Politico reports that the Bernie Sanders campaign fought an attempt by CBS—the network hosting tonight’s Democratic debate—to focus more on foreign policy, due to yesterday’s terrorist attacks in Paris. The suggestion by CBS occurred during a conference call with the three campaigns participating in tonight’s debate. Sanders’s campaign was concerned that cutting back on opening remarks would hurt his ability to introduce himself to Americans.
When asked for more details, he smiled: “Let’s just say we won.”
When a reporter suggested to Weaver that the changes seemed appropriate in light of the biggest terrorist attack in over a decade, he said: “Of which we have a minute and a half to speak to that. I don’t even know what the argument is about.”
Weaver also said the campaign’s intention was not to avoid a foreign policy conversation with Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State.
However, all three candidates might have reasons to breathe sighs of relief. Clinton spearheaded the first half of the Obama administration’s widely-criticized foreign policy, but has also worked to distance herself from his administration. Martin O’Malley has relatively little foreign policy experience.
