Discussion for article #245969
I already said this on the Madeleine Albright apology thread, but rather than re-write it to say more or less the same thing I’ll just cut and paste this time:
“In the interest of unity, I want to clarify the statement I made at Thursday’s news conference,” Lewis said in a statement from the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, which endorsed Clinton on Thursday.
“I was responding to a reporter’s question who asked me to assess Sen. Sanders’ civil rights record. I said that when I was leading and was at the center of pivotal actions within the Civil Rights Movement, I did not meet Sen. Bernie Sanders at any time. The fact that I did not meet him in the movement does not mean I doubted that Sen. Sanders participated in the Civil Rights Movement, neither was I attempting to disparage his activism. Thousands sacrificed in the 1960s whose names we will never know, and I have always given honor to their contribution.”
Very cool, and exactly what I would have expected from a thoughtful leader like John Lewis.
Before anyone complains that this is not a “real apology,” let me hasten to say that’s because Lewis didn’t owe anyone an apology. I don’t even think he really owed anyone a clarification, but since some media were trying to exaggerate his statement and sow resentment – and sadly some of my fellow Bernie supporters chose to run with that and put the worst possible interpretation on Lewis’ original comment – Lewis has chosen to offer a clarification, and I applaud him for it.
This is exactly how we keep the family together for the battle in November.
As Lewis said – “In the interest of unity.”
#####[Standard Disclaimer: This commenter wishes it to be known that in November he or she plans to vote for the Democratic nominee, whoever that turns out to be, and will encourage their fellow primary candidate supporters to do likewise.]
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Last night I watch Chris Hayes interview Harry Belafonte. Mr. Belafonte, a Sanders supporter, made a very good point. In the 1960’s at the time for the civil rights marches, Bernie Sanders was a young man in his 20’s who had absolutely no platform from which to project his presents. He was one of many young individuals who anonymously march in solidarity. Of course John Lewis wouldn’t remember Sanders. BTW, I was amazed at how sharp Harry Belafonte is for a guy going on 89 years old.
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The Democrats walked into a trap when they allowed Sanders to run in the Democratic Primary. Many of Sanders supporters, maybe the majority are not Democrats. Most of them do not like President Obama and are not backing the Democrats in supoort of a Democratic Party and their President. It has become evident to me, Sanders supporters trash Hillary supporters as well as Hillary Clunton we see that every day. The Party will not come together when there is a nominee Sanders supporters because they are not democrats, and Hillary Supporters because of the damage Sanders has done to the Party.
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I want to take this opportunity again to congratulate Secretary Clinton and her organization and supporters for waging a vigorous campaign. I hope that in the days ahead we can continue to wage a strong, issue oriented campaign, and bring new people into the political process.
But, I also hope that we all remember – and this is a message not just to our opponents, but to those who support me as well – that we will need to come together in a few months and unite this party, and this nation because the right-wing Republicans we oppose must not be allowed to gain the presidency.
– Bernie Sanders, during his victory speech the night of the New Hampshire primary.
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Sanders says on his campaign website…
The Ap research staff must have weekends off.
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esperia- The only “trash” I see here is coming from you. I’ve been a Dem since 1970 - what’s your record? The comments above yours were thoughtful and considerate. They showed appreciation for Lewis, and recognition of the importance of all of us pulling together in November. So why are you trying to stir up trouble?
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Lewis is “softening his dismissal” of Sanders’ work? When did he dismiss Sanders? Who is driving the wedge into this non-issue? AP? TPM? Because I don’t think Lewis said anything that resembles a dismissal and therefor he has nothing to “walk back” or apologize for. The divisiveness is not coming from the candidates - it’s coming from the media.
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Sorry to disappoint you but I have been a lifelong, progressive, yellow dog Democrat. I have been a Sanders supporter since he entered the race. I will not support Hillary Clinton or any other Third Way Democrat. I know many voters just like me. Just remember too that many Independents are former, disillusioned Democrats and Republicans. There is a very good reason why we are disillusioned and I dare say, de facto disenfranchised.
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Bernie’s actual activism and leadership while at the University of Chicago is a matter of historical record:
Bernie’s role was a modest one, and he as never claimed otherwise. In fact when asked about his role he has specifically mentioned that his involvement was nothing compared to civil rights activists who were having their heads cracked by cops in the south, having police dogs and fire-hoses turned on them, and being killed by the KKK. Bernie was supporting the fight like many thousands of other activists, students and otherwise, but he has never claimed to have been on the front lines in the South, much less claimed to be a leader on the level of John Lewis.
But I have seen a couple articles and opinion pieces that seemed to exaggerate his role, and not just pieces by obvious Bernie supporters. One mainstream article said something like “Sanders was a high-profile leader in the civil rights movement during his time at the University of Chicago.” No he wasn’t. It would be fair, however, to rearrange those words a bit and say that he was a “high profile leader among students active in the civil rights movement at the University of Chicago during his time there.”
Which is an honorable role that he and his supporters are justly proud of – but I think what Lewis’ original statement was aimed at was dispelling any exaggerated version of Bernie’s role, by pointing out that his involvement wasn’t high-profile enough that he would have come to the attention of national-level civil rights leaders like John Lewis. But Bernie’s actual role is undisputed, which Lewis was kind enough to point out in this clarifying statement – something he didn’t have to do but did anyway, because not only is John Lewis a civil rights icon and a great Congressman, he’s also a person of great integrity.
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An admittedly childish response, but blow me.
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Seriously, WTF is up with that. AP? Bernie’s modest, local leadership role in civil rights activism at the University of Chicago is well-documented and undisputed and this takes all of 30 seconds to confirm with a quick Google search. Bernie was the chair of the campus chapter of CORE ( for any youngsters who might be unfamiliar with the acronyms, that’s the Congress on Racial Equality) and was also involved with SNCC (the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) on campus.
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I’ve been a Democrat since 8th grade when I supported Adlai Stevenson. Sanders has my support until the time that someone else becomes the party nominee. Sanders has conducted a civil campaign, something Republicans seem incapable of, with the possible exception of John Kasich. I will vote for the Democratic nominee, who I hope will be Bernie. My family and friends, also lifelong Democrats, feel the same way. Sanders supporters will vote for Hillary if she is the nominee - because they know that none of Bernie’s (our) issues can be addressed if there’s a Republican in the White House.
esperia is nuts.
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Do Not Feed The Concern Trolls
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As we have seen, his supporters don’t seem to care what Bernie is actually saying, the vile, racist attacks on John Lewis and pretty much everyone who did chose to endorse Clinton over Sanders shows this.
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Thank you, Rep. John Lewis. Considering how your statement has been a little twisted, I am really happy you decided to speak up. Congressman John Lewis is a sincere and classy man.
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It’s this attitude that makes Republican control of legislatures possible. Don’t support the Democratic nominee, by all means, but don’t pretend that it somehow makes you a progressive Democrat, your “disillusionment” and that your friends is the attitude that has been screwing over the country and handing power to the ever crazy Republicans WHO VOTE.
You’re the ones disenfranchising yourselves and allowing the idiocy to go on. A failure to vote out of pique for not getting your way is a de facto vote for the GOP. There is no getting around that, period.
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As you can see on the Twitter feeds and his own FB page, it’s the Berniebots who attack anyone who does not support their guy. The nastiness of the dialogue shows you exactly where that Bernie-bro narrative is coming from and why it’s a very real thing.
The divisiveness is coming also from the online echo chamber of the Bernie supporters who magnify and exaggerate pretty much everything, even running with pure right wing fabrication rather often, and even when it’s pointed out that they’re literally using Rove’s talking points to do so.
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Oh, it was not Bernie supporters only. Propaganda originally meant “to sow or disperse (such as seeds)”. John Lewis’ original “broadcast” of seeds will continue to propagate weeds in voters’ feelings throughout the primary contests - as intended!
However," in the interest of unity", I will acknowledge that he has apologized and may now take his seat alongside Madeline Albright and Gloria Steinem on stage behind the candidate’s podium. There is still room and time enough for more such walked-back endorsements.
You don’t need a home store to find a kitchen sink; nor do you need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows!
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Recheck your premise.
The Democrats walked into a trap when they allowed the idea of an inevitable Hillary Clinton Presidency to dominate their thinking for so many years.
The rest is commentary.
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