As a spate of recent polls shows the Democratic presidential primary tightening nationally and in key early states, frontrunner Hillary Clinton and her surrogates are getting tougher in their criticism of Bernie Sanders, the only other realistic contender for the nomination.

In particular, Clinton seeks to frame Sanders’ stated belief in a single-payer health care system as both unrealistic and potentially calamitous. In his attempts to implement a system comparable to that of most other western countries, Sanders will undo the achievements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Clinton has argued.

On Tuesday, Chelsea Clinton, campaigning for her mom in New Hampshire, described Sanders’ plans for health care as disastrous.

“I never thought that I would be arguing about the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare in the Democratic primary,” Clinton said at an event, according to ABC. “Sen. Sanders wants to dismantle Obamacare, dismantle the CHIP program, dismantle Medicare and private insurance.”

Asked to respond to her daughter’s comments on Wednesday, the former First Lady said that the criticism was based in fact.

“Because if you look at Senator Sanders’ proposals going back nine times in the Congress, that’s exactly what he’s proposed,” she told Good Morning America. “To take everything we currently know as health care, Medicare, Medicaid, the CHIP Program, private insurance, now of the Affordable Care Act, and roll it together.”

Sanders doesn’t deny the charge, saying that creating a universal health care system for children, adults and seniors would be fairer and more cost-effective. Sanders describes his plan as “Medicare-for-all.”

“A Medicare-for-all plan will save the average middle class family $5,000 a year,” a spokesman for Sanders’ campaign told ABC. “The Clinton campaign is wrong.”

Clinton is walking a tight-rope in her criticisms of Sanders’ health care agenda. While the long-presumed frontrunner wants to make clear to moderate voters –– whose support she needs to win the general election –– that she is opposed to the more dramatic expansion of government favored by Sanders, she runs the risk of alienating the progressive base of the Democratic Party if her critiques of Sanders resemble those that Republicans have lobbed at liberals in recent years.

For that reason, Clinton is framing Sanders’ plan as a potential risk to the accomplishments that liberals hold dear, including the PPACA, Medicare and Medicaid.

Instant Insights /

Hillary Clinton attacks Bernie Sanders' health care plans

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