Thread by @kgosztola

Democratic National Committee defends diverse group of corporate Democrats who were secretively appointed to 2020 convention committees

Thread.
shadowproof.com/2020/01/29/dnc…

Unnamed DNC "officials" claimed "high-profile supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders were appointed. But that is disingenuous, if not completely false.

Only one “high-profile” Sanders supporter—Larry Cohen—was appointed to the Platform, Rules, and Credentials Committees.

"Past endorsements" were not considered when nominating chairs or initial members, "officials" said

But more than 75 percent of nominees endorsed Hillary Clinton, many of them as early as fall of 2015. Quite a few have a record of hostility toward Sanders, a potential nominee.

"DNC officials said they look for policy experts to help shape the platform..."

These so-called "policy experts" are people, like Danielle Gray, who presently work for corporations.

Seventy-five percent of the appointments came from “at-large” delegates, meaning they are not elected officials. They aren't individuals who voters had any particular role in elevating to leadership positions.

It was a secretive process. Apparently, several deemed Perez's nominees the "midnight convention committee picks."

DNC members were notified late Friday. The executive committee ratified less than a day later. Very little time for any members to protest nominees.

Pockets of dissent would have likely developed. After picks were ratified, according to The Hill, "DNC members from California sent a letter to Perez asking that paid employees or consultants to the presidential campaigns be excluded from the rules committee."

What happened with the appointments to convention committees fits in with a pattern.

Perez ousted four people who backed Sanders and Keith Ellison for DNC chair (instead of him): James Zogby, Ray Buckley, Alice Germond, and Barbara Casbar Siperstein.

huffpost.com/entry/tom-pere…

Compare the DNC's response to each backlash.

In both instances, DNC spokespeople weaponized identity, invoking diversity to stifle progressive opposition to including corporate consultants, lobbyists, former campaign staffers, etc.

This was how several members of the DNC killed an effort to force the DNC to sponsor a climate debate with 2020 presidential candidates.

Recall what Symone Sanders, a senior adviser for Joe Biden's campaign, said.
shadowproof.com/2019/08/22/bid…

DNC Chair Tom Perez and other influential DNC members essentially did not want to alienate corporate interests, like "fossil fuel employer PACs."

In 2018, in spite of ban on corporate PAC money, DNC executive committee approved exception for these PACs.
shadowproof.com/2018/08/10/dem…

There are three convention committees—Platform, Rules, and Credentials—and each committee will have 187 members.

Once states have their primaries or caucuses, more supporters of Sanders will likely fill spots on these committees.

But consider two crucial points:

1) None of chairs/vice-chairs are that sympathetic to Sanders. A few openly loathe him.

2) Perez nominated only one prominent Sanders supporter.

To extent that DNC determines who fills more of these spots, Sanders supporters should be wary.