DHAKA: First they debated what being a progressive means, then things only escalated in Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders' final debate Thursday before the New Hampshire primary.

It started as the two Democratic presidential candidates sparred over Clinton's status as an "establishment" candidate, reports the usatoday.com

Clinton said, as someone seeking to become the first female president of the United States, it was "quite amusing" to her that she would be labeled as a creature of the establishment as Sanders noted how she was clearly the favored Democratic hopeful of governors, members of Congress and other elected officials.

"Sen. Sanders has said he wants to run a positive campaign," Clinton said shortly after, noting his attacks of some of her campaign contributions, and later saying that she'd never been bought in any way by a donor.

“I really don’t think these attacks by insinuation are worthy of you," she said as she challenged him that "if you've got something to say" to say it to her "directly," She also called his campaign's attacks a "very artful smear," which drew some boos from the crowd.

Sanders responded by defending his attacks on the campaign finance system and its influence on elected officials, saying they were "undermining American democracy.

BDST:  1437 HRS, Feb 05, 2016
RS

** Hillary-Sanders go head-to-head