Analysis: Bloomberg tells Democrats they need him. Not everyone agrees. nbcnews.com

Analysis: The former mayor acted as the catalyst for rivals to step up their fight. Mike Bloomberg might not be Donald Trump. But he was a perfect presidential stand-in for his Democratic rivals Wednesday night.

They upbraided him again and again, wasting no time or opportunity in the NBC/MSNBC debate here to show voters just how each of them would treat an ideologically ambiguous billionaire New York politician with a spotty record on matters of race and gender discrimination.