民主党总统候选人参议员艾米·克洛布查尔说，如果他获得该党提名，她将支持同为总统候选人的迈克·布隆伯格，同时还主张他应该出现在辩论舞台上。
亿万富翁商人、前纽约市市长布隆伯格在11月下旬发起了一场非传统的总统竞选。他决定放弃早期投票州的竞选活动，转而关注超级星期二各州的巨额支出。他已经从自己的财产中拿出数亿美元来支付针对选民的电视广告。
进步候选人参议员伊丽莎白·沃伦和伯尼·桑德斯认为，布隆伯格本质上是在试图收买选举。这位前市长也因为他的前任而面临巨大的批评防御和扩张高度争议性的“拦截搜身”政策，以及报道的对女性的歧视性评论。
在接受全国广播公司新闻采访时会见新闻界周日，克罗布加勒斯特重申，无论民主党总统候选人是谁，她都会支持。“我会支持他，[·布隆伯格]，”她说。"我仍然认为他不是我们国家的最佳候选人。"
在采访中，这位明尼苏达州参议员还被问及布隆伯格在即将到来的民主党辩论中的表现。本月早些时候，民主党全国委员会(DNC)发布了即将到来的辩论的新指导方针，这可能会让彭博有资格进入辩论阶段，此后该委员会受到了大量批评。
身价约600亿美元的布隆伯格已经放弃接受草根捐款，选择自筹资金支持总统竞选。此前民主党全国委员会的辩论资格要求候选人达到投票门槛，此外还要确保来自全国各地的特定数量的捐款。但是新的辩论要求被民主党全国委员会调整了，候选人现在只需要达到特定的投票门槛，或者在新罕布什尔州或爱荷华州赢得代表就可以获得资格。
由于布隆伯格最近向民主党全国委员会捐赠了一大笔钱，许多人担心他试图通过收买进入辩论舞台。但挪威信贷银行坚称事实并非如此。到目前为止，彭博还没有达到投票要求，也没有赢得任何有资格参加辩论的代表。
“他就是不能躲在电波后面。他必须回答问题，”克洛布查尔告诉会见新闻界指的是彭博在电视广告上花费的数亿美元。“当然，我认为他应该站在辩论的舞台上，最终他会的，因为我不能在电视上打败他。但我可以在辩论阶段击败他。”
“我认为美国人民应该做出决定，”她说。
2月13日，民主党总统候选人参议员艾米·克洛布查尔(明尼苏达州民主党人)在内华达州北拉斯维加斯的南内华达州学院参加卢拉总统市政厅会议
桑德斯已经成为民主党初选的领先者，大多数全国民调显示他在新罕布什尔州和爱荷华州获胜后领先，他对彭博的批评要多得多。在周六的一次活动中，他称这位亿万富翁以前支持“拦截搜身”，暗示他很难带着这样的政治包袱获胜。
桑德斯在内华达州的一次活动中表示:“如果特朗普继续推行、倡导并实施像截停搜身这样的种族主义政策，这将导致他所在城市的有色人种生活在恐惧之中，我们就不会创造出击败特朗普所需的能量和激情。”。
周日，他再次瞄准彭博，在推特上写道:“亿万富翁不应该购买美国的选举。”
AMY KLOBUCHAR SAYS SHE'D SUPPORT BLOOMBERG FOR PRESIDENT AND HE 'SHOULD BE ON' THE DEBATE STAGE
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Amy Klobuchar said that she would support fellow presidential hopeful Mike Bloomberg if he received the party's nomination, while also arguing that he should appear on the debate stage.
Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman and the former mayor of New York City, launched an unconventional presidential campaign in late November. He decided to forego campaigning in the early voting states, instead focusing on spending big in Super Tuesday states. He has already shelled out hundreds of millions from his own fortune to pay for television ads targeting voters.
Progressive candidates Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have argued that Bloomberg is essentially trying to buy the election. The former mayor has also faced substantial criticism for his previous defense and expansion of the highly controversial "stop-and-frisk" policing strategy, as well as reported misogynistic comments about women.
Speaking with NBC News Meet the Press on Sunday, Klobuchar reiterated that she will support whoever the Democratic nominee for president is. "I would support him [Bloomberg]," she said. "I still do not think he is the best candidate for our country."
During the interview, the Minnesota senator was also asked about Bloomberg appearing in the upcoming Democratic debates. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) received significant criticism after it released new guidelines earlier this month for the forthcoming debates that would potentially allow Bloomberg to qualify to be on the debate stage.
Bloomberg, who is worth about $60 billion, has foregone accepting grassroots contributions, choosing to self-fund his presidential campaign. The previous DNC debate qualifications required candidates to meet polling thresholds, in addition to securing a specified number of contributions from across the country. But the new debate requirements were adjusted by the DNC, and candidates are now only required to reach specific polling thresholds, or to have won delegates in New Hampshire or Iowa, to qualify.
As Bloomberg has recently donated a sizable sum to the DNC, many raised concerns that he had attempted to buy his way onto the debate stage. But the DNC has insisted this was not the case. Thus far, Bloomberg has not reached the polling requirements or won any delegates to qualify for the debates.
"He just can't hide behind the airwaves. He has to answer questions," Klobuchar told Meet the Press, referring to the hundreds of millions Bloomberg has spent on television ads. "Of course, I think he should be on that debate stage, which eventually he will be, because I can't beat him on the airwaves. But I can beat him on the debate stage."
"I think people of America deserve that to make a decision," she said.
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) participates in a LULAC Presidential Town Hall at The College of Southern Nevada February 13 in North Las Vegas, Nevada
Sanders, who has emerged as the front-runner in the Democratic primary with most national polls showing him in the lead after success in New Hampshire and Iowa, has been much more critical of Bloomberg. Speaking at a Saturday event, he called out the billionaire's former support for "stop-and-frisk," suggesting it would be difficult for him to win with such political baggage.
"We will not create the energy and excitement we need to defeat Trump if that candidate pursued, advocated for, and enacted, racist policies like stop-and-frisk, which caused communities of color in his city to live in fear," Sanders said during a Nevada event.
He again took aim at Bloomberg on Sunday, tweeting: "Billionaires shouldn't be able to buy elections in the United States of America."
