Politics –
DNC Offers Olive Branch To Sanders

In an effort to create unity among the Democratic Party sooner rather than later, the DNC has offered presidential contender Bernie Sanders an important piece of power.

Politics
On Monday, the DNC said it will give Sanders a prominent say in writing the party platform at this summer’s convention.  Democrats hope the good will gesture might ease tensions between the Sanders camp and party leaders, which has become escalated as of late.  Democratic divisiveness stands in contrast to the Republicans, whose party leaders are slowly rallying behind presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

Sanders has been engaged in a very public and heated battle with DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whom he says has been biased against his candidacy from the start in favor of rival Hillary Clinton.

Their disagreements came to a climax recently in Las Vegas, where Sanders supporters disrupted a state convention, wrote graffiti on the local DNC headquarters and even phoned in death threats to the state chairwoman.  When Sen. Sanders didn’t provide an adequate condemnation to all threats and acts of violence, Wasserman Schultz publicly chastised him, prompting Sanders to call for her removal as party chair.

Reportedly, Democratic senators are now actually considering the possibility that Wasserman Schultz should go, due to the perception that she has become “too toxic” in the ongoing Democratic civil war.

“There is a lot of sentiment that replacing her would be a good idea. It is being discussed quietly among Democratic senators on the floor, in the cloakroom and in lunches,” a senior Senate Democratic source said.

This is only one of many acts senior Democrats have been feverishly considering behind the scenes, in hopes of repairing the distrust between Sanders and the party. The senator and his supporters are crucial for Democrats to retain the White House in November. Since it is now virtually impossible for Sanders to win the nomination outright, the party considers it a necessity in providing him with a prominent seat at the platform negotiating table.

DNC rules traditionally allow the chair to name all 15 members of the committee that will write the party’s platform at the July convention in Philadelphia.  However, the rules were changed to allow Sen. Sanders to name 5 members to the all-important committee.  Mrs. Clinton will be allowed to name 6, while Wasserman Schultz will name the committee’s remaining 4 members.  The party said in a statement the split was based on the results of state votes to date “in an effort to make this the most representative and inclusive process in history.”

Politics
The move was a clear signal that the party is desperately trying to accommodate Sanders and his fervent supporters, who have threatened to stay home and not vote at all in November unless their man is respected and treated fairly.

Sanders has threatened that unless Democratic leaders open the convention’s doors “to working-class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, it’s going to be messy.”

“Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go,” he added.

In light of Sanders’ powerful post, the Clinton campaign said it was pleased to see the Vermont senator represented and described the party as a “big tent.”

“Hillary Clinton is committed to continue welcoming different perspectives and ideas,” spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement.

She will certainly need to be.

Sanders, who has frequently criticized Mrs. Clinton for being too biased toward Israel, has already named a pro-Palestinian activist and a prominent environmentalist among his picks for the committee.

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OK WASSUP! discusses politics.  Today’s article:
Bernie Sanders given powerful say
on party platform committee.