Martin O'Malley
Related: About this forumDemocratic challengers launch attacks against Clinton, party leadership.WaPo
Hillary Rodham Clinton sought to cement her standing as the rightful leader of the Democratic Party here Friday, but two of her challengers launched a fierce counterattack against her and a party establishment they see as trying to hand her the 2016 presidential nomination.
What began as a routine forum of candidate speeches evolved into a surprisingly dramatic day at the Democratic National Committees summer meeting, as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Maryland governor Martin OMalley issued thinly veiled attacks on Clinton and the party leadership.
Speaking from the dais, with DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz sitting a few feet away, OMalley blasted the partys limited number of sanctioned debates as a process rigged in favor of the front-runner. The DNC is holding six debates, only four before Februarys first caucuses in Iowa, which OMalley argued is a disadvantage for all the candidates and a disservice to Democrats generally.
This sort of rigged process has never been attempted before, said OMalley, who has struggled to gain traction in the polls. He added: We are the Democratic Party, not the undemocratic party.
Sanders who later told reporters he agreed with OMalley lamented low Democratic turnout in last years midterm elections and said the party must grow beyond politics as usual if it hopes to produce the level of voter enthusiasm required to retain the White House in 2016.
We need a movement which takes on the economic and political establishment, not one which is part of that establishment, said Sanders, who is an independent but caucuses with Democrats in the Senate.
Asked later whether he was speaking specifically about Clinton, he told reporters, Ill let you use your imagination on that.
The barbs from Sanders and OMalley came as Clinton and her campaign flexed their organizational muscle here. The front-runner and her top aides worked aggressively behind the scenes this week to secure commitments from party leaders pledging to be delegates for her in next summers nominating convention in Philadelphia. . .
OMalley used his time onstage to highlight his dissatisfaction with the DNCs management of the debates. He argued forcefully that as Trump and other Republican candidates dominate news coverage with inflammatory rhetoric, Democrats would be wise to hold more, not fewer, nationally televised debates to highlight the differences between the parties.
Will we let the circus run unchallenged on every channel while we cower in shadows under a decree of silence in the ranks? Or will we demand equal time to showcase our ideas? OMalley asked.
He slammed what he called a cynical move to limit the debates to six and to hold the only New Hampshire debate on a Saturday night in mid-December, the peak of the holiday shopping season.
Whose decree is this exactly? he asked provocatively. Where did it come from? To what end or purpose?
Wasserman Schultz, who was visibly miffed by OMalleys speech, said in an interview Thursday that she had consulted widely with past DNC chairs, as well as with the campaigns, before setting the debate schedule.
We felt like this structure for actual debates was really the best one that could give maximum exposure that voters need to make a decision but that also would be manageable and give the candidates the opportunity and the time to go out and campaign in a retail way, she said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-challengers-launch-attacks-against-clinton-party-leadership/2015/08/28/722bc1c6-4d9b-11e5-84df-923b3ef1a64b_story.html
pscot
(21,037 posts)Andy823
(11,525 posts)Now he needs to join with O'Malley and get their own debates going. Invite everyone, and let those who do not show up explain why.