House Democrats frustrated Sanders won’t endorse Clinton
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. heads to the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington.
WASHINGTON >> Bernie Sanders faced intense pressure from House Democrats on Wednesday to endorse Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, as rank-and-file lawmakers confronted him behind closed doors with shouts of “Timeline! Timeline!” and even scattered boos.
Sanders, arriving with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, was pressed directly by Democrats irritated by his slow-moving support for their presumptive presidential nominee.
Yet to the frustration of his listeners, the Vermont senator never answered their question, refusing to give a timeline for when he would get behind Clinton.
At one point he said, “Our goal is not to win elections,” and then paused. Democrats booed until Sanders completed his thought by saying, “but to transform America” in order to win elections.
The heated exchange came just three weeks before the start of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia. It happened during House Democrats’ regular weekly caucus meeting, to which Sanders had been invited some time ago. He appeared at a moment when many Democrats have run out of patience with Sanders, who is holding out for various items in the party platform.
A Democrat who attended the session provided details, demanding anonymity in order to speak freely.
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“He was pressed. There was friendly heat,” said Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va.
Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., said there was a “general feeling that it is important that he endorse right away,” adding that it was expressed directly to Sanders. “In terms of the timing of endorsement it wasn’t clear.”
Sanders has said he will vote for Clinton but has not yet offered a full-throated endorsement, even as Democratic leaders like President Barack Obama and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren have swung firmly behind the former secretary of state and appeared by her side at high-profile rallies. Sanders has been pushing for changes to the party platform that would specify the need for a $15 an hour federal minimum wage, opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and more.
Most of the House Democrats have supported Clinton’s campaign throughout.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, told Sanders that she felt “like a hostage” given his multiple demands for the party’s platform that will be considered at the convention, according to the Democrat who demanded anonymity.
Sanders instead pointed to progress with Clinton, telling reporters after the meeting that he applauded a “very bold initiative” by the former secretary of state to make college more affordable. But declined to say when he might endorse Clinton.
“We are working with Secretary Clinton on some initiatives. I hope we can reach agreement on them sooner rather than later,” he said.
70 responses to “House Democrats frustrated Sanders won’t endorse Clinton”
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It’s called integrity! Clinton and Trump have none. They will say what it takes to get votes from whoever they need them from. Bernie only says what he truly believes.
Politics is the first refuge for a SCOUNDREL like CORRUPT HILLARY CLINTON!!!
What does Trump have to do with Bernie or Clinton’s morass?
We have Hilary and Trump as candidates for President. Clearly the majority of voters imbeciles and we are doomed. People who blame all of this on the witless candidates and not on the dim voters are intellectually blind. The dumbing down of America and brought us to this point. Preaching free college is no better than Hilary and Trump. They are all appealing to those who want not to work, envy those that do and want to be mothered and spoiled for the rest of their lives. The US is well on its way to becoming Greece. We are doomed.
That woman leaves a trail of evil wherever she goes like a demonic snail.
No deception, influence peddling or conspiracy to subvert the law is beyond her purview.
Should she prevail to high office she is sure to unleash a veritable Pandora’s
box of unspeakable horrors upon her hapless charges. The worst being the
utter and complete sell-off of the USA to the globalists lock stock and barrel.
She’s fighting for her life literally. The stakes are whether she her time in prison or not.
“Endorse me…OR ELSE!” end quote hiLIARy to the Bern…with a smile…hehe
It’s getting to the point where Sanders is hurting the party. It’s reasonable to expect Clinton to concede some things to Sanders, but quite different for Sanders to force so many of his policies on her, diminishing her own platform, considering he lost the candidacy fair and square.
Good job Bernie. Make a stand against corruption. Lying crooked Hillary is on the ropes. The FBI is having a hard time not directly calling her a liar.
Lol, Hillary will soon squash your hero, the Donald, a person unwilling to release his tax returns, first since Nixon or Ford. What does he have to hide Sarge? I bet a lot. lol
“I get that she’s frustrated,” Gowdy said. “Sometimes when people are frustrated, they look in the mirror and engage in a little bit of self-reflection. And then sometimes they lash out and blame nonexistent right wing conspiracies. And apparently, she’s chosen to do the latter.”
I hope you don’t think that just because all of us that can’t stand Hillary are for Trump???? I can’t stand him either. We are doomed with either one for different reasons.
Why do you bring up Trump. He’s got nothing to do with Sanders and Clinton’s morass?
What’s in Trump’s tax returns?
Hilary’s tax returns are all full of lies anyway. How can you tell if Hilary is lying? Her mouth is moving.
Really, how interesting can Trumps personal income taxes be. If there was something to hide he could have filed an amended tax return just like Hilliary burning emails.
They did today.
How is he hurting the party? Seems to me the party was hurt by those democrats expecting to just coronate Hillary with the presidency. The democratic party is like herding cats and it was idiotic to expect a coronation. At least now Hillary has earned her nomination.
The SA needs to lighten up. There is nothing wrong with using Idi*tic to describe a situation. But at least you have improved over the past in this regards.
Bernie is killing the party and his true followers would never vote for HiLIARy based on their values and her character.
Clinton has got good values.
But unlike Berney, she makes promises she CAN keep.
“clinton has got good values”. There’s simply no rational way to respond.
Vince Foster…Benghazi…
I know. That word is a no no.
Go Sanders!
I say good for Bernie for standing by his principles. Hillary is not a good person and a true politician who gets most of her money from big money who own her.
Bernie needs to be reminded the election is over for him.
He could still run as an independent.
Too late for Bernie to run as an independent.
There are a couple of points to remember. More Bernie supporters are willing to back Hillary now than Hillary supporters were willing to back Obama this time during the 2008 election. Bernie is leading a major change in the democratic party to undo the republican lite influence since Bill Clinton was president. Bernie has said he will endorse Hillary. Patience is a virtue.
Here’s the only salient point to consider: neither Hillary or Donald deserve to lead this nation. Period.
lol, then who is? The Donald is obviously unqualified to be president but Hillary is.
You said it yourself yesterday. Is old age robbing your memory? lol…
I may not vote for sweet Hillary but she is qualified. The Donald is the most unqualified candidate I have ever seen.
if you consider a proven liar, a careless mishandler of secret information, an angry abuser of authority, an amasser of funds from questionable sources, and a professional politician in the worst sense of the phrase as a qualified candidate, then that of course is your right, but please don’t try to imply that your level of minimum qualification is representative of any voter other than yourself..
That’s not what the FBI said today.
Sad to hear that. As a member of the Bernie or Bust group I’m now going for the independent candidate.
Good move. Just a couple more poll points and Johnson will be in the debates. Then watch his numbers take off…
I am leaning towards Johnson of the libertarian party primarily because if he gets 15% of the vote, he will be included in the next round of debates. But the Green candidate is also worthy of consideration. Not sure who the independent candidate will be is.
Why continue leaning when the intellectual inevitability of falling is so obvious?
livinginhawaii: my sentiments, too! So sad that he was booed. Not very mature.
Me too!
how does one endorse the first female felon to run for president?
how does one endorse a felon for president when the felon shows utter contempt for laws protecting the safety of the nation?
how does one endorse a racist felon who actively promoted bringing to heel inner city black youths who she referred to as super predators?
it’s simple, one doesn’t endorse the female felon.
Easy, when you vote, hold your nose and vote Clinton.
It’s a crime to aid and abet a felon.
I thought he did endorse her at least that’s what I read a week or so ago.
He’s telling people he endorses her, but will choose a time to announce that. What is he holding out for?
“We are working with Secretary Clinton on some initiatives. I hope we can reach agreement on them sooner rather than later,” he said.
He’s waiting for Hilliary to work on her trustworthiness.
How can anyone expect Bernie to endorse a chronic liar?
Sour grapes Bernie; just because he won’t be the next president.
Bernie is not one of the liberal sheep. Good for him. The FBI is not investigating Bernie.
I agree.
And the State Dept.
Where’s Klastri? Where’s Hilliary? Where’s the POTUS? Where’s boolakanaka? MIA?
Is Bernie a real Democrat? Or is he just a petulant sour grapes wannabe?
Bernie is a great American making a stand against corruption.
That’s over. Now he he just wants his agenda on the party platform whether or not Clinton wins an election. Its all about him.
He will not change the super-delegate system – even if he wants to use it to win votes.
And if he’s hoping for an indictment on Clinton to swing the nomination his way before the convention, he’s delusional.
He shouldn’t be telling Biden and others he endorses Clinton if he’s going to stay in the closet until he gets his way on the party platform and party convention rules.
I could really care less about the opinion of a paid rail crooked blogger.
The Super Delegates just might be Bernie’s ace in the hole. If Hiliary wants to play the women card deal me in. What she doesn’t know is Bernie might be holding the top hand.
Who sanding by Bernie, his a good guy? I’am
Has anybody seen Pocahontas lately?
She lost her moccasins and can’t get a loan to buy a pair.
She’s a fair weather feather. She wouldn’t get within 10 feet of her right now.
There’s frequently a delay in when the SA runs stories. This story is old news. It’s being widely reported that Sanders will endorse Clinton in about a week. Can’t wait to see his supporters turn on him then, like they’re already railing against Warren. But it shouldn’t really be a surprise. He did say that Clinton on her worst day was “100 times better” than any of the Republicans. And last month he said he would never vote for Trump, and would “in all likelihood” vote for Clinton. That’s a partial endorsement right there.
There’s never a delay to run a negative Trump story.
PoiDoggy, Bernie is having second thoughts and cold sweats. Every passing day Hilliary’s stock value goes drip, drip, drip.
What does Trump have to do with Bernie’s endorsement. Every time Hillary without fail drags Trump into her morass.
He’s got his own campaign to run.
@lespark, I mentioned Trump as a way of illustrating how Bernie has consistently said he’d never back anyone in the GOP, and that he said Clinton was better than any Republican, and he would likely be voting for her. So his endorsement of her is hardly a surprise. I’d bet you’d be surprised to know how many GOP folks I meet who are voting for Clinton now; like a fellow I know, a business owner, who voted Romney in 2012, but thinks Trump will “run the economy into the ground.”
227/191 is a current projection of electoral college votes with the edge to Clinton. And that’s with Bernie and Barrack. Much closer than she wants it to be. As bad as Trump is All of Hilliary’s issues doesn’t help her. We’ll see how this plays out.
You’d be surprised or maybe you wouldn’t the concerns people have about Secretary Clinton. When the FBI Director says she’s unfit and can’t be trusted I believe him, not some business owner.