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 Sanders, a 74-year-old U.S. senator from Vermont came to her
rescue on Tuesday night as Clinton, 67, said she wanted to focus on
more pressing policy issues when questioned about a private email
server she used as U.S. secretary of state.
“Let me say something that may not be great politics, but I think
the secretary is right," he said. "The American people are sick and
tired of hearing about your damn emails.”
"Thank you. Me too. Me too," a beaming Clinton responded shortly
before turning to shake the hand of a smiling Sanders while the
crowd roared.
Shortly after that moment of warmth, however, Clinton and Sanders
clashed over their views about Wall Street, capitalism, gun control,
and U.S. policy on Syria in a surprisingly feisty first debate
between candidates who have largely steered clear of criticizing
each other on the campaign trail.
Clinton, who has seen her lead over Sanders narrow during the email
controversy, delivered a smooth performance that could solidify her
status as front-runner and raise questions about the viability of a
possible candidacy by Vice President Joe Biden.
 Trying to stem Sanders' momentum and calm the worries of some
supporters about her slide in opinion polls, she aggressively drew
sharp contrasts with the self-described democratic socialist.
Clinton criticized his remark in the debate that the United States
should model its economy after European countries such as Denmark,
Sweden and Norway.
"I think what Senator Sanders is saying certainly makes sense in the
terms of the inequality that we have. But we are not Denmark," said
Clinton, who described herself as a progressive but "a progressive
who likes to get things done."
Sanders said he did not subscribe to the capitalist system.
“Do I consider myself part of the casino capitalist process by which
so few have so much and so many have so little, by which Wall
Street’s greed and recklessness wrecked this economy? No, I don’t,”
he said.
Sanders also knocked the administration of President Bill Clinton,
the front-runner's husband, for its deregulation of Wall Street in
the 1990s.
"Congress does not regulate Wall Street. Wall Street regulates
Congress," Sanders said critically.
Clinton said the United States needed to do more than focus its fire
on big banks.
"We have work to do. You’ll get no argument from me. But I know if
we don’t come in with a very tough and comprehensive approach, like
the plan I’m recommending, we’re going to be behind instead of
ahead," she said.
 CLASH OVER GUN CONTROL
The two candidates also clashed over gun violence, an increasingly
potent issue after repeated school shootings across the country.
Clinton said Sanders had not been tough enough on the issue, noting
he voted for a provision to free gun manufacturers from legal
accountability.
"I voted against it. I was in the Senate at the same time. It wasn't
that complicated to me," she said. "We need to stand up and say
enough of that. We're not going to let it continue."
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Sanders, noting he represents a rural state where many people own
guns, said he supported the expansion of background checks for
people wanting to buy guns and to scrap gaps in the law that make it
easier to sell and buy guns at gun shows.
The two leading candidates were joined by former Rhode Island
Governor Lincoln Chafee, former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley
and former U.S. Senator James Webb of Virginia in the first of six
scheduled debates in the race to be the party's nominee in the
November 2016 presidential election.
The lesser known candidates made veiled attacks on Clinton. Chafee
noted he had "no scandals" during his political career; Webb said he
was not co-opted by the political system.
Sanders' "damn emails" statement was the top social moment of the
two-hour debate on Facebook and Sanders himself was the candidate
most discussed on the social media network, according to Andy Stone,
a spokesman for Facebook.
Clinton has said her email server in her New York State home was
used for convenience and not to skirt transparency laws. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation has taken the server and other computer
hardware to determine whether sensitive government information was
mishandled in Clinton’s email correspondence.
Chafee, who has been critical of Clinton in the context of the
emails, said it was important that the next president adhere to the
best in ethical standards. Asked by the moderator if she wanted to
respond, Clinton answered, to applause, with one word: “No.”
Biden, who is considering launching a run for the nomination, was
not on the stage but loomed in the background. Clinton took a veiled
shot at Biden by emphasizing her involvement in President Barack
Obama's decision to authorize the raid that killed former al Qaeda
leader Osama bin Laden.
Clinton was in favor of the raid. Biden advised against it.
Late in the debate, the candidates were asked which enemy they were
most proud of making.
"Well, in addition to the NRA (National Rifle Association), the
health insurance companies, the drug companies, the Iranians,
probably the Republicans," Clinton said to laughter from the
audience.
(Additional reporting by Caren Bohan, Luciana Lopez, Alistair Bell,
Megan Cassella, Jonathan Allen and Alana Wise; Writing by Jeff Mason
and John Whitesides; Editing by Howard Goller)
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