Democrats Can’t Unite Unless Wasserman Schultz Goes!

[portlander23]

Democrats Can’t Unite Unless Wasserman Schultz Goes!
BY BILL MOYERS AND MICHAEL KINSHIP

Twice now, the flight of her presidential aspirations has been forced to circle the airport as other contenders put up an unexpected fight: In 2008, Barack Obama emerged to grab the Democratic nomination away and this year, although all signs point to her finally grabbing the brass ring, unexpected and powerful progressive resistance came from the mighty wind of the Bernie Sanders campaign.

Certainly, Hillary Clinton is angered by all of this, but the one seemingly more aggrieved — if public comments and private actions are any indication — is Democratic National Committee chair and Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Hillary surrogate who takes umbrage like ordinary folks pop their vitamins in the morning.

Now Wasserman Schultz has waded into the controversy over what happened or didn’t happen last weekend when Sanders supporters loudly and vehemently objected to the rules at the Nevada State Democratic Convention. In truth, some behaved badly at the event and others made trollish, violent and obscene threats to Democratic state chair Roberta Lange via phone, email and social media. There’s no excuse for such aggressive, creepy conduct, and Sanders was quick and direct in apologizing for the behavior of the rowdies and bullies.

But there is a double standard at play here. Why, pray tell, shouldn’t the peaceful majority of Sanders people be angry at the slow-motion, largely invisible rigging of the political process by Wasserman Schultz and the Clinton machine — all for the benefit of Secretary Clinton?

[AtomicKitten]

1. It would take more than that to smooth over this abortion of a primary election.

[passiveporcupine]

10. You are not kidding

If there is anything I can do to help unseat Lange (as democratic party chair) in Nevada, I will do that too.

[JimDandy]

2. I no longer care.

Clinton Dems and everyone who supports the corrupt DNC deserves her

The rest of us progressive Dems have options...

[passiveporcupine]

8. Please care enough to help Tim Canova beat her in November.

Thanks

[Warren DeMontague]

3. She needs to go, but that is self-evident and not related to anything else.

IMHO.

[Ohioblue22]

4. And she has a challenger work like hell to replace her

[CobaltBlue]

5. portlander23—Debbie Wasserman Schultz actually has no impact on my vote.

She is there because of bringing money into the party. A big beef with her is how that is made possible. (And there is more to be mentioned.)

[passiveporcupine]

7. Good timing

I was reading this thread and an e-mail came in from Tim Canova.

Here is his message to his supporters:

Dear PP,

After another rough week for Debbie Wasserman Schultz, her campaign sent an email to her supporters. You should really take a look. See below.

Not only does it attack our campaign for refusing to take money from corporations or wealthy billionaires, but it accuses people like you of “spinning a web of distortions” about our opponent’s anti-progressive record.

This is further proof that not only do we have her attention, but she is increasingly worried about our growing movement. With just months to go, our campaign needs your support now more than ever.

Here is Debbie's e-mail to her supporters (text in parenthesis mine):

We can’t sit by and allow this to happen.

Debbie is being bombarded. (oh yeah) Opponents with their undisclosed, outside money are trying to take her down and kick her out of office by spinning a web of distortions. But we have one thing they don’t. You.

(so now I'm an undisclosed donation? I don't think so Deb)

Debbie faces six opponents this time around. One of them (Tim Canova) raised close to a million dollars, but almost all of the cash came from outside of Florida. (you are right about that...my cash came from Oregon) I’m not sure if you saw Debbie’s email yesterday, but we need your help, and we need it now. Outsiders are coming after Debbie. You can help us make sure they don’t get the last word by giving any amount you can. Debbie is counting on you.

It’s no wonder Debbie’s opponents attract out-of-state donors. South Floridians know no one will speak up louder on the issues they care about than Debbie.

But that doesn’t change the fact that they’re prepared to spend lots of money distorting Debbie's record to convince South Florida families otherwise.

We need resources to make sure that voters know the truth. We need to be ready to respond and organize, and that means we need your support. Protect Debbie’s seat by helping us reach our May goal. Chip in $5 to put us on track.

Come on everyone...go to actblue (I know we have a DU donation page here...don't have the link right now)...please, no matter where you live in the US...make a small donation (or large if you can) to Tim Canova, a true progressive trying to unseat DWS. WE CAN DO THIS, if we work together. I'm sending him another donation today, because of what she said about Bernie and his words after the Nevada conference.

Thanks!

[seabeyond]

9. Nope. Holding you votes hostage, making demands, NO. I hope to god, this does not happen and

the Democrats stand strong to the bullying, and that is all it is. Sanders fucked up thru out his campaign, on his shoulders, he blames DWS and he was wrong. Too too many times. And now to demand she be fired, when you owe her more than one apologies. The misogynist garbage and trash that does not belong in our party.

No.

No demands.

[seabeyond]

11. Post # 1. Not enough. More, more more. You finally get you lost, and here are the demands.

Disgusting.

[tabasco]

12. But what about the payday lenders????

Without liberal Democratic heroes of the working class like Wasserman-Schultz to fight for them, the poor payday lenders could go out of business!!

[Codeine]

13. We're past that stage

and she is no longer relevant. Focus on the talking yam.

[felix_numinous]

14. K&R For Bill Moyers

[Waiting For Everyman]

15. She needed to go after the 2010 elections debacle.

And yes, Tim Canova will be getting a donation from me tonight. I've been meaning to do that anyway, but what she did to the Nevada delegates is very motivating. She has to go!

[Skwmom]

16. They think that is going to do it?

[dana_b]

17. One of the comments form the article:

I was at the Nevada State Convention. I saw no violence, and although there was a lot of noise, it pales in comparison with your average NCAA basketball game. Here were the problems:

* The committee wrote a new set of rules at the last minute that gave the chair the power to outright reject motions from the floor without a vote.
* The vote to approve the provisional rules was a voice vote. The Sanders side was louder saying NO, but the chair said the ayes have it. That, btw, is what started the shouting. The Sanders supporters were shouting Count! Count! and "Robert's rules of order!" (ooh, how radical!), and finally Boo. They were still booing the chair when Boxer got up to speak, but she thought they sere booing her. She said some snarky things to them, and then they WERE booing her. Then Nina Turner got up and calmed everything down.
* Nevada has a 3-tiered primary system: local caucuses, county conventions, and finally the state. All three count for something. The caucuses on Feb 20 went slightly to Clinton; the counties slightly to Sanders. The chair abruptly announced that only the caucus ratios would count - throwing aside the county conventions completely, with no motion, no discussion, and no vote.
* There were 58 Sanders delegates who were not permitted to be seated because, the chair said, they had not registered as Democrats by May 1. But they HAD to have registered as Democrats by FEB 20 to be in the caucuses. She later said they must have changed their affiliation. Really?
* Clinton eded up winning by 30 votes. So this actually mattered in terms of being able to say who "won" Nevada. But that translated into only 6 more delegates to the national convention. Was it worth it?
* The Sanders delegates (and some Clinton delegates) wanted to do what Maine had done - call for an end to superdelegates. No vote - nor discussion - was permitted.

The one thing everyone regrets was that a young Bernie supporter who was angry put the chair's phone number on a blog, which he should not have done. She got rude phone calls. But I do not think it is fair to charge everybody in that room with something only a few people - and we don't know who they were - did.

While Clinton "won" Nevada and gained 6 more votes in Philadelphia, I think she and the Democratic Party were the ultimate losers. The democratic process has a purpose - it channels disagreement into a peaceful process. These delegates had worked hard and played fair - this was the first experience with politics for many of them, and it left a very sour taste. Come November, the Party may wish they could have their loyalty, but after having shown them such little respect, good luck with that. They may wish they had those enthusiastic volunteers back when they need to elect a Democrat to replace Harry Reid, who is retiring. And Nevada is going to be in play in the presidential race. Was hardball politics worth it?

Penny wise, pound foolish.