,” Sanders said.
He added, “In my view, that approach is not just bad public policy, but it is a failed political strategy that I feel could end up with the re-election of Donald Trump.”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand also alluded to Biden and his campaign’s flip-flop last week on the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion with the exceptions of rape and incest.
She said, “I don’t think there is room in our party for a Democratic candidate who does not support women’s full reproductive freedom,” The Washington Post reported.
On Wednesday, Biden reaffirmed his position of supporting the Hyde amendment, but after intense pressure, reversed his position a day later.
Likewise, The Post also reported that Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined her colleagues in slamming the former vice president without using his name.
“I’m not spending my time with high-dollar donors and with corporate lobbyists,” the senator from Massachusetts said.
“I’m spending my time with you. That’s how we build a grass-roots movement in America.”
Democratic contender Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, also joined the throng of Democratic contenders saying, “We’re not going to win by playing it safe or promising to return to normal.”
However, according to The Post, it was only entrepreneur Andrew Yang who actually called Biden out by name during the event, saying that he “must really not like to travel.”
The slams come as Biden has maintained a strong lead in various polls since announcing his candidacy in April.
The former vice president maintains a significant lead over Sanders, his closest competitor, according to last week’s RealClearPolitics national poll average.
Warren comes in a very distant third place.
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