A fund-raiser for Pete Buttigieg held in a wine cellar in Napa Valley elicited the most strident clash between the Democratic candidates at a debate Thursday night after a mostly staid discussion of policy platforms and impeachment, leading to a round of criticism of the mayor that continued into a later exchange about his previous criticisms of Washington experience and his presidential credentials as mayor of a midsize city.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts sparked the debate, pointing to the fund-raiser held for Mr. Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., in a so-called "wine cave" as a way to draw a contrast between her campaign, which does not hold big dollar fund-raisers, and some of her competitors.
But the argument between the two quickly escalated into a criticism of "purity tests" and the place of wealthy donors in a hotly contested Democratic primary.
The debate began as Ms. Warren made a relatively oblique criticism about big-dollar fund-raisers. Mr. Buttigieg responded, saying he "can't help but feel that might have been directed at me."
"This is our only chance to defeat Donald Trump, and we shouldn't do it with one hand tied behind our back," Mr. Buttigieg said.
Ms. Warren quickly pounced, describing Mr. Buttigieg's recent fund-raising event at a wine cellar as a "wine cave full of crystals."
"Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States," Ms. Warren said.
Here is a transcript of the exchange:
WARREN: So, the mayor just recently had a fund-raiser that was held in a wine cave, full of crystals and served $900-a-bottle wine. Think about who comes to that. He had promised that every fund-raiser he would do would be open-door, but this one was closed-door. We made the decision many years ago that rich people in smoke-filled rooms would not pick the next president of the United States. Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States.
BUTTIGIEG: You know, according to Forbes magazine, I'm literally the only person on this stage who is not a millionaire or a billionaire. So this is important. This is the problem with issuing purity tests you cannot yourself pass. If I pledge — if I pledge never to be in the company of a progressive Democratic donor, I couldn't be up here. Senator, your net worth is 100 times mine. Now, supposing you went home and felt the holiday spirit — I know this isn't likely, but stay with me — and decided to go on pete.com and gave the maximum allowable by law, $2,800, would that pollute my campaign because it came from a wealthy person? No. I would be glad to have that support. We need the support to everybody who is committed to helping us to defeat Donald Trump.
WARREN: I do not sell access to my time. I don't do call time with millionaires and billionaires.
BUTTIGIEG: As of when, Senator?
WARREN: I don't meet behind closed doors with big-dollar donors. Look, I have taken one that ought to be an easy step for anyone here. I said to anyone who wants to donate to me, if you want to donate to me, that's fine. But don't come around later expecting to be named ambassador, because that's what goes on in these high-dollar fund-raisers. I said no, and I asked everybody on this stage to join me. This ought to be an easy step. And here's the problem. If you can't stand up and take the steps that are relatively easy, can't stand up to the wealthy and well connected when it is relatively easy, when you are a candidate, then how can the American people believe you will stand up to the wealthy and well connected when you are president and it is really hard?
BUTTIGIEG: Senator, I've got to respond. First of all, if you can't say no to a donor, then you have no business running in the first place. But also, Senator, your presidential campaign right now as we speak is funded in part by money you transferred, having raised it at those exact same big-ticket fund-raisers you now denounce. Did it corrupt you, Senator? Of course not. So to denounce the same kind of fund-raising guidelines that President Obama went by, that Speaker Pelosi goes by, that you yourself went by until not long ago, to build the Democratic Party and build a campaign ready for the fight of our lives, these purity tests shrink the stakes of the most important election. We'd like to bring everyone in. Later, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont joined in the criticism, using the debate to further his argument that the campaign finance system is broken. Before the debate, Mr. Sanders's campaign had bought the web address peteswinecave.com and redirected it to the Sanders campaign website.
A few minutes later, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota went directly at Mr. Buttigieg with a different critique, objecting to his attacks on Washington experience, ticking off achievements of others onstage in D.C., including Mr. Sanders and Mr. Biden.
"So while you can dismiss committee hearings, I think this experience works," she said. "And I have not denigrated your experience as a local official. I have been one. I think you should respect our experience."
Mr. Buttigieg defended his remarks and pointed to his own experience, both in the military and as a mayor, as evidence of his ability to build coalitions.
"I know that if you just go by vote totals, maybe what goes on in my city seems small to you," he said. "If you want to talk about the capacity to win, try putting together a coalition to bring you back to office with 80 percent of the vote as a gay dude in Mike Pence's Indiana."
Ms. Klobuchar noted he had actually lost when he ran statewide in Indiana. "By 20 points," she said.
Their full exchange is below:
KLOBUCHAR: I made my case on immigration to what the mayor said about Washington. So I look at this a different way. When we were in the last debate, Mayor, you basically mocked the hundred years of experience on the stage. What do I see on this stage? I see Elizabeth's work starting the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau and helping 29 million people. I see the vice president's work in getting $2 billion for his cancer moonshot, I see Senator Sanders working to get the veterans bill passed across the aisle, and I see what I have done, which is to negotiate three farm bills and be someone that actually had major provisions put in those bills. So while you can dismiss committee hearings, I think this experience works. And I have not denigrated your experience as a local official. I have been one. I think you should respect our experience when you look at how you evaluate someone.
BUTTIGIEG: You actually did denigrate my experience. And it was before the break and I was going to let it go, because we have bigger fish to fry here.KLOBUCHAR: Oh, I don't think we have bigger fish to fry than picking a president of the United States.
BUTTIGIEG: You're right. And before the break, you seemed to imply that our relationship to the First Amendment was a talking point. As if anyone up here has any more or less commitment to the Constitution than anybody else up here. Let me tell you about my relationship to the First Amendment. It is part of the Constitution that I raised my right hand and swore to defend with my life. That is my experience, and it may not be the same as yours, but it counts, Senator.
KLOBUCHAR: I certainly respect your military experience. That's not what this is about. This is about choosing a president. And I know my view of this is, I know you ran for, to be chair of the Democratic National Committee. That's not something I wanted to do. I want to be president of the United States. And the point is, we should have someone heading up this ticket that has actually won and been able to show they can gather the support that you talk about: moderate Republicans and independents as well as a fired-up Democratic base, and not just done it once. I have done it three times. I think winning matters. I think a track record of getting things done matters, and I also think showing our party that we can actually bring people with us, have a wider tent, a bigger coalition and, yes, longer coat tails, that matters.
BUTTIGIEG: Excuse me. I've got to respond to that. I've got to respond to that. Senator, I know that if you just go by vote totals, maybe what goes on in my city seems small to you. If you want to talk about the capacity to win, try putting together a coalition to bring you back to office with 80 percent of the vote as a gay dude in Mike Pence's Indiana.
KLOBUCHAR: Again, I would — if you had won in Indiana, that would be one thing. You tried and you lost by 20 points.
New York Times, December 19, 2019 under the title, Buttigieg and Warren clash over 'Wine Cave' Fund-Raiser.
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December 20, 2019
Voices4America Post Script. This was an interesting exchange during last night's Democratic Debate. I, for one, didn't know Buttigieg lost the only statewide election he ever ran,Indiana Treasurer, 2010 - 37.5% of the vote. He wasn’t out as gay then.
@EWarren @PeteButtigieg @AmyKlobuchar
#AnyFunctioningAdult2020
