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MrWendel

MrWendel's Journal
MrWendel's Journal
May 27, 2016

Excuse Us, Bernie Sanders, But Nobody Appointed YOU Savior of the Democratic Party

http://bluenationreview.com/bernie-sanders-nobody-appointed-you-savior-of-the-democratic-party/

By Melissa McEwan

In a Q&A with TIME, Bernie Sanders positions himself as arbiter of the Democratic Party’s future, goes hard negative on the Clintons, calls a progressive activist (and a BNR founder) “scum of the Earth,” and reiterates one of the most delusional talking points of 2015—that he’s the “strongest candidate to beat Donald Trump.” We are longtime activists, advocates, and Democrats, and we reject the hubris that would have one man disparage the work of millions who don’t happen to agree with him.

Dear Bernie,

Reading your recent TIME interview, we felt the need to respond.

First, it says so much that you’re willing to use the term “scum of the earth” about someone who has helped build progressive infrastructure, but not about Donald Trump and his sleazy operatives, who you’re obsequiously hoping will breathe new life into your campaign.

Second, when you speak about the Democratic Party as its self-appointed savior, do you realize how that offends millions of rank and file Democrats who support the nominee-to-be Hillary Clinton? Not to mention the thousands of elected Democrats who have worked their hearts out to promote Democratic and progressive causes?

Do you really imagine that, at the local level, Democrats—elected and activists—are only debating whether or not they are beholden to Wall Street billionaires? We’re working ourselves to early graves fighting for clean water, good schools, early childcare programs, abortion access, jobs programs, equality measures, library funding, needle exchanges, infrastructure improvements, dog parks, lunch programs, fair housing, and countless other issues that are more immediate and personal than the sweeping broadsides you make against “the establishment.”

We support Hillary Clinton, but Hillary Clinton is not the entirety of the Democratic Party. The DNC is not the entirety of the Democratic Party. Do you not appreciate the irony that, by constantly attacking the Democratic Party as a monolith, you’re doing more to alienate and treat as irrelevant the average Democrat across this nation than the Democratic Party leadership ever has?

(More in link)
May 27, 2016

Rachel Maddow Ridicules Bernie-Donald Debate

http://bluenationreview.com/rachel-maddow-ridicules-bernie-donald-debate/

It seemed like a headline-grabbing idea: Bernie Sanders debates Donald Trump in a big arena. But as we observed earlier, Bernie is being played by Donald.

From Melissa McEwan:

Donald says that he will debate Bernie, but only if certain conditions are met: That they raise millions of dollars for charity and debate in an arena. That Bernie’s campaign would continue to treat this seriously, after Donald made him look a fool earlier in the day by suggesting the debate idea was a joke, further reinforces the notion that Bernie is being used as a pawn in Donald’s game.

Donald is terrified to face Hillary alone, so he is trying to recruit Bernie for his strategy of using men as a shield from a straightforward confrontation with Hillary. Bernie should never have let himself be drawn into this mess, and he surely shouldn’t continue to indulge the absurd stunts of a cowardly buffoon.

And let’s be really frank about the other reason Bernie agreed to it: This stunt was a response to Hillary saying no.

Bernie wanted a California debate with her, and she didn’t bite. She drew a boundary, and, instead of accepting that boundary, Bernie figured he’d conspire with Donald to try to coerce her into doing what he wants.

I have a real problem with that.

Hillary, a number of people have (erroneously) argued, has somehow transcended the strictures and indignities of systemic gender equality, by virtue of her success. But one cannot shed one’s womanhood at will (even if one wanted to)—and here is a perfect example of how no woman, not even one of the most empowered women in the world, can shed the rules imposed on women.

Frankly, the fact that Hillary has achieved a level of visibility, power, and influence that few women ever have makes me all the more furious that two men are still trying to show, “jokingly” or seriously, they can gang up to push her around at will, that they don’t respect her agency or her right to say no.

The message to women and girls is appalling. No matter how successful you are, men will still try to assert control over you and cajole you into doing their bidding. You are not allowed to say no.

(Video of Segment in link)
May 19, 2016

Rolling Stone: Pro-Bernie Trolls on Why They Harassed Nevada's Democratic Chair

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/pro-bernie-trolls-on-why-they-harassed-nevadas-democratic-chair-20160518

BY TESSA STUART May 18, 2016

Here's what several men had to say for themselves after threatening Roberta Lange and calling her a "b-tch"



Democrats have been in a froth this week in the aftermath of Saturday's contentious, and at times violent, Nevada state convention. As Rolling Stone reported Tuesday, Bernie Sanders supporters, incensed by the party's handling of the proceedings — and the fact that Sanders failed to hold on to two pledged delegates he unexpectedly gained at the Clark County convention — clashed with Clinton supporters, who in turn called for the Sanders supporters' arrest.

Pissed off Sanders supporters, watching the events unfold online from around the country, began circulating the personal contact information for state party chair Roberta Lange. As a result, Lange became the target of a barrage of harassment, including death threats and threats of violence sent via voicemail and text message. On Monday, the party shared many of those messages — notably, and perhaps regrettably, without redacting some of the senders' phone numbers.

Rolling Stone spoke to several of the men who sent Lange angry, menacing text messages to find out what was going through their heads as they pelted a stranger with epithets and threats, both veiled or explicit, to her and her family's safety, and to find out if — as some diehard Sanders supporters have suggested — they were actually Clinton campaign operatives out to smear Bernie.

They were not. All of the men we spoke to were genuine Sanders supporters, most with well-documented histories online of feeling the Bern. (Although only their first names are used below and their phone numbers have been redacted, we verified all of their identities.)

None of them were present at the convention; none of them even live in Nevada. They watched from their homes in Texas, Georgia and Utah, and felt the brazen theft they witnessed validated their actions. All of the men we spoke to reject the idea that their words could be interpreted as threats or harassment. And all of them were concerned about the media contorting their words. So, in their words — edited only for length and clarity — here is what they had to say for themselves.

(Rest in link)
May 19, 2016

Rolling Stone: Pro-Bernie Trolls on Why They Harassed Nevada's Democratic Chair

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/pro-bernie-trolls-on-why-they-harassed-nevadas-democratic-chair-20160518

BY TESSA STUART May 18, 2016

Here's what several men had to say for themselves after threatening Roberta Lange and calling her a "b-tch"



Democrats have been in a froth this week in the aftermath of Saturday's contentious, and at times violent, Nevada state convention. As Rolling Stone reported Tuesday, Bernie Sanders supporters, incensed by the party's handling of the proceedings — and the fact that Sanders failed to hold on to two pledged delegates he unexpectedly gained at the Clark County convention — clashed with Clinton supporters, who in turn called for the Sanders supporters' arrest.

Pissed off Sanders supporters, watching the events unfold online from around the country, began circulating the personal contact information for state party chair Roberta Lange. As a result, Lange became the target of a barrage of harassment, including death threats and threats of violence sent via voicemail and text message. On Monday, the party shared many of those messages — notably, and perhaps regrettably, without redacting some of the senders' phone numbers.

Rolling Stone spoke to several of the men who sent Lange angry, menacing text messages to find out what was going through their heads as they pelted a stranger with epithets and threats, both veiled or explicit, to her and her family's safety, and to find out if — as some diehard Sanders supporters have suggested — they were actually Clinton campaign operatives out to smear Bernie.

They were not. All of the men we spoke to were genuine Sanders supporters, most with well-documented histories online of feeling the Bern. (Although only their first names are used below and their phone numbers have been redacted, we verified all of their identities.)

None of them were present at the convention; none of them even live in Nevada. They watched from their homes in Texas, Georgia and Utah, and felt the brazen theft they witnessed validated their actions. All of the men we spoke to reject the idea that their words could be interpreted as threats or harassment. And all of them were concerned about the media contorting their words. So, in their words — edited only for length and clarity — here is what they had to say for themselves.

(Rest in link)
May 19, 2016

Wonkette: You Say You Want A Revolution? Nice Grandpa Bernie Sanders Gonna BURN YOUR SH*T DOWWWWWN

By Rebecca Schoenkopf



If you were waiting for Bernie Sanders to release a statement on the clusterfuck that was the Nevada state Democratic convention, hooray! He has done so! If you were waiting for Bernie Sanders to release a statement telling his supporters “hey maybe don’t drown out and scream at Barbara Boxer that she’s a fucking bitch for having a different preference in the Democratic primary than you do,” you are going to have to wait a little bit longer.
No, Bernie Sanders is going down swinging, and doubling down, and other metaphors from baseball and/or gambling (or both if you are Pete Rose or Shoeless Joe Jackson). See, his supporters wouldn’t have had to fling chimpanzee shit all over Las Vegas’s Paris hotel if they hadn’t been robbed, by which we mean they lost.
Wonkette has been officially neutral in the Democratic primary, until now. (We know, angry commenters; Wonkette says it has been neutral but has been a reliable source of bought-and-paid-for neoliberal corporate piece of shit one-percenter shilling for a mass murderer who will be arrested for “emails” any day now. Fair enough!)

But if your “revolution” includes disinformation, aimed to rile up your supporters, that would make Pravda and Ronald Reagan blush, you can make like your healthcare, and keep it!

(Also, if you consider Barbara Boxer, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Dolores Huerta, Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, Barney Frank, Harry Reid and John Lewis to be Enemies of your State, you probably need to sit down with a mug of Ovaltine and give your animal farm and Four Legs Bad Two Legs Better a super double plus good unthink.)

Before you tell us to WATCH THE VIDEOS — we have. They don’t show the blinding righteousness of your side that you think they do. What they show to most of us is the kind of screaming, violent temper tantrum for not getting your way — which happens sometimes in a democracy, or even a republic! — that is turning you into nihilist shitbirds. (Present company excepted. We know almost none of you would ever behave like a common thug — though you have your moments! — and we promise you don’t need to Swear Fealty and Fall in Line in the reeducation camp that is the comments.)


Read more at http://wonkette.com/601971/nice-grandpa-bernie-sanders-gonna-burn-your-sht-dowwwwwn#MmlsXcuUXCidszCt.99
May 18, 2016

People Are Just Not Cutting Trump’s Senior Press Rep Any Slack for This Disastrous Interview

http://www.mediaite.com/online/people-are-just-not-cutting-trumps-senior-press-rep-any-slack-for-this-disastrous-interview/

by Lindsey Ellefson



I’m not going to transcribe the following interview for you because it’s something you kind of need to see to believe. I am going to tell you just a few pieces of background information instead and after you’ve watched it, we can reconvene down the page to discuss what you saw. So, first of all, that’s Carol Costello doing the interview. The subject on the left is Amy Holmes of The Blaze and there on the right is Healy Baumgardner, the senior press representative for Donald Trump.

Ready, get set, watch:

(Video and more in link)
May 18, 2016

Wonkette: You Say You Want A Revolution? Nice Grandpa Bernie Sanders Gonna BURN YOUR SH*T DOWWWWWN

By Rebecca Schoenkopf



If you were waiting for Bernie Sanders to release a statement on the clusterfuck that was the Nevada state Democratic convention, hooray! He has done so! If you were waiting for Bernie Sanders to release a statement telling his supporters “hey maybe don’t drown out and scream at Barbara Boxer that she’s a fucking bitch for having a different preference in the Democratic primary than you do,” you are going to have to wait a little bit longer.
No, Bernie Sanders is going down swinging, and doubling down, and other metaphors from baseball and/or gambling (or both if you are Pete Rose or Shoeless Joe Jackson). See, his supporters wouldn’t have had to fling chimpanzee shit all over Las Vegas’s Paris hotel if they hadn’t been robbed, by which we mean they lost.
Wonkette has been officially neutral in the Democratic primary, until now. (We know, angry commenters; Wonkette says it has been neutral but has been a reliable source of bought-and-paid-for neoliberal corporate piece of shit one-percenter shilling for a mass murderer who will be arrested for “emails” any day now. Fair enough!)

But if your “revolution” includes disinformation, aimed to rile up your supporters, that would make Pravda and Ronald Reagan blush, you can make like your healthcare, and keep it!

(Also, if you consider Barbara Boxer, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Dolores Huerta, Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, Barney Frank, Harry Reid and John Lewis to be Enemies of your State, you probably need to sit down with a mug of Ovaltine and give your animal farm and Four Legs Bad Two Legs Better a super double plus good unthink.)

Before you tell us to WATCH THE VIDEOS — we have. They don’t show the blinding righteousness of your side that you think they do. What they show to most of us is the kind of screaming, violent temper tantrum for not getting your way — which happens sometimes in a democracy, or even a republic! — that is turning you into nihilist shitbirds. (Present company excepted. We know almost none of you would ever behave like a common thug — though you have your moments! — and we promise you don’t need to Swear Fealty and Fall in Line in the reeducation camp that is the comments.)


Read more at http://wonkette.com/601971/nice-grandpa-bernie-sanders-gonna-burn-your-sht-dowwwwwn#MmlsXcuUXCidszCt.99
May 18, 2016

Trump: When I Said ‘Punishment,’ I Meant Women Should Punish Themselves for Abortion

http://www.mediaite.com/print/trump-when-i-said-punishment-i-meant-women-should-punish-themselves-for-abortion/

by Alex Griswold



In a New York Times profile of Donald Trump‘s campaign, the candidate walked back his comments to MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that women should receive “some form of punishment” if they seek an abortion, saying he actually wanted women to punish themselves.

“I didn’t mean punishment for women like prison,” he said. “I’m saying women punish themselves. I didn’t want people to think in terms of ‘prison’ punishment. And because of that I walked it back.”

But the Times reporter Robert Draper dug around and got the real story. Trump “initially saw nothing wrong with his remark and refused to walk it back,” and issued a short noncommittal statement. Trump suddenly changed his mind when he was swamped with questions and requests for comment from over a hundred media outlets.

He then turned to his ally New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and got his team to write another statement. The result was what the public saw: two separate statements with completely contradictory responses released within an hour of each other.
May 18, 2016

Bernie or Trump supporters? It shouldn't be this hard to tell them apart

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/5/17/1527444/-Bernie-or-Trump-supporters-It-shouldn-t-be-this-hard-to-tell-them-apart

By kos


Bernie Sanders concedes the evening of the Nevada caucuses. Now supporters have lost their shit that Sanders STILL lost Nevada.

Bernie Sanders lost the delegate battle at the Nevada State Democratic convention this past weekend, which only makes sense since he lost the state when voters voted. However, that didn’t stop one of the biggest explosions of outright crazy in Democratic politics in … forever. Armando debunked the insane conspiracy theories here and here, but of course that’s not stopping what can now only be described as crazies from outright crossing the line, viciously harassing State Democratic Party Chair Roberta Lange. Here’s a sample:

MALE CALLER: Hi, Berta Lange. This is a citizen of the United States of America, and I just wanted to let you know that I think people like you should be hung in a public execution to show this world that we won't stand for this sort of corruption. I don't know what kind of money they're paying for you, but I don't know how you sleep at night. You are a sick, twisted piece of shit, and I hope you'll burn for this. And you can return my call at (619) 838-9222. I'd love to go into further detail with you about this, though I am sure you don't have the courage to do so, you cowardless bitch, running off the stage. I hope people find you.


That number has been disconnected, by the way. You know, because of all that courage … Want more? I’ll give you more.

MALE CALLER: You fucking stupid bitch! What the hell are you doing? You’re a fucking corrupt bitch! That is so fucking wrong. You should be ashamed and disgraced. You need to step down from that position because you are bad for America and bad for the Democratic Party. That was fucking bullshit today. You need to step down. You’re a disgrace


MALE CALLER: Oh Roberta, Roberta, Roberta, you old, old hag. Oh, we watched the whole thing in Nevada. You’re really kinda screwed, lady. Um, yeah. Really stupid. Fuck you.


MALE CALLER: Fuck you, bitch


FEMALE CALLER: Hi Roberta, I’m just sitting home in Massachusetts watching all the video that was filmed tonight when you were chairing the Nevada convention. Classy move. By the way, if Bernie’s not on there, we’re voting Trump. It’s agreed. You should read Facebook and Twitter. Wow! You’re really popular and trending right now. You wouldn’t believe it. (Laughs)


MALE CALLER: That was pretty terrible. You probably just guaranteed fire is in Philadelphia. I’m not a psycho Bernie supporter, but there are some out there and you may have made a bad decision by completely ignoring the democratic process tonight. Thanks


And what’s the Sanders campaign doing to tamp down this insanity? About as much as Trump did to tamp down the violence at his rallies.

ALEX SEITZ-WALD
New: When asked about Nevada Dem convention today, Bernie Sanders walked away mid-Q, @DannyEFreeman reports.
https://twitter.com/aseitzwald/status/732590651511083012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw


This is no longer a presidential campaign. I don’t know what it is, but that moment has passed.

Update—More:



And yet more:

Irate Berne Sanders supporters did not just leave threatening voicemails and texts for state Democratic Party Chairwoman Roberta Lange but also launched an assault on the businesses she oversees, the owner says [...]

"Beginning about 3am on Sunday morning our bartenders at Porchlight Grille began getting non-stop phone threats from Bernie partisans," Gallagher told me via email. "The level of threats including death threats and vitriol was astonishing. One of our bartenders was actually a Bernie supporter and was stunned at the threats he was hearing on the phone. He began to respond telling people that he was just trying to do his job and pay off his student loans and their tactics were harming his livelihood. It made no difference to the callers. Their goal was to harass and as became clear....to shut down the business and Roberta’s job with it."

Gallagher said the calls continued during the day Sunday until the eatery disconnected the phone.

"At one point on Sunday before we unplugged the phones, I took a turn at answering and experienced such a nasty call that a Metro officer who happened to be in the tavern as a customer picked up the call and attempted to encourage the woman to stop, explaining that what she was doing was unlawful harassment," Gallagher told me. "It made no difference. She actually responded that it was her right of free speech."


Another update: Nevada Democratic Part explains what really happened. Surprisingly, turns out the Clinton campaign out-organized the Sanders campaign, who didn’t fill all its available delegate slots.

(And btw, what a stupid way to allocate delegates...)

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