CONCORD – Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren pushed back against wealthy critics of her plan to raise their income taxes and billionaires like Michael Bloomberg who is seriously considering a 2020 primary candidacy of his own.
Warren, the 70-year-old, Massachusetts senator, refused to directly criticize either Bloomberg or former Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick.
According to several media outlets, Patrick is said to be on the verge of entering this crowded Democratic primary field.
“I’m not here today to criticize other Democrats; I am here to talk about why I am running for President and that’s what I am going to keep doing,” Warren told reporters after officially signing up to place her name on the first-in-the-nation primary ballot.
But Warren noted the criticism of her has ramped up since she unveiled her way to pay for her Medicare for all health insurance plan, a tax on billionaires and a new tax on capital gains by individuals.
“When I have talking about how we can make this country work better not just for people at the top, I have noticed that billionaires go on TV and cry, other billionaires encourage their billionaire buddies to jump into the race,” Warren said.
Aides to Bloomberg have already said the ex-New York mayor has no intention of running in New Hampshire and other early-voting states and instead won't be on the ballot until Super Tuesday primaries take place next March.
Meanwhile, Patrick called key supporters to say he would enter the race with a video on Thursday and tentative plans to come to New Hampshire to file on Friday.
Under state election laws, candidates can’t get on the ballot Friday unless they show up in person before a 5 p.m. deadline.
In 2018, some of former President Obama’s advisers had been working with Patrick on plans for a 2020 bid.
But in a post on Facebook last December, Patrick had said he didn’t want to put his loved ones through the intense scrutiny of a White House run.
"After a lot of conversation, reflection and prayer, I've decided that a 2020 campaign for president is not for me. I've been overwhelmed by advice and encouragement from people from all over the country, known and unknown,” Patrick posted at that time.
"But knowing that the cruelty of our elections process would ultimately splash back on people whom (his wife) Diane and I love, but who hadn't signed up for the journey, was more than I could ask.”
The last declared Democratic candidate, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, plans to come to the State House Friday morning.
On Thursday, former Illinois Congressman and radio talk show host Joe Walsh intends to make formal his GOP challenge to Trump.
Warren’s campaign has been on a slow-but-steady climb in New Hampshire since she began running last January. The latest polls here have her running neck-and-neck or slightly ahead of 2016 primary winner Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware.
Asked if she expected to win the primary expected to be held Feb. 11 Warren simply answered, “Yes.”
Democratic rival Julian Castro said Iowa and New Hampshire aren’t ethnically diverse enough to warrant having the top spot at the head of the primary calendar every four years.
In response, Warren said the two states along with South Carolina and Nevada that follow provide a good cross-section of the country.
“I am very glad as Democrats in February we will hear from voters and caucus goers in four different states. Those four states represent a lot of different parts of the country and a lot of different people; it’s urban, it’s rural, different issues, it is about the opportunity to talk about issues to all sorts of voters,” Warren said.
On impeachment, Warren was one of the first major Democratic candidates last April to support the inquiry.
“I believe it is appropriate for this impeachment inquiry to go forward. I think it should have happened earlier but we’re here now, let’s do it,” Warren said.
She said her presidential campaign would be put on hold next January if there is a trial on whether to remove Trump from office on these charges.
“I’ve got a constitutional duty; if there’s a trial, I will be there,” Warren said.
