At that meeting, Sanders urged his delegates to back Clinton because the alternative – GOP nominee Donald Trump – was a threat to American civil liberties and the Constitution.
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Amid unrest from Bernie Sanders supporters on the floor of the Democratic National Convention, the US senator from Vermont texted his supporters Monday and urged them not to protest during the convention. She has been a controversial figure throughout the primary campaign, as Sanders supporters complained the national party was partial toward Clinton.
Wasserman Schultz is leaving her post following the publication of thousands of emails suggesting the Democratic National Committee favored Clinton during her primary contest with Sanders, despite vowing to remain neutral.
In addition, earlier in the day, outgoing DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was booed off the stage when she attempted to speak to her own Florida delegation.
Sanders said the protests by his brother’s supporters have been “very affecting” because of the “enormous amount of love” they’ve shown for his brother.
“Sen. Sanders represented issues that the party itself, for the most part, does not under the control that it’s under right now”, said Troy LaRaviere a Sanders Delegate from Chicago said.
“The exact configuration of the protests are unclear but it is evident that a substantial majority of the polled survey delegates support participating”, Norman Solomon from the Bernie Delegates Network, a group representing two-thirds of Bernie Sanders’ nearly 2000 delegates, said. “But to all of our supporters – here and around the country – I hope you take enormous pride in the historical accomplishments we have achieved”.
“We’re all Democrats and we need to act like it”, US Representative Marcia Fudge of OH, the convention’s chairperson, shouted over the uproar.
Speakers in the convention’s first hours struggled to carry out business as angry Sanders supporters roared their disapproval, drawing a deafening response from Clinton delegates. “It has a choice”.
It may not rank up there with Donald Trump’s “Two Corinthians” coinage or Hillary Clinton’s tortured email explanations, but a phrase that Tim Kaine used in an effort to yoke his Catholicism to the Methodist faith of his Democratic running mate deserves closer scrutiny.
Democratic National Committee Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned effective at the end of the convention over the controversy.
Then, in the opening moments of the proceedings, loud cheers for Clinton were mixed with a smattering of boos from party delegates and chants of “Bernie!” The Clinton and Sanders campaigns joined forces by syncing their floor whip teams to present a united front on the floor.
Sanders will play a crucial role in determining whether Clinton can calm the tensions.
“On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and honest apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email”. Frankly, this is the kind of thing that should have happened weeks ago, not the first night of the convention, when national attention will be focused on Philadelphia – and the national media will be on the lookout for even the slightest signs of dissension from Democratic delegates.
Chants of “We want Bernie!” and “Not for sale!” rang out as Maine State Rep. Diane Russell, a Sanders supporter, said their revolution must continue. The DNC does not – and will not – tolerate disrespectful language exhibited toward our candidates. Trump, he said, is a great threat to civil liberties and the Constitution.
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Some of the largest protests will start about 4 miles north of the Wells Fargo Center in south Philadelphia, where the convention is being held.
