Democratic National Committee and the Association of State Democratic Chairs Summer Meetings

Thursday, August 27th through Saturday, August 29th

Hilton Minneapolis

DNC Summer Meeting Schedule All times are Central Standard Times         

Thursday, August 27, 2015
9:00am   ASDC General Session
2:00pm   Small Business Council
2:00pm   Rural Council
2:00pm   Rules and Bylaws Committee
4:30pm   Resolutions Committee
6:00pm   Credentials Committee
 
Friday, August 28, 2015
8:00am   Executive Committee  
10:00am DNC General Session 1
1:00pm   DNC General Session 2
3:00 pm  Eastern Caucus
3:00 pm  Western Caucus
3:00 pm  Midwestern Caucus
3:00 pm  Southern Caucus
4:00 pm  AAPI Caucus
4:00 pm  Black Caucus
4:00 pm  Hispanic Caucus
4:00 pm  Ethnic Caucus
5:30 pm  Women’s Caucus
 
Saturday, August 29, 2015
8:00am    Labor Council
9:00am    LGBT Caucus
10:00am  Seniors Council
10:00am  Youth Council
11:00am  Vets & Military Council
 
Democratic Presidential Candidates to Deliver Remarks at the DNC Summer Meeting - General Session 
 
Hilton Minneapolis
1001 S. Marquette Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403 
 
DNC General Session 1: Estimated Event Time:  10:00 AM CST – 12:00 PM CST
DNC General Session 2: Estimated Event Time:  1:00 PM CST – 3:00 PM CST


Ed. Notes
-Former Gov. Lincoln Chafee, former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, former Gov. Martin O'Malley and Sen. Bernie Sanders addressed the meeting.  Former Sen. Jim Webb had been scheduled to appear (+) but skipped the event. 

-On Aug. 27, 2015 The Washington Post and other outlets reported that the Clinton campaign had signed a joint fundraising agreement with the DNC.

Democractic National Committee

DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
DNC Summer Meeting
Minneapolis, MN

[excerpts of remarks as prepared for delivery]

“Every single one of our candidates believes to their core that middle class families are worth fighting for, and those still struggling to get there themselves. The next Democratic candidate – no matter who he or she may be – is committed to ensuring all Americans have a level playing field and a fair shot to get ahead.
 
“The same cannot be said for the Republican Party.  Simply, they are out-of-touch, and their policies are outdated. They want to turn back the clock, to the failed policies of the past.  It doesn’t matter how many candidates Republicans have, because they’re all working from the same, old, tired Republican playbook of policies that hurt women, immigrants, and the middle class. 

“Last week Scott Walker came here to Minnesota and announced his so-called health care plan. I bet you can guess what it does:
- Immediately takes away health care coverage from 19 million Americans;
- Puts insurance companies back in control, allowing them to discriminate against women and make it harder to get insurance if you have a pre-existing condition;
- Increases seniors’ out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and preventive care; and
- Cuts health funding for low-income seniors, people with disabilities, children, pregnant women and others who depend on Medicaid.
 
“Sound familiar? Of course it does, because it’s the same Republican repeal plan they’ve been pushing for years.
 
“The Affordable Care Act has survived two Supreme Court cases, nearly sixty votes to repeal it in the House of Representatives, and a presidential election already. And 16 million Americans have insurance because of it!
 
“But every Republican running for President has pledged to repeal the law, taking that peace of mind away from millions of Americans.”
 

 
“Within the last month, we’ve celebrated the 50th anniversaries of Medicare and Medicaid, and the 80th anniversary of Social Security!
 
“These programs represent a sacred promise between America and its people. Representing south Florida, I know first-hand how many older Americans rely on Medicare and Social Security so they can retire with the dignity they deserve.
 
“Democrats put these programs in place and we intend to keep our promise, and to strengthen it as well. But Republicans – they’re looking for any excuse they can to break that promise.
 
“Many Republicans, including Rand Paul and Chris Christie, have suggested raising the retirement age, pushing the prospect of a secure retirement further out of reach for many Americans. Jeb Bush supported his brother’s plan to partially privatize Social Security and ‘phase out’ Medicare, putting Americans at risk of losing their retirement savings with the ups and downs of Wall Street. And John Kasich suggested his plan would cut benefits for Baby Boomers – who are already nearing retirement age and counting on the Social Security benefits they’ve earned.
 
“The Republican field simply doesn’t know or worse doesn’t care about what keeps senior citizens and middle class families up in the middle of the night, and they never will.”
 

 
“Unfortunately, it seems like the only way we are talking about immigration reform in this country is in response to what Donald Trump says.  Trump launched his campaign with a slew of hateful rhetoric about Mexican immigrants, propelling him right to the top of the Republican polls.
 
“While some Republicans have tried to distance themselves from Trump’s hateful rhetoric, the fact is they endorse some of the same policies.
 
“For example – last week Trump launched a debate about whether we should deny children the American citizenship they are guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Republicans rushed to follow his lead – Scott Walker, Bobby Jindal, Ted Cruz, and Ben Carson all came out against birthright citizenship. Even Marco Rubio questioned it, and Jeb Bush called for greater enforcement against the U.S. citizen children of undocumented immigrants, using a vile term to describe them that I won’t repeat here.
 
“That’s right; it’s their language and their policies that are offensive.”
 
...
 
“Over the next fifteen months, remember that contrast, and remember what’s at stake in this election.

“Will we as Democrats keep moving our nation forward, building on the success of middle class economics to help families get ahead?

“Or do we give Republicans a chance to turn back the clock to the failed policies of the past, undoing the progress we’ve fought so hard to achieve?”


Former Gov. Lincoln Chafee (RI)
DNC Summer Meeting
Minneapolis, MN
August 28, 2015

[Democracy in Action transcript]

Thank you, Mayor.  Thank you R.T.  very much.  Good morning.  What a beautiful city we're in.  I was very lucky to come here yesterday afternoon and take a walk down by the Mississippi River and over to the Old Mill District.  Great city.  And construction going on everywhere.  That's a good sign, especially under Democratic leadership.


We as Democrats have five great candidates running for president, and if you add up all the years of facing the voters of these five candidates there are 92 years of serving in elective office.
The leading Republican hasn't served a minute of facing the voters and serving in elective office.  We as five candidates have 92 years combined.

This is a big decision obviously in 2016, our great country the United States of America and who is going to be our leader.  And I believe that three things should come into your mind if you decide who's going to be the next president, the 45th president. 

First, the past record--how have you performed? 

Secondly, your character--who are you, are you honest and courageous? 

Thirdly, what's the vision--where are we going to take this great country, the United States of America?

I'll tell you a little bit about myself.  As the Mayor said, I'm the only candidate running that's been a mayor, a Senator and a governor.  Eleven years as a councilman or mayor at the local level, and that means I know how to plow the snow, I know how to pick up the trash, I know how to have good schools; all the important things and keep property taxes down.  I wouldn't have been re-elected three times if I wasn't doing those things. And I see over in Lebanon, in Beirut, the government's going to be toppled because they can't pick up the trash.  Very basic stuff you learn at the local level.

And then I went to the United States Senate and I was there for the bad years of Bush and Cheney.  Those were bad years.  And even though I was a Republican back then, right away I knew they were on the wrong track, and I voted against the big tax cuts that favored the wealthy and took surpluses and turned them into deficits.  And then we had September 11th and the drumbeat for a war in Iraq and I saw through the reasons that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was a threat, and I voted against the war in Iraq.

And for you Minnesotans, your two Senators who were Mark Dayton, Sen. Dayton at the time, now governor, and of course the great, one of my heroes, Paul Wellstone, were the two Minnesota senators that joined the 23 to see through those false premises of war in Iraq.

I was a reliable vote for the environment time and time again.  I recognized that carbon dioxide and human activity were causing climate change and was there on every vote to regulate carbon dioxide, to prevent drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

I stood strong on civil liberties time and time again, on abortion rights, a women's right to choose over and over again.  LGBT rights over and over again.  On immigration there was a good bill called McCain-Kennedy, and there were only nine co-sponsors back ten years ago in 2005.  I was one of the nine bipartisan that stepped up and said yes we need a path to citizenship, yes we need some border security, and I was one of the nine co-sponsors of that good bill.  I think we should bring it back--dust it off and bring it back and get it passed.

I voted against Sam Alito to the Supreme Court; I think I've been justified on that.  And stopped John Bolton from going to the United Nations.

Also I'm proud that I was part of something called the Gang of 14, a bipartisan group that got together work to cross that partisan divide; seven Democrats and seven Republicans coming together in the Gang of 14.  That's what we need more of in Washington obviously.

So I'm proud of the tough votes I took under pressure, that's always a good test, under pressure, how you perform.  I'm proud of those positions I've taken in the United States Senate.

And then, as R.T. said, became governor of Rhode Island in the depths of the recession.  We had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.  Our people were losing their jobs and their homes to foreclosure.  But we stepped up, did the hard work, got our people back to work and we had the biggest drop of unemployment over my budgets of all but four states. 

At the same time, as R.T. said, passing marriage equality.  And we had the highest Roman Catholic state in the country, so that wasn't easy.  We tried in previous years to get it passed, and I made it a priority; I put it in my inaugural address.  I think it's important not only for people that love each other obviously, but also for our economy.  I wanted a  tolerant atmosphere; that's what makes an economy grow. 

And it was also very controversial, you see it playing out nationally, on getting undocumented students the right to have in-state tuition, the DREAM Act.  And we worked hard for that; I got that passed.  It wasn't easy.  There were a lot of protesters coming out as we pushed that through.

And of course one of the best roll-outs of the Affordable Care Act.  Very, very proud of that; that didn't just happen.  I had to work at it, make sure we had a good team ready.  This isn't going to be easy, getting people to sign up for exchange.  We did it and I'm very proud of that.

And all through these almost 30 years of public service I've had no scandals.  That's not easy in Rhode Island.  So I'm proud of that.  High ethical standards, the courage to take tough votes, I'm honest with our people, and I don't flip-flop.  I'm proud that I'm consistent on the issues.

The vision for the future.  Ladies and gentlemen, I served on the Foreign Relations Committee when I was in the Senate, and I was lucky to chair the Western Hemisphere subcommittee so I've been all through this hemisphere, down through Central America, South America, I had dinner with Fidel Castro in Havana, I've met many of the world leaders in Venezuala, Bolivia, Morales, in Ecuador Carrea phon, in Brazil, Peru, throughout the Western hemisphere, and then I became the chair of the Middle East subcommittee, and traveled throughout Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Iraq, many of the countries in the Middle East, Lebanon, and met the world leaders there.

And we see now, with what happened with the Chinese currency and how it affected our stock market that the cliche is true: the world is flat.  We are all connected.

And I'm running for president because I know we have big challenges out there, and I want to address them, make it a priority.  We see the refugees fleeing the war-torn nations of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Eritrea, and not only is it a human tragedy, but I fear as they flood into Europe, the destabilizing of the governments there.  We see in the United States of America what right-wing groups can do when you have fear and anger with such a crisis occuring.  So the rise of right-wing groups in Europe really is one of my concerns. 

Of course the Iran deal--let's have a hand for President Obama and Secretary Kerry.  This is the way we're going to address these conflicts overseas because everyone's talking about the Iran deal, how we stopped Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but the other positive element of this Iran deal is that it was put together with the help of the Russians, with the help of the Chinese, with the help of the Brits, with the help of the Germans, with the help of the French, and that's how we're going to solve these conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, especially with the Russians, the Chinese and the Europeans.  And that's why it's so important to get this passed, not only because it stops Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, but it brings us together to work on resolving these conflicts overseas.

So I do believe that prosperity comes through peace, and that's why I'm running for president; I want to make this a priority, addressing these conflicts overseas and ending them.  All of us as Democrats are going to agree on many issues as our madame chair said.  We're going to agree on the environment, we're going to agree on women's issues, we're going to agree on the Affordable Care Act.  I'm the one running for president that's talking about ending these conflicts overseas.  I came up from the Vietnam era and I really want to see our future generations not have to go through these endless conflicts.  So--

And I do believe, I do believe that 2016 is going to be a great year for Democrats.  I do believe that.  Because we are right on the key issues.

 We're right on income inequality, and the Republicans are all wrong.  They turned surplus into deficits and they like giving the rich more tax breaks.  They're wrong on that issue. 

Democrats are right on universal health care.  Who wants to go to the emergency room again with a five-hour wait to get your sprained ankle taken care of. 

We're right on immigration, the fastest growing voting block in the country.  Of course you want that people to be treated with respect and to vote Democratic. 

We're right on the environment and Republicans are wrong.  Human activity is causing climate change.  We are right on that issue and we do see it happening with extreme weather. 

And everybody knows the Supreme Court affects our lives for decades to come.  We have to have a Democratic president and a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House.

And we are right, these are Republican wars over there.  They started these wars.  We're right and we're going to end them.

Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen.  Prosperity through peace.  Enjoy your convention; enjoy Minneapolis.  Thank you.


Former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton
DNC Summer Meeting
Minneapolis, MN
August 28, 2015

[transcript provided by the campaign]

HILLARY CLINTON:  Whoa!  Thank you.  Thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)
 
Thank you all so much.  Thank you very much and thank you all so much, it's great being here with a room full of Democrats.  And I want to thank Stephanie; I want to thank Debbie and all the elected officials, party leaders, and grassroots organizers who, every day, help strengthen families and communities across our nation.  You're building our party in every country, every district, and every state and I want to be your partner every step of the way.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
I also want to give a big shout out to a giant of the Democratic Party, someone who's devoted his life to serving his fellow Americans and who has inspired and encouraged so many of us over the years, the great Walter Mondale.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
You know, we Democrats believe that in an America where no matter who you are or where you come from you should have an equal shot at success.  That's the America we love.  That's the America we're fighting for. 
 
And, fundamentally, that's what's at stake in this election, whether our country keeps moving toward opportunity and prosperity for all or whether Republicans get another chance to rip away the progress we've worked so hard to achieve.
 
Now we've come a long way these past six-and-a-half years.  But let's not forget what we inherited from the Republicans:  The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of the American people and the leadership of President Obama (cheers, applause) we're standing again.  But we're not yet running like we should.
 
This election is about who best understands the pressures facing our families and the challenges facing us in the world and who has the skills and tenacity to tackle them.  Today families are stretched in a million directions and so are their budgets.  Costs for everything from prescription drugs to childcare to college are going up faster than wages.
 
A full-time minimum wage job can’t lift you out of poverty.  Middle-class paychecks haven't increased even though corporate profits and CEO pay keeps rising.  And at a time when more women than ever are their family's main breadwinner, too often -- can you believe it -- they still don't get equal pay.  And unions that helped create the great American middle class are under concerted attack by Republicans and their allies.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
And think of the millions of Americans being held back by student debt.  They can't start a business.  They can't buy a house.  They can't even get married because of the loans hanging over their heads.  That's not the way it's supposed to be in America.
 
In America, if you work hard and do your part, you should be able to get ahead and stay ahead.  That is the basic bargain (cheers, applause) that is the basic bargain that made this country great and that Democrats have worked so hard over the years to strengthen and defend.
 
That bargain is what kept my grandfather going to work in a Scranton lace mill factory every day.  It's what led my father to believe that if he saved and sacrificed, his small business printing fabric in Chicago could provide us with a middle class life.  And you know what, it did.
 
When my husband put people first and made that bargain mean something again in the 1990s, we had 23 million new jobs, a balanced budget, and for the first time in decades when we all grew together, not just those at the top but everyone.  (Cheers, applause.)  And when President Obama did it, we pulled back from the brink of depression, saved the auto industry, curbed Wall Street abuses, and provided health care to 16 million people.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
You know, the evidence is pretty clear, the basic bargain works.  If everyone does their fair share and everyone gets a fair shot, our whole country succeeds.  And that success doesn't just go to a few, it's widely shared.  Democrats have proved that again and again.
 
 Now it is up to us to renew that bargain for a new generation.  To do what we know works and what we know is right.  We've got to make sure that every American gets a chance to pursue his or her dreams to live up to their God-given potential.
 
That's what I'll do as President.  That's what people tell me they want as I've crisscrossed the country listening.  Like the single mom who's juggling a job and classes at community college, all while raising three kids alone.  She's doing what she has to do to give herself and her kids a good life.  She doesn't expect anything to come easy.  But she asked me:  Isn't there anything we can do, so it isn't quite so hard?  Or the student who told me that paying for college shouldn't be the hardest thing about going to college.  (Cheers, applause.)  Or the grandmother who's raising her grandchild because her daughter is hooked on heroin and now she needs help with childcare while she goes back to work.
 
I believe raising incomes and supporting families is the defining economic challenge of our time.  (Cheers, applause.)  And that's why I've made it the focus of my campaign and it will be my mission every single day in the White House.
 
Now, these aren't new fights for you or for me.  My first job out of law school wasn't at a big firm, it was at the Children's Defense Fund.  And a few years later, I started an organization called Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.  My whole life, I've worked to even the odds for people who have the odds stacked against them.  That's what we Democrats do.  That's why we're here.  It's what keeps us working and fighting, through every up and down, for the values we share and the country we love.
 
Democrats believe that corporations should be held accountable when they gouge us on drug prices, or pollute our environment, or exploit workers.  That they just can't just be allowed to write their own rules at everyone else's expense.  (Applause.)
 
I believe in strong growth, fair growth, and long-term growth.  That the rewards of our success cannot just go to the wealthy.  That when a company does well, shareholders and executives aren't the only ones who should benefit; the people who work at that company day in and day out, and produce those profits, should share in them, too.   (Cheers, applause.)
 
Democrats believe that Americans deserve a raise.  That women deserve equal pay.  (Cheers, applause.)  We're the ones fighting to help families afford college and make sure you can refinance your debt.  Democrats understand that you can’t go to work if you can't find childcare.  We believe you shouldn't lose your paycheck or your job when you have a baby or someone in your family gets sick.  We believe that everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care.  (Cheers, applause.)  And we're the ones standing up and saying that the Affordable Care Act is here to stay.  (Cheers, applause.)  We've come too far and fought too hard to let anyone destroy it now.
 
And we're the ones who want to make Social Security even stronger and who will fight any attempt to weaken America's commitment to our seniors.  Who believe in a pathway to citizenship for the millions of immigrants who love this country and contribute to it every single day.  (Cheers, applause.)  Democrats believe that no matter who you are, what you look like, what faith you practice, or who you love, America has a place for you, and your rights are just as sacred as anyone else's.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
And by the way, we don't just stand up for these values here at home, we stand up for them everywhere.  That's why I traveled the world non-stop for four years as Secretary of State, calling for equal rights for women and girls, for LGBT people (cheers, applause) for religious minorities, for all oppressed people, because the United States has always been a beacon of hope to the world and we need to keep that light shining for all to see.  That's what it means to be a Democrat.  Those are the values we cherish.  And it's time to stand together and defend those values, because others are doing everything they can to take our country in a very different direction.
 
Who watched the Republican debates a few weeks ago?  Seventeen candidates, all trying to outdo each other in their ideological purity; all either oblivious to how their ideas would hurt people or just not interested.  Not one of them had a single word to say about how to make college more affordable.  Not a word about equal pay for women, or paid family leave, or quality affordable preschool for our kids so they can get the best start in life.  No solutions for skyrocketing prescription drug costs.  No promises to end the era of mass incarceration or say clearly and loudly Black Lives Matter.  (Cheers, applause.)  I didn't hear any credible plan to promote clean energy or combat climate change.  And no one is standing up and saying what we all know to be true:  We need to put an end to the gun violence that plagues our communities.   (Cheers, applause.)
 
You know, after the terrible events of Wednesday, with two journalists killed on live television, plus a police officer killed in Louisiana, and many more lost every day in the daily carnage that goes largely unnoticed now across our country, I don’t know anyone could not come to the conclusion that something is deeply wrong.
 
I believe we can have common sense gun reforms that keep weapons out of the hands that should not have them, domestic abusers, the violently unstable, while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners.
 
Now, I know the politics are hard.  I know that some would rather throw up their hands or give up the fight.  But not me, I am not going to sit by while more good people die across America.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
Republicans don't want to hear about any of these things.  Their flamboyant front-runner has grabbed a lot of the attention lately, but if you look at everyone else's policies, they're pretty much the same.  They're Trump without the pizzazz or the hair.  (Laughter.)
 
And I've got to add, you know, a lot of people have said a lot of things about my hair over the years.  (Laughter.)  So I do kind of know what Donald is going through.  And if anyone wonders if mine is real, here's the answer:  The hair is real, the color isn't.  (Laughter.)  And, come to think of it, I wonder if that’s true for Donald, too.  (Laughter.)
 
Look, you hear Mr. Trump say hateful things about immigrants, even about their babies.  But how many of the others disagree with him?  Or support a real path to citizenship?  Or draw the line at repealing the 14th amendment?  Today, the Party of Lincoln has become the Party of Trump.
 
Think about it.  Now, of course, Mr. Trump insults and dismisses women.  And by the way, just yesterday he attacked me once again and said I didn't have a clue about women's health issues.  (Laughter.)  Really?  I mean you can't make this stuff up folks.  Trump actually says he would do a much better job for women than I would.  Now that's a general election debate that's going to be fun.   (Cheers, applause.)
 
But listen to the others.  Senator Rubio brags about denying victims of rape and incest access to abortion.  Governor Bush says $500 million is too much to spend on women's health.  And they all want to defund Planned Parenthood.   I'd like them to tell that to the mom who caught her breast cancer early because she was able to get a screening; or the teenager who avoided an unintended pregnancy because she had access to contraception; or anyone who’s been protected by an HIV test.  (Applause.)
 
Now all the stuff they're saying might be red meat in a Republican primary, but it's dead wrong in 21st-century America.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
And, I know that when I talk like this, some people think:  There she goes again with the women's issues.  Republicans say I am playing the gender card.  (Laughter.)  Well, if calling for equal pay and paid leave and women's health is playing the gender card, deal me in.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
So my friends, we Democrats are not going to sit idly by while Republicans shame and blame women.  We're not going to stay quiet when they demonize immigrants, whether they're Latino or Asian or anything else.   (Applause.)  We're not going to keep silent when they say climate change isn't real, or same-sex couples are threatening our freedom, or trickle-down economics works.  We can't let them take us backwards.  So we're going to fight.  And we’re going to win.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
And I'll tell you, it’s no secret that we're going up against some pretty powerful forces who will say, do, and spend whatever it takes to advance their out-of-touch, out-of-date agenda.  As far as they're concerned, if our democracy pays the price, so be it.
 
We’ve lived through this before.  The Robber Barons of the late 19th Century handed public officials bags of cash.  Now we have secret, unaccountable money that distorts our elections and drowns out the voices of everyday Americans.  We need Justices on the Supreme Court who will protect every citizen's right to vote (cheers, applause) instead of what they have been doing, protecting every corporation's right to buy elections.  If necessary, I will work to pass a constitutional amendment to undo Citizens United.  (Cheers, applause.)  That's how important this is.
 
So make no mistake, this isn't going to be easy.  You know that, and I know that.  But I've been fighting for families and underdogs my entire life, and I'm not going to stop now.  In fact, I'm just getting warmed up.  (Cheers, applause.)  So I'm here to ask for your help.  I'm not taking a single primary voter or caucus-goer for granted.  I'm building an organization in all 50 states and territories, with hundreds of thousands of volunteers who will help Democrats win races up and down the ticket, not just the Presidential campaign.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
Look, you know in 2010, Republicans routed us on redistricting, not because they won Congress, but because they won state legislatures.  And look where we are now.  We can't ever let that happen again.  It's time to rebuild our party from the ground up and if you make me the nominee, that's exactly what I will do.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
I’ve been around long enough to know every county and local office counts; every school board and state house and Senate seat counts; every single one.  So we have to compete everywhere.  When our state parties are strong, we win.  That's what will happen.  And when Democrats win, America wins.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
So I hope you'll join me because we're building something that will last long after next November.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
I want to be President to take on all the big problems that fill our screens every day, at home and around the world.   Other candidates may be fighting for a particular ideology, but I'm fighting for you and your families.  I'll take on the kinds of problems that keep people up at night.  How are you going to work if you can't find anyone to watch your kids?  What happens if you lose that job you worked so hard to find?  Where can you turn for that loved one who's battling addiction or struggling with mental illness finally wants help?  (Applause.)
 
All the challenges that millions of Americans deal with every day that they talk to me about; challenges that our leaders should care about, but that don't get nearly enough attention.  I am paying attention.  I hear you.  And I want to be President to fight those fights, too; to fight for every American, every day; to fight for each and every one of you.
 
Now let me say at the end here that, you know, I am a proud new grandmother (cheers, applause) of an 11-month-old extraordinary granddaughter, Charlotte.  And obviously her parents and Bill and I will do everything we can to make sure she has every opportunity to pursue her dreams.  But, you know, that's not enough, because what kind of country and world will she grow up to live in, that all of America's children will live in?
 
You shouldn't have to be the granddaughter of a former President and Secretary of State to succeed in America.  I want the granddaughters of factory workers and the grandsons of farm workers to have exactly the same chance.
 
So let's keep working with all our hearts toward a better future for all our children and our grandchildren.  They deserve to live in an America in which everyone has a shot at achieving their dreams, where everyone gets to live up to their potential and, yes, where a father can say to his daughter, you can be anything you want even president of the United States.  (Cheers, applause.)
 
Thank you all.  God bless you.
 
(Cheers, applause.)


Former Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD)
DNC Summer Meeting
Minneapolis, MN
August 28, 2015

[prepared remarks]

1. Letting the Circus Run Unchallenged
 
Thank you Vice Chair Durazo for your kind introduction.

To the Chair of the DNC, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to all of the distinguished officers and members of the Democratic National Committee, and friends, to my colleague and friend, former Mayor, R.T. Ryback, to my own Baltimore Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings Blake... it is a great honor to be with all of you here today.

My name is Martin O'Malley.

I am a life-long Democrat, I am running for for President of the United States, and I need your help to rebuild the truth of the American Dream we share!

I love my country, and I have carried a lot of water for this donkey!
 
And I -- for one -- will not remain silent in the face of the lies, ... the distortions, ... and the racist hate being pumped out over the airwaves from the debate podiums of the once proud Republican Party!
 
All of you are aware the Republicans held their first two debates earlier this month. They will hold another in a couple weeks ... You could easily have mistaken their debate for a reality TV show, like Survivor. But the difference between the Republican debate and Survivor is that one involves contrived challenges and oddball contestants on the edge of sanity, while the other takes place on an island.

But here is the sad hard truth we must own:

While the Republicans put their backwards ideas forward before an audience of more than 20 million Americans. We put our forward-thinking ideas on the backburner...and try to hide them from the airwaves.

Think about it.

The Republicans stand before the nation, malign our President's record of achievements, denigrate women and immigrant families, double-down on trickle-down, and tell their false story.

We respond... with crickets,... tumbleweeds,...and a cynical move to delay and limit our own Party debates.

Four debates and only four debates -- we are told not asked -- before voters in our earliest States make their decision.

This is totally unprecedented in our Party.

This sort of rigged process has never been attempted before.

Whose decree is it?  Where did it come from?  To what end?  For what purpose?  What National or Party interest does this decree serve?

How does this help us tell the story of the last eight years of Democratic progress?

How does this promote our Democratic ideas for making wages and household incomes go up again and not down?

How does this help us make our case to the people?

One debate in Iowa. That’s it.

One debate in New Hampshire. That's all we can afford.

And the New Hampshire debate is cynically wedged into the high point of the holiday shopping season so as few people watch it as possible.

Is this how the Democratic Party selects its nominee, or are we becoming something else,...something less?
 
Whatever happened to open debates and the fifty State strategy?

Their Party's leading candidate scapegoats immigrant families. He launches racist attacks on entire ethnic groups of Americans -- to the delight of David Duke and other white supremacists -- and our response... is to limit debates?!

If all of this bothers you, it should.

The leading Republican candidate talks openly about forced expulsions and taking away the birthright of American born children, and we turn the Democratic Party into "the appalling silence of the good?!"

Silence and complacency in the face of hate is not an honorable option!

We must stand before the American people and show them we have a better way!

It was in a series of debates that Abraham Lincoln first forged a new national consensus to continue the great unfinished work to affirm our common humanity and the God-given dignity of every person in our country.

Now in an ongoing series of debates, the party of Lincoln is led by Donald Trump.

Donald Trump whose deep understanding of the law is such that last week he said part of the Constitution is unconstitutional.

Donald Trump whose foreign policy insights are, he said, based entirely on what he’s seen on TV.

Will we let the circus run unchallenged on every channel, as we cower in the shadows under a decree of silence in the ranks!?...

Or will we demand equal time to showcase our ideas, our solutions to the nation's problems, and our leadership for the better America we carry in hearts?

Let their Party be led by a hate-spewing carnival barker!

Our Party must be led by compassion, by generosity, by a love and concern for one another, and a focus on our country's better future!

We must stand up, stand together, and speak out for for the ideas that unite us -- a belief in the dignity of every person, a belief in our own responsibility to defend and advance the common good we share as Americans!

These are volatile and fear-filled times.

This is no time for silence.

Our Party must not cower from this debate, we must engage the debate.

"The American people are smart, smarter than these Republicans think."

The truth can damn well defend herself -- but she must be stated first!

We must make our case, and let the people decide!

2. We Need Debate

We have arrived at a point in our history where wealth and power have become so concentrated on the hands of so very few... that it is literally taking opportunity out of the homes, the wallets, and the neighborhoods of the many.

We must show the American people that we have the better path forward.

Our Party must engage this national debate.

Republicans say Americans need to work longer hours.

Democrats know that people are working harder and making less.

We must raise the minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour however and wherever we can!

We must pay overtime pay once again for overtime work!

And we must pay women equal pay for equal work!

We need debate.

What are we afraid of?

Republicans belittle teachers and seek to outlaw labor unions, scoffing at the nerve of working people seeking better wages.

Democrats defend the right to organize and bargain collectively because we know that makes wages rise for all Americans! 

We need debate.

Republicans talk about raising the retirement age as if Social Security were some kind of indulgence the wealthy bestow upon the rest of.

Democrats care that there are 65 year-olds who get up every morning to work in factories, to finish concrete, to clean buildings. 

Hard-working Americans should retire in dignity, not in poverty.

We should be expanding Social Security, not cutting or dismantling it.

We need debate.

Republicans traffic in immigrant hate, they call for walls, internment camps, and forced expulsions.

Democrats understand the enduring symbol of our nation is not the barbed wire fence, it is the Statue of Liberty.

We need debate.

They say we spend too much on women’s health; they dismiss calls for equal pay for equal work as a sideshow.

We know that when women succeed, America succeeds.

We need debate.

3. Action Not Words

I am not the only candidate for President who holds progressive values,...

But I am the only candidate for President with fifteen years of executive experience -- as a big City Mayor and as a Governor -- turning those progressive values into actions. Turning progressive goals into progressive achievements.

Getting things done.

New leadership.

It’s about actions, not words. 

In Baltimore, we saved lives by reducing record high violence to record lows; black lives matter.

Actions, not words.

In the face of a national recession, I led my state forward, not back, to achieve nation-leading progress.

We increased funding for public education by 37%, and made our public schools the best public schools in America for five years in a row!

We froze College tuition four years in a row to make college more affordable.

Actions, not words.

We passed a living wage, and we raised the minimum wage.

We expanded family leave and voting rights, we passed Driver’s licenses for New American immigrants, and we banned the sale of assault weapons.

Actions not words.

We passed a state version of the DREAM Act, we passed Marriage Equality.

And when our Republican brothers and sisters petitioned those measures to public referendum  – we took our case to the people, and we won at the ballot! 

Actions, not words.

4. Conclusion

The great American Poet, Gwendolyn Books, once wrote: "We are each other's business. We are each other's harvest. We are each other's magnitude and bond."

Whether or not we make the American Dream true again for all American families is up to us.

It is up to our Party.

I have put forward 15 Goals to Rebuild the American Dream.

One by one.

Policy action, by policy action.

Each one reinforcing, and complementing the other.

Bold ideas.

Concrete Plans.

Actions to make our country stronger.

For only actions can make the American Dream true again around the most important places in our country -- the kitchen tables of every American family.

The time is now to put these ideas – and all the best ideas of all of our candidates – before the American people.

The American people deserve it.

Our service to the cause of our country's better future demands it.

We are the Democratic Party, not the undemocratic Party.

If we are to debate debates, the topic should be how many, not how few.

Because when the lights come up on our stage, we will speak to where America is going not to where we have been.

We will ask one another what we can do for our country, not what we can do against immigrants.

We will speak to the goodness, the compassion, and the generosity of Americans.

For ours is the party of opportunity.

Ours is the party of the people. 

And ours is the party of our children's better future.

So, let us engage the debate! 

Let us make our case to the American people!

And together -- we will win this election and rebuild the truth of the American Dream we share!


O'Malley for President

What People Are Saying About Governor O’Malley’s Speech At The DNC

“Crowd Is Loving It” … “Getting Huge Applause” … “O’Malley Is Fired Up” … “Comes Out Swinging” … “Full Standing Ovation”...”Hillary Supporters Applauding”... “#WOAHMalley”

Philip Rucker @PhilipRucker: O’Malley really is fired up. Devoting most of his DNC speech to blasting the party’s leaders for cowering from open presidential debate.

Peter Nicholas @PeterNicholas3: @MartinOMalley stirring DNC crowd with red-meat attacks on @realDonaldTrump and DNC.

Ariel Cohen @ArielCohen37: Full standing ovation for O'Malley. He does really well in crowds, should do this more

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine: Hell of a speech from @MartinOMalley at DNC convention

Heather J. Carlson ‏@PBhcarlson: O'Malley wraps up, gets standing ovation.

Heather J. Carlson ‏@PBhcarlson: O'Malley came out swinging and the crowd loves it.

Lisa Lerer @llerer: O’Malley calls Dem debates “rigged” process...and gets big applause from party audience at DNC summer meeting.

Ariel Cohen @ArielCohen37: O'Malley railing on DNC debate rules 3 ft from Debbie Wasserman Schultz & the crowd is loving it #WOAH'Malley

Heather J. Carlson @PBhcarlson: O'Malley's criticism of Democratic party over limited number of debates is resonating with crowd, getting strong applause.

Alex Seitz-Wald @aseitzwald: O'Malley gets cheers at DNC for decrying "a cynical move to limit our own party's debate."

Philip Rucker @PhilipRucker Whoa. O’Malley, on stage at DNC, condemns party’s “cynical move to delay or limit our own party debates.” Gets applause.

Heather J. Carlson @PBhcarlson: O'Malley says need to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, gets big applause.

Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox: There are Hillary supporters next to me applauding the O'Malley appeal. Framing debates as an answer to Trump is working.

Ana Cuprill @WyDemChr: @MartinOMalley comes out swinging against the GOP and the #DNC and the crowd seems to be loving it. #WeNeedDebate pic.twitter.com/0OXxKfHvwu

John Nichols @NicholsUprising: At DNC @MartinOMalley gets loud applause for message that party needs more debates. "This is no time for silence." pic.twitter.com/n2mnhmAi6U

Cameron Joseph @cam_joseph: This O'Malley speech is actually pretty clever. Shows Bernie folks he's fighting Dem estab, positions himself to inherit Bernie dropoff

Philip Rucker @PhilipRucker: As Clinton boasted of super delegate haul at DNC, O’Malley calls party primary system rigged and demands open debate.

###

Bernie 2016

Take on Establishment, Generate Excitement, Sanders Tells DNC

MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders told the Democratic National Committee on Friday that taking on the economic and political establishment with “a campaign which generates excitement and momentum and which produces a huge voter turnout” is how to keep the White House and regain majorities in Congress and state capitals.

Sanders, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other candidates appeared at the summer meeting of top Democratic Party officials from around the country. The senator got a standing ovation when he came on stage. He was cheered earlier in the day by hundreds of rank-and-file supporters at the convention hotel and he received a warm welcome Thursday night at a reception for DNC members.

“We need a movement which takes on the economic and political establishment, not one which is part of it,” the senator said. “We need a political movement which is prepared to take on the billionaire class and create a government which represents all Americans, and not just corporate America and wealthy campaign donors,” he added.

Sanders has drawn big crowds to rallies across the country, signed up more than 100,000 volunteers, leads in New Hampshire polls and outperforms leading Republican contenders in head-to-head matchups.

Sanders also has received campaign donations, averaging $31.21, from more than 400,000 supporters. Calling Sanders’ broad support “refreshing,” The New York Times in an editorial on Friday contrasted his big number of small donors to “the appalling fact that fewer than 400 of the nation’s most affluent families, writing six- and seven-figure checks, account for almost half the money raised so far by both parties in the campaign …”

In his speech at the DNC summer meeting, Sanders urged Democrats to become part of a movement “which tells corporate America and the wealthy that you will start paying your fair share of taxes.”

He called for breaking up the nation’s biggest banks and said Democrats should get behind the movement that “tells Wall Street that when a bank is too big to fail it is too big to exist.” Denouncing corporate-backed, job-killing trade deals have sent U.S. manufacturing jobs to low-wage nations abroad, he said Democrats to join “the trade union movement to end our disastrous trade policies” and defeat a proposed 12-nation Pacific Rim trade deal.

He called for pay equity for women workers, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and providing family and medical leave, paid sick time and vacation time.

To create jobs, he proposed a youth employment program and called for investing $1 trillion to create or support 13 million jobs rebuilding the nation’s crumbling roads and bridges.

“The issues I am running on are generating a great deal of energy and enthusiasm in our grassroots campaign calling for a political revolution,” Sanders said.

To read Sanders’ prepared remarks to the Democratic National Committee summer meeting, click here.
 
-###-

Sen. Bernie Sanders
DNC Summer Meeting
Minneapolis, MN
August 28, 2015

[prepared remarks]

Thank you for inviting me to be with you today, and thank you for the hard work that all of you do every day in trying to make our country a better place in which to live and raise a family.

I understand that there are Republicans who proclaim how much they love America, but how much they hate the people who work in our government or who participate in the political process. I disagree. In my view, participating in the political process and strengthening democracy — as you do — is one of the most patriotic things we can do as American citizens, and I thank you all for your efforts.

I only have a few minutes, so let me jump to the points I want to make:

When I announced my candidacy less than four months ago, I think that it’s fair to say that few took our campaign seriously. But a lot has changed in these last few months.

All across the country we have drawn some the largest crowds of this campaign, including many young people who have not previously been involved in the political process.

Hundreds of thousands of people have signed on with our campaign as volunteers and are already hitting the streets and phones.

We have, I believe, received more individual campaign contributions than any other presidential campaign, some 400,000. And in this day of super-PACs and huge campaign contributions I am proud to tell you that our average contribution is $31.20.

Most importantly, few would deny that the issues I am running on are generating a great deal of energy and enthusiasm in our grassroots campaign, a campaign that is calling for a political revolution.

The Republicans did not win the mid-term election in November. The Democrats lost that election because voter turnout was abysmally low, and millions of working people, minorities and young people gave up on “politics as usual” and stayed home.

Let me be very clear. In my view, Democrats will not retain the White House, will not regain the Senate, will not gain the House and will not be successful in dozens of governor’s races unless we run a campaign which generates excitement and momentum and which produces a huge voter turnout.

With all due respect, and I do not mean to insult anyone here, that will not happen with politics as usual. The same old, same old will not be successful.

The people of our country understand that — given the collapse of the American middle class and the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality we are experiencing — we do not need more establishment politics or establishment economics.
We need a political movement which is prepared to take on the billionaire class and create a government which represents all Americans, and not just corporate America and wealthy campaign donors.

In other words, we need a movement which takes on the economic and political establishment, not one which is part of it.

We need a movement which tells corporate America and the wealthy that you will start paying your fair share of taxes.

We need a movement which tells Wall Street that when a bank is too big to fail, it is too big to exist. That we will reinstate Glass-Steagall and break up those huge banks which have a stranglehold over our economy. That we will create a financial system which provides affordable loans to small and medium size businesses, not maintain a financial system which is an island unto itself – designed to make huge profits for the few.

We need a movement which will work with the trade union movement to end our disastrous trade policies, and that includes defeating the disastrous TPP.

We need a movement which says that every worker in America deserves a living wage, and that we will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next few years; that we will provide pay equity to women workers and that we will end the international disgrace of being the only major country on earth that does not provide at least 12 weeks of family and medical leave, not to mention paid sick time and vacation time.

We need a movement which says that, when real unemployment is over 10 percent and youth unemployment is off the charts, we need to create millions of decent paying jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure.

We need a movement which tells the Koch brothers and the billionaire class that they will not be able to continue buying candidates and elections and that we will overturn this disastrous Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision and move toward public funding of elections.

We need a movement which understands that climate change is real, is caused by human activity and that we need to lead the world in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. And that includes defeating the Keystone pipe line.

We need a movement that says, in a highly competitive global economy, that all of our people who have the ability, the qualifications and the desire, will be able to get a college education regardless of the income of their families because we will make public colleges and universities tuition free – and we’re going to pay for it through a tax on Wall Street speculation.

We need a movement which, once and for all, will end institutional racism in our country and reform a very, very broken criminal justice system. We must not continue being the country in the world with more people in jail than any other – disproportionately people of color. We must become the country in the world which invests in jobs and education, not in jails and incarceration.

And when we talk about bringing our country together, we cannot forget that there are 11 million people here who are undocumented. We must provide legal protections for them, we must pass comprehensive immigration reform and we must provide a path towards citizenship. And we must be clear that the racist and un-American idea that we are going to round up millions of people in the dead of night is unacceptable in this great country of ours.

You are looking at a former congressman who did not believe George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld and who voted against the war in Iraq, one of the worst foreign policy blunders in modern American history. And you are looking at a senator who will stand with President Obama in preventing Iran from getting a nuclear bomb, but will do it in a way that prevents another war.

Let me conclude by saying this: We will win in 2016, not just the White House, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, but Statehouses all across the country because we are going to create an unprecedented grassroots movement which taps into the American people’s desire for real change in this country.


[email]

Bernie is coming back to Minnesota!

On Friday, August 28th he will speak at the Democratic National Committee meeting at the Hilton Minneapolis. 

Schedule for the day:
• 
9am – 9pm: Bernie 2016 Hospitality Room (Marquette IV) will be open to the public – all are welcome
12-1pm: Bernie will be in the Hospitality Room form(Marquette IV)
Sometime between 1-3pm: Bernie will speak at the General Assembly

We would love to have supporters at the Hilton at 9am to open the Session, join us in the Hospitality Room throughout the day and to be there for Bernie’s speech.

Bernie Gear will be available at the Hospitality room throughout the day.

Ben and Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream will also be in attendance and we will be serving Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream from 12-1pm.

Please join us and show the DNC that Bernie has strong support here in MN!

RNC Research
August 27, 2015

Welcome To The Annual Meeting Of The Party Plagued By Infighting And Historic Losses … Your Democratic National Committee

Beginning Tomorrow, Democrat Presidential Contenders, "Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, Jim Webb, And Lincoln Chafee," Will Attend The DNC's Summer Meeting In Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Amid signs that he is seriously contemplating a 2016 run, Vice President Joe Biden declined an offer from the Democratic National Committee to join the party's five declared presidential candidates in addressing the committee's members at its summer meeting in Minneapolis this week. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, Jim Webb, and Lincoln Chafee will be at the DNC's Thursday-through-Saturday confab, but Biden - who is meeting with close aides and reaching out to potential allies, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, as he weighs his options - chose not to take advantage of the open invitation that comes with his job." (Gabriel Debenedetti, "Joe Biden to skip DNC meeting amid 2016 buzz," Politico, 8/23/15)

DESPITE PROMISES IT WOULD BE RELEASED IN MAY, THE LONG-AWAITED DNC AUTOPSY REMAINS OUTSTANDING

The Washington Post Headline: "The Democratic Party's Autopsy Is Largely Useless." (Chris Cillizza, "The Democratic Party's Autopsy Is Largely Useless. Except For This One Point." The Washington Post , 2/23/15)

The DNC's Autopsy "Is Largely Political Pablum." "The DNC's document is largely political pablum. Here's a sample: 'We are and will always be the party of the people. And we believe that economic and political wellbeing goes hand-in-hand.' Um, okay." (Chris Cillizza, "The Democratic Party's Autopsy Is Largely Useless. Except For This One Point." The Washington Post , 2/23/15)

The DNC's Autopsy Was Characterized As "Skin-Deep (At Best)." "Traditionally, Democrats -- and, in particular, the party's major donors -- have not been terribly good at either a) seeing the big/long-term political picture or b) getting excited about downballot races. (Republicans, on the other hand, have been brilliant at both.) So, while the DNC's autopsy is skin-deep (at best), it does contain advice that the party should listen to. It probably won't. But it should." (Chris Cillizza, "The Democratic Party's Autopsy Is Largely Useless. Except For This One Point." The Washington Post , 2/23/15)

The Autopsy Was "A Breezy Nine Pages," However, It Was Said To Be A Preliminary Report. "While the RNC's autopsy was 102 pages, the DNC's document is a breezy nine pages, including the content-free front and back covers. (This is evidently a 'preliminary' report. It's not clear if a more comprehensive document is on the way later in the year.)" (Steve Benen, "DNC 'Autopsy' Looks Ahead Following Last Year's Defeats," MSNBC, 2/23/15)

"The Autopsy Was… For Containing Typos, Lacking Substantial Policy Suggestions, And Explicitly Calling For An Improvement Of Party 'Narrative,' A Word That Holds A Negative Connotation For The Democrats' Critics." "The autopsy was criticized online by reporters and Republicans for containing typos, lacking substantial policy suggestions, and explicitly calling for an improvement of party 'narrative,' a word that holds a negative connotation for the Democrats' critics." (Arit John, "Here's What The DNC Thinks Will Help Democrats Win More Elections," Bloomberg, 2/21/15)

The DNC Said It Would Release The Full Report By May 2015. "Earlier this year, the Democratic National Committee said it would release its full report on what went wrong for the party in the 2014 elections and what it can do to better perform in future elections by May. It's now July, and that hasn't happened yet. In February, the DNC released a preliminary nine-page report, saying its Democratic Victory Task Force final recommendations would be made public by mid-2015. 'In May of 2015 the Task Force - in partnership with the Democratic National Committee - will release a strategic plan to guide the Party's efforts through the 2022 elections,' the preliminary report said." (Alex Pappas, "Why Hasn't The DNC Released Its Full Autopsy Report Yet?" The Daily Caller, 7/1/15)

A DNC Spokesperson Confirmed "That The Full Report Hasn't Been Released Yet, But Didn't Say What Is Holding It Up Or When To Expect It." "On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the DNC confirmed to The Daily Caller that the full report hasn't been released yet, but didn't say what is holding it up or when to expect it." (Alex Pappas, "Why Hasn't The DNC Released Its Full Autopsy Report Yet?" The Daily Caller, 7/1/15)

DEMOCRAT FRONT-RUNNER HILLARY CLINTON'S CAMPAIGN HAS TRUST ISSUES WITH THE DNC


Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign No Longer Trusts The Democrat National Committee's Leadership. "Hillary Clinton's staff and the Democratic National Committee leadership have been struggling for months to finalize a joint fundraising agreement over a basic problem: the Brooklyn-based campaign doesn't trust the national party structure with the money." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Clinton Puts Tight Grip On DNC Wallet," Politico, 7/5/15)

Clinton's Campaign Has Called For All Funds Be Put Into A "Lockbox" But The DNC Insists On Having The Funds Available Immediately. "The campaign has insisted that any money raised through joint fundraising activities - standard practice for any presidential campaign, even in a primary - be put in what's essentially a lockbox until the general election campaign. The DNC wanted access to all the funds immediately. Baker, who's been negotiating with DNC CEO Amy Dacey, said no." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Clinton Puts Tight Grip On DNC Wallet," Politico, 7/5/15)

Clinton's Campaign Feels That The DNC Is Unorganized And Questions The Leadership Decisions That The Committee Has Made Under Wasserman Schultz. "But years of neglect from the White House - and what's perceived by the campaign as mismanagement by DNC leadership - has left the Clinton camp convinced the organization is nowhere near ready for 2016. That starts at the top: though Wasserman Schultz is looked more kindly on by Clinton herself and her close circle than by President Barack Obama and White House aides, they are wary of some of the decisions made under her leadership, those who know the Clinton campaign say." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Clinton Puts Tight Grip On DNC Wallet," Politico, 7/5/15)

The Clinton Campaign Is Calling For "An Eventual Takeover Of The National Party Structure." "The Clinton campaign's chief administrative officer, Charlie Baker, is serving as the point man to start laying the groundwork for what they expect will be an eventual takeover of the national party structure, according to sources familiar with both DNC and Clinton activity." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Clinton Puts Tight Grip On DNC Wallet," Politico, 7/5/15)

The Clinton Campaign Has Further Disempowered Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz As The Campaign Has Decided To Coordinate With David Brock's Correct The Record Group. "One reason the Clinton friends at opposition research group American Bridge spun off its rapid response unit Correct The Record was so that group could coordinate with - and defend - the Clinton campaign as the DNC would not be able to do until after she wrapped up the nomination. But, say Democrats familiar with the decision making, it was also a way for the front-runner's camp to further empower ally David Brock over Wasserman Schultz." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Clinton Puts Tight Grip On DNC Wallet," Politico, 7/5/15)

DNC CHAIR DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ'S LEADERSHIP HAS LONG BEEN UNDER FIRE

Debbie Wasserman Schultz's (DWS) Leadership Has Been Questioned By Those In Her Party And The White House

Politico Headline: "Democrats Turn On Debbie Wasserman Schultz" (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

In 2014, Wasserman Schultz Was "In A Behind-The-Scenes Struggle With The White House, Congressional Democrats And Washington Insiders Who Have Lost Confidence In Her As Both A Unifying Leader And Reliable Party Spokesperson…" "Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is in a behind-the-scenes struggle with the White House, congressional Democrats and Washington insiders who have lost confidence in her as both a unifying leader and reliable party spokesperson at a time when they need her most." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"Long-Simmering Doubts About Her Have Reached A Peak After Two Recent Public Flubs: Criticizing The White House's Handling Of The Border Crisis And Comparing The Tea Party To Wife Beaters." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

Critics Believe Wasserman Schultz "Spends More Energy Tending To Her Own Political Ambitions Than Helping Democrats Win." "The perception of critics is that Wasserman Schultz spends more energy tending to her own political ambitions than helping Democrats win." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"This Includes Using Meetings With DNC Donors To Solicit Contributions For Her Own PAC And Campaign Committee…And Having DNC-Paid Staff Focus On Her Personal Political Agenda." "This includes using meetings with DNC donors to solicit contributions for her own PAC and campaign committee, traveling to uncompetitive districts to court House colleagues for her potential leadership bid and having DNC-paid staff focus on her personal political agenda." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"She's Become A Liability To The DNC, And Even To Her Own Prospects, Critics Say." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

DWS's Relationship With The Obama Administration Is Fraught With Mistrust

"According To Multiple People Familiar With The President, Obama's Opinion Of Wasserman Schultz Was Sealed Back In 2011." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

Shortly After Becoming DNC Chairwoman, Wasserman Schultz "Pushed Hard For A Meeting With The President That She Kicked Off By Complaining That She Had Been Blocked From Hiring The Daughter Of A Donor…" "Shortly after becoming chairwoman, she pushed hard for a meeting with the president that she kicked off by complaining that she had been blocked from hiring the daughter of a donor - who'd been on staff in her congressional office - as a junior staffer to be the DNC's Jewish community liaison." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"Obama Summed Up His Reaction To Staff Afterward: 'Really?'" (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"[T]he Obama Team Was So Serious About Replacing" Wasserman Schultz "After 2012 That They Found A Replacement Candidate To Back Before Deciding Against It…" "Meanwhile, the Obama team was so serious about replacing her after 2012 that they found a replacement candidate to back before deciding against it, according to people familiar with those discussions." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"Obama And Wasserman Schultz Have Rarely Even Talked Since 2011. They Don't Meet About Strategy Or Messaging. They Don't Talk Much On The Phone." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"Instead, The DNC Chairwoman Stakes Out The President Of The United States At The End Of Photo Lines At Events And Fundraisers." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"'You Need Another Picture, Debbie?' Obama Tends To Say, According To People Who've Been There For The Encounters." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

Wasserman Schultz Has Been Left Out Of White House Strategy Talks About "Life Under A GOP-Controlled House And Senate." "The White House is staring at two years of life under a GOP-controlled House and Senate. The DNC chair, however, isn't involved in the strategy talks with the president. They don't want her there." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

"For Even The Occasional Obama Briefing By The Heads Of The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee And The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, She Is Not Invited." (Edward-Isaac Dovere, "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Politico, 9/21/14)

Wasserman Schultz Has Been Called "Irrelevant" By A Major Dem Donor

Miami Herald Headline: "Major Democratic Donor Bashes DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz" (Marc Caputo, "Major Democratic Donor Bashes DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Miami Herald, 6/6/14)

Democrat Donor John Morgan Called Wasserman Schultz An "Irritant" And "Irrelevant." "Major Democratic donor John Morgan blasted the national party's chair, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, as an 'irritant' who is becoming 'irrelevant' after she voiced concerns about a medical marijuana proposal he helped put on Florida's ballot this November." (Marc Caputo, "Major Democratic Donor Bashes DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Miami Herald, 6/6/14)

Morgan: "I Know Personally The Most Powerful Players In Washington, D.C. And I Can Tell You That Debbie Wasserman Schultz Isn't Just Disliked. She's Despised. She's An Irritant." "'I know personally the most powerful players in Washington, D.C. And I can tell you that Debbie Wasserman Schultz isn't just disliked. She's despised. She's an irritant,' Morgan, an outspoken Orlando trial attorney, told the Miami Herald." (Marc Caputo, "Major Democratic Donor Bashes DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Miami Herald, 6/6/14)

DEMOCRATS ARE IN THE "WORST SHAPE SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION" UNDER OBAMA AND DWS

"Barack Obama Will Leave His Party In Its Worst Shape Since The Great Depression-Even If Hillary Wins." (Jeff Greenfield, "Democratic Blues," Politico, 8/20/15)

"No President In Modern Times Has Presided Over So Disastrous A Stretch For His Party, At Almost Every Level Of Politics." "As historians begin to assess Barack Obama's record as president, there's at least one legacy he'll leave that will indeed be historic-but not in the way he would have hoped. Even as Democrats look favorably ahead to the presidential landscape of 2016, the strength in the Electoral College belies huge losses across much of the country. In fact, no president in modern times has presided over so disastrous a stretch for his party, at almost every level of politics." (Jeff Greenfield, "Democratic Blues," Politico, 8/20/15)

By January 2017, The Democrat Party "Will Have Ceded Vast Sections Of The Country To Republicans, And Will Be Left With A Weak Bench Of High-Level Elected Officials." "The party's record over the past six years has made clear that when Barack Obama leaves office in January 2017 the Democratic Party will have ceded vast sections of the country to Republicans, and will be left with a weak bench of high-level elected officials." (Jeff Greenfield, "Democratic Blues," Politico, 8/20/15)

"Barack Obama Took Office In 2009 With 60 Democrats In The Senate-Counting Two Independents Who Caucused With The Party-And 257 House Members." (Jeff Greenfield, "Democratic Blues," Politico, 8/20/15)

"Today, There Are 46 Members Of The Senate Democratic Caucus, The Worst Showing Since The First Year After The Reagan Landslide." (Jeff Greenfield, "Democratic Blues," Politico, 8/20/15)

DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES NOT NAMED HILLARY CLINTON ARE VOICING FRUSTRATION OVER THE DEBATE SCHEDULE

"The DNC Has Sanctioned Six Debates Before The Iowa Caucus Next Year" And "O'Malley And Sanders Have Both Protested The Limited Number Of Debates This Cycle." " The DNC has sanctioned six debates before the Iowa caucus next year, the same number as in previous election cycles, but mandated that the candidates do not participate in any outside debates. O'Malley and Sanders have both protested the limited number of debates this cycle." (Sam Frizell, "O'Malley Lobbies Sanders For More Debates," TIME, 8/18/15)

"Campaigns Started Griping About The Plan Soon After The Party Committee Announced It Three Months Ago - The Sanders And O'Malley Camps Publicly Said They Wanted More Than Six Debates, While Clinton's Team Initially Lobbied For Even Fewer." (Gabriel Debenedetti and Dylan Byers, "Democrats Set Debate Schedule," Politico, 8/6/15)

Bernie Sanders And Martin O'Malley Have Warned That They May Participate In Non-Sanctioned Debates

Bloomberg Headline: "What If Martin O'Malley Or Bernie Sanders Disobeys The DNC On Debates?" (Arit John, "What If Martin O'Malley Or Bernie Sanders Disobeys The DNC On Debates?" Bloomberg , 8/14/15)

"Senator Bernie Sanders Said He's 'Disappointed' With The Schedule, While Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley Called It 'Unprecedented' And 'Outrageous.'" (Arit John, "What If Martin O'Malley Or Bernie Sanders Disobeys The DNC On Debates?" Bloomberg , 8/14/15)

The Washington Examiner Headline: "O'Malley May Buck DNC, Participate In Non-Sanctioned Debates" (Al Weaver, "O'Malley May Buck DNC, Participate In Non-Sanctioned Debates,"The Washington Examiner , 8/18/15)

O'Malley Warned That He And Fellow Democratic Presidential Candidates "Would 'Probably' Take Part In Debates That Aren't Sanctioned By The Democratic National Committee." "Martin O'Malley warned Tuesday that he and his fellow Democrat candidates for president would 'probably' take part in debates that aren't sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee." (Al Weaver, "O'Malley May Buck DNC, Participate In Non-Sanctioned Debates,"The Washington Examiner , 8/18/15)

O'Malley: "We're Supposed To Be The Democratic Party, Not The Un-Democratic Party." "'We're supposed to be the Democratic Party, not the un-democratic party,' he said." (Al Weaver, "O'Malley May Buck DNC, Participate In Non-Sanctioned Debates,"The Washington Examiner , 8/18/15)

O'Malley: "We Should Be Having More Debates Than The Other Guys, Not Fewer…" O'MALLEY: "We should be having more debates than the other guys, not fewer, because we actually have ideas that will move our country forward. That's what we've done in the past as a party, and that's what we need to do again.'" (Al Weaver, "O'Malley May Buck DNC, Participate In Non-Sanctioned Debates,"The Washington Examiner , 8/18/15)

Democrats Believe The Debate Schedule Gives Clinton An Unfair Advantage

"Experts Say Televised Debates Are Not Clinton's Strong Suit, And That Popular Political Wisdom Suggests Candidates With Her Solid Name Recognition And Position In The Polls Do Not Need To Debate If They Don't Have To." (Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, "Dems Blast DNC For Slim Debate Schedule, Allege Clinton Coddling," Fox News, 8/7/15)

Fox News Headline: "Dems Blast DNC For Slim Debate Schedule, Allege Clinton Coddling" (Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, "Dems Blast DNC For Slim Debate Schedule, Allege Clinton Coddling," Fox News, 8/7/15)

Candidate Martin O'Malley "Is Taking His Party To Task For Issuing A Primary Debate Schedule That He Says Clearly Insulates Front Runner Hillary Clinton From Harm On Her Way To A Possible Nomination." "Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley is taking his party to task for issuing a primary debate schedule that he says clearly insulates front runner Hillary Clinton from harm on her way to a possible nomination." (Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, "Dems Blast DNC For Slim Debate Schedule, Allege Clinton Coddling," Fox News, 8/7/15)

O'Malley "Told Reporters That The Debate Schedule - Trimmed To Six From More Than 25 In 2008 - Represents A Circling Of Wagons Around Clinton…" "The former governor of Maryland told reporters that the debate schedule - trimmed to six from more than 25 in 2008 - represents a circling of wagons around Clinton, who is clearly ahead of her Democratic challengers." (Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, "Dems Blast DNC For Slim Debate Schedule, Allege Clinton Coddling," Fox News, 8/7/15)

"He Is Joined By Fellow Democratic Candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders Of Vermont, Who Is Also Calling For More Debates." (Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, "Dems Blast DNC For Slim Debate Schedule, Allege Clinton Coddling,"Fox News, 8/7/15)

O'Malley: "The Campaign For Presidency Should Be About Giving Voters An Opportunity To Hear From Every Candidate And Decide On The Issues, Not Stacking The Deck In Favor Of A Chosen Candidate." "'This is not how democracy works,' O'Malley told supporters in a fundraising letter Thursday. 'It's ridiculous. The campaign for presidency should be about giving voters an opportunity to hear from every candidate and decide on the issues, not stacking the deck in favor of a chosen candidate.'" (Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, "Dems Blast DNC For Slim Debate Schedule, Allege Clinton Coddling," Fox News, 8/7/15)