Bernie Sanders calls DNC's Perez's endorsement of Cuomo a mistake

[DonViejo]

By MARIA CURI 06/06/2018 11:12 AM EDT Updated 06/06/2018 11:46 AM EDT

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Wednesday morning that DNC Chair Tom Perez’s endorsement of New York governor Andrew Cuomo for that state’s governorship was “absolutely” a mistake.

“To endorse one candidate over the other is not what the chair of the DNC should be doing,” Sanders said during an interview with the Washington Post.

Perez had previously said that the national party shouldn’t and won’t endorse in primaries. But in May he endorsed incumbent Cuomo at an event in Long Island.

“I have said…open the doors of the Democratic party. Welcome working people, welcome young people in, welcome idealism in,” Sanders said.

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/06/bernie-sanders-tom-perez-endorsement-628696

[wasupaloopa]

1. Bernie stop telling my party how to act! We can think for ourselves.

[bettyellen]

2. Politico does all it can to stoke infighting, but .sanders isn't helping here.

[MineralMan]

3. To Bernie: When you join the Democratic Party and become a voting member of it,

you can advise the party chair on what to do. Until then, those of us who are, and have been, members of that party would appreciate your keeping such advice to yourself. Thanks. There's a good fellow.

[grantcart]

26. I am having a hard time following. I thought that Bernie did join and was never going to leave

https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/bernie-sanders-democrat-independent-222228

The independent Vermont senator’s congressional website currently notes that Sanders is the “the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history,” though he caucuses with Democrats.

“If Sen. Sanders is not the nominee, will he stay in the Democratic Party forever now,” Bloomberg Politics’ Mark Halperin asked.

“Well, he is a Democrat. He’s said he’s a Democrat, and he’s gonna be [supporting] the Democratic nominee, whoever that is,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver told Bloomberg Politics’ “With All Due Respect.”

“But he’s a member of the Democratic Party now for life?” Halperin pressed.

“Yes, he is,” Weaver said. “Yes, he is.”

Are you trying to tell me that he wasn't a Democrat, joined the Democratic Party to run for their nominee and promised to never leave it, then after the election left the party, then joined the party to run on their ticket for Senate and is going to resign from the party again and now wants to dictate who the chair can and cannot endorse?

Did I get that right? Seems like something just isn't right here.

[MineralMan]

34. Confusing, isn't it?

Sanders is a Democrat when it serves his purpose, and an independent when it, well, serves his purpose. Its a fungible thing.

[grantcart]

35. Sanders uses fungible words. Makes sense, just had to use it in an economic sense.

Are we allowed to say that Sanders uses fungible words? Seems factually accurate given that he promised to never leave the Democratic Party but I really can't tell when it comes to Sanders.

[MineralMan]

36. Many people think Sanders is a hardcore idealist.

In some ways, he is. But, he's also a political pragmatist. In Vermont, he gets points for being an independent. On a national level, that won't work, so he put on a Democrat's hat to run for President. He adjusts as needed.

[politicaljunkie41910]

80. I recall Sanders saying that the State of Vermont did not recognize Parties. Everyone in Vermont is

an Independent he said, on more than one occasion. He said he couldn't be a registered Democrat in Vermont because there is no such Party affiliation.

[progressoid]

4. "To endorse one candidate over the other is not what the chair of the DNC should be doing,"

That's true. Even on the local level, party leaders refrain from endorsing one candidate.

[brooklynite]

6. They most certainly do not...

The DNC doesn't historically, because it's primary job isn't to get people elected. But the Party Committees, and more importantly the State Parties frequently endorse candidates in the Primary phase.

[progressoid]

11. Not in my neck of the woods.

I work on various social media platforms for our county Dems. We are not allowed to promote one candidate over another prior to the primary. This goes for all the elected party officials as well. It's a big no no. There are even guidelines for how we march in parades.

We can support a particular candidate on a personal level, but anything done as a party leader to favor one candidate would cause a small firestorm and likely mean losing your elected position in the party.

[crazycatlady]

44. I'm working on a race with a Democratic primary

There are a few committees in our district that have endorsed one candidate or another. Many are staying neutral until after the primary, but not all.

In NJ, county parties do endorse (the line can be the be all end all in primaries). Every state is different

[pnwmom]

9. Party leaders frequently endorse candidates, even on the local level.

There is nothing about their job that deprives them of their own free speech rights.

[progressoid]

15. It goes against what Perez himself said just a couple months ago.

“One thing we’ve learned at the DNC is that when you, in fact or in perception, are trying to put the thumb on the scale in a spirited primary, that can undermine public confidence in us,” Perez said.

Perez was answering a question about why the DNC did not take a position in the Democratic primary challenge from the left to another incumbent, Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski.

As I said above, if someone did this on the local level, he/she would likely lose their position.

[pnwmom]

17. If a candidate has serious flaws, party leaders should always be able to point them out.

I want to hear from party leaders if there are things in a candidate's background or policies that would affect their election prospects.

Your policy, if put into place, would prevent a party leader from endorsing the candidate who was opposing a pedophile who decided to run as a Democrat.

[progressoid]

20. It's not my policy.

But until recently, it apparently was Perez' policy.

Seriously though, do you think Democratic voters are so dim that they need a party leader to tell them to not vote for a pedophile?

[Demsrule86]

49. Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds....and should the head of Democratic outreach be

endorsing candidates... asking for a friend.

[Demsrule86]

51. I would not call the Cuomo /Nixon primary spirited.

[progressoid]

53. So, if it were spirited, then he shouldn't endorse anyone?

Not sure what you're implying?

[Demsrule86]

88. I have no problem with endorsing ....it has been done for years. Some got in a snit

about such things in 2016. It is the DNC's job to get Democrats elected not referee elections. And Sen. Sanders who is in charge of outreach does the very same thing which doesn't bother me at all. However, as an independent, he should not call out the Democratic Party.

[treestar]

68. a spirited primary I would think is one

where either candidate might win.

[brush]

16. Ahhh...Cuomo is an incumbent. Bernie is still following his...

playbook from 2012 when he wanted to primary incumbent Obama.

Sanders is not a Dem and frankly, needs to STFU.

Why endanger a proven and current two-time winner Dem governor and give repugs a chance that they didn't have by trying an unproven candidate?

[Gothmog]

5. Who cares what sanders thinks?

I really do not care. The fact that sanders is unhappy with this endorsement causes me to have greater approval. I never considered Nixon to be qualified

[Fresh_Start]

7. We would do better with more realism versus idealism

idealism is how we got into the current sh*thole

[shanny]

78. Really?

Only if you think the shithole was dug in 2016 and not the years/decades leading up to it.

1000 lost seats in state legislatures, 2/3 of the governorships, the House, the Senate and then the White House.

This crap didn't happen overnight.

[stevenleser]

90. Correlation does not imply causation. Prove your thesis

What you have just asserted is the same thing Conservative pundits assert, that it is Obama or the DNCs fault that these losses occurred.

Just like them, you have no proof that this is so.

[NCTraveler]

8. Sanders blocking a pathway to citizenship? Mistake.

Possible fraud that shut down a college now under FBI investigation? Mistake.

Using your wife as an excuse to hide your taxes? Mistake.

Fighting for gun manufacturer immunity? Mistake.

Publishing your sexual fantasies? Mistake.

Aligning yourself with a bunch of people who chant “we fixed race problems”? Mistake.

[grantcart]

24. publishing sex fantasies? how could I have missed that gem

[NCTraveler]

28. Discussing what he was doing in his thirties....

Is considered youthful indiscretions and not allowed to be discussed here.

Yes, he has a published rape fantasy.

[grantcart]

29. I was not aware that he had done it and it was out of bounds for discussion

Let me ask this question are there are any other people alive or dead that we are prohibited to discuss issues with? Franklin Roosevelt is my favorite President but he had some really big screw ups and disrespected his wife and so on. Are there any other Democratic personalities that we cannot discuss their human foibles? Wouldn't want to get into trouble.

[NCTraveler]

32. Foibles like this are normally open for discussion.

It’s a very short essay he had published when in his thirties.

Here is a quote from it.

A man goes home and masturbates his typical fantasy. A woman on her knees, a woman tied up, a woman abused.

A woman enjoys intercourse with her man — as she fantasizes being raped by 3 men simultaneously.

The man and woman get dressed up on Sunday — and go to Church, or maybe to their ‘revolutionary’ political meeting.

Always thinking about his revolution.

[treestar]

67. Youthful indiscretion is not to be discussed

unless it is about Hillary supporting Goldwater in high school.

[leftynyc]

10. I don't listen to non-Democrats, Bernie

Go spew your opinion to people who give a crap.

[apnu]

12. Maybe if Bernie was a Democrat that might mean something.

Bernie, either you're a Dem or your not. If not, stick to being Senator of Vermont.

[andym]

13. Perez should have been neutral. I'm more worried about Democrat Manchin supporting Trump

First, Bernie Sanders is not going to win the nomination in 2020, no matter what his supporters might think. His own campaign adviser Pete D’Alessandro lost in Iowa badly yesterday. Bernie is done. OTOH, he should not be demonized to the point where everything he says is denigrated. His opinions should be considered on their merits- in this particular case he is correct. The leader of the DNC should not have been making endorsements in a primary, unless the circumstances were unusual.

We should be far more worried about Democrat Manchin stating recently that supporting Hillary was mistake and that he might support Trump in 2020.

[brush]

19. Come on. Cuomo is an incumbent who has won twice before.

Sanders is the one who wanted to primary Obama in 2012.

He's still following that bs playbook.

I repeat, Cuomo is the incumbent who has won twice.

[Demsrule86]

48. Manchin is in a very tough race and needs to survive.

We need Manchin.

[GulfCoast66]

72. Fuck that noise.

He is a real democrat. And a member of the Democratic Party. And if we get super, duper lucky, the stars are aligned and republicans don’t turn out because there was a great BBQ grudge match the night before, we might get the Senate, and he will vote for Chuck Schumer as leader.

He is from West Fucking Virginia.

You, and no DU member is the Arbiter of what makes a democrat. And if All Democratic candidates held the position we on DU hold, we would never win. This member included.

[Demsrule86]

87. wow, great reply. Thanks...I could not have said it better! You might win at that.

[R B Garr]

14. Ugh, all his superficial complaints are entirely self-serving

only meant to fuel the perpetual victim mantra. Of course Cuomo should be endorsed. He’s a liberal Democrat. Elections are for winning — not never-ending finger pointing and smears against my party.

[Docreed2003]

18. But it's totally cool for the chair of "Democratic outreach" to endorse people??

[brush]

21. His endorsement doesn't seem to work though. Our Revolution...

candidates haven't done so well.

[Docreed2003]

22. Which leads me to think that his outrage is motivated by those losses

Just my opinion

[sheshe2]

57. Ding Ding Ding

This!

[progressoid]

23. Our Rev endorsements are separate from Sanders' endorsements.

[brush]

25. Not quite. We all know Our Revolution is Sander's group.

What's with distancing him from them now?

[progressoid]

33. Our Revolution's 501(c) designation prevents Sanders from playing a role in the organization.

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2016/0826/Bernie-s-revolution-revs-up-for-2016-election-and-beyond-without-him

According to The Washington Post’s calculations, Sanders is batting just below .500 in his endorsements, with 10 of the 21 candidates he has supported having emerged victorious. This is a better record than Our Revolution’s: Only one-third of its 134 candidates, 46 in all, have won.

http://www.newsweek.com/2018/06/01/bernie-sanders-clinton-democrats-939875.html

[sheshe2]

58. If this is true?

progressoid
33. Our Revolution's 501(c) designation prevents Sanders from playing a role in the organization.

Why is the headline speaker for them? He was at two events in Texas recently.

[progressoid]

64. Being invited to speak at an event doesn't equal playing a role in the organization.

Hillary just spoke at Harvard before receiving an award. That doesn't make her part of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard.

[Demsrule86]

47. it is his group. He goes to their functions quite often.

[GulfCoast66]

74. Keep telling yourself that.

[progressoid]

77. Just posting what I have read...

Our Revolution's 501(c) designation prevents Sanders from playing a role in the organization.

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2016/0826/Bernie-s-revolution-revs-up-for-2016-election-and-beyond-without-him

According to The Washington Post’s calculations, Sanders is batting just below .500 in his endorsements, with 10 of the 21 candidates he has supported having emerged victorious. This is a better record than Our Revolution’s: Only one-third of its 134 candidates, 46 in all, have won.

http://www.newsweek.com/2018/06/01/bernie-sanders-clinton-democrats-939875.html

[Squinch]

81. OR is his baby, and it is an indication of BSs

ability to organize a winning slate and platform and to unite voters.

So far it's looking pretty pitiful.

[Blue_Tires]

37. +1000

[Adrahil]

27. You're not a Democrat, Bernie.

Ya wanna say in how our party works? Join it. Otherwise, mind your own business.

And I'll say here that I DO think the DNC should be indicating who they think is the best candidate.

[Trumpocalypse]

30. So a non-Democrat is telling

the Democratic party chair not to endorse the Democratic incumbent.

[Civic Justice]

31. He's just ticked off because......

he was not made and is not made a favorite on the Democratic Ticket. If he does not like it, then Run as a stand alone Independent!!!

The more he talks the more I don't care for or of him. Now he wants to split votes..... we can vividly see his angle-"vote splitting"

[Sorceress]

83. Agreed.

I’ve tried to bite my tongue about him but he makes it impossible. Admittedly, I voted for him in the primaries but I do not like what I’ve seen from him over the past couple of years. I won’t make that mistake again. If he wants to criticize our operations so bad, he should join and commit to us officially instead of backseat driving.

[Garrett78]

38. Putting Sanders aside, is anyone bothered by Perez contradicting himself?

[Cha]

39. He obviously changed his mind. Tom Perez

does an excellent job as DNC chair.. and this doesn't bother me one bit.

And, I definitely don't care what BS has to say about it.

[Demsrule86]

46. No, not even a little bit. It is ridiculous to believe Cynthia Nixon could ever win a general if she

magically won the primary.

[sheshe2]

56. Putting Bernie back in the picture.

He is an Independent that became a Democrat then returned to being an Independent then changed back to a Democrat once AGAIN returning to an Indie and has once again stated he will return to our party to run as a Democrat only to say, if he wins he will not accept the nomination in the Democratic party and will run as an Indy. Damn, not sure I have the number of flipping I have right. It gets confusing, he does it so often. Yet here you are speaking of contradictions? Aren't you bothered by that?

[Garrett78]

61. I'm not a Bernie person, so I don't care much about what he does.

[treestar]

66. On by he CAUCUSES with us!!!!!

That is why he should be the boss of the Democratic party and all do as he says!!!!!!!

[sheshe2]

73. Hehehe

[cynatnite]

40. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Sanders. n/t

[Proud Liberal Dem]

41. Lemme see

Bernie a Democrat? Nope? Then he doesn't get a say in the processes of the party.

[echler]

42. Join the Party

Then speak your piece.

[EffieBlack]

43. Why is Bernie telling the Dem Party chair what he should and shouldn't do? Did he become a Democrat

when we weren't looking?

[Docreed2003]

52. Nah see...

Bernie is the chair or co-chair or whatever of "Democratic outreach"...he's got the privelege of endorsing his people, but Perez, not so much....

(You know what I'm saying)

[sheshe2]

59. Actually he is joining us once again!!!!

For his run for Senate. He also said when he wins he will not accept the Democratic endorsement and will change back to an Indie to run for his seat in the general.

My head is spinning.

[treestar]

65. +1

Bernie has made himself the resident critic of an organization he is not in. And he has little to say about it but complaints.

[Demsrule86]

45. I think Perez can do what he wants...he is a Democrat. The other candidate is going to lose big...

the entire primary is a waste of time and money.

[progressoid]

50. Really? What if Donna Brazile had endorsed Bernie when she took over.

This place would have exploded.

[sheshe2]

60. Is Cuomo running for President?

Huuuge difference.

[progressoid]

69. So what are the guidelines for the chair of the DNC to endorse then?

President - Not OK.
Governor - OK.
House of Representatives - Not Ok (according to Perez).
Senate - ??

[sheshe2]

71. Bernie endorses his selected candidates at will.

As "chair".

He is only a Dem when he wants to be. He has a seat at the table, our Democratic table, as an Independent.

[Demsrule86]

85. I think the DNC has a right to weigh in on primaries and elections. It wouldn't have bothered me at

all. In fact in past years,it has happened. Maybe 2016 would have been different had they done so then. Primaries are for folks to pick candidates. They are not an end in themselves. And maybe if what you say is true...and I concede nothing, you should not be endorsing candidates when you are in charge of outreach...do you think it is fair for Sen. Sanders to tip the scales? It is kind of the same thing. I do know one thing. Sen.Sanders has no right to call out the head of the DNC as he is not a Democrat and he should apologize.

[Cha]

55. Tom Perez does a great job for Democrats and the

Democratic Party. He sure as hell doesn't need BS telling him what to do.

Link to tweet

[sheshe2]

62. I LOVE that TWEET!

Bravo!

Thank you Cha, perfection.

[Cha]

89. IKR! I decided to see what Tom Perez was up to while BS

was lecturing him.

Link to tweet

she

[sheshe2]

92. Vote not lectures!

Thank you Tom Perez.

V O T E

VOTE

[R B Garr]

70. Great post, Cha! At some point, it's okay to celebrate/endorse

Democrats without all the unnecessary disapproval and criticism.

Go Perez!

Go Cuomo!

[Demsrule86]

86. I love Tom Perez...thanks for the tweet. I believe something good came out of 16 no matter

what, more women are running. Thanks Sec. Clinton!

[still_one]

63. Bernie Sanders refusing to be a Democrat is a mistake. So as far as his input about this is

concerned, who cares.

[dembotoz]

75. DNC should not endorse before a primary... pretty damn simple

Bernie 100%correct

[sheshe2]

76. Should the DNC "Chair for Outreach"?

Should they be allowed to endorse?

Does the chair for outreach speak louder than the head of the DNC.

[MrPool]

79. Bernie find his taxes yet?

Better yet how about Mr Devine?

[aikoaiko]

82. From many Democrats, thank you, Bernie!

Keep the pressure on.

I welcome both your support and criticism of the party and party politicians.

[disillusioned73]

84. K&R

Bernie - keep speaking up, this is a "democracy" after all.. as far as I can tell, or that is what I've been told.. sometimes the truth hurts..

[stevenleser]

91. Bernie shouldn't say anything until he releases his tax returns. He shouldn't say anything about

the Democratic Party until he joins it.

[radius777]

93. The DNC Chair shouldn't endorse anyone,

and (barring some freaky Roy Moore type of race) should be fully neutral, period.

All this does is fuel the alt-left whining and conspiracy theories, etc, especially in a race that the highly respected Cuomo will win easily, who is popular w/PoC as well as white voters.

Sanders is a hypocrite, IMO, since his organization/movement endorses candidates all the time.

But for transparency and fairness sake, the DNC Chair should always be neutral, and Nixon, while inexperienced, is a thoughtful Democrat who has voiced some important ideas, and should be treated fairly... which would strengthen Cuomo in the long run.