The Washington Post: DNC to OFFER Bernie Sanders a Convention Concession

[Segami]

In an attempt to head off an ugly conflict at its convention this summer, the Democratic National Committee plans to offer a concession to Sen. Bernie Sanders — seats on a key convention platform committee — but it may not be enough to stop Sanders from picking a fight over the party’s policy positions. Allies of both Clinton and Sanders have urged Democratic leaders to meet some of Sanders’s more mundane demands for greater inclusion at the Philadelphia convention. Their decision to do so is expected to be finalized by the end of the week, according to two people familiar with the discussions. But growing mistrust between Sanders supporters and party leaders have threatened to undermine that effort. Even with the committee assignments, Sanders plans an aggressive effort to extract platform concessions on key policies that could prompt divisive battles at a moment when front-runner Hillary Clinton will be trying to unify the party. Among other issues, he plans to push for a $15 national minimum wage and argue that the party needs a more balanced position regarding Israel and Palestinians, according to a Sanders campaign aide who requested anonymity to speak candidly.

snip

Martin and other Democratic chairmen urged national leaders to give Sanders the concessions he seeks — especially when it comes to the platform, which in the long run does not have a material impact on Democrats’ electoral chances in November. “There are other chairs who probably feel that way and feel like this is my party and f--- Bernie Sanders,” said Martin, a Clinton supporter. “I’m not one of those. “I feel very passionately that we have to open up that party and make sure that those voices are heard,” he said. One of Sanders’s demands was the composition of the 15-person drafting committee, whose members are appointed at Wasserman Schultz’s discretion and write the party’s platform.

snip

Sanders’s aides have also publicly and privately complained about the appointment of two Clinton loyalists — former congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts to head the Rules Committee and Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy to lead the Platform Committee — as chairmen of two of the convention’s standing bodies. Tad Devine, a senior adviser to the Sanders campaign, said this week that they may yet seek to have Frank and Malloy removed from their posts. In an interview with CNN Thursday, Clinton noted pointedly that she believes Sanders no longer has a shot at the nomination. She also said that Sanders will need to encourage his supporters to unify behind her, just as she did in 2008 when running against Barack Obama. “I have every confidence that we’re going to be unified,” Clinton said. “I think what brings us together is Donald Trump.”


That hasn’t happened yet. A Sanders spokesman disputed Clinton’s assertion that the nomination is hers. And Sanders has ramped up the rhetoric in recent days, saying after Clinton won Kentucky that he still intends to win the nomination despite an overwhelming disadvantage in delegates. Even if he doesn’t, he still intends to pick a platform fight at the convention, according to a campaign aide who requested anonymity to discuss strategy. Clinton aides have said that on a slew of issues, Sanders is not far from the party. But the issue of U.S. policy toward Israel — which a Sanders adviser said “absolutely, legitimately will be a point of conversation” — has made some of Clinton’s backers nervous. Sanders is seeking a more “even-handed” U.S. approach to Israeli occupation of land Palestinians claim for a future state. The current platform does not address the nearly five-decade occupation directly, but it endorses “a just and lasting Israeli-Palestinian accord, producing two states for two peoples.”

cont'

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/dnc-to-offer-sanders-a-convention-concession/2016/05/19/99706b54-1df4-11e6-8c7b-6931e66333e7_story.html

[Segami]

1. Bernie Sanders is making them Feel HIS Bern

[Baobab]

22. #HillarySoBeneficent

She will let them raise wages and taste victory only to have her irreversible trade deals yank the rug from out underneath them. She's so slick!

[grasswire]

2. in the words of a famous historical naval figure

NUTS.

[Wednesdays]

27. Actually, it was an Army commander

It was his response to a demand for surrender by the Nazis during the Siege of Bastogne (the "Battle of the Bulge&quot in 1944.

[grasswire]

28. oops

thanks.

The message remains the same.

[grasswire]

3. this is probably meant to be something HRC knows he will reject...

...and then she can claim that he's being unreasonable and dangerous.

[winter is coming]

5. Got it in one!

[Segami]

7. That in itself is a dangerous game to be playing with a guy like Bernie

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

10. She already tried that with him for that New York Debate...

He won that battle handily getting exactly what he wanted.

[grasswire]

14. yep nt

[Trenzalore]

18. She also won NY nt.

[Fawke Em]

24. She hasn't won the nomination... outright.

[Trenzalore]

25. Neither did Obama...still President for 8 years nt.

[Segami]

26. Obama wasn't being investigated by the FBI

[jeff47]

37. Actually, Obama did.

He got enough pledged delegates in 2008 to win the nomination. Since Clinton needs around 85-15 victories from here on to do the same, she will have to rely on superdelegates.

[rbrnmw]

41. so what does Bernie need in terms of delegates?

just curious

[jeff47]

43. At this point, more pledged delegates than Clinton

which could be used as an attempt to argue he "won". This is actually more likely than Clinton getting enough pledged delegates to win the nomination without superdelegates.

Most likely, Sanders will only have an effect on the platform at this point. For this election.

He's got a donor list that Pelosi wants so badly she is defending Sanders, and he's demonstrated that "the DLC way" is not the only way to win - there's an enormous number of disaffected voters he brought back to the process. There will be some Democrats smart enough to appeal to them instead of continuing the plan that cost us more legislatures and governorships than ever before.

[rbrnmw]

44. I hope you gets to influence change it's a good thing

[SpareribSP]

4. Interesting stuff.

Israel is one thing I didn't expect to be on the table.

[2banon]

33. Rather surprised myself, But Hey..GOOD ON HIM!!

That demand in this context itself is almost "revolutionary" , though it shouldn't be.

I respect that he has brought the matter up in a number of speeches, or in answers to interview questions, but it never ever dawned on me, he'd attempt to make it a PLATFORM issue!!!

OutSTANDING!

[pmorlan1]

6. DNC & Hillary Campaign Don't Like Even-Handedness

I posted this in another thread about this topic but I just had to post it here too.

But Sanders had sought to split the committee evenly between his and Clinton’s allies — plus one “neutral” appointment from Wasserman Schultz.

“On one hand there is not an enormous amount of difference between them. They are both pro-Israel, they are both pro-peace,” said one longtime Clinton supporter. “But in the context of the campaign terms like ‘even-handed’ can come to mean that the United States is signaling a shift” — and Clinton would oppose that.

The DNC & Hillary campaign evidently aren't real big on the idea of even-handedness. They don't want Bernie to have much representation on the Committee's even though he's bringing in millions of new voters. He currently has 3 of his people assigned to a committee and Hillary has the rest. They also have 2 Hillary people assigned as chairs of two important committees who have been hyper-critical of Bernie. That's not even-handedness.

They are even afraid of using the word "even-handed" when it comes to the Palestinians because they are afraid it would signal a shift in their non even-handed policy.

Why do the DNC & Hillary have such a problem with being even-handed? How can you bring UNITY without being even-handed? What's wrong with FAIRNESS?

When I marched in Louisville's LGBT Fairness campaign marches we were asking for fairness. We were opposed by homophobic right wingers who objected to fairness. We weren't asking for special privileges, as they claimed, just fairness. We won the fairness amendment in Louisville so why is it so hard for the DNC & the Hillary campaign to understand that fairness is not an unreasonable thing to ask for?

[amborin]

13. Bernie is pro Peace

but "both pro peace"

ROFLMAO

[pmorlan1]

16. Yeah I saw that

[Old Codger]

8. There is no way

Last edited Wed May 25, 2016, 06:26 PM - Edit history (1)

that woman can unify anything, she is not only power hungry but blind to anything beyond the elite 1%....

[GoneFishin]

9. I really am not swayed by negotiations over the platform. The DNC has no ethical bounds, as they

have proven over and over in this primary. So discussions or concessions about what party goals and aspirations will go into the platform mean less than a rats ass to me.

[MrMickeysMom]

11. But-But-But... Barbara was ALREADY trying to extend an olive branch!!!

[grasswire]

15. Is she giving the bird there?? nt

[Segami]

20. My, she looks so scared and terrified....

Barbara 'boxers full of sh*t'...........

[amborin]

12. Concession! Hell, NO! NOMINATION, and NOTHING less

[jcgoldie]

19. lol yeah right

so ridiculous.

[grasswire]

17. concession is from the same root as concede.

It's no go.

It's a trap.

[Fawke Em]

21. To the Bastille.

Fuck this lot.

LMAO.

[Cheese Sandwich]

23. Isn't the party platform fairly meaningless? Nobody is bound to follow it.

[2banon]

34. This is true, however it does offer a qualifie to principles which can be used to hold up to account

But your point still stands, it's not a legally bound document, therefore it does tend to be meaningless.. but just the same, it does have a certain weight that can be brought to bare..

[BernieforPres2016]

45. Has anybody held Obama to account for the 2008 platform?

Does anybody even know what's in the 2008 platform? I looked at it and there is a pledge in there to reduce the number of people living below the poverty line in half over the next 10 years. How are we doing on that one? Has Obama announced any new initiatives in the last few years to achieve that "commitment"?

I have no idea why Bernie would be wasting his time on something as meaningless as a party platform. If Hillary becomes President she's going to do what she wants to do, which is whatever her big contributors want. And with regard to Israel, the single biggest contributor to the Clintons over the last 25 years is Haim Saban, who describes himself as a "one issue" candidate and his issue is that Israel can do no wrong. Hillary isn't budging one inch on her pandering to Saban and Israel.

[2banon]

47. Good points.

Didn't know anything about Saban... thanks for pointing to the fact that Hillary's position is worse than status quo. (imo)

I suppose there is more of a power play here, symbolic more than policy substantive. leverage to a certain extent. I do know that the platform is considered sacrosanct to the extent that and over the years the level of machinations, subterfuge and intransigence on the part pf the party establishment would give one to assume that the positions it documents gives enough weight to be fought over with intense obstructionism.

As an example, back in 2004. I witnessed on C-Span broadcast, party elites fight tooth and nail to keep out anti-iraq war rhetoric and policy position during what was referred to as the Democratic party platform convention held in Hollywood Florida. Some people I knew from the Bay Area were delegates and it was a huge fight over basic progressive policies.

It was rather shocking to see DP Elites working so hard to do essentially what we've been witnessing in this campaign wrt caucus conventions, and the up DNC committee meetings.

I kid you not. Have no idea how much HRC's positions/machinations/instructions to hold all anti-war delegates at bay. but the edict was obviously from up high.

[Warren DeMontague]

29. National Livable Minimum Wage, Deschedule Cannabis Entirely, Robust Public Option

Those are the 3 biggest ones in my book.

[msongs]

30. extortion is such a lovely thing nt

[Warren DeMontague]

31. a lot of Hillary people wanted her on the ticket in 2008.

Personally, I just want our party to do the right thing- like come out finally and completely against the government throwing millions of people in prison for smoking a fucking plant. They ought to be doing it anyway.

[Segami]

32. And to think it was once legal.....

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[The Second Stone]

35. My offer is this

[2banon]

36. Love it if Barney Frank and DWS were both pulled off the committees! LOL!

That would be a freaking hoot!

[Jitter65]

38. At this point i wouldn't offer BS sh*t! He doesn't intend to do anything but hurt the party and

Hillary. Most of the Obama coalition is still in tact. That ought to be enough.

[highprincipleswork]

40. Bernie's a fighter, and a fighter for me and my values, generally. Hillary and the Democratic

Establishment, or based on how they've been acting recently "Party Bosses"? Not so much.

I with him all the way, and hope he succeeds in getting the party's head out of its ass, so to speak.

Reagan Revolution is dead. Long live the Progressive Solution.

[bvf]

42. Isn't that nice of them, though?

What a bullshit move.

[pdsimdars]

46. Don't you think he should go with Jill Stein, her as VP and him as Pres?

Let the Dems and Reps fight over the scraps. You can't get real change with either of them.

[Quixote1818]

48. This shows what they pulled in Nevada and how it was handled afterwords backfired

Sanders used his leverage rather than cave and now they know that have to start giving him something.