Vox editor Ezra Klein was subjected to the wrath of liberal critics of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the latest battle between the progressive and centrist wings of the Democratic party.

Klein came under attack when he tried to put the endorsement of Sanders by popular podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan into historical context.

"[O]bama actively courted a lot of racially resentful and conservative voters," tweeted Klein.





"[R]ight before the 08 election, he made a huge deal of colin powell's endorsement, despite powell helping push America into the iraq war. whatever obama was, he wasn't a practitioner of purity politics," he added.



The comparison of Sanders to former President Barack Obama, and also Rogan to Colin Powell drew rancorous condemnations from those angry at Rogan's endorsement.

"Love to compare one of the most successful and decorated black people of all time with a...white podcast host," said writer Kara Brown.

"Colin Powell endorsed Obama, in part, after racist and xenophobic rhetoric were made by the GOP during the 2008 campaign, and Powell felt troubled by their bigotry," replied transgender activist Charlotte Clymer. "That is far and away different from Rogan's transphobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic bull**it."



"I had this cat muted a while ago. Saw responses to his tweets and looked to see what people were responding to. Y'all need to keep Black people out your mouths—especially if it's to use them as some sh**ty counterargument for the missteps of white men. Clowns. Back to being muted," responded Huffington Post writer Cesar Vargas.

"Maybe — just maybe — it's totally different for a black politician to soothe racist fears over his own person than for white podcasters to appeal to white voters' bigotry and give legitimacy to a racist sense of 'grievance' over their diminishing power," said another social media user.

Another Democratic skirmish broke out when Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) confirmed a report that claimed Sanders told her that a woman couldn't be elected president in a private meeting.

Warren then confronted Sanders in a heated interaction after a Democratic debate, and the encounter was captured on audio.

Here's more on the Joe Rogan meltdown: