Here’s the Real Winner of the Democratic Debate

The contentious Democratic race took center-stage Thursday as Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton squared off in Milwaukee. As Clinton criticized and Sanders snarked, the candidates debated the proper size of government, what to do about those in the U.S. illegally, President Obama’s legacy, and—most bizarrely—Henry Kissinger’s career. The contest highlighted the deep divide between the two candidates on issues from health care to college costs, as well as their disparate approaches to campaigning. Sanders offered a vision of what he dreams the country would be, while Clinton argued for pragmatic change. The debate was unlikely to sway many minds though, as each delivered an appeal designed to resonate with their existing supporters.

Ted Cruz‘s campaign pulled a new ad critical of Marco Rubio from television because one of the actresses involved had a history making pornographic films. Rubio, meanwhile, is going on offense against his rivals as he seeks to reinvigorate his campaign after a disappointing finish in New Hampshire. As the race turns to South Carolina, candidates and campaigns are warning of and accusing their rivals of “dirty tricks,” as the state’s legacy of bitter campaigning collides with this presidential cycle’s existing nastiness.

The husband of a victim of last year’s Charleston shooting appears in a new ad released by the Clinton campaign touting her commitment to gun control. Donald Trump held a fundraiser for veterans groups when he skipped the Des Moines presidential debate, but some of the groups are still waiting for their checks. And what President Obama makes of the 2016 cycle.

Here are your must-reads:

Must Reads

Sanders Snarks as Democratic Debate Gets Heated
Clinton challenged, Sanders dismissed, TIME’s Michael Scherer writes

The Real Winner of the Democratic Debate: President Obama
TIME’s Sam Frizell on how heated exchanges over Obama’s legacy reflect how he has become a specter in the Democratic primary contest

‘You Didn’t Hear This From Me, But. . .’:
Why South Carolina primary politics are so dirty [Washington Post]

The $6.8 Trillion Question in Rubio’s Tax Plan
Rubio’s tax plan math has a big gap in it, TIME’s Haley Sweetland Edwards writes

Veterans’ Wait After Trump Fundraiser Shows Hurdles for Campaign
Majority of nonprofits reached said they hadn’t heard from Trump foundation for weeks [Wall Street Journal]

Bruised Marco Rubio Gets Personal and Aggressive
Seeking redemption in South Carolina, Rubio goes on the offensive as he opens up to reporters [New York Times]

Sound Off

“No one thinks that working in a factory is the greatest job in the world.” — Bernie Sanders in a line he will surely regret, either later in the Democratic primaries or in a general election

“That disquiet, that concern is expressing itself in the Republican Party as well as the Democratic Party, and we need to listen to that, and we have to pay attention, and be mindful, because when people are scared, then strange things can happen in politics. When people are nervous and feel threatened, we can get a politics that is not about bringing people together, but is about us and them.” — President Obama at a high-dollar fundraiser in California on the state of the Democratic presidential race. Obama added at the event, which raised as much as $33,400 from attendees for the Democratic National Committee, that “big money and unaccountable, undisclosed money is distorting our politics in ways that are going to be damaging over the long-term”

Bits and Bites

Donald Trump: I’d Want a Politician as a Running Mate [Fox Business]

Cruz Campaign Removes Ad Featuring Softcore Porn Actress [BuzzFeed]

George W. Bush Set to Make Campaign Trail Debut for Jeb [NBC]

Pressure’s on in Nevada for candidates and state [USA Today]

Obama Is Sick of Selfies [BuzzFeed]

Trump Rips Pope Francis for Visiting Mexican Border [Politico]

Hillary Clinton Endorsed By Congressional Black Caucus PAC [Associated Press]

Here’s What the Democrats’ Social Security Debate Was About [TIME]