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A CACHE OF leaked emails from Democratic party leaders’ accounts includes at least two messages suggesting an insider effort to hobble Bernie Sanders’ upstart campaign, a revelation that threatens an uneasy truce within the party.
The release of more than 19,000 emails sent and received by seven top Democratic National Committee officials, by anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, comes at a time when the party is anxious to project an image of unity.
It also threatened to overshadow Hillary Clinton’s first joint rally with her newly-named running mate, Tim Kaine, two days before the Democratic Party Convention kicks off in Philadelphia to officially crown the White House nominees.
Clinton’s Republican opponent Donald Trump pounced on the leaks as he tries to scoop up disaffected voters who feel Sanders – a self-described democratic socialist from Vermont initially dismissed as a fringe candidate – was denied a fair shot at the nomination by the political establishment.
Donald J. Trump / TwitterLeaked e-mails of DNC show plans to destroy Bernie Sanders. Mock his heritage and much more. On-line from Wikileakes, really vicious. RIGGED
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2016
In a 5 May exchange, DNC Chief Financial Officer Brad Marshall asked if someone could ask a person he did not name, presumably Sanders, about his religious belief in the conservative states of Kentucky and West Virginia.
“Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage,” the message said.
I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.
Amy Dacey, the committee’s CEO, responded in all caps: “AMEN.”
The Intercept news website quoted Marshall as saying: “I do not recall this. I can say it would not have been Sanders. It would probably be about a surrogate.”
A 21 May email chain discussed Sanders’ assertion in an interview that he would oust party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz once he was elected to the White House.
Writing from a Gmail account that media reports said belonged to Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman noted:
This is a silly story. He isn’t going to be president.
Sanders waged a feisty yearlong battle against Clinton in the Democratic primaries. She clinched enough delegates to secure the nomination in early June, but Sanders did not concede defeat and endorse her until 12 July.
Sanders’s campaign manager Jeff Weaver, in an interview with ABC News, has demanded answers about the growing controversy.
“Someone does have to be held accountable,” said Weaver, who said the emails seemed to show misconduct at a very senior level of the DNC.
The Democratic Party, Weaver said, seemed to have “its fingers on the scale” for Clinton, he added during the interview, which was posted on the television network’s website.
We have an electoral process. The DNC, by its charter, is required to be neutral among the candidates. Clearly it was not.
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Is anyone really surprised?
that Americans hold opinions about their political leaders? no not so surprised.
A lot of Americans seem to surprised if someone doesn’t believe in God.
Not one bit surprised.Clinton – Trump , do people really think there’s a difference ?
Sell Out Sanders will still pucker up and kiss establishment ass for his few pieces of silver.
I’m not surprised that this is all the Journal are reporting on. There are emails between the DNC and MSNBC to pull stories that show Hillary in a negative light. Other emails show that reporter Chuck Todd is in the pocket of the DNC and was made to stop Joe Scarborough from criticising Hillary. Another time the head of the DNC called the head of MSNBC to stop Joe Scarborough from being sympathetic to Bernie on air and calling the primaries rigged. There was also an illegal fundraising event held by the DNC and the Washington Post, this is only scratching the surface. This would be one of the biggest stories of the year if the media wasn’t so pro Hillary.
My bets is on trump coming on top of this one which means we will have snubbed the most powerful man in the world after he invested heavily in the country at the point he needed our support thanks to messer Kenny.
But Pat all Irish people know Fox News is the only evil network in America? What is this msnbc you speak of!
Sanders was never going to go anywhere with the average working class Joe soap on his socialism nonsense.
“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.
RONALD WRIGHT, America & Americans
Tommy,
In fairness to Sanders, I don’t believe he sold out for money or personal gain. Rather he fell into the trap of “lesser evil” in believing that a Trump presidency would pose a greater threat to the welfare of ordinary people than a Clinton one (which is far from certain in any case) and that his role was to prevent this.
This is a failing of the Social Democratic tradition which believes that capitalism can be reformed to meet the needs of the majority. It can’t be. In the same way that capitalism’s predecessor, feudalism, could not be reformed to accommodate the scientific advance of humanity.
The old social democratic parties e.g. Labour in Britain or our own Labour party here which seek to reform and rehabilitate capitalism have failed and have been absorbed into the capitalist infrastructure and become part of the problem. The welfare of the working class cannot be protected from within the rules of capitalism which is fundamentally dependent on the exploitation of the majority labour class.
Sanders should have run as an independent or on the Green party ticket with the objective of building a new political party to represent the mass of ordinary Americans instead of the billionaire class.
Greg,
On the contrary, there is rich tradition of socialism and labour activism in the U.S. which unfortunately has been on the retreat since the emergence of the neoliberal era of the 1970s.
And that is why we see the ever increasing exploitation of the working class where for example some of your “embarrassed millionaires” are now required to wear nappies into work to maximize their bosses profits:
“POULTRY WORKERS IN the United States are routinely denied bathroom breaks to the point of being forced to wear diapers while on the production line”
http://www.thejournal.ie/employment-rights-workers-contracts-2767112-May2016/
“CNN anchor Jake Tapper is getting some criticism after his show ended up being caught up in the middle of the DNC email leak controversy. One of the emailsreleased by Wikileaks is an exchange between The Lead‘s Jason Seher and a DNC staffer. Seher wrote, “Thanks for facilitating Luis coming on today, and bearing with us through a meelee [sic] of GOP nonsense and cancellations and all that. Any particular points he’ll want to make? We’re gonna stay Dem focused…” The email was forwarded to other Democratic staffers with the line “Need to know asap if we want to offer Jake Tapper questions to ask us.”
Tommy, most interviews will have the questions vetted and presented to the interviewer before. There’s definitely something in these emails but that’s not it
Dave journalists shouldn’t tip their questions to interviewees and they certainly shouldn’t let them write their own questions, this is journalism 101 that any student learns in year one.
@Pt Pat – Are you saying Fox News is burying it?
Tommy, all interviewees give a list of questions or at least approve the questions or don’t they don’t do the interview.
Wrong Dave, so wrong. Any interviewer worth their salt knows never to let the subject know the questions they’ll be asked in advance and they certainly don’t let them craft their own questions. An interviewer may give a brief outline of the parameters of the general discussion but never the exact questions the interviewee is to be asked.
Tommy, you need to start living in the real world. The interviewer wants the interview, they’ll do what they’re told or they won’t get that interview or any others
Sure it will be grand when people in America treat each other with enormous respect on the grounds that any one of then might suddenly become President.
‘them’
Dave do you reckon Frost pre-cleared all his question with Tricky dicky nixon?
Tommy, he did. Thats why it’s a big deal, because he deviated from the agreed questions
It is the American way, politically anyway?
It’s the global way. Interviewers need interviewees more than interviewees need to do interviews
https://imgflip.com/gif/17vqno
The woman who could haver her finger on the button?
Sorry a better one Jason, what the hell happened to her?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtU5nMbEsQ4&feature=youtu.be
This is just the beginning. As Reagan said you ain’t seen nothin yet. The Republicans have a folder full of dirt on Hillary.
The Democrats must have an office block worth of dirt on Trump!
They have already thrown the book at him so far so they better!
Trump has shown he can weather a dirt throwing competition possibly better than any candidate in US history. He should have been out ages ago considering some of the things he’s said and done but he’s still here.
If you have nothing and you’re angry and you know that you’ll get more of the same with Hillary then you’ll probably stubbornly take your chance on Trump.
So you’re saying it’s selfish? “o don’t care what he’ll do to others it’s me that counts”?
Wait till the debates start. I heard Hillary is knocking back the hard stuff at the thoughts of debating Trump lol.
All she has to do is ask him how after every promise he makes. He hasn’t had an answer for that yet
All Trump has to do is bring up her emails. Benghazi, Hillary will have a Jack Nicholson – In “A Few Good Men” – style meltdown, if pressed just right lol
Trump will tear Hillary a new *sshole. He will be merciless.
Sure bring up things that aren’t policy related, that’s all he has.
The Clintons are the American version of the Blairs! Vile greedy selfish and are only interested in what they will earn afterwards. I think Trump should have asked Bernie to be his Vice President. Sweet and Sour!
Of course Sanders was nobbled. Capitalism soon loses patience with democracy when it produces results it has not engineered and which might benefit the majority working class. Sanders however betrayed the magnificent mass movement which grew around him when he made peace with that grossly exploitative and undemocratic system and endorsed Clinton.
The vitriolic presentation of your socialist propaganda by the ineffective determination to use sesquipedalian language is laughable
I would say that joke is yours alone Anto.
Betrayed….. Zzzz the usual garbage from the angry socialist about anyone who strays from the righteous socialist path. You guys will be forever fighting among yourselves.
Yes, betrayed Jurgen. Sanders is now part of the problem, not the solution. And you capitalists are forever slaughtering those who threaten your relentless accumulation of wealth and power. The warmongering corporate prostitute Clinton is a perfect example of the breed.
Lol ‘warmongering corporate prostitute’. I love your angry and pointless rhetoric Wally, I really do. Fortunately Wally that’s about the sum total of what you guys can do. I mean it’s not like electoral success is close – or maybe you socialist keyboard warriors have some revolution coming?
Socialism spreads wealth, but it’s capitalism that creates it.
You need a little of both.
America , what a shytehole.
That’s about right Jim but little point in explaining that to those at either far end of the political spectrum.
Jurgen,
It’s interesting that you didn’t even try to defend Clinton’s reputation. Is in because you understand that “warmongering corporate prostitute” is an accurate description?
And real change when it comes won’t originate from inside the illusion of democracy that capitalist system allows the working class. It will happen as a result of mass movements like the one which lifted Sanders on to its shoulders, the one which is currently forming around Jeremy Corbyn in Britain or the water charges campaign here which has defeated the best efforts of the government to impose another hated banker tax and which has forced in a de facto FF and FG coalition for the first time since the foundation of the state.
I thought you’d appreciate somebody using unnecessary language and fancy sounding words Wally. It’s your specialty.
Jim,
Capitalism exists to accumulate profit (money). It will not create any real wealth (goods & service) unless there is profit to be extracted from the activity.
It’s important to differentiate between money and real wealth/ resources. Money is how we measure wealth and also a claim on society’s resources. Our fiat currency money is created (and deleted) at will on the computer keyboards of the world’s commercial and central banks. At a macro level there can never be a shortage of a fiat floating currency like the Dollar.
In contrast to the instant availability of money, the real wealth of goods and services that we all depend on is created by the labour and skill of the working class from the raw material of the planet. Everything from the food in our bellies to the clothes on our backs right up to the most sophisticated technology is made by the workers.
Money is a claim on that real wealth produced by the working class and this is where money derives it’s power. The capitalist system peddles the illusion that there is a shortage of money (balance the books, reduce the deficit, live within your means etc) in order to oppress and control the working class who are the real creators of wealth.
And the working class has produced more than enough real resources to provide everyone on the planet with proper nutrition, a decent home, healthcare, education and a job. It’s a political and ideological choice to deny people these basics.
Sanders should never have endorsed her, he should have pushed more for her to release the scripts of the three speeches she was paid 675k to make to Goldman Sachs executives too.
Wally is totally correct Sanders sold himself and his supporters out, he ran an outsiders insurgent campaign and then caved to the Goldman Sachs backed elite in the DNC.
Ah here we go with Wally’s explanations. You guys ain’t got a chance because you can’t convince enough people, whether ‘working class’ or not, to vote enough of you in. That’s your problem right there. Almost 100 years in Ireland and not even close to a majority in power. You and your angry buddies are reduced to screaming on fora like this hoping one day, somehow, people are going to just wake up realise that your brand of socialism is the way. Care to give me a timeframe when there’s a real electoral breakthrough for you guys in the US, UK or Ireland? The sad thing is the left are too busy fighting among yourselves – as usual.
If you want to make ridiculous statements about Clinton go right ahead. Plenty of people, working class included, will be voting for her and ignoring the angry tirades of losers like you. Many never bought into Sanders fantastic promises anyway.
Jurgen,
Who’s angry? Who’s screaming? I coolly and calmly typed the words “warmongering corporate prostitute” to describe Clinton and again your failure to even attempt to refute this description speaks volumes.
And what “fantastic promises” did Sanders make exactly? Was it the crazy stuff like you know universal healthcare or curtailing the power of Wall St.?
Billy, you know as the rest of us do that a president can’t actually do very much if it’s not popular in the House and the Senate. Which most of his ideas, while I like them, aren’t. That’s why it’s unrealistic
Sanders was never ever going to win in America in the first place . Working class Americans don’t vote for Socialists;
“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”
RONALD WRIGHT, America & Americans
Wally I have peek at the comments section every few days and inevitably you are there forlornly spouting the same garbage. I’d say you are angry all right. Especially when the electorate continuously ignores your message. And you still can’t even tell me when socialists will take power, or are likely too. Might be something more to with how you dismiss so many voters. But you guys win hands down for furious and righteous commentary. Super work on the keyboard Wally, shame it don’t translate to votes.
Hillary? I’ve already said that’s a ridiculous comment. Millions voted for her over Sanders and I did too. They and I don’t take that trash talk seriously.
Some of Sanders aims were practical, others not. Not in the current situation in Congress. Universal healthcare not possible so soon after Obamacare amongst others. It may have escaped your attention, it was quite a fight to get just that.
Anyway, Sanders is a traitor now isn’t he, a slave to the capitalist system zzzzz….
“Not in the current situation in Congress. Universal healthcare not possible so soon after Obamacare amongst others. It may have escaped your attention, it was quite a fight to get just that.”
So you admit then that U.S. “democracy” is largely an illusion. Your Congress is controlled by the representatives of the capitalist class who do not want universal healthcare for the working as it would impact on their profit gouging? Clinton of course is an enthusiastic cheerleader for the same capitalist class.
The US is a Republic, not a democracy
The president can do plenty even with an uncooperative House and Senate if he/she appeals directly to the people, and they trust the president and he has decent approval numbers. Otherwise he must use executive order which can further alienate the president from the people. The most famous was the Emancipation Proclamation which Lincoln feared would cause him to lose the election, but fortunately he did it. Franklin Roosevelt issued the orders to create the WPA as a way to start recovery. He also issued executive orders to detain Japanese-Americans in WW2. Harry Truman issued orders to desegregate the Armed Forces. These are 4 examples and three of them were excellent orders that were the right thing to do and stood the test of time, regardless of an uncooperative Congress.
America has turned into one big septic tank.
God, that is nothing. The woman is evil!
Over 50% of Clinton supporters admit she’s not honest and 33% say they do not even like her.
Interestingly enough Michael Moore is predicting that Trump will win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxzQWIvD0ek
Ricky I think this is the first article the journal have published that might reflect poorly on Hillary. She is SUPER popular with our benevolent press here especially the liberal hacks at the journal. Go Trump Go.
He later explained that it’s because people don’t think he can and that will create complacency on the side if those that don’t want him to win and lead to a low turnout
statistics are a funny kind of thing. theres a great short book called “how to lie with statistics”
63% of people found that book informative and well written
Don’t trust those Clintons.
Is that it?
There is no story here……
Exactly. They left out the part about the DNC effectively writing all their own media coverage and directly controlling journalists. Lefty media like the jurnhole are now omitting details of the biggest scandal of the election season (if you don’t count Hillary not going to jail) and instead attack Donald Trump. I’ll say it over and over:- he has done so little wrong compared to her, it’s all conjecture and optics. The Journal are no doubt taking their cues on Varadkar propaganda the past couple of years from FG officials, as they do with all their spin.
Donald Trump:in a notch overnight from 21/10 to 2/1 and continuing to gain on Hillary. Will be in the White House Nov. 8.
Put your money on Donald Trump now at 2/1.Still a great bet at these odds .
If you’re betting on him to be in the White House Nov 8th you’ll definitely lose. You know bookies odds are affected by money as much as information right?
Ye I’d say you said that when he announced his run and I’d say you backed the Brits to remain!! Lol.
I said he’ll definitely lose because only the current president will be in the White House on Nov 8th. January is a different matter. But don’t let a little thing like facts get in your way.
that’s embarrassing
That is gold!!
@Dave O Keeffe… Only technically are you right about Donald Trump having to wait ’til Jan. On Nov. 8 Hussein Obama officially becomes ‘Lame Duck’. If he doesn’t stop quacking on about Trump after Nov 8 the American people will send him off as a bigger loses than he already is.
Paddy Powers will pay out Nov 9.
They won’t pay out on him being in the White House on Nov 8th though Patrick which is what you wanted people to bet on. Also I’m not just technically right, I’m actually right.
Still talking utter nonsense ,Patrick.
@David O Keefe.. You are too pedantic for your own good. Readers know what I mean and the pay-out is right after the election of Donald Trump in Nov. Ask Paddy Powers!
Patrick I like accuracy, something you have never displayed, even spelled my name wrong
Drew – you really are a tool. The use of ‘we’ in your latest diatribe says so much about you. I’m sure like the majority of people on this forum- had no idea you were such an authority on American politics!! Really – you’re sad on an epic scale.
Democrats disparaging Sander’s… Shocking!!!
Well it’s shocking that it’s considered shocking, most people of any intelligence and engagement in American politics made it clear we thought Sanders was an unelectable quack from day 1.
Sanders is unelectable when compared to Hillary Clinton? What? Are you well?
Donald Trump could well be president because Hillary is the single least electable candidate in the history of American politics. For f*cks sake man, she had to cheat to secure her own party’s nomination against someone who wasn’t even a Democrat last year…..
I haven’t seen any evidence that she was involved in any of this. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, I just haven’t seen it
No of course not dave she’s just the beneficiary as usual.
We all know how easy it is to get Hillarys emails so my guess is if she was in the loop it was always in person
All the emails she was involved in were the ones not marked Classified.
Is that all they go on about over there. Emails emails emails. So long as they’re not a Nigerian prince depriving Mrs McDonald of her life savings are they really that bad
its part-whipped up by the media needing constant scoops and scandals in the era of 24 hour news coverage. this would previously have barely merited a mention
Sanders said that he will sack Schulz when he becomes President. Schulz said that he will never become President. That’s the story? Next they will be criticizing her for saying that it’s sunny outside.
What’s stinks is the fact that senior party figures were discussing how to screw up Sanders’ chance of winning the nomination. These people are supposed to be nuetral as they give everyone a fair playing field (democracy in other words). Sanders wouldnt play ball with the establishment so they shafted him
I don’t think they shafted him because he wouldn’t play ball. Seems to be much more the case that certain elements within the party leadership had already decided who the nominee would be and steered the process in that direction from the beginning. This was more visible at certain times than others (Nevada springs to mind) but you can bet it was ever-present.
Chuck Todd of NBC is bossed around by DNC Chair Debra Wasserman.
Hillary has to pay people to support her !!!
The Washington Post hosts joint fundraisers with the DNC.
DNC got full editorial control of the entire left-wing press.
It’s shocking and disgusting and exactly the kind of tactics used here. Why would Irish media cover up for a western government directing the press? Well, you’ll know when they’re all shilling Varadkar… oh wait, that’s already been happening for years.
‘Ol Clitler is probably in the garden sacrificing a chicken to Moloch (her own words) right now. Even though the Bohemian Grove is an Alex Jones spooky story, that kind of stuff SHOULDN’T be in the email of someone who attended on a regular basis and ISN’T an occultist.
Does anybody really think that the same thing didn’t happen in the Republican party?
Trump said as much and defeated the corrupt establishment, Sanders lost and caved to the corrupt establishment and then sold his loyalty support down the swanny.
Trump would say that if it was true or not. Just like the rest of his bull. Crime is at its lowest point in 20 years, Obama has deported more than any other president
@daveokeeffe . No it did not happen in the GOP . If it did happen Jeb would be where Trump is now . Trump is the outsider anto establishment
The GOP were very honest about not wanting Trump or Cruz all along
God bless WikiLeaks!
Maybe not crooked Hillary more like crooked DNC .
Donald Trump will win, Donald Trump will build the wall! Donald Trump WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
And give himself a tax cut and increase national debt by multiple amounts
I don’t see these revelations having any influence on the outcome of the battle between Clinton and Trump. Sanders is gone. Of course, the establishment of the Democratic Party did not want Sanders. There is nothing new or unexpected in that.
Now we are left with Trump and Clinton. These are 2 unappealing candidates. Clintion is more exposed but Trump is a wild card. Trump is unstable, unreliable, drive by personal ego, unethical, cynical and manipulative. He will be a disaster of a President.
It all now depends on the gullibility of the US electorate.
‘It all now depends on the gullibility of the US electorate.’
Of course this patronising attitude greatly helped the remain side in the Brexit referendum. I fear you’re making the same mistake here.
And remember.
All presidents take a swift turn towards the centre once in office and Trump will be no different if he succeeds.
He’s an interesting candidate in that he has no previous political track record.
4 Presidents had never been elected to public office before becoming President:
Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, Herbert Hoover, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Imagine the course of American history without the intervention of Ulysses S Grant?
Trumps run to centre needs to start now
@Micheal OLainn…………..Donald Trump is Confident,Decisive,Passionate, Is a Good Judge of Character, is very Passionate and Has a Vision to return America to Greatness.
Put you money on Donald Trump!
He can’t say how he’ll do it in case anybody steals his answer though.
Patrick – those mushrooms are getting more powerful ..
Patrick, here are some words thar actually describe Trump, divisive, narcissistic, elitist, thin-skinned.
@David O Keefe…………Exactlly the words -(, divisive, narcissistic, elitist, thin-skinned) that describe your self Dave:-throw in pedantic and inflexible to round it off.
I don’t know Patrick, you seem pretty thin-skinned yourself right about now. Divisive, definitely sums you up as well
have your say