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Joe BidenCongratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
 

CentralMass

(15,455 posts)
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:09 PM Mar 2019

The Atlantic Accused David Sirota of Secretly Working For Bernie Sanders. But Where's the Evidence?

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/03/the-atlantic-published-an-unfounded-conspiracy-the.html

"A cloud of scandal hung over Tuesday’s announcement that the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign had hired investigative journalist David Sirota to fill the role of senior adviser and speechwriter. An article in The Atlantic by Edward-Isaac Dovere, titled “Bernie Sanders Just Hired His Twitter Attack Dog,” made the explosive claim that the veteran journalist had been secretly working for Sanders behind the scenes since December, and using his role as a journalist to attack the Vermont senator’s potential primary opponents.

“Since December, David Sirota has, on Twitter, on his own website, and in columns in The Guardian, been trashing most of Sanders’s Democratic opponents—all without disclosing his work with Sanders—and has been pushing back on critics by saying that he was criticizing the other Democrats as a journalist,” Dovere wrote, moving on to note that thousands of Sirota’s tweets had been deleted.

It was a story that seemed tailor-made to go viral—a political unmasking of a candidate whose brand was integrity while also playing up familiar tropes about his online supporters. In that regard, it did not disappoint—it was quickly picked up and regurgitated by multiple outlets, including The Washington Post and USA Today.

But there was a problem with Dovere’s bombshell: It wasn’t supported by any real evidence. The story hinged on an unverifiable quote which the speaker claims was misrepresented, along with innuendo stemming from the fact that Sirota deleted thousands of tweets following his employment. Paste spoke to multiple campaign insiders familiar with the matter, all of whom disputed Dovere’s timeline and narrative. Their accounts lined up with what we found through our own reporting on unrelated matters over the last few months. Other individuals have also come forward to publicly refute the article’s claims."
More at the link.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
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87 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The Atlantic Accused David Sirota of Secretly Working For Bernie Sanders. But Where's the Evidence? (Original Post) CentralMass Mar 2019 OP
Where's the evidence? How about Sanders' own campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, admitting it? George II Mar 2019 #1
Apparently you didn't read the article. n/t Uncle Joe Mar 2019 #3
Apparently you didn't see his own campaign manager's admission, and this from CNN: George II Mar 2019 #4
Again you didn't read the article of the OP. n/t Uncle Joe Mar 2019 #6
It's not an article, it's an opinion piece from "Paste Magazine".... George II Mar 2019 #11
See repy 17 CentralMass Mar 2019 #21
See reply #25. George II Mar 2019 #34
I've read the damn opinion piece and it tells me Cha Mar 2019 #32
Did you read who wrote this piece? ehrnst Mar 2019 #60
Bragman of "A Liberal Case for Trump" infamy? KitSileya Mar 2019 #69
You are using facts against a silly opinion piece Gothmog Mar 2019 #72
It's an opinion piece from a Bernie fan club newsletter. BannonsLiver Mar 2019 #7
The arguments in the article are most logical; perhaps you can point something out in it that isn't? Uncle Joe Mar 2019 #8
Subjectively "logical", not necessarily factual. George II Mar 2019 #20
Good luck arguing logic... some just don't want to hear it, though it does make perfect sense. InAbLuEsTaTe Mar 2019 #51
Where are the facts supporting the claims in this opinion piece Gothmog Mar 2019 #73
Sirota worked to defeat Democrats and elect Trump. Hortensis Mar 2019 #85
Yeah, what do we expect? Objectivity? Cha Mar 2019 #35
Since when does deleting tweets, emails, and/or texts cause for suspicion? Or does that standard InAbLuEsTaTe Mar 2019 #53
Not sure. Maybe we could speculate. WeekiWater Mar 2019 #57
Better to let the facts come out... why jump to conclusions? InAbLuEsTaTe Mar 2019 #58
And when it's the Clintons, it's ripe for speculation. NT WeekiWater Mar 2019 #59
Clinton had a third party law firm review the documents Gothmog Mar 2019 #78
+1 WeekiWater Mar 2019 #79
Oh the hypocrisy. Cha Mar 2019 #61
Spoliation Of Evidence Gothmog Mar 2019 #77
LOL I trust the Washington Post and other real sources Gothmog Mar 2019 #71
What's good enough is that Faiz Shakir disputes that version of Dovere's tale. Autumn Mar 2019 #9
But Faiz Shakir doesn't dispute the fact that Sirota and the Sanders campaign has been denying.... George II Mar 2019 #15
You are skating around the fact that Dovere was told by Shakir " at most, it was a month". Autumn Mar 2019 #64
Nope, Shakir said on March 11 that Sirota's informal work "goes back months".... George II Mar 2019 #68
Oh no! Deleted tweets!!! Autumn Mar 2019 #70
Exactly, it's right there before they tried to backpedal. R B Garr Mar 2019 #66
The section on the left in black reference a period of time 19 years ago. CentralMass Mar 2019 #17
The section on the left in black references what Sirota did in 2016, not 19 years ago.... George II Mar 2019 #25
The paragraph referencing 2016 is truncated in the black section. CentralMass Mar 2019 #26
It mentions 2016, so it couldn't be a reference to 19 years, ago, and as I pointed out.... George II Mar 2019 #27
No. It mentions that Sirota worked for Sanders 19 years ago the mention him doing "something" in CentralMass Mar 2019 #36
That "something" was working for Sanders in 2016, and he also..... George II Mar 2019 #41
No that something references 2016. You are referencing 2019. CentralMass Mar 2019 #45
The bottom line is that he was working for the Sanders campaign (as you admit).... George II Mar 2019 #46
He, according the facts as stated in the CNN article, was working fo the Sanders campaign on a trial CentralMass Mar 2019 #49
You keep saying that, but whatev'. The fact is he was working as a "journalist" criticizing.... George II Mar 2019 #52
Funny that yesterday we were assured that CNN was "corporate media conglomerate spin." betsuni Mar 2019 #54
Yes, Sanders hired Sirota in '98 after Sirota was fired in '97 for ehrnst Mar 2019 #62
LOL Gothmog Mar 2019 #75
See repy 17 CentralMass Mar 2019 #22
See reply #25. George II Mar 2019 #33
lol Cha Mar 2019 #38
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Mar 2019 #2
I get the feeling that the Sanders campaign is a giant disinformation operation Renew Deal Mar 2019 #5
Similarities to the current White House are eerie dalton99a Mar 2019 #10
I have thought the same thing many times nini Mar 2019 #18
Oh. sheshe2 Mar 2019 #28
The similarities are unmistakeable. nt R B Garr Mar 2019 #43
David Simon on the chronology.. Cha Mar 2019 #56
Lie, deceive and divide. we can do it Mar 2019 #12
It certainly looks that way. Looks familiar, too. nt R B Garr Mar 2019 #40
Yup Renew Deal Mar 2019 #55
Oh look...the article is by HA Goodman and Dr. Jill's friend Walter Bragman lapucelle Mar 2019 #13
Makes it so hard to guess dalton99a Mar 2019 #14
The article is more garbage by a Jill Stein voter. N/T lapucelle Mar 2019 #16
Should he win the nomination (not a snowball's chance in hell, but whatev')... George II Mar 2019 #48
I go to the link and I Cha Mar 2019 #23
The Bragman quote is from The Guardian lapucelle Mar 2019 #81
Thanks! I know Walker Bragman is Cha Mar 2019 #84
Again, see reply 17 based on the CNN article. CentralMass Mar 2019 #24
Your link is to a Paste Magazine article by Walter Bragman. lapucelle Mar 2019 #39
It is from HAHA Goodman? sheshe2 Mar 2019 #37
LOL, good catch again, lapucelle. R B Garr Mar 2019 #44
I am still expecting HA Goodman to show up soon Gothmog Mar 2019 #74
Makes me wonder which good Democrats Salon and Huffpo comradebillyboy Mar 2019 #76
Did he update his Twitter bio ? Talking Tom Mar 2019 #19
It's hard to tell, because when he was making wholesale deletes.... George II Mar 2019 #31
I doubt that BS will be able to undo the massive damage he's doing to his own campaign n/t SFnomad Mar 2019 #29
Walker Bragman? Guess he's an expert. kcr Mar 2019 #30
Well from the CNN article Sirota started on a trial basis on February 20th 2019 and was formally CentralMass Mar 2019 #42
Why did he delete 20K tweets? sheshe2 Mar 2019 #47
He was in talks with Bernie before then. And he deleted his tweets. kcr Mar 2019 #50
So why the silence from Sanders' campaign? We know he has hired a press secretary. ehrnst Mar 2019 #63
What concerns me more is the Sirota currently works for the Sanders campaign bhikkhu Mar 2019 #65
This is who David Sirota is.. Cha Mar 2019 #67
An observers view. dogman Mar 2019 #80
Didn't the "observer" also claim to have worked in a newsroom with Maggie Haberman? lapucelle Mar 2019 #82
Some history Gothmog Mar 2019 #83
The Editor of the Guardian itself calls bullshit on the first Atlantic piece Celerity Mar 2019 #86
So what? That's one newspaper. Sirota continued to do his dirty work on twitter, lapucelle Mar 2019 #87
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
1. Where's the evidence? How about Sanders' own campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, admitting it?
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:17 PM
Mar 2019

Is that good enough?


/photo/1
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Uncle Joe

(59,974 posts)
3. Apparently you didn't read the article. n/t
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:21 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
4. Apparently you didn't see his own campaign manager's admission, and this from CNN:
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:22 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Uncle Joe

(59,974 posts)
6. Again you didn't read the article of the OP. n/t
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:24 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
11. It's not an article, it's an opinion piece from "Paste Magazine"....
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:36 PM
Mar 2019

.... written by someone who has idolized Sanders for years.

Did you read this? https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/19/politics/bernie-sanders-hires-former-journalist/index.html

I guess the big question is, what does Sirota have to hide? Hours after he was "officially" hired (he was hires a couple of months ago) he deleted virtually ALL of his tweets accumulated over several years. At last glance, he left only about 100 tweets of more than 20,000.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Cha

(304,435 posts)
32. I've read the damn opinion piece and it tells me
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:01 PM
Mar 2019

nothing other than it's from a BS fan.


If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

ehrnst

(32,640 posts)
60. Did you read who wrote this piece?
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:00 AM
Mar 2019

One of Sirotas fellow bashers of the Democratic party.

Walter Bragman: author of "Bernie Sanders: In His Own Words: 250 Quotes from America's Political Revolutionary" (non-disclosure that they wrote a book who's targeted sales to an audience that supports Sanders indicates a disregard - like Sirota's- for that basic tenet of ethical, credible reporting. If he had said, "In the interest of disclosure, I authored "Bernie Sanders: In His Own Words: 250 Quotes from America's Political Revolutionary" that would indicate that he was confident enough in their claims on their own merit, and he transparent and self-aware of a possible bias or financial stake in Sanders' popularity. But he didn't.)

On the staff of the Intercept, which has a long history of disparaging and trashing the Democratic party, which David Siorta, who he is defending also does. Would you give a lot of credence to a piece refuting reports of Jared Kushner not being approved by State Department for the clearance that he has, from a staff writer for the National Review or who someone wrote a book titled" "Donald Trump: In His Own Words: 250 Quotes from America's Political Hero" and didn't bother to mention that in the piece?

Also contributes to The Hill.

Also completely dismissive of the role of Russia in the 2016 election outcome - which is something that also supports a narrative that the stealing of the Oval Office from the elected Demcoratic candidate entirely a Democratic Party failure because they didn't choose Bernie as a candidate.


https://www.pastemagazine.com/writers?name=walker+bragman

https://www.patreon.com/walkerbragman

https://theintercept.com/staff/walker-bragman/

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

KitSileya

(4,035 posts)
69. Bragman of "A Liberal Case for Trump" infamy?
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 11:08 AM
Mar 2019
A liberal case for Donald Trump: The lesser of two evils is not at all clear in 2016
Is there one? A Trump presidency needn't be a nightmare for the left. On many issues, Clinton presidency might be

https://www.salon.com/2016/04/29/a_liberal_case_for_donald_trump_the_lesser_of_two_evils_is_not_at_all_clear_in_2016/


And that's all of that drivel I'll post here on DU - I should need no more to show what kind of person, and more importantly, what kind of "journalist" Walter Bragman is. As in, he's not one - at least not any more credible as a journalist than Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon or Dave Sirota.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Gothmog

(153,753 posts)
72. You are using facts against a silly opinion piece
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 02:01 PM
Mar 2019

Who are you going to believe-Facts or the opinion of a sanders supporter?

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
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BannonsLiver

(17,662 posts)
7. It's an opinion piece from a Bernie fan club newsletter.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:29 PM
Mar 2019

Nothing meanigful about it.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Uncle Joe

(59,974 posts)
8. The arguments in the article are most logical; perhaps you can point something out in it that isn't?
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:32 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
20. Subjectively "logical", not necessarily factual.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:46 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

InAbLuEsTaTe

(24,514 posts)
51. Good luck arguing logic... some just don't want to hear it, though it does make perfect sense.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:37 PM
Mar 2019

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Gothmog

(153,753 posts)
73. Where are the facts supporting the claims in this opinion piece
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 02:05 PM
Mar 2019

I trust sources like the Washington Post


If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
85. Sirota worked to defeat Democrats and elect Trump.
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 08:04 PM
Mar 2019

Sanders has hired Sirota.

THOSE alone, which you know to be true, are totally damning. No Democrat would hire this evil creep, and yet Sanders has made him his speechwriter and brought him BACK into his inner circle.

Hell, when Sirota was fired 20 years ago from another campaign for similarly sleazy, lying smears -- racially inflammatory ones of a black candidate that time, that's when Bernie Sanders FIRST hired him.

Quite a job qualification.

Stop searching for some excuse, any excuse to deny the truth.


If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Cha

(304,435 posts)
35. Yeah, what do we expect? Objectivity?
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:04 PM
Mar 2019


They're trying to cover for David Sirota for cripe sake.. the guy who had to Delete 20,288 tweets(many on Russia).
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

InAbLuEsTaTe

(24,514 posts)
53. Since when does deleting tweets, emails, and/or texts cause for suspicion? Or does that standard
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:40 PM
Mar 2019

only apply to Bernie and his campaign?


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

InAbLuEsTaTe

(24,514 posts)
58. Better to let the facts come out... why jump to conclusions?
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 09:20 AM
Mar 2019

Let's see what was deleted, assuming that's possible - through the "Way Back Machine"?? - and then decide whether there is anything nefarious going on. I admit, the act of deletion, by itself, is not necessarily a good look, but, there could be legitimate reasons for doing so and nothing untoward was being hidden. Let's just wait for the facts to develop and see... then conclude one way or the other.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

WeekiWater

(3,259 posts)
59. And when it's the Clintons, it's ripe for speculation. NT
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 09:25 AM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Gothmog

(153,753 posts)
78. Clinton had a third party law firm review the documents
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 02:54 PM
Mar 2019

There was no spoliation in that a third party reviewed and approved the deletion

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

WeekiWater

(3,259 posts)
79. +1
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 02:57 PM
Mar 2019

Someone didn't get the memo.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Cha

(304,435 posts)
61. Oh the hypocrisy.
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:06 AM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Gothmog

(153,753 posts)
77. Spoliation Of Evidence
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 02:53 PM
Mar 2019

This is a concept that is applicable https://civilprocedure.uslegal.com/discovery/spoliation-of-evidence/

Spoliation of evidence is a term often used during the process of discovery. Spoliation of evidence happens when a document or information that is required for discovery is destroyed or altered significantly. If a person negligently or intentionally withholds or destroys relevant information that will be required in an action is liable for spoliation of evidence.

When a crucial document is lost by spoliation, the courts may try to infer the original information by applying spoliation inference rule. Spoliation inference rule is a negative evidentiary inference. When applying the rule, courts will review the altered document with inference against the spoliator and in favor of the opposing party. The theory behind spoliation inference is that when a party has destroyed evidence, it shows that the party had consciousness of guilt or other reasons to avoid evidence. Hence, the court will conclude that the evidence was not in spoliator’s favor.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Gothmog

(153,753 posts)
71. LOL I trust the Washington Post and other real sources
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 01:59 PM
Mar 2019



A reporter’s undisclosed connection to a political candidate would constitute a breach of journalistic ethics. The basic rule is that journalists are supposed to be free of any personal or financial relationship with those they cover or comment on, even an “informal” relationship. Alternatively, reporters are obligated to at least disclose such relationships so that readers or viewers can evaluate the integrity of the reporting for themselves.

Sirota, 43, not only didn’t mention his relationship with Sanders’s campaign but apparently sought to erase his long history of attacks against Sanders’s opponents, according to the Atlantic. Just hours before his hiring by Sanders was announced, Sirota deleted about 20,000 or so of his tweets. He suggested that the timing of the mass deletion was coincidental, telling the Atlantic that his account was scrubbed by an “autodeleter” that periodically and automatically removes his posts.

It remains unclear how long Sirota advised the Sanders camp before his hiring. Neither Sirota nor Sanders’s representatives responded to multiple requests for comment on Wednesday.

Sirota’s vitriolic tweets and blog posts also appear to be at odds with the ethos of the Sanders’s campaign, which has stressed that it will “respectfully engage” other Democratic candidates. His hiring as a speechwriter also appears to be an acknowledgment that Sanders, whose extemporaneous public remarks have been a sign of his authenticity, will at times be scripted like other politicians.

The article in the OP is from a source that no one has heard of.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Autumn

(45,976 posts)
9. What's good enough is that Faiz Shakir disputes that version of Dovere's tale.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:33 PM
Mar 2019

I wonder why Dovere isn't quoting the different source he went with.

“Faiz Shakir, Sanders’s campaign manager, confirmed in an interview on Tuesday afternoon that Sirota had been in an advisory role prior to his hiring on March 11,” Dovere writes. “‘He was advising beforehand,’ Shakir said, explaining that Sirota’s informal work for Sanders goes back months, and was meant to be a trial period to see how the senator, who famously likes to write every word that he says himself, would work with a speechwriter.”

Shakir told Paste he was surprised at Dovere’s account of their conversation and noted that he’d subsequently reached out to the Atlantic writer to correct the record, but was rebuffed.

I reached out to [Dovere] and said ‘it wasn’t months; at most, it was a month,’” Shakir explained over the phone. “And so, I sent him the dates and from what I understand, he thinks he’s got a different source that tracks it differently.

Dovere did not respond to our multiple requests for comment, but his article fails to credit any source besides Shakir. Asked what he thought about the fact that no direct quote was used to make such a claim, Shakir replied, “There’s no quote in there because I never said that…Feb. 20 is when you probably start the clock on [Sirota] starting to do some work [for the campaign].”
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
15. But Faiz Shakir doesn't dispute the fact that Sirota and the Sanders campaign has been denying....
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:39 PM
Mar 2019

...(I'll stop short of saying "lying about) for a couple of months, that Sirota was working for the Sanders campaign WHILE he was working as a "journalist" bashing any Democratic candidate that fell in his sites. See what Sirota and then Shakir said here:


If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Autumn

(45,976 posts)
64. You are skating around the fact that Dovere was told by Shakir " at most, it was a month".
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:25 AM
Mar 2019

that's a far cry from your tweet you keeps posting that says otherwise.
His informal work goes back a month at most. Devore refused to correct the record and went with some anonymous unnamed source. How odd and defiantly shady that he continued to use the only named source who denies his story.

I sent him the dates and from what I understand, he thinks he’s got a different source that tracks it differently.
Dovere did not respond to our multiple requests for comment, but his article fails to credit any source besides Shakir. Asked what he thought about the fact that no direct quote was used to make such a claim, Shakir replied, “There’s no quote in there because I never said that…Feb. 20 is when you probably start the clock on [Sirota] starting to do some work [for the campaign].”


I think it's pretty shady that Dovere wouldn't respond to The Atlantic's multiple requests for a comment on the discrepancies in his story. Why would any one who wrote a legitimate bombshell do that? They wouldn't. I think I'll chose to say I agree with the fact as that Walter Bragman said "Dovere’s bombshell wasn’t supported by any real evidence." One could day it was "made up for some reason" if one wanted to stop short of saying he's "lying about" the story or he doesn't really have another source and it's just bullshit.

John Mulholland from The Guardian said the last piece Sirota did for them was the end of December


If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
68. Nope, Shakir said on March 11 that Sirota's informal work "goes back months"....
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:51 AM
Mar 2019

....even if it was exactly two months (the minimum of "months&quot that would be January 11, possibly longer. Yet later in January Sirota was calling people "filthy liars", even while HE was "lying" about it.

Now Shakir appears to be changing his original story.

What's lost in all of this is the fact that Sirota deleted more than 20,000 tweets going back to 2008. What does he have to hide?

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Autumn

(45,976 posts)
70. Oh no! Deleted tweets!!!
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 11:14 AM
Mar 2019
Sorry, that's just struck me as funny the laughter is not directed at you . I have read nothing about this other than the article in the OP. I don't bother reading the other OPs on this brouhaha in this forum, so I have no idea to whom Shakir spoke to on March 11 but I think when a person who has written and published a story is asked several times about an unverifiable quote which the speaker claims was misrepresented comment in their story and they refuse to respond to those inquiries there's a reason for that. Usually because it's bullshit. YMMV

I really don't care unless he broke the law. I have said all I have to say on this and have things to do so I think I'm done with this conversation. See you later.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

R B Garr

(17,359 posts)
66. Exactly, it's right there before they tried to backpedal.
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:42 AM
Mar 2019
Faiz Shakir: “He was advising beforehand. Sirota’s work for Sanders goes back months”

It’s obvious they are just trying to cover up now that they got caught, along with deleting 20,000 tweets.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

CentralMass

(15,455 posts)
17. The section on the left in black reference a period of time 19 years ago.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:43 PM
Mar 2019

The revelation that Sirota was consulting since February 20th? Is apparently the issue.
https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/03/19/politics/bernie-sanders-hires-former-journalist/index.html

"Sirota, who is known for both his reporting and combative Twitter presence, had been informally advising the campaign on a trial basis since the day after Sanders formally launched his 2020 bid for the presidency last month. But shortly before his hiring was announced, Sirota began erasing old tweets, many of which ran contrary to Sanders' call last month for supporters and surrogates to adopt a more friendly tone in their public exchanges with political rivals.
According to campaign manager Faiz Shakir, Sirota began the trial arrangement, in which he would assist Sanders with speechwriting, on Feb. 20, a day after Sanders made his candidacy official. Sirota left his post with the Capital and Main website on Feb. 14, Shakir said. He then signed a formal letter to become the campaign speechwriter on March 11. The trial period was to see how Sanders, who traditionally prefers to handwrite his own speeches on yellow-lined paper, would work with a speechwriter."


On another thread there are links to some 2016 tweets regarding Hillary's Wall St connections. They seem to be sited as evidence of "Sirota's treachery against the party while he was working for Sanders except he wasn't in 2016.

So this was a two or three week period, from February 20th until March 11th when Sirota signed on with the campaign and at which point he deleted tweets not in keeping with the campaign.

So I call bullshit on this bogus Issue.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
25. The section on the left in black references what Sirota did in 2016, not 19 years ago....
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:50 PM
Mar 2019

...and the section on the right in white references comments made on March 11, only ten days ago.

Why are you bringing up the 2016 primaries, i.e., "links to some 2016 tweets regarding Hillary's Wall St connections..." ?

Two or three weeks, a month, two months, years......doesn't really matter. The fact is he was working for the Sander campaign, formally or on a trial basis, when he accused people of being "liars" for talking about what he was doing at the time.

PS - "he deleted tweets not in keeping with the campaign"? He deleted more than 20,000, leaving only 100! That many were "not in keeping with the campaign"? In that case, why was he hired by the campaign?

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

CentralMass

(15,455 posts)
26. The paragraph referencing 2016 is truncated in the black section.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:56 PM
Mar 2019

Do you have the full text. It is impossible to determine what it is referencing

There is nothing indicating that David Sirota worked for Bernie Sanders in 2016 that i have read.

He worked for him 19 years ago then on a trial basis from February 20th 2019, then was formally hired on March 11th 2019.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
27. It mentions 2016, so it couldn't be a reference to 19 years, ago, and as I pointed out....
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:59 PM
Mar 2019

.....the section on the right talks about only 10 days ago.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

CentralMass

(15,455 posts)
36. No. It mentions that Sirota worked for Sanders 19 years ago the mention him doing "something" in
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:04 PM
Mar 2019

2016. I won't speculate like you did but I'll bet it was not working for Sanders in 2016.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
41. That "something" was working for Sanders in 2016, and he also.....
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:10 PM
Mar 2019

....was working for Sanders since a number of weeks ago (while he was calling people "liars" for saying he was!) before he was formally hired by the campaign.



If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

CentralMass

(15,455 posts)
45. No that something references 2016. You are referencing 2019.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:14 PM
Mar 2019

According to the CNN article we are talking about a 19 day period.

Sirota's trial period February 20th 2019 until March 11th 2019 at which time he was hired.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
46. The bottom line is that he was working for the Sanders campaign (as you admit)....
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:19 PM
Mar 2019

...while he was calling people liars for saying that. And based on what has recently been said, can we really believe it began on February 20?

Then we have the unanswered question, why did he delete virtually ALL of his tweets over the last several years?

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

CentralMass

(15,455 posts)
49. He, according the facts as stated in the CNN article, was working fo the Sanders campaign on a trial
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:29 PM
Mar 2019

basis for 19 day before he was formally hired. At which time he deleted those tweets. If he lied about that fact then he lied about that fact.
He clearly deleted the tweets because he had then signed a formal agreement to work for the campaign.

This was a 19 day period that this scrutiny of what he was doing in his previous job is relevent.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
52. You keep saying that, but whatev'. The fact is he was working as a "journalist" criticizing....
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:38 PM
Mar 2019

....other Democratic candidates during that 19 day period, all the while working for the Sanders campaign and denying that he was, be it 19 days or two months.

And he obviously said things over the last month, two months, and years, that he was ashamed of since he deleted virtually ALL his twitter work over the last several years.

Why?

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

betsuni

(27,255 posts)
54. Funny that yesterday we were assured that CNN was "corporate media conglomerate spin."
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:44 PM
Mar 2019

Today, a trusted source.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

ehrnst

(32,640 posts)
62. Yes, Sanders hired Sirota in '98 after Sirota was fired in '97 for
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:14 AM
Mar 2019

misconduct in another campaign.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Uncle Joe

(59,974 posts)
2. Kicked and recommended.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:20 PM
Mar 2019

Thanks for the thread CentralMass.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Renew Deal

(82,832 posts)
5. I get the feeling that the Sanders campaign is a giant disinformation operation
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:23 PM
Mar 2019

Nothing is true. Nothing is false. Doesn’t matter if they admit to something today, they deny tomorrow.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

dalton99a

(83,922 posts)
10. Similarities to the current White House are eerie
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:35 PM
Mar 2019

For instance, anything they don't like is fake news

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

nini

(16,691 posts)
18. I have thought the same thing many times
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:43 PM
Mar 2019

It's not hard to see really..

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

R B Garr

(17,359 posts)
43. The similarities are unmistakeable. nt
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:10 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Cha

(304,435 posts)
56. David Simon on the chronology..
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 02:56 AM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

we can do it

(12,731 posts)
12. Lie, deceive and divide.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:37 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

R B Garr

(17,359 posts)
40. It certainly looks that way. Looks familiar, too. nt
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:09 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

lapucelle

(19,518 posts)
13. Oh look...the article is by HA Goodman and Dr. Jill's friend Walter Bragman
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:37 PM
Mar 2019

who told The Guardian:

“Hillary Clinton claimed the nomination, but the process that got us to this point has been so questionable,” Walker Bragman said. “I am undecided who I will vote for – but it will not be Clinton.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/12/bernie-sanders-supporters-vote-clinton-trump


If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

dalton99a

(83,922 posts)
14. Makes it so hard to guess
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:39 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

lapucelle

(19,518 posts)
16. The article is more garbage by a Jill Stein voter. N/T
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:42 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
48. Should he win the nomination (not a snowball's chance in hell, but whatev')...
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:21 PM
Mar 2019

...will his VP choice be Jill Stein?

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Cha

(304,435 posts)
23. I go to the link and I
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:48 PM
Mar 2019

see Walker Bragman's name but no HA Goodman.. only John Paul White.

And, I see no rest of the story at the link. What's up with that?

Thanks, lapucelle

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

lapucelle

(19,518 posts)
81. The Bragman quote is from The Guardian
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 03:07 PM
Mar 2019
“Hillary Clinton claimed the nomination, but the process that got us to this point has been so questionable,” Walker Bragman said. “I am undecided who I will vote for – but it will not be Clinton.”


HA Goodman cites Walter Bragman frequently in his screeds. In the irrational tirade that he wrote on November 7, 2016, HAHA urges voters to vote for Wikileaks and Stein, the source for the "data" and "evidence" is a Early November 2016 by Bragman "exlaining" "Jill Stein’s role as savior of our electoral system".

I won't link to third party/trumpian/ratf***ing garbage, but the diatribes are easy to find.

Goodman, Bragman, Sirota, Turner, and Gray were all working hard to depress turnout and sell Stein's line of bs in November 2016. What they did was disgusting. They are fully deserving of contempt for their role in the election of Trump.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Cha

(304,435 posts)
84. Thanks! I know Walker Bragman is
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 07:44 PM
Mar 2019

Full of Shit.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

CentralMass

(15,455 posts)
24. Again, see reply 17 based on the CNN article.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:48 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

lapucelle

(19,518 posts)
39. Your link is to a Paste Magazine article by Walter Bragman.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:07 PM
Mar 2019

Here's what CNN said:

Despite ending his work as a journalist, Sirota still presented himself as such well past the time he began informally advising Sanders. Screen captures from his Twitter account from Feb. 21 show that he described himself as a "@CapitalandMain and @GuardianUS journo."

snip=========================================

A review of Sirota's tweets -- captured through the nonprofit Internet Archive's Wayback Machine -- from Feb 20 through this morning shows that Sirota never disclosed his ties to Sanders, but regularly promoted the senator and his campaign. In addition to making critical remarks about President Donald Trump -- who would be Sanders' opponent in the general election -- Sirota attacked other 2020 candidates, including former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and potential third-party hopeful ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

sheshe2

(86,957 posts)
37. It is from HAHA Goodman?
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:06 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

R B Garr

(17,359 posts)
44. LOL, good catch again, lapucelle.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:11 PM
Mar 2019

Haha Goodman. What an embarrassment.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Gothmog

(153,753 posts)
74. I am still expecting HA Goodman to show up soon
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 02:07 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

comradebillyboy

(10,419 posts)
76. Makes me wonder which good Democrats Salon and Huffpo
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 02:43 PM
Mar 2019

will shit on this cycle. They published every ridiculous hit piece from Goodman and Bragman and their ilk in 2016. Once good liberal blogs have descended into green tinged cesspools.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Talking Tom

(60 posts)
19. Did he update his Twitter bio ?
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:44 PM
Mar 2019

And when .

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

George II

(67,782 posts)
31. It's hard to tell, because when he was making wholesale deletes....
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:01 PM
Mar 2019

....(99.5% of his work over several years) he also made wholesale blocks, too. Not many people can now read his tweets.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

SFnomad

(3,473 posts)
29. I doubt that BS will be able to undo the massive damage he's doing to his own campaign n/t
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:59 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

kcr

(15,516 posts)
30. Walker Bragman? Guess he's an expert.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:01 PM
Mar 2019

Here is he is, along with fellow piece of work Matt Taibbi claiming deleted anti-Kamala Harris trollbots on Twitter are real:

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/01/twitter-has-suspended-suspected-troll-accounts-posting-anti-kamala-harris-content-.html

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

CentralMass

(15,455 posts)
42. Well from the CNN article Sirota started on a trial basis on February 20th 2019 and was formally
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:10 PM
Mar 2019

hired on March 11th 2019. Or 19 days. At which point he deleted his tweets.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

sheshe2

(86,957 posts)
47. Why did he delete 20K tweets?
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:19 PM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

kcr

(15,516 posts)
50. He was in talks with Bernie before then. And he deleted his tweets.
Thu Mar 21, 2019, 11:32 PM
Mar 2019

Slimy.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

ehrnst

(32,640 posts)
63. So why the silence from Sanders' campaign? We know he has hired a press secretary.
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:23 AM
Mar 2019

In the past, Sanders's spox have been more than willing to immediately publicly accuse any analysis of his MFA that doesn't support in full every speculation within of being a "corporate funded attack."

But since scrutinzing the source of any statement is fair game, here's some information on the author of this article:

Walter Bragman: author of "Bernie Sanders: In His Own Words: 250 Quotes from America's Political Revolutionary" (non-disclosure that they wrote a book who's targeted sales to an audience that supports Sanders is a big red flag. If they had said, "In the interest of disclosure, I authored "Bernie Sanders: In His Own Words: 250 Quotes from America's Political Revolutionary" that would indicate that they were confident enough in their claims on their own merit that they they are self-aware of a possible bias and sought to put it aside. But they didn't.)

Also writes for the Intercept, which has a long history of disparaging and trashing the Democratic party, which David Siorta, who he is defending also does.

Also contributes to The Hill.

Also completely dismissive of the role of Russia in the 2016 election outcome - which is something that also supports a narrative that the stealing of the Oval Office from the elected Demcoratic candidate entirely a Democratic Party failure because they didn't choose Bernie as a candidate.








If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

bhikkhu

(10,754 posts)
65. What concerns me more is the Sirota currently works for the Sanders campaign
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:37 AM
Mar 2019

Which Sander's campaign formally announced the other day. I don't care when he started. Recalling the last election, Sirota is the kind of guy that shouldn't be welcome anywhere near a Democratic election.

I have trust issues about Sanders, based on what happened last time around, and based on Trump being in the White House partly because of him. Hiring Sirota really tears open an old wound.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Cha

(304,435 posts)
67. This is who David Sirota is..
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 10:48 AM
Mar 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

lapucelle

(19,518 posts)
82. Didn't the "observer" also claim to have worked in a newsroom with Maggie Haberman?
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 03:45 PM
Mar 2019

Is this the Mike Elk who worked at In These Times before he was hired/fired by Politico? Remember that time when he said he worked with Maggie Haberman in a newsroom?






Poor dude is having another twitter meltdown.


If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Celerity

(46,154 posts)
86. The Editor of the Guardian itself calls bullshit on the first Atlantic piece
Fri Mar 22, 2019, 11:58 PM
Mar 2019



john mulholland

@jnmulholland

'David Sirota in the Guardian has been trashing most of Bernie Sanders's opponents without disclosing his work with Sanders'

@isaacdovere in The Atlantic.


This is totally untrue. Once David was approached by Sanders he wrote nothing else for us.



https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/03/sanders-promised-civility-hired-twitter-attack-dog/585259/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

1,845
10:11 PM - Mar 19, 2019


john mulhollandVerified account
@jnmulholland
Editor, Guardian US. Ex-Editor, The Observer (London), Advisor, Body & Soul. Advisor http://artskickersawards.com ; Advisor @libertychoiruk

London
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/johnmulholland
Joined January 2010








I just want Bernie to go away from the POTUS race so we all stop wasting time on him!!!
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

lapucelle

(19,518 posts)
87. So what? That's one newspaper. Sirota continued to do his dirty work on twitter,
Sat Mar 23, 2019, 12:08 PM
Mar 2019

sometimes linking to hit pieces he wrote for the Guardian about other Democratic contenders. Sirota may have stopped selling his crap to the Guardian, but he was still hawking it on social media.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/20/beto-orourke-congressional-votes-analysis-capital-and-main

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
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