Tag: DNC

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Debbie Wasserman Schultz Says She Will NOT Gavel In Democratic National Convention

Thank god.

From USA Today:

Outgoing party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has told a Florida newspaper she will no longer open the Democratic National Convention on Monday.

“I have decided that in the interest of making sure that we can start the Democratic convention on a high note that I am not going to gavel in the convention,” the Florida congresswoman told south Florida’s Sun Sentinel.

On Sunday, Wasserman Schultz announced she would resign as Democratic National Committee chairwoman following the convention but indicated she still planned to open and close the Philadelphia gathering.

However, with the controversy over leaked party emails that showed Democratic staffers favoring Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders during the primary campaign still simmering, Wasserman Schultz faced the prospect of a hostile reception from delegates on the floor Monday.

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge will handle the responsibilities of the Chair throughout the four day convention.

I hope the Bernie Sanders supporters, now that they have Schultz’s scalp, will join the rest of the Democratic Party and support the candidate of the party.

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Debbie Wasserman Schultz Booed At Democratic National Convention

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz got booed (shocker!) addressing her own delegation on the first day of the Democratic National Convention.

Wasserman Schultz announced her resignation as Chair of the DNC yesterday in the aftermath of leaked emails which indicated the DNC  may have favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primary.

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Debbie Wasserman Schultz To Step Down As DNC Chair

In the aftermath of Wikileaks’ release of Democratic National Committee emails, Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has announced she will step down as the head of the DNC.

According to CBS News, DNC Vice Chair Donna Brazile will serve as Interim Chair through the election.

While I was just about to post my thoughts that she should step down, this comes in. The troubling part here, though, is that she seem to intend to address the conventioneers. That would be a mistake.

At this point, DWS needs to stand aside for party unity and not have some kind of “last hurrah.”

Click the pic below to enlarge her statement.

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Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg To Endorse Hillary Clinton In Prime-Time Convention Speech

The New York Times is reporting that billionaire and former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, will speak in prime-time at the Democratic National Convention and endorse Hillary Clinton for president.

The news is an unexpected move from Mr. Bloomberg, who has not been a member of the Democratic Party since 2000; was elected the mayor of New York City as a Republican; and later became an independent.

But it reflects Mr. Bloomberg’s increasing dismay about the rise of Donald J. Trump and a determination to see that the Republican nominee is defeated.

Mrs. Clinton is seeking to reach out to middle-of-the-road swing voters and even moderate Republicans uneasy about Mr. Trump. Polls show that significant numbers of Republicans remain wary of Mr. Trump, and question his fitness for the presidency.

Mr. Bloomberg will vouch for Mrs. Clinton “from the perspective of a business leader and an independent,” said Howard Wolfson, a senior adviser to Mr. Bloomberg.

Mr. Bloomberg, who has been sharply critical of Mr. Trump’s views on immigration and the economy, may fortify Mrs. Clinton’s appeal to the political center.

This will the first time Bloomberg will speak at any political party’s national convention in a political role.  In 2004, the 3-term mayor appeared at the Republican National Convention in his role as mayor of the host city.

Bloomberg considered an independent run for president this election cycle, but chose otherwise out of concern splitting voters might help elect Donald Trump.

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Human Rights Campaign President To Speak On Final Night Of Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Committee has released a preliminary list of speakers at this weeks’ Democratic National Convention.

You’ll note the vast diversity of speakers, including Congressman Keith Ellison (first Muslim American elected to Congress), Chad Griffin (president of the Human Rights Campaign), and Sarah McBride (transgender LGBT activist).

Via press release:

Monday, July 25 – “United Together”
Congressman Keith Ellison (Minnesota)
National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia
Congressman Raul Grijalva (Arizona)
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (Iowa) and candidates of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
SEIU President Mary Kay Henry
Congressman Joe Kennedy (Massachusetts)
Chair of the Democratic Governors Association Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy
Building Trades President Sean McGarvey
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (Oregon)
Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (California) and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
AFSCME President Lee Saunders
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten
Senator Bernie Sanders
First Lady Michelle Obama

Tuesday, July 26 – “A Lifetime of Fighting For Children and Families”
Democratic National Committee Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation Donna Brazile
Former State Senator Jason Carter (Georgia)
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (California) and the Democratic Women of the House
Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards

Wednesday, July 27 – “Working Together”
Congressman GK Butterfield and members of the Congressional Black Caucus
Congresswoman Judy Chu (California) and members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
NARAL President Ilyse Hogue
Rear Admiral John Hutson (Ret. USN)
Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson
Congressman Ben Ray Lujan and candidates of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Former Congressman and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey
EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock
Center for American Progress Action Fund President Neera Tanden
Vice-President  Joe Biden
President Barack Obama

Thursday, July 28 – “Stronger Together”
General John Allen (ret. USMC), former Commander, International Security Assistance Forces, and Commander, United States Forces – Afghanistan
Candidates of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
President of the Human Rights Campaign Chad Griffin
League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski
Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (New York) and LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride
U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (Maryland) and the Democratic Women of the Senate

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Debbie Wasserman Schultz “Quarantined” At Democratic National Convention

DNC head Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Don’t look for lots of photo ops of Democratic National Committee head Debbie Wasserman Schultz at this weeks’ National Convention.

In the aftermath of the release of nearly 20,000 DNC emails by Wikileaks, the decision has been made that Schultz will not be given a speaking slot at the convention in an effort to keep the peace among Dems.

One email appears to show DNC staffers asking how they can reference Bernie Sanders’ faith to weaken him in the eyes of Southern voters. Another seems to depict an attorney advising the committee on how to defend Hillary Clinton against an accusation by the Sanders campaign of not living up to a joint fundraising agreement.

Wasserman Schultz is expected to gavel the convention in and out, but not speak in the wake of the controversy surrounding the leaked emails, a top Democrat said. “She’s been quarantined,” another top Democrat said, following a meeting Saturday night.

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Bernie Sanders Will Get “Highly Unusual Say” In DNC Platform Committee Members

In an effort to show inclusiveness, the DNC has given Sen. Bernie Sanders unusually high say in the make-up of the committee that will draft the party’s platform this year.

From the Washington Post:

Sen. Bernie Sanders has been given highly unusual say over the drafting of the Democratic Party platform this year even if, as expected, he loses the primary contest to Hillary Clinton.

The two Democratic candidates have agreed with Democratic Party officials to a new apportionment of the 15-member committee that writes the platform, according to Democratic officials familiar with the compromise worked out this month.

Clinton has picked six members, and Sanders has named five — including a longtime activist on behalf of Palestinian rights, a potential sign of his plans to push the party’s policy on Israel in a different direction, the Democrats said Monday ahead of an expected announcement by the DNC.

The math is based on the number of popular votes each has received to date, one official said. Democratic Party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz will name four. The campaign choices were selected in consultation with the campaigns and the DNC from larger slates of 12 and 10 suggested by the campaigns.

DNC rules allow the chairman to pick the entire slate of 15 people who govern the platform that will be presented at the party convention in July.

The change was made to be inclusive of Sanders supporters after the strong liberal challenge he mounted during a long and sometimes bitter primary.