MSM Sacrifices DNC Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Appease Sanders Supporters

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Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Opinion
Mainstream Media Sacrifices Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Appease Sanders Supporters
Corruption runs deep through the veins of the Party, extending far beyond the DNC chair
By Michael Sainato • 05/27/16 2:10pm
http://observer.com/2016/05/mainstream-media-sacrifices-debbie-wasserman-schultz-to-appease-sanders-supporters/

  "Calls for DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign are at all-time
   highs after her recent comments to CNN in which she propagated the
   false narrative that Bernie Sanders' supporters acted inappropriately
   at the Nevada Democratic State Convention.
   
   "Unfortunately, the Senator's response was anything but acceptable. It
   certainly did not condemn his supporters for acting violently or
   engaging in intimidation tactics, and instead added more fuel to the
   fire" Ms. Wasserman Schultz told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. She went on to
   compare the campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.
   
   Backlash incited by her comments inspired The Washington Post to flag
   "Debbie Wasserman Schultz's worst week in Washington," and MSNBC's Mika
   Brzezinski to demand the DNC chair's resignation—possibly the first
   call to action from a mainstream media pundit. Ms. Wasserman Schultz,
   who served as Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign co-chair, has been
   favoring Ms. Clinton throughout the Democratic primaries.
   
   I first spoke out in favor of Ms. Wasserman Schultz's resignation (or
   removal) in September 2015. The debate schedule she created was limited
   and strategically protected Hillary Clinton from potentially damaging
   exposure. With the pool of presidential candidates swept clean of any
   Democrat currently in office—with the exception of Mr. Sanders, the
   longest-serving Independent in the history of Congress—the stage was
   set for Hillary Clinton's coronation, and no new ideas were welcome in
   the Party.
   
   The last thing the Democratic Establishment expected was for Mr.
   Sanders' campaign to take off as it did, and as soon as the Senator
   emerged as a viable threat to Ms. Clinton's smooth-sailing campaign,
   Ms. Wasserman Schultz and the rest of the Party fell into a state of
   panic.
   
   Yet corruption runs deep through the veins of the Party, extending much
   further beyond the DNC chair. With the growing divide between Sanders
   and Clinton supporters, the mainstream media's quickest-fix has been to
   position Ms. Wasserman Schultz as a scapegoat for the Democrats' poor
   treatment of Mr. Sanders throughout the campaign—even though she's
   certainly not the only leader to obstruct democracy.
   
   Super delegate endorsements for Hillary Clinton outpaced those vice
   president Al Gore received in the 2000 Democratic primaries—in which he
   won every state comfortably. The underlying definition of democracy
   presupposes people, and not political parties, decide presidential
   nominations. This has not been the case in 2016. Before a single vote
   was cast, hundreds of super delegates lined up behind Hillary Clinton,
   while media outlets spewed reports of each endorsement, serving as
   unpaid advertisements for Ms. Clinton. Bernie Sanders wasn't just an
   outsider challenging a candidate with name recognition and a vast
   network of corporate and wealthy donors—he was openly unwelcome.
   
   Senator Harry Reid of Nevada called in favors to help Hillary Clinton
   win the state by a few percentage points. Senator Barbara Boxer, whose
   daughter was married to Ms. Clinton's brother, stepped in at the Nevada
   Democratic Party Convention to yell at Bernie Sanders' supporters for
   protesting the decision to defy a floor vote and pass rules favoring
   Ms. Clinton. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, a super delegate for
   Hillary Clinton, tweeted:
   https://twitter.com/GovHowardDean/status/706219827535462401
  "Superdelegates don't 'represent people' I'm
   not elected by anyone. I'll do what I think is right for the country."
   Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy distorted Bernie Sanders' stance on gun
   manufacturer lawsuits prior to the Connecticut primary in a New York
   Daily News interview—just before the paper, owned by wealthy Clinton
   donor Mort Zuckerman, formally endorsed Ms. Clinton for president.
   
  The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Miami Herald,
   Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe, and several other major newspapers across
   the country formally endorsed Hillary Clinton leading up to their
   respective state primaries. Most of the mainstream media coverage on
   the Democratic Primaries has reflected an overt favoritism for the
   corrupt former secretary of state while notoriously blacking out her
   opponent.
   
   The media spent more time sensationalizing false narratives about
   Bernie Sanders' supporters than discussing his campaign's policy
   proposals, coining the pejorative term 'Bernie-Bro' to stereotype all
   Sanders supporters as sexist white males. The Intercept's Glenn
   Greenwald wrote in January 2016, "The concoction of the 'Bernie Bro'
   narrative by pro-Clinton journalists has been a potent political
   tactic—and a journalistic disgrace."
   
   The media has whitewashed Mr. Sanders' campaign—pushing the hashtag
   #BernieMadeMeWhite to trend in March 2016—and has been so trigger-happy
   to disparage Bernie Sanders that they falsely claimed Congressman John
   Lewis criticized Mr. Sanders and then failed to remove the inaccurate
   stories after the civil rights icon clarified that his remarks were not
   criticism.
   
   And where instances have risen for which Democrats and mainstream media
   outlets should have spoken out, they remained silent—hoping the blemish
   on Ms. Clinton's record would be forgotten. When Politico revealed the
   Hillary Victory Fund—a joint fundraising committee between the DNC and
   Hillary Clinton's campaign—laundered money to the Clinton campaign
   instead of funding down-ticket Democrats, the violation went largely
   unreported. The DNC and the Clinton campaign have also stacked
   committees at the Democratic National Convention with corporate
   lobbyists, hand-picked by both Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Hillary
   Clinton.
   
   For everything Ms. Wasserman Schultz has done wrong throughout the
   Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton should be faulted as well.
   
   FILED UNDER: 2016 ELECTIONS, BERNIE BRO, BERNIE SANDERS, CNN,
   CORRUPTION, DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, DNC, HILLARY CLINTON, WOLF BLITZER "


Home | Blogs | Contributors | Presidential Campaign
Why Wasserman Schultz must go
By Mark Plotkin, contributor | May 27, 2016, 06:00 am
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/281459-why-wasserman-schultz-must-go


Greg Nash

  "The role of Democratic Party chair is a high honor. Holding that
   position requires a combination of many attributes. Beyond being the
   face and chief messenger of the party, you must possess the skills of a
   consummate diplomat. Above all, the members of your party must trust
   you. This trust is most needed and required during the presidential
   campaign season.
   
   One public posture is essential: that of being neutral. On that
   critical factor, the present chair of the Democratic Party has failed
   miserably.
   
   From the very beginning of the campaign for the 2016 Democratic
   nomination, the chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Rep.
   Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), has violated the principle of
   neutrality. It started with her pushing for a very limited amount of
   debates, so that the challengers to front-runner Hillary Clinton would
   not be given the opportunity to express their views to the widest
   possible audience.
   
   To make matters even worse, Wasserman Schultz arranged and scheduled
   the debates at the worst possible times and dates. Then there was the
   setting up of a joint fundraising committee of the DNC and the Clinton
   campaign. What could be more of a blatant act of collusion? How in any
   way could this be defined as being neutral? In addition, early in the
   campaign, Wasserman Schultz unilaterally suspended Sen. Bernie
   Sanders's access to the DNC voter database. Another act of neutrality?
   Until recently, she had packed convention committees with only minimal
   input from the Sanders campaign.
   
   For Clinton to run a successful general election campaign and defeat
   Republican nominee Donald Trump, she needs to unite the Democratic
   Party behind her.
   
   Having Sanders and his millions of loyal Democrats feeling excluded
   from positions of influence and respect will alienate this key
   constituency and lead to the party's defeat. Wasserman Schultz seems to
   be running her own campaign to ingratiate herself to Clinton so that
   Clinton will keep her on in her present position or, even better, will
   offer her a high-profile Cabinet job if elected president. Wasserman
   Schultz almost seems to be auditioning for this chance. The resentment
   and anger of the Sanders people is such that they are contributing to
   her primary challenger, Tim Canova. That's never happened before. (For
   the record, Sanders has endorsed Canova.)
   
   As reported by CNN, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a Clinton supporter,
   "told CNN Wednesday that Wasserman Schultz is seen by supporters of
   Bernie Sanders as 'part of the problem.'" McCaskill went on to say that
   "The role of the DNC chair is always a supportive role, not a starring
   role."
   
   Clinton has enough problems — and there will be more. The very best
   thing for her to do is to pick up the phone, call Wasserman Schultz and
   courteously thank her for past service and firmly request she resign
   immediately. She should then call Sanders and propose they jointly pick
   a new DNC chair. That new chair will preside at the Philadelphia
   convention.
   
   That grand act of comity will be the first step in reconciling the
   Clinton and Sanders camps. It can't happen too soon. The departure of
   Wasserman Schultz will be good for the party and ultimately good for
   the country.
   
   It might even be good for Debbie Wasserman Schultz, as it will free her
   up to campaign in a primary she has a distinct chance of losing. In
   this scenario, everyone wins.
   
   Plotkin is a political analyst, a contributor to the BBC on American
   politics and a columnist for The Georgetowner.
   
   TAGS: 2016 presidential campaign, 2016 Democratic primary, 2016
   Democratic convention, Democratic National Committee, DNC, Claire
   McCaskill, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump "
   


NEWS / NATIONAL NEWS
#DumpDebbie Hashtag Surfaces to Criticize to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Wasserman Schultz has been accused of using her position to tip the scales in favor of Hillary Clinton.
By Rachel Dicker | Associate Editor, Social Media May 26, 2016, at 9:47 a.m.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-26/dumpdebbie-hashtag-surfaces-to-criticize-dnc-chairwoman-debbie-wasserman-schultz

   
   The popularity of #DumpDebbie shows many disapprove of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Getty
   
   
   Twitter users – responsible for popularizing the rhyming hashtag
   #DumpTrump – have gone alliterative this week with #DumpDebbie, used to
   express disapproval of Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie
   Wasserman Schultz.
   
   Critics believe Wasserman Schultz, who served as a co-chairwoman for
   Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign, used her influence in the Democratic
   Party to tip the scales in favor of Clinton in the 2016 Democratic
   election.
   
   [READ:  Rubio Offering Fake #DumpTrump Yoga Pants]
   
   Meanwhile, The Hill, citing an anonymous lawmaker, said Democratic
   members of Congress have discussed whether Wasserman Schultz should
   resign from her position ahead of the party's convention in July.
   
   In an interview Sunday, Bernie Sanders, Clinton's opponent for the
   Democratic presidential nomination, said that if he is elected
   president he would get rid of Wasserman Schultz.
   
   Twitter users who are not in favor of Wasserman Schultz have been
   tweeting their disapproval as well and tagging their thoughts with
   #DumpDebbie:
   
   https://twitter.com/seanr1978/status/735514683055177728
   
   https://twitter.com/lumpylouise/status/735473611025305600
   
   https://twitter.com/Jacob_B_Shaver/status/735440330607067136
   
   https://twitter.com/MSDes73/status/735302022514282496
   
   https://twitter.com/leehawk77/status/735298146335526912
   
   https://twitter.com/Ronc99/status/734660119577907200
   
   [video Debbie Wasserman Schultz on the Tea Party in Florida]
   "

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DNC chair on thin ice
By Jeff Zeleny, Manu Raju, Dana Bash and Tom LoBianco, CNN
Updated 0006 GMT (0806 HKT) May 26, 2016
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/25/politics/debbie-wasserman-schultz-democrats-clinton-sanders/

   

   Democrats worry DNC head is 'too toxic'

   (CNN) — Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman
   Schultz is on increasingly thin ice as she risks losing key support to
   stay in her job.
   Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, one of Hillary Clinton's leading
   supporters on Capitol Hill, told CNN Wednesday that Wasserman Schultz
   is seen by supporters of Bernie Sanders as "part of the problem." She
   said the Florida congresswoman is playing a "starring role" ahead of
   the Democratic National Convention in July, which is unusual for
   someone in her position.
   
   "I think this will all get worked out over time," she said. "The role
   of the DNC chair is always a supportive role, not a starring role, and
   I think that, because of what has occurred, it's hard for her to avoid
   a starring role."
   She went on: "Everyone's talking about how do we land this plan and
   when will the plane land and how bumpy will the landing be. And so
   ...the DNC and its role is part of that discussion."
   Wasserman Schultz is at the center of the ongoing war between Clinton
   and Sanders after she criticized the Vermont senator on CNN last week.
   Wasserman Schultz said Sanders' tepid response to chaos sparked by his
   supporters at the Nevada State Democratic Convention was "anything but
   acceptable" and compared it to a Donald Trump campaign event.
   
   Sanders and his campaign condemned the outburst and death threats his
   supporters sent to the Nevada chairwoman, but refused to apologize for
   them. Wasserman Schultz said his decision to complain about how his
   supporters were treated in Nevada only "added more fuel to the fire."
   Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver told CNN Wednesday that Wasserman
   Schultz has been "unfair in many respects," including the scheduling of
   debates on weekends when viewership is lower.
   
   'Pattern of conduct'

   "There's been a pattern of conduct which calls into question whether
   she can be the unifying force we need in the Democratic party," Weaver
   told John Berman and Kate Bolduan on "At This Hour." "I think someone
   else could play a more positive role."
   Wasserman Schultz told reporters Wednesday that she is focused on the
   fall campaign.
   "I have to make sure that we prepare for the general election to elect
   a Democratic president," she said. "That is what I am singularly
   focused on while we wrap up the Democratic primary."
   Still, two senior members of the Senate Democratic leadership team --
   Chuck Schumer of New York and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan -- refused to
   say Wednesday whether they have full confidence in Wasserman Schultz.
   Jon Tester of Montana, who runs the campaign arm for Senate Democrats,
   said said he had no opinion of whether Wasserman Schultz should stay.
   "It's a DNC thing and I just don't pay that much attention to what she
   does to be honest with you," Tester said.
   Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Sanders supporter, told reporters it's up to
   congressional leadership, the President and the Democratic nominee to
   select the DNC chair, but made clear he's not a fan of Wasserman
   Schultz's tenure.
   "When you are talking about unity, there has to be a different
   attitude" Grijalva said. "If she's not capable of that attitude than
   you obviously find somebody who can."
   Three Democrats with ties to the party's power centers -- President
   Barack Obama, Clinton and Sanders -- made clear that few are rooting
   for Wasserman Schultz's survival at the DNC.
   "If this is the one thing that provides unity, they would take that
   trade," said one senior Democratic strategist, who has spoken to the
   White House. "Nobody is rushing to keep her."
   Another Democratic adviser close to Clinton said "there is an
   exhaustion that comes with dealing with her."
   The Democrats close to Obama and Clinton both acknowledged that
   removing Wasserman Schultz would be "messy" and "wouldn't happen
   easily," but it could certainly be done.

   RELATED: Clinton looks to pop Trump's populist appeal

   A DNC member told CNN Wasserman Schultz expects to leave by the end of
   the year but "doesn't want to be looked at as sacrificed at Bernie's
   altar."
   There had been quite conversations over the last couple of months, the
   source said, about finding a place for Wasserman Schultz to "segue to"
   in order to make leaving the DNC palatable. But that didn't happen.
   
   Downsides

   For Democrats seeking Wasserman Schultz's departure, a big potential
   downside would be picking her successor.
   "What other person could be acceptable?" one of the Democratic sources
   said.
   The Clinton team obviously wants someone they can trust, so finding a
   candidate who also meets Sanders' approval could be a challenge. And
   some people on Sanders' team also want to go deeper and remove Barney
   Frank from the DNC Rules Committee and Connecticut Gov. Dannell Malloy
   from Platform Committee.
   That could topple the whole fight, with Obama and Clinton not eager to
   give Sanders as much control over a party he just joined.
   
   Maintains support

   Still, Wasserman Schultz maintains the support of some prominent
   Democrats, including Pelosi.
   "DNC Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz enjoys the support of Members of the
   House Democratic Caucus for her leadership in unifying the party and
   winning in November," Pelosi told CNN.
   Pelosi reinforced those comments to reporters on Wednesday.
   California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has endorsed Clinton, said
   removing Wasserman Schultz wouldn't "help anything" and would open the
   door to more political influence of the DNC.
   "You can go after any chair for anything they do in the future that is
   remotely supportive of a candidate that's of your choice within your
   party," she said. "Remember Bernie Sanders wasn't a Democrat until he
   ran as one."

   RELATED: Trump protesters smash door, break through barriers
   
   Former Mayor of Philadelphia Michael Nutter, whose city will host the
   Democratic convention in two months, defended Wasserman Schultz and
   compared Sanders to an ungrateful guest of the Democratic Party.
   "This is like someone who comes to your house, says they don't like the
   food, your TV is too small and I'm not particularly thrilled with what
   your kitchen looks like and then walks out complaining," said Nutter,
   now a CNN contributor. "She's been leading the party, he just became a
   Democrat and now suddenly believes that he should be in charge."
   And a Democratic senator cautioned that there does not appear to be a
   formal effort to oust Wasserman Schultz and noted any decision would
   ultimately fall to the campaign of Clinton.
   
   "It is something the caucus has discussed," another senior Senate
   Democratic aide said Tuesday on condition of anonymity to speak
   candidly about private discussions. The aide said there was only
   informal discussion among senators and no coordinated effort, but said
   "The question is: Has she become too toxic?"

   The Hill first reported on the talks among Senate Democrats Tuesday and
   quoted a series of lawmakers who supported keeping Wasserman Schultz as
   the chairwoman.
   The tension has been visible between Sanders, his campaign and the DNC
   for months.
   Sanders has endorsed Wasserman Schultz's primary challenger, Tim
   Canova, and began fundraising for him last week and the Sanders
   campaign has long fought with Wasserman Schultz, at one point suing the
   DNC over a voter data breach.
   
   CNN's Ted Barrett and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report"

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http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/281147-dems-discuss-dropping-wasserman-schultz

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Tony is the youngest of the Rodham children, here with their parents Hugh and Dorothy in 1955 [10]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton :
  "Early life
   Hillary[nb 2] Diane Rodham was born on October 26, 1947, at Edgewater
   Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.[2][3] She was raised in a United
   Methodist family, first in Chicago and then, from the age of three, in
   suburban Park Ridge, Illinois.[4] Her father, Hugh Ellsworth Rodham
   (1911–1993), was of Welsh and English descent;[5] he managed a
   successful small business in the textile industry.[6] Her mother,
   Dorothy Emma Howell (1919–2011), was a homemaker of English, Scottish,
   French Canadian, and Welsh descent.[5][7][8] Hillary has two younger
   brothers, Hugh and Tony.[9]
   --
   [nb 2] In 1995, Hillary Clinton said her mother had named her after
       Sir Edmund Hillary, co-first mountaineer to scale Mount Everest,
       and that was the reason for the less-common "two L's" spelling of
       her name. However, the Everest climb did not take place until 1953,
       more than five years after she was born. In October 2006, a Clinton
       spokeswoman said she was not named after the mountain climber.
       Instead, this account of her name's origin "was a sweet family
       story her mother shared to inspire greatness in her daughter, to
       great results I might add."[1]
   [1] "Hillary vs. Hillary". Snopes.com. October 26, 2006.
       http://www.snopes.com/politics/clintons/hillary.asp
   [2] "Hillary Rodham Clinton". The White House. Retrieved August 22, 2006.
       https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/first-ladies/hillaryclinton
   [3] O'Laughlin, Dania (Summer 2003). "Edgewater Hospital
       1929–2001". Edgewater Historical Society. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
       http://www.edgewaterhistory.org/ehs/articles/v14-3-4
   [4] Bernstein 2007, pp. 18, 34.
   [5] Roberts, Gary Boyd. "Notes on the Ancestry of Senator Hillary
       Rodham Clinton". New England Historic Genealogical Society.
       Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
       http://www.americanancestors.org/ancestry-of-
       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_Historic_Genealogical_Society
   [6] Bernstein 2007, pp. 17–18.
   [7] Smolenyak, Megan (April–May 2015). "Hillary Clinton's Celtic
       Roots". Irish America.
       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Smolenyak
       http://irishamerica.com/2015/03/hillary-clintons-celtic-roots/
   [8] Brock 1996, p. 4. Her father was an outspoken Republican, while
       her mother kept quiet but was "basically a Democrat". See also
       Bernstein 2007, p. 16.
   [9] Gerth and Van Natta 2007, p. 14.
[10]  EXCLUSIVE: Hillary Clinton's brother Tony Rodham is fingered as
         Ashley Madison user following hacker attack – but his doting wife
         insists 'I know he has not cheated on me'
         http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...Hillary-Clinton-s-brother-Tony-Rodham.. "

"Her mother, Dorothy Emma Howell (1919–2011), was a homemaker of
English, Scottish, French Canadian, and Welsh descent" To me, according
the picture, the mother looks more like of Ukrainian/Russian Jewish
descent. And who inside the mainstream press ever uttered the notion
that Hillary's mother passed away in 2011 ?