Feeling the Burn

There is no excuse for the Democratic National Committee's efforts to undermine Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. This doesn't mean, however, that the DNC was wrong for distrusting Sanders' sincerity when he claimed to be a Democrat.

The fact that Sanders has just announced he will run for reelection in 2018 as an independent underscores that point.

"I am an independent and I have always run in Vermont as an independent, while I caucus with the Democrats in the United States Senate. That’s what I’ve been doing for a long time and that’s what I’ll continue to do," Sanders told a Fox News reporter on Sunday, during a trip to New Hampshire.
By contrast, Sanders confirmed to a reporter in November 2015 that he would run as a Democrat in future elections, after the subject was broached.
"In future elections, potential future elections, will you also run as a Democrat?" the reporter asked Sanders as he campaigned in New Hampshire.
"Yes," Sanders replied.

Bear in mind: One of the controversial DNC emails that was published by Wikileaks showed former chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz complaining that Sanders "has never been a member of the Democratic Party and has no understanding of what we do."

I wish to repeat: There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that justifies the DNC giving any candidate an advantage over another one. There is, on the other hand, ample justification for members of the Democratic Party establishment to regard Sanders with contempt for not being one of their own while trying to lead their party.

Read more at Salon