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Biden fends off attacks from all sides in second round of Detroit debate

By Grace Segers, Kathryn Watson, Stefan Becket

Updated on: August 1, 2019 / 11:41 AM / CBS News

VIDEO

Former Vice President Joe Biden came under fire from his fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls in the second round of the debate in Detroit on Wednesday, with challengers like Kamala Harris and Cory Booker hoping to put a dent in his status as the frontrunner for the party's nomination.

Over the course of more than two hours in Detroit's historic Fox Theater, Biden defended himself along two lines of attack: critiques that his current policy proposals aren't progressive enough, and attacks on his extensive record, built up over the course of his decades-long career.

Biden, who got considerably more speaking time than the other candidates on stage, appeared far more prepared than he did in the first debate in June. He displayed a firm grasp of the details of his rivals' proposals on health care and immigration, and showed a familiarity with their own records on issues like criminal justice and economic policy.

Read more: Top takeaways from Wednesday night's Democratic primary debate
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democratic-debates-2019-top-takeaways-from-wednesday-nights-democratic-primary-debate/

Kamala Harris, whose confrontation with Biden defined the first debate, continued to challenge the former vice president, most notably in touting her recently unveiled health care plan .. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-releases-medicare-for-all-proposal-ahead-of-second-democratic-debate/ . But that plan also opened her up to criticism from candidates to her left, who charged her plan does not constitute a true "Medicare for All" model since it allows for a role for private insurers. The California senator also came under scrutiny for her record as a prosecutor in California, despite her attempts to turn that experience into an argument for why she can beat President Trump.

The most strenuous criticism for Biden came from those candidates in the middle and low tiers who see an opportunity to pull Biden to the left on their signature issues. Julián Castro challenged him on immigration, particularly his record on deportations in the Obama administration. Booker took him to task on criminal justice and Biden's support for the 1994 crime bill. Jay Inslee insisted Biden's climate change plan is inadequate to grapple with the current crisis.

But Biden survived the barrage of incoming fire and seemed to emerge with his frontrunner status intact, at least for now. Below are the key moments from the second night in Detroit, as they happened. -- Stefan Becket

[... time each spoke ...]

Candidates make closing statements

10:51 p.m.: Candidates used their closing statements to reiterate the core principles of their campaigns.

Castro repeated a popular line from the first debate for his closing statement, saying that on inauguration day in 2021 he would say: "Adiós, Donald Trump."

Andrew Yang had an unusual statement, noting that in the last debate, the fact that he didn't wear a tie received more attention than the automation of American jobs, his key issue. Yang also likened the Democratic debates to a "reality TV" show.

"We're up here with makeup on our faces and our rehearsed attack lines, playing roles on this reality TV show," Yang said.

Harris called Mr. Trump a "predator," saying that "predators are cowards." She touted her experience as attorney general of California in going after predatory corporations as proof she could take on Mr. Trump.

Biden, who was targeted throughout the night by nearly every candidate on stage, repeated his common phrase that this election is "a battle for the soul of America," focusing on Mr. Trump as his main competitor instead of the other Democrats.

"Eight more years of Donald Trump will change America in fundamental ways," Biden argued.

-- Grace Segers and Kathryn Watson

[...]

Biden explains how he would beat Trump in Michigan

9:58 p.m.: When asked how he could defeat Mr. Trump in Michigan, Biden mined his experience aiding the state during the recession as vice president.

"I was part of the organization ... that pushed bailing General Motors out, saving tens of thousands of jobs in this state," Biden said. He added he had worked with the mayor of Detroit to try to revitalize the city, and noted that Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan had endorsed him.

Booker argued he would be able to defeat Mr. Trump in Michigan by appealing to black voters and black women in particular, a demographic critical to the Democratic Party which saw low turnout in 2016.

"We lost the state of Michigan because everybody from Republicans to Russians were targeting the state and suppressing the votes of African Americans," Booker said.

-- Grace Segers

More - https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/democratic-debates-2019-07-31-watch-cnn-detroit-debate-coverage-live-updates-today/