Bill Clinton Question 'Annoys' Bernie Sanders

Vermont senator has had enough of questions about Bill Clinton's indiscretions.

ByABC News
January 18, 2016, 7:59 AM

— -- Bill Clinton is regularly mentioned on the debate stage and along the campaign trail, and Sunday night was no exception.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was asked at the Democratic debate in South Carolina whether he regrets having said that Bill Clinton’s past sexual indiscretions were “deplorable.” Sanders was not amused by the question.

“That question, annoys me,” Sanders said. “I cannot walk down the street, Secretary Clinton knows that, without being told how much I have to attack Secretary Clinton.”

Sanders chalked up his previous comments to the goading he faces to attack Hillary Clinton, something he says he’s trying to avoid. But Sanders doubled-down Sunday night on his previous comments at an Iowa town hall that the former president’s comments were “disgusting.”

“Yes, his behavior was deplorable. Have I said a word? No, I have not,” he said on stage Sunday night. “I'm going to debate Secretary Clinton, Governor O'Malley on the issues facing the American people, not Bill Clinton's personal behavior.”

Early in the debate Sunday night, Secretary Clinton said again that her husband, Bill Clinton, would, indeed, advise her if she were to win the White House.

“Well, it'll start at the kitchen table, we'll see how it goes from there,” Clinton said jokingly before taking a more serious turn. “I'm going to ask for his ideas. I'm going to ask for his advice and I'm going to use him as a goodwill emissary to go around the country to find the best ideas we've got.”

Both Bill and Hillary Clinton joined supporters at a debate-watch party following the debate.