2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumDebbie Wasserman Schultz must go, and the case Bernie Sanders must make tonight
`Tis nearly the night before Christmas and not a creature is stirring, what with everyone out at a party, multiplex or mall. What better time for a presidential debate?
That at least is the view of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Clinton campaign, from which she takes her cues. They wanted the fewest possible voters to see the fewest possible debates. So we went from 26 debates in 2008 to six debates in 2016, three of them on weekends. Its called the Democratic Party, but no one other than Clinton and Schultz had any say in the matter.
On Thursday, the DNC told the press a contractor inadvertently breached a firewall in a software program exposing data files of presidential campaigns and that a Bernie Sanders staffer (Josh Uretsky, with the campaign three months) took the opportunity to sneak a peek at Hillary Clintons files. Sanders campaign instantly sacked the staffer but Schultz still cut off its access to data, a punishment she seems to have made up on the spot, thus bringing crucial outreach and fundraising efforts to a halt. Schultz didnt even nod to due process, pronouncing the death penalty without so much as reading Sanders his Miranda rights.
On Friday, Sanders campaign filed a federal lawsuit alleging breach of contract. It sought a restraining order and money damages that, assuming the facts set forth in the complaint, exceed a million dollars a day. It was a strong case. Uretsky may have behaved unethically but there was no malice aforethought the forbidden fruit fell in his lapand from the moment the campaign learned of his possible malfeasance, it acted honorably and swiftly. Schultz, conversely, appears to have acted without color of authority under law, contract or party rule.
Read more: http://www.salon.com/2015/12/19/debbie_wasserman_schultz_must_go_and_the_case_bernie_sanders_must_make_tonight/
dgibby
(9,474 posts)She has done more damage to the Democratic Party than anyone else in my life time (that I can recall, anyway). Thank gawd she's not in the military. No telling how much damage she could have done to the country.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,350 posts)DWS - she's going places in the Clinton administration.
dgibby
(9,474 posts)DURHAM D
(32,610 posts)Sanders is going to go on tv tonight and make a case against the Democratic party?
That should work out well.
I see the writer is from CT. Maybe he/she posts on DU?
99Forever
(14,524 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Is the official position of the Democratic Party to work with the likes of Sheldon Adelson to support the arrest of sick people for smoking pot?
I'd like to know if that's gonna be in the platform, frankly.
MeNMyVolt
(1,095 posts)And no cover charge!
saltpoint
(50,986 posts)advance the cause of Democratic office-holders.
Especially, may we say, those who are not to her liking.
We can't afford to be cliquish while the Republicans are taking over one state legislature after another.
I'd like to see DWS step down.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Arguing that the DNC has the duty to support Bernie over other candidates when he only just recently decided he was a sort of Democrat. Bernie is losing because he can't get enough support. It is silly to blame it on the DNC. You have to convince the voters, not manipulate the system.
Galraedia
(5,026 posts)If the DNC wants the people to pick the best candidate they wouldn't be holding low-profile weekend debates that they know will get low viewership.
treestar
(82,383 posts)It's Bernie's job to make a good impression on them. Not demand that they be set up so as to advantage him somehow.