DNC chair stepping down after convention
PHILADELPHIA — On the heels of a tumultuous Republican convention, Hillary Clinton arrives in Philadelphia eager to show off a forward-looking Democratic Party united behind her steady leadership. To do that, she must overcome lingering bitterness among supporters of defeated rival Bernie Sanders and clean up a resurgent political mess of the party’s own making.
The resignation of Debbie Wasserman Schultz as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee made for a rocky start Sunday, as the Florida congresswoman heeded Sanders’ longstanding call to leave as party chief, announcing she would step down at the end of the convention. The news comes a few days after the publication of 19,000 hacked emails that Sanders said confirmed his belief the national party played favorites for Clinton during the primary.
“The party now needs new
leadership that will open the doors of the party and welcome in working people and young people,” Sanders said.
Wasserman Schultz’s abrupt departure was undoubtedly an effort to keep the Democrats’ gathering from devolving into the tumult that marred last week’s GOP meeting, when runner-up Ted Cruz refused to endorse nominee Donald Trump.
As he demanded that Wasserman Schultz resigns, Sanders made clear he wants to see Clinton in the White House. “I’m going to do everything I can to defeat him, to elect Hillary Clinton and to keep focusing, keep focusing on the real issues facing the American people,” he said on CNN.
Clinton and President Barack Obama quickly praised the departed party chief, hoping to move past the ugliness and onto today’s launch of an optimistic celebration featuring high-powered elected officials and celebrities who will reintroduce Clinton to a general election audience.
Meanwhile, Clinton’s campaign manager, Robby Mook, tried to shift blame for the email hack away onto “Russian state actors” who, he said, may have breached DNC computers “for the purpose of helping Donald Trump.”
How the emails were stolen hasn’t been confirmed.
“It was concerning last week that Donald Trump changed the Republican platform to become what some experts would regard as pro-Russian,” Mook said.
Trump appeared to relish the Democratic chaos Sunday, writing on Twitter: “The Dems Convention is cracking up.” His campaign chief, Paul Manafort, called on Clinton to drop out of the race.
Sanders will address the convention tonight, and Obama will speak Wednesday. Comedian Stephen Colbert walks along the convention floor Sunday during preparations for the Democratic National Convention. Other high-profile speakers include first lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden. They will try to overcome party disunity that seems certain to be a factor, given Wasserman Schultz’s departure and the general unhappiness among many Sanders supporters intensified both by the emails and by Clinton’s pick of Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia to be her running mate.
Norman Solomon, a delegate who supports Sanders, said Wasserman Schultz’s removal was unlikely to soothe those who back the Vermont senator. He said there is talk among Sanders’ delegates of walking out during Kaine’s acceptance speech or turning their backs as a show of protest. Sanders’ supporters believe Kaine is not liberal enough.
Also Sunday, a spokeswoman for Al Gore said the former vice president will be unable to attend the convention due to unspecified “obligations in Tennessee.” Gore is one of eight Tennessee superdelegates, but he’s the only one who is not committed to a candidate. Joey Garrison of USA Today Network — Tennessee contributed to this report.