Sanders' lone Senate backer says he should drop out before convention if he's losing

[MADem]

Bernie Sanders' lone supporter in the Senate said Thursday that the Vermont senator should end his presidential campaign if he's losing to Hillary Clinton after the primary season concludes in June, breaking sharply with the candidate who is vowing to take his insurgent bid to the party convention in Philadelphia.

In an interview with CNN, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley argued that the party should be united heading into the July convention. And that if Sanders has no viable path to the nomination after the final round of primaries in June, he should concede to Clinton at that point. He said that Sanders should follow the model employed by Clinton in 2008, who dropped out in June of that year and pledged her support to Barack Obama.
"Secretary Clinton, then senator, said, 'OK, I had the discussion across America. I'm ready to pivot and work together.' And Obama reached out, and she reached out, and that should be a model for us to follow," Merkley said outside of the Capitol on Thursday. "I think after California, June 7, is about the time it would be appropriate -- all states will have weighed in by then. It will then give them five weeks to work together" before the convention.
Asked if that meant he believed Sanders should drop out if he has no viable path to the nomination after the June primaries, Merkley said, "Yes."
The comments carry weight given that Merkley is the lone Senate Democrat in the 46-member caucus who has pledged his support to Sanders. Nearly every other member has backed Clinton, so Merkley's risky endorsement has made him an outlier in the clubby chamber. Yet, Merkley's support of Sanders also gives him a chance to play the role as a peacemaker between the establishment and the progressive wing, and Merkley seems prepared to do just that....

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/28/politics/bernie-sanders-jeff-merkley-endorsement/index.html

[KPN]

1. Merkely is a very smart Senator. He's got lots of wisdom,

integrity and grit. He's going to be a future leader of the Party. He also shares Bernie's views at heart -- so that's great! Good things to look forward to. Who knows -- 2024? Or maybe 2020 if Hillary doesn't win or even a primary challenge if her first few years disappoint.

At any rate, Merkely is someone to watch in the future. True progressives will love him.

[Warren DeMontague]

2. Glad we're listening to Merkley. He also supports marijuana legalization.

Unfortunately the chair of the DNC supports sending sick people to prison for using medical marijuana, beyond merely being in favor of draconian prison sentences for recreational pot smokers.

[MADem]

3. That fight IS happening state by state, like it, or not.

As more states fall, more federal minds change. Liz Warren felt the exact same way as DWS.

This is on the FL ballot (the legalization initiative failed to gain enough signatures):

https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Right_to_Medical_Marijuana_Initiative,_Amendment_2_(2016)