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Exclusive: Sanders Campaign Explains Why He Did Not Take Part in Democratic Gun Control Filibuster

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Bernie Sanders Campaign Tells NCRM Why Vermont Senator Did Not Participate in Historic Filibuster

For nearly 15 hours 41 U.S. Senators staged a historic filibuster to force Republicans to allow a vote on two important gun control efforts. It was, for many, the very necessary response to the nation’s deadliest terror attack since 9/11, deadliest anti-LGBT hate crime, and deadliest mass shooting.

The effort was led by Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, and supported for the entire time by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). 38 other Senators participated, including two Republicans – a stunning achievement – and one Independent, Senator Angus King of Maine.

The filibuster was successful:

On social media, gun control supporters and LGBT allies (often the same) hailed the effort, tweeting and facebooking posts tagged #DemFilibuster.

But also on social media, many asked, #WheresBernie?

Senator Bernie Sanders, who frequently reminds supporters that he has supported same-sex marriage and other LGBT civil rights long before anyone else, was no where to be found.

Sanders is still a U.S. Senator despite having allowed his presidential campaign to take him so far away from his day job that he has missed 100 percent of the votes in the Senate this year, according to GovTrack:

govtrack1.jpg 

Sanders did tweet support:

But his absence did not go unnoticed:

So why did Senator Sanders miss the filibuster entirely? He had met with Hillary Clinton less than 24 hours earlier in a D.C. hotel. 

Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs told The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel, “It just didn’t work yesterday.”

“We’re keeping an eye on votes next week,” he added.

The New Civil Rights Movement also spoke with Sanders’ spokesperson, Michael Briggs, via email. 

“I’m hoping you can offer us a reason as to why, after the deaths of 49 people in the Orlando terror attack, Sen. Sanders, who has positioned himself as a long-time defender and supporter of the LGBT community, did not join in the filibuster and stand with his fellow Senators?,” NCRM asked.

“He was in Burlington, Vermont, where he had participated in a vigil on Monday night organized by Vermont Pride,” Briggs responded quickly.

When NCRM pointed out that the vigil was Monday and the filibuster was Wednesday, the Sanders campaign did not respond.

 

EARLIER:

Senate Democrats End 15 Hour Filibuster for Gun Control With Emotional Story of 6-Year Old Victim

Op-Ed: We Are Not Okay

Watch Live Now: Senate Democrats Filibuster Bill Until Republicans Agree to Discuss Gun Control

 

Image by Rev Dills via Flickr and a CC license

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News

‘Start the Kevin McCarthy Death-Clock’ After Biden Wins Debt Ceiling Battle: Rick Wilson

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Appearing late Saturday night on MSNBC after it was announced that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had reached an agreement “in principle’ on a budget deal, former GOP strategist Rick Wilson claimed this could be the beginning of the end for McCathy’s speakership.

Sitting in on a panel with guest host Michael Steele, Wilson suggested that McCarthy’s decision to compromise with the president to avoid a default that would spin the economy into chaos will not go over well with far-right members of his House caucus who could make a motion to “vacate the chair” to express their displeasure.

Asked by host Steel about what comes next, Wilson stated it was a win for the White House which will not make conservatives happy.

RELATED: ‘Crazy cuckoo MAGA people’ could sink debt ceiling deal: Dem strategist

“Great night for Joe Biden, great night for the White House even though I think their messaging has been kind of tentative the past few weeks” the Lincoln Project founder began. “I think though we are now going to start the Kevin McCarthy death-clock. He has certainly got a very angry part of his caucus tonight who probably burning up his phone no matter how good it is for the country not to default.”

“It’s not going to please the chaos caucus in the GOP,” he added.

Watch below or at the link:

 

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News

Debt Ceiling: McCarthy Faces ‘Lingering Anger’ and a Possible Revolt as Far-Right House Members Start Issuing Threats

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As House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) continues to negotiate a deal to avoid a debt crisis, members of the far-right Freedom Caucus are growing furious with him over broken promises he made to them.

According to MSNBC political analyst Steve Benen, with a slim GOP majority in the House, McCarthy is walking a tightrope to get a budget deal passed and may need help from House Democrats if members of his caucus refuse to go along with him.

As Benen points out, in order to win the speakership McCarthy agreed to an easier path for a motion to “vacate the chair” which could end his tenure as Speaker. That could come into play if the Freedom Caucus stages a revolt.

“… as the negotiations approach an apparent finish line, the House Republicans’ most radical faction is learning that it isn’t likely to get everything its members demanded — and for the Freedom Caucus, that’s not going to work,” he wrote in his MSNBC column.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Trump in danger of heightened espionage charges after bombshell report: legal expert

Citing a Washington Times report that stated, “[Freedom Caucus members] want everything from the debt limit bill passed by the House last month plus several new concessions from the White House,” Benen suggested far-right House Republicans are now issuing veiled threats.

In an interview, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) stated, “I am going to have to go have some blunt conversations with my colleagues and the leadership team. I don’t like the direction they are headed.”

With Politico reporting, “The [House Freedom Caucus] was already unlikely to support a final bipartisan deal, but lingering anger with Kevin McCarthy could have lasting implications on his speakership,” Benen added, “If this is simply a matter of lingering ill-will from members who come to believe that GOP leaders ‘caved,’ the practical consequences might be limited. But let’s also not forget that McCarthy, while begging his own members for their support during his protracted fight for the speaker’s gavel, agreed to tweak the motion-to-vacate-the-chair rules, which at least in theory, would make it easier for angry House Republicans to try to oust McCarthy from his leadership position.”

Adding the caveat that he is not predicting an imminent McCarthy ouster he added, “But if the scope of the Freedom Caucus’ discontent reaches a fever pitch, a hypothetical deal clears thanks to significant Democratic support, don’t be surprised if we all start hearing the phrase ‘vacate the chair” a lot more frequently.”

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BREAKING NEWS

Prosecutors Tell Trump They Have a Recording of Him and a Witness: Report

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Prosecutors in Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial have notified the ex-president’s attorneys they have a recording of him and a witness. The notification comes in the form of an automatic discovery form, CBS News reports, which “describes the nature of the charges against a defendant and a broad overview of the evidence that prosecutors will present at Trump’s preliminary hearing or at trial.”

CBS reports prosecutors have handed the recording over to Trump’s legal team.

It’s not known who the witness is, nor are any details known publicly about what the conversation entails, or even if it is just audio or if it includes video.

READ MORE: ‘Likely to Be Indicted Soon’: Trump Might Face Seven Different Felonies, Government Watchdog Says

According to the article’s author, CBS News’ Graham Kates, via Twitter, prosecutors say they also have recordings between two witnesses, a recording between a witness and a third party, and various recordings saved on a witness’s cell phones.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case related to his allegedly unlawful attempt to hide hush money payoffs to a well-known porn star by falsifying business records to protect his 2016 presidential campaign.

See the discovery form above or at this link.

Image via Shutterstock

 

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