Bernie Sanders' new group is already in turmoil

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

The revolution is already tearing itself apart.

Less than a week before its official launch on Wednesday, Bernie Sanders’ new political group is working its way through an internal war that led to the departure of digital director Kenneth Pennington and at least four others from a team of 15, and the return of presidential campaign manager Jeff Weaver as the group’s new president.

“Kenneth chose to leave the organization. He’d worked on the campaign from the very beginning … he decided to do something else I guess,” Weaver said Monday evening, but “we’re very happy to be putting the A-team back together.”

People familiar with what occurred say that the board, which is chaired by the Vermont senator’s wife Jane, was growing increasingly concerned about campaign finance questions being raised over the last week. Their concern reached a breaking point, one person deeply involved with the Sanders world said, with a story last Friday from ABC News about how the group would handle the particular tax questions raised by having a senator so closely associated with a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization that has strict restrictions on its political work.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/bernie-sanders-group-turmoil-227297

[msanthrope]

1. When the 501(c)4 model proves unworkable, I wonder which entity will be employed. Nt

[JNelson6563]

2. Doesn't look good, sadly.

[cstanleytech]

3. Hmm might move it to General since its an analysis piece over the group. nt

[brooklynite]

4. While analysis is included, the LBN is the last minute reorganization

[misterhighwasted]

5. "..chaired by Jane" considering what happened with her short disastrous tenure at Burlington College

and now there's concerns already brewing in the 501..I'd making a fast exit also.

Hmmm.

[geek tragedy]

6. hope they get things worked out.

some tricky waters to navigate, and obviously there's going to be internal politics in a new activist organization

[truebluegreen]

7. Is this re-fighting the primary

or grave dancing?

And Politico? Srsly?

[seaglass]

8. Do you think every post that involves Sanders is re-fighting the primary? If so, you might want to

talk to the posters in the Bernie Sanders Group. Or is it only the posts that don't show Bernie in the most positive light?

This is news, new information about "Our Revolution".

[truebluegreen]

16. Nope.

But some posters do seem to delight in it.

[msanthrope]

10. The primaries are over. This is about the post-election.

And I have a feeling that Jeff Weaver is going to be spending a great deal of time apologizing.

[Blue Idaho]

9. I always thought this would be problematic...

The Senator needs to stay an arms length away from the organization. As much as they want Jane at the helm, that just may not be possible.

I am also just not a fan of Jeff Weaver. It's hard to get much more inside the beltway than that guy.

[LiberalFighter]

11. If they get rid of Jane they might have a chance.

[Helen Borg]

12. Did anybody say it would be easy?

Nope.

[OnDoutside]

13. To paraphrase Brendan Behan, the first item on any Socialist agenda is the split ;)

[romanic]

14. Oh no not Jane. :/

[hollowdweller]

15. Hope they figure it out

With Republicans joining the Clinton campaign the grassroots will need to keep the pressure on once she gets elected to make sure we have a progressive agenda.

If it hadn't been for the GOP's decision to block everything that Obama did we could have wound up with some serious cuts to Social Security and other things as he tried to move too far to the center.

[bettyellen]

17. Anti Clinton and anti Obama smears in one post? Are you in the right place?

[Hekate]

18. As analysis goes, your statement lacks a certain something, like maybe facts.

[alarimer]

19. I agree

It is not enough just to win. We have to hold them all accountable. We cannot have a return to the "Grand Bargain" cat food commission.