Sanders under pressure to quit as Democrats look to unite

[webfact]

Sanders under pressure to quit as Democrats look to unite
By ERICA WERNER and JOSH LEDERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under mounting pressure from Democratic leaders to abandon his presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders returned home to Vermont on Wednesday following dispiriting losses to Hillary Clinton. He vowed to fight on for a political revolution but showed signs he would bow to the inevitable and bring his insurgent effort to a close.

For Sanders, as his remarkable White House bid runs out of next stops, the only question is when. Just as important for Sanders is how to keep his campaign alive in some form, by converting his newfound political currency into policies to change the Democratic Party, the Senate or even the country itself, on issues including income inequality and campaign finance reform.

To that end the senator was to travel to Washington on Thursday to meet with President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and speak at a rally. Obama is expected to endorse Clinton as soon as Thursday after his meeting with Sanders, and Reid is prepared to discuss with Sanders how the self-described democratic socialist might advance his goals back in the Senate.

Neither Clinton nor Republican Donald Trump had public events Wednesday, both preparing for the next big hurdle between themselves and the White House — a five-month head-to-head race to November.

Clinton herself did tell The Associated Press in an interview: "I think it's time that we move forward and unite the party and determine how we are going to defeat Donald Trump, which is our highest and most pressing challenge right now."

She said of Sanders: "He has said that he's certainly going to do everything he can to defeat Trump. I'm very much looking forward to working with him to do that."

Ahead of Thursday's meetings, Sanders' Democratic colleagues were growing increasingly outspoken in nudging him to wind down his campaign and throw his support behind Clinton. However, most stopped short of calling on him to drop out right away.

"Let him make that decision. Give him time," Vice President Joe Biden said when asked if it was time for Sanders to halt his effort. Biden was arranging calls with both Sanders and Clinton to discuss the race before making a public endorsement of his own.

Sanders promised to continue his campaign to the last primary contest, in the District of Columbia next Tuesday. But about half his campaign staff is being laid off, two people familiar with the plans said Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the layoffs.

Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania said it was time for the party to unite, "the sooner the better," and Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said Sanders should "stand down."

Even Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the one Senate Democrat to endorse Sanders, said in an interview Wednesday: "We have a nominee, that nominee is Hillary Clinton, congratulations to her for winning the Democratic primary."

Of Sanders, he said, "I think he's laying the groundwork to make sure that we have a unified party at the convention and go into the November battle shoulder to shoulder."

Some Democrats were disappointed that Sanders hadn't acknowledged Clinton's "milestone," as she described it, in becoming the first woman to be the presumptive presidential nominee of a major party. In his speech following Tuesday's primaries in California and New Jersey, which Clinton won easily, Sanders merely mentioned that they had shared a "very gracious call," and that brought boos from the crowd.

The task of persuading Sanders' supporters to fall in line falls in part to Obama, still one of its most popular figures.

Though the White House has signaled for days that a presidential endorsement is imminent, Obama has sought to give Sanders the space to exit the race on his own terms. He has promised to campaign full-throttle for the Democratic nominee.

One big campaign question is whether the voters who helped elect Obama — young people, minorities and women — can be counted on to show up for someone else. To that end, aides said Obama planned to place a particular emphasis on young voters who have formed the core of Sanders' support.

That effort was to start Wednesday evening, when Obama was taping an appearance with "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," a favorite among younger viewers.

On Tuesday Sanders ended his final California rally with three simple words — "The struggle continues" — but his brief address in a Santa Monica airport hangar felt at times like a valedictory as he thanked supporters for "being part of the political revolution."

As the Democratic race was wrapping up, Republicans were unraveling anew. Despite handily winning GOP contests in California, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and Montana on Tuesday, Trump was in damage control mode over his ethnicity-based attacks on a Hispanic judge that had party leaders in fits. After one senator rescinded his endorsement and House Speaker Paul Ryan called the comments "racist," Trump sought to calm worries with a rare, scripted speech in which he insisted to voters he "will never, ever let you down."

Despite Ryan's concerns about Trump's remarks, the speaker reaffirmed his support in a closed-door meeting with fellow GOP lawmakers Wednesday.

___

Associated Press writers Ken Thomas in Los Angeles and Lisa Lerer, Julie Pace, Alan Fram and Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this story.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-09

[Steely Dan]

There is a petition doing the rounds calling for Bernie to stand as an independent. I wholeheartedly endorse this campaign, which would effectively hand the keys of the White House to Donald Trump.

[NovaBlue05]

Bernie and Trump both should have run Independent from the start

[bassman]

Bernie and Trump both should have run Independent from the start

If they would have run independent it would have really shook up the American political landscape as we could have well ended up with four viable parties. The establishment would have really been in a panic as a two party system is so much easier to control.

[Andaman Al]

Well HC just needs Bernie to ride shotgun as vice President and the Dems will cross the winning line first.

[Shot]

Well HC just needs Bernie to ride shotgun as vice President and the Dems will cross the winning line first.

Bernie is too likable, and much more interesting to listen to. He would take the spotlight, and Hill can't have that.

[HenryB]

Trump should take Bernie as VP and guess what that ticket will win

[up2u2]

Hillary, Obama and Bernie will now unite to defeat Trump.

Trump will be a bright orange cooked goose once that onslaught begins. I can't think of a more formidable force than the dynamic tri-axis of political destruction. Trump is going to have to bring more to the table than racial, religious hate speech or 'hash tag whinylittlebitch'.

Hopefully this could be the last convulsive death throws of the Republican Party.

[Rancid]

Suspect Bernie knew from the beginning that the system was rigged and Hilary was the corrupts choice and no alternative would be tolerated.

As such will be interesting to see what he does, to endorse Hilary would be a sell out an and abandonment of moral rectitude unlikely to thrill his supporters.

[Scott]

A post with the aberrant spelling of a politician's name has been removed.

[ilostmypassword]

Trump should take Bernie as VP and guess what that ticket will win

That makes a lot of sense. Trump wants to repeal Dodd Frank and remove what little regulation there is on big banks. Sanders wants to increase regulation on banks and break up the big ones. Trump wants to massively cuts taxes on the wealthy and Sanders wants to sharply raise them. Trump wants no federal increase in minimum wage and Sanders wants to increase it to $15. Trump wants to... I think you get the picture.

Maybe to those who think of governing as theater or therapy such a pairing makes sense. But to people who assume that at least Sanders takes issues seriously, it's utter nonsense.

[sgtsabai]

One thing is for sure, the blue dawg corporate Democrat Party, especially the DNC had this rigged from the git-go. Lame stream corporate media calling the election before the primaries, some evidence of collusion with the DNC/Clinton campaign. The California "election" was a farce with many people denied the right to vote, provisional ballots (which are never counted), broken voting machines, and few polling places. New Mexico, where many expected Bernie to win, was close but as people there are asking how did Bernie take Bernalillo County so strongly and loose the state. I would expect Bernie would give a lukewarm endorsement of her highness and then rip the fascist orange monster. Hopefully he will campaign hard for progressive candidates running for Congress. He and his supporters will demand platform changes that Clintons will promptly throw out the window once in office. If the Green Party were on the ballot in enough states, they are in enough to barely win the electoral vote, I would like to see him run on their ticket, my understanding is Jill Stein has already offered him the top slot. One way or the other, Bernie will occupy a powerful position within the Senate, especially if a miracle occurs and the Dem's take back the Senate. He will remain a thorn in Clintons' side, they are opposites of each other. While the Republican party has for all practical purposes imploded (good), I would like to see the Democrat Party torn apart and the blue dawg corporatists given the boot. The Democrat Party is no longer the party of the people, the Clinton's saw to that. It has to return to the party of "The New Deal".

[dageurreotype]

There is a petition doing the rounds calling for Bernie to stand as an independent. I wholeheartedly endorse this campaign, which would effectively hand the keys of the White House to Donald Trump.

There is also a Facebook movement for Sanders supporters to gather en masse to protest this obviously rigged and corrupted election process. Clinton will not succeed. Indict the bitch.

[dageurreotype]

And while we're on the subject, can those posters decrying the junta proposing an installed government please explain to me the difference between that and that which has been happening with the Democrat's superdelegates? Anyone? And please don't drag out the hackneyed 'well, they can vote' purleeeze

[wabothai]

There is a petition doing the rounds calling for Bernie to stand as an independent. I wholeheartedly endorse this campaign, which would effectively hand the keys of the White House to Donald Trump.

There is also a Facebook movement for Sanders supporters to gather en masse to protest this obviously rigged and corrupted election process. Clinton will not succeed. Indict the bitch.

How could this woman possibly be a democrat?

[mesterm]

Hopefully this could be the last convulsive death throws of the Republican Party.

Are you kidding? Just look at the amount of people backing Trump. Find another figure like him for the next election (but with a less loose tongue), and the Republicans are all set to win - again.

[ilostmypassword]

Hopefully this could be the last convulsive death throws of the Republican Party.

Are you kidding? Just look at the amount of people backing Trump. Find another figure like him for the next election (but with a less loose tongue), and the Republicans are all set to win - again.

It's a question of demographics. The Republicans inordinately depend on appealing to an aging white demographic. As whites consitute a smaller percentage of the population, Repubicans will do worse and worse.

[arjunadawn]

If I'm not mistaken, even the national 'First woman candidate' BS that Hillary Trumps over Sanders is fraudulent. She is not!

Seems Sander's opponent, who offers herself as a heroine for women, has no problem moving another woman, Victoria Woodhull, into the trash heap of history. Now she was a true advocate of woman, not just someone who sat to pee!

[NovaBlue05]

Bernie will get some lies assurances from Clinton that a few key component as of his platform will be given full and open opportunity to advance in her Administration. Then she will pat him on the head like a good, obedient party dog and send him back to obscurity.

[Steely Dan]

There is a petition doing the rounds calling for Bernie to stand as an independent. I wholeheartedly endorse this campaign, which would effectively hand the keys of the White House to Donald Trump.

There is also a Facebook movement for Sanders supporters to gather en masse to protest this obviously rigged and corrupted election process. Clinton will not succeed. Indict the bitch.

How could this woman possibly be a democrat?

Democrats ain't what they used to be, nor are liberals in general for that matter.

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory posts and replies removed.

[ilostmypassword]

If I'm not mistaken, even the national 'First woman candidate' BS that Hillary Trumps over Sanders is fraudulent. She is not!

Seems Sander's opponent, who offers herself as a heroine for women, has no problem moving another woman, Victoria Woodhull, into the trash heap of history. Now she was a true advocate of woman, not just someone who sat to pee!

WHAT'S TRUE: Victoria Woodhull was technically the first female nominee for President in 1872, but no votes for her were recorded or tallied, and she was several months shy of 35 at the time of her campaign and thus technically ineligible to hold office.

WHAT'S FALSE: While newspapers and online news outlets described Clinton as the first female nominee, Clinton herself repeatedly qualified the statement with "[of a] major party"; Clinton did not declare herself the first female presumptive nominee without that qualifier.

http://www.snopes.com/victoria-woodhull-hillary-clinton/

Are you positively allergic to facts? And even if you were correct, which you are not, such a trivial, nitipicking point. Anyway, according to the Constitution, she was too young to be eligible to be President. So does she really count as a candidate. By that logic, a Norwegian could run for President and be counted as a candidate.

[Basil B]

Elizabeth Warren for vice President?

A dream ticket or a poisoned chalice? for the Democrats

Me think it was hard enough getting a black man in to the White house but two women, IMHO no way, just too many bigoted sexist males in America.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Basil B

[ilostmypassword]

Elizabeth Warren for vice President?

A dream ticket or a poisoned chalice? for the Democrats

Me think it was hard enough getting a black man in to the White house but two women, no way just to many bigoted sexist males in America.

On the other hand, she really is a candidate who can legitimately claim to stand up to Wall Street and the moneyed elite on behalf of the middle class. What's more, unlike Sanders, she really knows all the details of policy and laws.

[sirineou]

Both Republicans and Democrats simply want to obtain or maintain power and the hell with the country, if they thought a poop throwing monkey was th was their chance best chance to do this ,they would all unite behind the monkey.An improvement if you ask me over the current choices.

I dont think a Sanders Third party candidacy would automatically hand the presidency to Trump.

With Sanders there , we at least have a chance at a good person winning. With out him , regardless of who wins, we are screwed.

I would rather see Trump win than vote for Hillary! At least with Trump ,it could all be an act and in the end he could do the right thing, With Hillary

we are certain of what we will get.

[ilostmypassword]

Both Republicans and Democrats simply want to obtain or maintain power and the hell with the country, if they thought a poop throwing monkey was th was their chance best chance to do this ,they would all unite behind the monkey.An improvement if you ask me over the current choices.

I dont think a Sanders Third party candidacy would automatically hand the presidency to Trump.

With Sanders there , we at least have a chance at a good person winning. With out him , regardless of who wins, we are screwed.

I would rather see Trump win than vote for Hillary! At least with Trump ,it could all be an act and in the end he could do the right thing, With Hillary

we are certain of what we will get.

If you want a really right wing supreme court, go for Trump.