RE: NBC and politico stories from ASDC are up

From:MirandaL@dnc.org To: PaustenbachM@dnc.org Date: 2016-05-20 21:19 Subject: RE: NBC and politico stories from ASDC are up

I addressed that with Buckley, he's going to be more careful in how he says it. ________________________________ Jesus Just don't want it to look like we're preventing people from speaking at all. Mark Paustenbach National Press Secretary & Deputy Communications Director Democratic National Committee 202.863.8148 paustenbachm@dnc.org<mailto:paustenbachm@dnc.org> On May 20, 2016, at 5:38 PM, Miranda, Luis <MirandaL@dnc.org<mailto:MirandaL@dnc.org>> wrote: Nope. Chairs are afraid. Some people are telling Sanders supporters to bring 2x4s to the Wyoming convention. ________________________________ The first line of Seitz-Wald's piece is a little strong, no? Mark Paustenbach National Press Secretary & Deputy Communications Director Democratic National Committee 202.863.8148 paustenbachm@dnc.org<mailto:paustenbachm@dnc.org> Begin forwarded message: Only flag is that Bernie-land could spin this is as Dems trying to silence him at convention, but on the whole, these stories aren’t bad. MSNBC: Democrats consider new rules to avoid convention chaos<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/democrats-consider-new-rules-avoid-convention-chaos> 05/20/16 04:53 PM By Alex Seitz-Wald<http://www.msnbc.com/byline/alex-seitz-wald> PHILADELPHIA – Still reeling from the chaos surrounding last weekend’s Nevada Democratic State Convention, party officials considered new guidelines Friday that would bar interruptions of any kind at upcoming state conventions. Last week’s unrest was on everyone’s mind at a meeting here of State Democratic Party chairmen, who rallied around Roberta Lange, the Nevada chair who has received death threats from supporters of Bernie Sanders. “Any one of us could be Roberta one day,” Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said. “But none of us are going to stand for it.” In a speech dedicated almost entirely to projecting confidence that the party will ultimately unify, Wasserman Schultz drew on her experience as a die-hard Hillary Clinton supporter in 2008. “To say that I was not very well-liked by then-Sen. Obama’s supporters would be an understatement. Despised might be more accurate,” Wasserman Schultz said. “I share that story with you because I want to remind everyone that we have been down this road before.” She mocked the “media’s love affair with notions of party discord” and said she was “confident that we will channel the passion and energy from our primary into unity behind a common purpose.” Last week’s convention in Las Vegas devolved into chaos. Sanders supporters loudly objected to the procedure, claiming their supporters were being disenfranchised. It stretched on for hours as officials lost control, before security finally shut down the event. Unrest continued the next day when the Democratic Party’s headquarters were vandalized by graffiti and Lange received threats. The incident has led Democrats to worry about unrest at the Democratic National Convention, which will take place here in July. Some Sanders supporters have already promised protests. Sanders supporters loudly objected to the procedure, claiming their supporters were being disenfranchised. As state party chairs, they were also worried about the dozen or so state conventions that will occur before the national event. Some expressed particular concern about Wyoming’s convention, scheduled for next week. “The experience of the Nevada Convention demands that action be taken,” said Ray Buckley, the New Hampshire party chairman, who also serves as president of the Association of State Democratic Party Chairs. He said every state party was “stunned and saddened” by what happened in Nevada, but that state was not alone in seeing “bad behavior” at party events. Buckley called on the Sanders campaign, along with the Clinton’s campaign and the DNC, to agree to eight new guidelines to ensure peace at upcoming state conventions. The guidelines called for cost sharing for extra security, more meetings to hammer out issues ahead of time and for senior officials with both campaigns to be on the floor of the convention to help reign in supporters if need be. He also called on all parties to agree that conventions should proceed “without interruption or interference of any manner,” including “auditory or visual distractions.” Jaxon Ravens, the chairman of the Washington State Party, added that party officials should take extra safety and security precautions at state party offices. Several party chairs stood to publicly thank Lange. “It’s not about Nevada any more, it’s about all of us,” she replied. Lange told MSNBC that she is still receiving threats from Sanders supporters and fears for her safety. She said she has yet to hear from the Sanders campaign. Clinton campaign manage Robby Mook briefly addressed the group Friday and will speak again Saturday. Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver was scheduled to appear, but canceled, several sources said. Sanders’ political director addressed the group Thursday. After Nevada chaos, Dems propose new rules for state conventions<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/democratic-party-convention-rules-223428> By GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI<http://www.politico.com/staff/gabriel-debenedetti> 05/20/16 04:59 PM EDT PHILADELPHIA — Democratic Party leaders are proposing a set of new rules governing conduct at upcoming state party conventions to avoid a repeat of the chaos in Nevada that has sent worries about party unity up the spines of Democrats nationwide. Speaking to fellow party chairs at the spring meeting of the Association of State Democratic Chairs in Philadelphia, the group’s leader, New Hampshire's Raymond Buckley, laid down a set of guidelines that would commit the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigns to maintaining an active presence at the remaining events. He said both campaigns have agreed to follow through. “Every state party was stunned and saddened by what was alleged to have occurred in Nevada. Unfortunately, while Nevada has gotten the most coverage, it’s not the only example of bad behavior at a state party convention this year, and that needs to be addressed,” Buckley said to a conference room of elected Democrats in the Sheraton Downtown hotel, referring to the discordant Saturday convention that had to be shut down by hotel security after Sanders supporters protested the proceedings, believing the rules were being changed unfairly and that their representatives were not being properly seated. In the days since the meeting, at which Sanders backers also shouted down Clinton-backing California Sen. Barbara Boxer, Nevada Democratic Party Chairwoman Roberta Lange has received death threats and abuse from Sanders supporters. “It is not acceptable for a state chair, or anyone participating within the Democratic Party for that matter, to be the victim of death threats or have their families’ safety or jobs threatened,” Buckley said. The proposals — which drew no audible protests — include having the campaigns and DNC commit to sending senior staff members to be on site for the conventions, having the convention leaders provide their proposed rules to both campaigns and the DNC at least 48 hours early, ensuring all speakers run without interruptions, and securing a commitment from both campaigns and the national party to help with the cost of any needed law enforcement or security. The plan came at the top of the meeting’s public afternoon session, shortly before party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz spoke. Most of the meeting — which was attended by Sanders deputy campaign manager Rich Pelletier and political outreach director Nick Carter, as well as Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook — was dedicated to logistical planning for July’s national convention. The other four legs of Buckley’s proposal are to have the campaigns and DNC commit to meeting with the state party about their concerns the day before the convention, have the state parties work to ensure every delegate is properly registered and explained, make sure all delegates can participate safely, and have the campaigns and DNC be willing to assist in enforcing these rules. Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/democratic-party-convention-rules-223428#ixzz49EWWli55 Follow us: @politico on Twitter<http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=bKDyiUp9mr3OhNab7jrHcU&u=politico> | Politico on Facebook<http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=bKDyiUp9mr3OhNab7jrHcU&u=Politico> Eric Walker walkere@dnc.org<mailto:walkere@dnc.org> 732-991-1489 @ericmwalker<https://twitter.com/ericmwalker>