Bloomberg qualifies for Feb 19 Democratic presidential debate

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday qualified for this week's Democratic presidential debate in Nevada, his campaign said in a statement, putting him on the same stage as his rivals in the race for the party's nomination for the first time.

A late entry to the race, Bloomberg, 78, has risen in public opinion polls as he pours money from his estimated $60 billion personal fortune into a national campaign, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on television ads.