Democrats spar over foreign, domestic issues in Des Moines debate

DES MOINES - Democrats Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley worked Saturday night to cut into rival Hillary Clinton's front-runner status in a nationally televised debate shrouded in a deadly assault in Paris that drove national security and foreign policy concerns to the fore of the two-hour discussion.

Security took center stage at the debate after a terrorist attack in Paris on Friday killed 127 and injured 352.

The event coverage opened with CBS-TV moderator John Dickerson asking for a moment of silence for the victims of the attack - a brief political respite that immediately gave way to a tough crossfire among the candidates over America's role in the world and how best to respond to terrorist threats.

Clinton, 68, a former U.S. secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady, said Islamic State is the leading threat of an international terror network that must be defeated, not just contained, by summoning resources, diplomacy, development aid, law enforcement, sharing of intelligence and military force as a last resort.

'But it cannot be an American fight,” said Clinton. 'That is why we have troops in Iraq that are helping to train and build back up the Iraqi military, why we have special operators in Syria working with the Kurds and Arabs so that we can be supportive. But this cannot be an American fight, although American leadership is essential.”

O'Malley, 52, a former governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore, took issue with Clinton, saying, 'This actually is America's fight. It cannot solely be America's fight. America is best when we work in collaboration with our allies. America is best when we are actually standing up to evil in this world, and ISIS, make no mistake about it, is an evil in this world.”

O'Malley said the attacks in Paris are an indication a 21st-century approach to warfare is needed that will require more international coalitions with America in a leadership role.

Sanders, 74, a two-term independent U.S. senator from Vermont, said he agreed international terrorism is a major issue but he said the 'disastrous” U.S. invasion of Iraq - something he opposed and Clinton supported - 'unraveled” the Mideast region, led to the rise of al-Qaida and ISIS that now will require an international coalition with nations in the region playing a significant role.

'I think that was one of the worst foreign policy blunders in the modern history of United States,” he said.

The three Democrats generally agreed on closing an income inequality gap for middle-class Americans by putting a higher tax burden on the wealthy and finding ways to boost wages.

However, Sanders raised concerns that Clinton as a New York senator has been too close to Wall Street, and O'Malley said a Depression-era financial reform law repealed by former President Bill Clinton, the Glass-Steagall Act, should be reinstated.

'We bailed out Wall Street,” Sanders said. 'It's their time to bail out the middle class.”

The debate focus turned on Sanders and his past pro-gun rights vote he has taken as a senator representing a rural state. O'Malley said he has taken the toughest stance by supporting a ban assault weapons and a requirement that every person who buys a gun acquire a license and get fingerprinted.

'I think there are different records. I know that Senator Sanders had a different vote than I did when it came to giving immunity to gun makers and sellers. That was a terrible mistake,” Clinton said.

At one point during the proceedings, Clinton said while disagreements have emerged on aspects of the leading 2016 issues, there is general agreement among the three Democrats.

'The differences among us pale to what's happening on the Republican side,” she said. 'Let's focus on what this election is really going to be about.”

Democrats last met on a debate stage last month in Las Vegas, but the field shrank to three after candidates Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee dropped out of the race and Vice President Joe Biden chose not to enter the 2016 sweepstakes - which opens with Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses Feb. 1.

James Q. Lynch of The Gazette and Erin Murphy of Lee Newspapers contributed to this story.