Buttigieg draws fire ahead of New Hampshire vote

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(SOUND BITE) (English) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, SAYING:

"This guy's not a Barack Obama."

Former Vice President Joe Biden continued his criticism of former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg.

(SOUND BITE) (English) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, SAYING:

"But guess what? He was a mayor."

The barbs came on the last weekend before the Democratic primary in New Hampshire, and after the release of a Biden political ad attacking Buttigieg.

(SOUND BITE) (English) BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN AD, SAYING:

"Even when public pressure mounted against him, former Mayor Pete fired the first African American Police chief of South Bend. And then he forced out the African American fire chief too."

On Sunday, Buttigieg responded to the ad on CBS's Face the Nation.

(SOUND BITE) (English) FORMER SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG, SAYING:

"Well, it's a typical political attack that doesn't tell most of the story. It makes no mention of the work that we did, for example, in my administration appointing the first African American top lawyer for the city, helping the first citywide executive African American women get elected in South Bend, and really minimizing the experience of my city... Maybe my community does look small from the perspective of Washington but, to us, a lot of times it's the infighting in the Washington establishment that looks small. And the work that we're doing on the ground in communities that are tired of being treated as a Washington punchline."

Later on Sunday, 77-year-old Biden sought to compare his 45-year career in public office with that of 38-year-old Buttigieg.

(SOUND BITE) (English) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, SAYING:

"..I've been around a long time. Hopefully, being around a long time not only gives you experience but a little bit of wisdom."

Recent polls showed Buttigieg gaining ground in New Hampshire, enjoying a boost after coming out of last week's Iowa caucuses tied with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

On Sunday, Sanders also took aim at Buttigieg, criticizing him for taking money from billionaires.

(SOUND BITE) (English) VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, SAYING:

"Last count is that he has about 40 billionaires who are contributing to his campaign. The heads of... the CEOs of the large pharmaceutical industries and insurance companies and so forth."

Buttigieg responded, saying he welcomes the support of anyone who wants to help him defeat President Donald Trump in November.

(SOUND BITE) (English) FORMER SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG, SAYING:

"We need to go into that fight with everything that we've got. And I'm not going to define my campaign by whose help we reject or whose support we turn away."

Both Buttigieg and Sanders claimed victory in Iowa, while Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren followed in third place and Biden trailed in a disappointing fourth.

The polls open in New Hampshire's nominating contest Tuesday morning.