Senate Democrats urge Sanders to temper his tone
Some Senate Democrats are calling on Bernie Sanders to strike a more civil, unifying tone now that his 16- point loss to Hillary Clinton in this week’s New York presidential primary has made it almost certain that she will be the party’s 2016 nominee.
The sharp rhetoric at the candidates’ April 14 Brooklyn debate — when Sanders criticized Clinton’s judgment — is only counterproductive at this point, some of his Senate colleagues say. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democratic leader, said he’s counting on Sanders to help bring party members together at the Philadelphia convention in July.
“Bernie Sanders has earned a place and a voice at the convention, and I think he’s going to have an important role in helping us to unify our party and stand behind Hillary Clinton, who is in my mind clearly on her way to being the nominee,” said Durbin, who is backing Clinton.
Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said he thought Sanders’ tone was constructive early in the campaign. During a debate in October, Sanders got applause at a debate when he said Americans were “sick and tired” of hearing criticism over Clinton’s use of a personal e-mail account while secretary of state.
More recently, Menendez said, “I think the tone has gotten increasingly negative in a way that goes to a personal context that attacks Secretary Clinton’s honesty and integrity.” That doesn’t help for “someone who wants to see Democrats win,” he said.
It’s time for Sanders to start stressing areas of common ground with the former secretary of state, said Senator Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat.
“I’m not going to tell him to get out of the race, but I think it’s important for him to ensure that discussion reflects the fundamental agreement that he has with Hillary on almost every one of the big issues,” Markey said.
Support for Clinton, who was a New York senator for eight years, runs deep in the chamber where she is backed by more than three dozen Senate Democrats, including all of the top party leaders. Sanders, serving his second term as a senator from Vermont, has been endorsed by only one colleague, Jeff Merkley of Oregon. Republicans control the Senate 54-46, though if Clinton can gather enough support in November she could provide coattails to help sweep her party back into power.
In last week’s Democratic debate, Clinton and Sanders angrily interrupted each other as they argued over the minimum wage, breaking up big banks and who is qualified to occupy the Oval Office.
Sanders called Clinton’s judgment into question, pointing to her votes in favor of the Iraq war and some trade deals, along with her willingness to accept money from super- political action committees that raised heavily from Wall Street and other corporate interests.
“I don’t believe that is the kind of judgment we need to be the kind of president we need,” Sanders said.