Elizabeth Warren shifts over health to win place on Joe Biden’s ticket

Elizabeth Warren has aligned her views on health care with those of Joe Biden as she and other high-flying female Democrats joust to be his running-mate.

Senator Elizabeth Warren and former vice-president Joe Biden at a Democratic primary debate last January. Picture: AFP

Elizabeth Warren has aligned her views on health care with those of Joe Biden as she and other high-flying female Democrats joust to be his running-mate.

Contenders are expected to feign a lack of interest but this time around several have made their desire to be vice-president public. This week Senator Warren, 70, sought to narrow her differences on health care with the presumptive Democratic nominee.

During her own presidential campaign, which she ended after Super Tuesday in March without winning any states, the Massachusetts senator attacked Mr Biden’s more cautious health reforms as defending the status quo and said it meant he was “running in the wrong presidential primary”.

Mr Biden retorted that her plans to tear up former president Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act and give free health care to everyone was “elitist” and “condescending”.

But in an interview this week Senator Warren admitted: “I think right now people want to see improvements in our health-care system. That means strengthening the Affordable Care Act.”

She is viewed as part of a trio of frontrunners for the role, along with Kamala Harris, 55, and Amy Klobuchar, 59. Mr Biden, 77, has said he is considering about a dozen women.

Separately, Tara Reade, 56, the former Biden staff member who has accused him of sexually assaulting her in 1993, is facing questions over whether she misrepresented her credentials under oath.

Ms Reade has for many years been used as an expert witness on domestic violence in California courts. But her claim to have a degree from Antioch University in Seattle was disputed when reporters investigated the Biden allegation.

She also claimed to be a visiting professor at the university. It said that she did only a little administrative work. At least six cases in which the prosecution used Ms Reade’s testimony are now under review by state officials.

On Friday Mr Biden faced criticism after telling a black radio host that if he could not decide between him and President Donald Trump “then you ain’t black”. He spoke to Charlamagne Tha God, host of The Breakfast Club, who quizzed him about his record on racial issues.

The Times