Differences stand out in Sanders-Clinton debate in Brooklyn

Democratic Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) debate as Wolf Blitzer moderates during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate at the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. less Democratic Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) debate as Wolf Blitzer moderates during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate at the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn ... more Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Differences stand out in Sanders-Clinton debate in Brooklyn 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

After eight largely genteel Democratic debates, the core philosophical differences between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders became starkly clear at Thursday’s throw down in Brooklyn, just days before Tuesday’s pivotal New York primary.

It was held just a few miles from the nation’s financial capital, and Wall Street stood out as a major dividing line between the candidates.

In unsparing terms, an aggressive Sanders painted Clinton as a tool of the political and financial establishment, unwilling to take the bold positions needed to rid politics of big money or provide free college and universal health care to all Americans. He questioned Clinton’s judgment, citing her support for the “worst foreign policy blunder in the history of this country” — the 2003 Iraq invasion — and criticized her for taking money from Wall Street firms.

And in an extraordinary moment at a presidential debate in either party, Sanders entered uncharted waters by questioning the U.S. relationship with Israel. “There comes a time when if we pursue justice and peace,” Sanders said, “we are going to have to say that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is not right all of the time.”

For her part, Clinton dodged several questions from Sanders and the CNN moderators — including one about whether Israel’s responses to attacks from the West Bank were excessive — probably to protect her lead in New York, which was 14 points in the latest average of major polls by Real Clear Politics.com.

Several times, Clinton tried to deflate Sanders by pointing out that he was heavy on critiques but light on solutions.

“It’s easy to diagnose the problem,” Clinton said. “It’s harder to do something about it.”

Clinton offered her example: “The free college offer — you know, my late father said, if somebody promises you something for free, read the fine print.”

Sanders needed to win this debate decisively — he didn’t — or for Clinton to commit a major mistake — she didn’t — for the two-hour CNN-moderated contest to influence Tuesday’s primary.

Even though Sanders has won eight of the last nine caucuses and has raised more money than Clinton the last three months without the support of super PAC money, he is still down by 212 pledged delegates to the Democratic national convention.

The Vermont senator would need to win 56 percent of the remaining delegates to capture the Democratic nomination. The possibility of Sanders pulling off another “Michigan miracle” — where he won the Midwestern state’s primary after pre-election polls showed him trailing badly — are slimmer in New York, where Clinton has a stronger political network.

While Sanders may have been born and raised in Brooklyn, the dominant New York connection about him these days is his accent. However, he did draw 27,000 supporters to Washington Square Park in Manhattan for a rally Wednesday and retains the endorsement of several unions.

Clinton — who also claims her native Illinois and Arkansas, where her husband was governor, as some version of home states — was elected to the U.S. Senate twice by New York voters. She retains an active network of donors, supporters and friendly elected officials there that have bolstered her lead.

Here are some of the areas where the candidates differed:

Wall Street-bashing near Wall Street: Sanders’ months-long attack on Clinton’s Wall Street and corporate ties got a twist Thursday. On Wednesday, Clinton joined striking Verizon workers on the picket line. It was an odd tableau considering that Clinton received a $225,000 honorarium from Verizon for giving a speech in 2013. Sanders, who has been endorsed by the Communications Workers of America (full disclosure: I am a member of that union) also marched on the picket line.

But Sanders can’t say specifically how Wall Street money has influenced Clinton: When CNN reporter Dana Bash pressed Sanders to “name one decision that (Clinton) made as senator that shows that she favored banks because of the money she received,” Sanders spoke in generalities about making paid speeches to financial institutions after she left the State Department.

Replied Clinton: “He cannot come up with any example, because there is no example.” She said that as a senator, she called out financial institutions for their behavior during the mortgage meltdown.

“Secretary Clinton called them out,” Sanders replied sarcastically. “Oh my goodness, they must have been really crushed by this. And was that before or after you received huge sums of money by giving speaking engagements? So they must have been very, very upset by what you did.”

Release your paid speeches! Release your tax returns! Clinton continued to refuse to release transcripts of highly paid speeches she has given to Wall Street firms like Goldman-Sachs, saying she would turn them over when others would release theirs. But only Republicans — who are not running against her in the Democratic primary — have given similar paid speeches, not Sanders.

Clinton countered by pointing out that Sanders should release his income taxes as she has done. Sanders said he would release his 2014 taxes Friday and others later.

Sanders takes more conservative stance on one part of gun debate : Guns are one of the few issues that Clinton can get to the left of Sanders on. He doesn’t think crime victims should be able to sue gun makers for damages. It resonates in New York, given its proximity to Connecticut, home of the Sandy Hook Elementary mass slaying.

Sanders said: “I voted against this gun liability law because I was concerned that in rural areas all over this country, if a gun shop owner sells a weapon legally to somebody, and that person then goes out and kills somebody, I don't believe it is appropriate that that gun shop owner who just sold a legal weapon to be held accountable and be sued.”

Clinton pounced. “Giving this special protection to gun manufacturers and to dealers is an absolute abdication of responsibility on the part of those who voted for it,” she said.

Minimum wage wars: While both Clinton and Sanders supported raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour in both New York and California, they differ on where to set a national level.

Clinton supports boosting the federal level from $7.25 to $12 an hour, saying not all areas of the country will be able to absorb a bigger increase. Sanders favors a national $15 an hour floor and mocked Clinton for seemingly want to have it both ways.

“Well, I think the secretary has confused a lot of people,” he said. “I don't know how you're there for the fight for $15 when you say you want a $12-an-hour national minimum wage.”

Joe Garofoli is the San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli