Article snippet: DETROIT —Former vice president Joe Biden, the front-runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, faced down a barrage of criticism Wednesday night as his opponents sought to cast him as a relic of a bygone era, ill-equipped to lead his party as it grapples with urgent questions about race, immigration, and the best way to beat President Trump. One by one they dug in, denigrating Biden’s health care plan, criminal justice record, support for free trade policies, and the immigration policies pursued by President Barack Obama. The attacks underscored a new willingness to lay into the record of the popular former president in order to bruise Biden, whose connection to Obama is central to his political appeal. “You invoke President Obama more than anybody in this campaign,” said New Jersey Senator Cory Booker during a tense exchange over the rate of deportations during the previous administration. “You can’t do it when it’s convenient and dodge it when it’s not.” But following his halting performance at the first debate, Biden sought to launch himself into the fray, attacking several of his opponents in an effort to swat away doubts about his ability to defend himself under fire, and make a forceful case for his brand of Democratic centrism in a crowded presidential field that has been pulled to the left by populist liberals. “I have the guts to say his plan doesn’t make any sense,” Biden said, referring to a proposal by Julian Castro to decriminali... Link to the full article to read more