At CNN's Democratic presidential debate Thursday evening, Hillary Clinton turned around an attack from Bernie Sanders, saying at an attack on her over Super PACs is like an attack on President Obama -- who also had super PACs.



"Make no mistake about it, this is not just an attack on me," she said about Bernie Sanders' accusation that she is controlled by her donors. "It's an attack on President Obama."



"Let me tell you why," she said as the crowd booed. "Let me tell you why, you may not like the answer but I'll tell you why."



"President Obama had a Super PAC when he ran. President Obama took tens of millions of dollars from contributors. And President Obama was not at all influenced when he made the decision to pass and sign Dodd-Frank, the toughest regulations on Wall Street in many years. This is a phony attack that is designed to raise questions when there is no evidence of support to undergird the accusations he is putting forward in these attacks."





SANDERS: We need to join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee health care to all people. So I...



BLITZER: Thank you, Senator.



Secretary?



CLINTON: Well, make -- make no mistake about it, this is not just an attack on me, it's an attack on President Obama. President Obama...



CLINTON: You know, let me tell you why. You may not like the answer, but I'll tell you why. President Obama had a super PAC when he ran. President Obama took tens of millions of dollars from contributors. And President Obama was not at all influenced when he made the decision to pass and sign Dodd-Frank, the toughest regulations...



CLINTON: -- on Wall Street in many a year. So this is -- this is a phony -- this is a phony attack that is designed to raise questions when there is no evidence or support, to undergird the continuation that he is putting forward in these attacks.