December 19, 2015

Bernie Sanders immediately filed a lawsuit and that shock-and-awe approach worked.

Interesting!
The presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont filed a lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee on Friday, arguing that the party had unfairly suspended the campaign’s access to key voter information. After several tense hours, both sides announced a deal had been reached.
You might have thought you should try to work things out before filing the lawsuit — just let the lawsuit loom in the future as the incentive to settle. Sanders filed immediately, and he got what he wanted, even though it looks as though his campaign had done something quite wrong. The DNC didn't want the heat, and Sanders provided instant, severe heat.
Sanders’s campaign said the DNC had “capitulated” and that Sanders would soon regain access to the data.... Without a quick resolution, the messy public brawl threatened to overshadow Saturday’s third Democratic presidential debate and cast doubt on the DNC’s ability to manage the sophisticated data tools necessary for the party to win the White House next year. And it sparked significant suspicions among Sanders supporters that the party was conspiring to give a boost to Clinton.

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz rejected that allegation Friday, alleging that Sanders staffers had exploited a software error to essentially “steal” data from Clinton’s campaign....
That may be true, but it didn't mean the DNC could do anything it wanted to punish the Sanders campaign for its bad actions. The suit (in federal court) was based on a contract, and the contract (I'm reading at The Washington Post) required formal notice if one side thinks there's a violation and 10 days to address the claim of violation, so cutting off Sanders's access to the system was also a violation of the contract.

There's a debate tonight, and I wonder if Sanders/Hillary will figure out a way to use this incident.

Sanders, in the last debate, said he was tired of hearing about HC's email, but I wonder if he can't connect the new incident to her old email problem. She maintained a system that was vulnerable and the DNC's system was vulnerable. His people just wandered into the insecure, supposedly private part DNC system, and enemies of the U.S. would have actively tried to hack into her email system. She's not tech-savvy and security-minded enough.

Hillary's argument is that Sanders is dishonest, sneaky, underhanded... and litigious.

36 comments:

CatherineM said...

I will say this. CBS radio on my alarm woke me up yesterday with the story sounding like Bernie stole from Hillary and the staffer is fired. This morning, post lawsuit, the story is framed as the DNC shut Bernie out in an attempt to prevent him from even running for the nomination against Hillary and that the Clintons are essentially running the DNC.

CatherineM said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SayAahh said...

My caremeter is not moving.
Internecine tribulations while Romebama burns.
Meh, move on...nothing to see here.

traditionalguy said...

Sanders and Trump are alike in that they both are commanding a new outsider Army attacking the insider's Fortress. That has caused some speculation that when Bernie is kaput many of his zealous followers may be for Trump.

Big Mike said...

She's not tech-savvy and security-minded enough.

You finally figured it out, maybe other American voters will also figure it out next November.

eric said...

There's a debate tonight?

On a Saturday?

Shouldn't they wait until Christmas eve? They could have even fewer people watching.

campy said...

Do people still think Bernie is in this race for real?

Bob Boyd said...

The stolen data was a list of all the dead people who can be counted on to support Hillary.

Sander's campaign plans to "reach out" to these voters in an effort to win converts.

Anonymous said...

Bernie's argument is that Clinton is Clinton.

That OUGHT to work, but I'm not holding my breath, given Democratic Party voters.

Sebastian said...

"There's a debate tonight" Depends on what the meaning of "debate" is. And is there a debate when no one listens?

"and I wonder if Sanders/Hillary will figure out a way to use this incident." Sanders, maybe. For what, 30 seconds?

"Sanders, in the last debate, said he was tired of hearing about HC's email, but I wonder if he can't connect the new incident to her old email problem." Sure he could, if he wanted to. But he doesn't.

"Hillary's argument is that Sanders is dishonest, sneaky, underhanded... and litigious." Who you callin' dishonest, Hillary!?

grackle said...

so cutting off Sanders's access to the system was also a violation of the contract.

A wise lawyer once explained to me that judges as a rule are not fond of contracts being broken. She’s also the one who told me that legal documents use complicated language because they must be precise.

Bay Area Guy said...

Bernie can only get real leverage against the DNC by making implied threats to run as a 3rd Party.

Other than that, he will get steamrolled just as Howard Dean did in 2004. He should win NH, but its hard to see him winning anything else. A potential game changer would be if he pulls an upset in Iowa, then rolls that into a big win in NH.

I can dream, can't I?

tim maguire said...

Sanders needed this taken care of right away. There was no time for playing nice. Besides, the louder this gets, the worse the DNC looks.

I'm picturing something like this:

Intern One: I wonder what's going on in Hillary's section. What if I just clicked on it?
Intern Two: Whoa! Look at all this stuff! It's everything!
Intern One: I can't believe that worked! What idiot is running this site?
Supervisor: You're not supposed to be in there. We need to let the DNC know they left the door open.
DNC: You entered without authorization, you're whole operation is banned.
Supervisor: WTF?!?

Curious George said...

I won't be surprised if they find Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Fort Marcy Park.

Bob Boyd said...

I don't think the DNC will do anything to draw attention to this data base.
The amount of information they collect about voters, how they get it, why they have it and what they do with it are probably not things they want to be talking about.

pm317 said...

You would think after 8 years of chaos coming to a climax this year and the state of the Dems (case in point the content of this post), Republicans can win the WH without too much trouble, but no. They are all idiots.

And what is wrong with that old fart Sanders who has no chance of winning or running the country? I don't think even he is delusional enough to think he can become the president.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

Who's up for a four-party prez race?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Hillary's argument is that Sanders is dishonest, sneaky, underhanded... and litigious.

Some day the American people will appreciate that Sanders is constructive, and effective at what he does.

But 2016 will be another year of Hillary vs. the Republicans because the American people apparently never tire of melodrama. And no one's more melodramatic than her and them.

Hillary and her raving band of right-wing loony drama queens. It's impossible to decide which of them has less regard for reality.

So much mileage they get off of coasting on the American ability to believe in fairy tales and indulge bullshit.

David Begley said...

Maybe now Bernie wants to win.

YoungHegelian said...

If the database in question contained both HRC's & Sander's voter information, it is very likely that Sander's campaign staffers could generate a query that inadvertently retrieved HRC's data as well as Bernie's. Without knowing more about the configuration in question, it seems like Sander's staff didn't really have to do an awful lot of "hacking" to discover HRC's voter data. From what I'm reading now, I, too, would have to give the Sander's campaign the benefit of the doubt.

On other topics, notice how little coverage the MSM gives to the divisions within the Democratic Party this election? I mean, you've got some really pissed off Dems on the Left, Martin O'Malley thinks he's getting screwed over left & right, Sander's thinks the DNC is working against him, etc. The MSM? They just want the Democratic nomination to be a coronation. Who knew HRC was as dull as dishwater?

sunsong said...

I hope Bernie rants about this tonight! Wasserman Schultz is a sleaze.

richlb said...

If Bernie ran independent, and Trump didtoo, it would be awesome! A four (wo)man race with no clear runaway winner.

IG: @DudeKembro said...

Is anybody surprised Bernie's campaign was up to Nixonian dirty tricks? Bernie's first campaign was dirty -- he came out for the gun lobby and ousted an anti-gun candidate with the NRA's support. Progressive? Pfft. Bernie voted five times against the Brady Bill and voted to shield gun manufacturers from negligence claims, helping the NRA making the corporate gun lobby the only industry with such protections. That's not progressive.

All Berniebros do is whine and complain. The media is out to get us, the DNC is out to get us, waaaa waaaaa. Man up, fellas! Hillary had months of unfair press due to the Emailghazi nonsense. She fought back and bounced back, like Americans do. If Bernie can't handle the heat, he can't be an American President. Glitch or not, nobody made Bernie's folks use the glitch to access the data then lie and claim only one user accessed it when really it was four.

Bernie's data stealing scandal is just more evidence that Bernie is a Pied Piper leading gullible children off a cliff with empty slogans like "Break up the banks!" and "Free stuff for everybody!" Bernie is the Presidential equivalent of a kid running for 5th Grade Class President. So lame.

Hilary should disown all of it by declaring neither she nor the American people care about Bernie's d---m data breach and she's staying focused on the issues. The problem is Bernie's childish cult is focused on crying about the refs and throwing temper tantrums.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Wasn't Sanders statement on Hillary's email during the first debate when Lincoln Chafee was still on the stage? They've had like, two more since then. The way you can tell is that there are less candidates on stage.

chillblaine said...

Sanders may play nice tonight, in a show of unity. The question is whether his followers are going to nurse a grudge going forward. Sanders' supporters are true believers and highly motivated. I'm hoping for Democratic Party disunity under my Christmas tree.

cubanbob said...

"Hillary's argument is that Sanders is dishonest, sneaky, underhanded... and litigious."

One can't help but admire the brazenness of the Clinton's.

Lance said...

Sanders filed immediately, and he got what he wanted, even though it looks as though his campaign had done something quite wrong.

Sanders also threatened an independent run. What is the DNC more afraid of, a lawsuit or the loss of 5% of their base in every swing state?

Lance said...

I don't think even he is delusional enough to think he can become the president.

I think Sanders hopes to be the Democrats' version of Goldwater. He's even running against the Democrats' version of Nixon!

walter said...

traditionalguy said.peculation that when Bernie is kaput many of his zealous followers may be for Trump.
--
Meh..what I see is Bernouts criticizing Clinton relentlessly but admitting even she is better than any Republican.candidate. She promises less..but she still offers free stuff.

walter said...

(Still hopin' they get ta wrasslin' t'night)
I am a proud Altbilly

eric said...

There won't be any third party stuff. Too many states have sore loser laws.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Who knew HRC was as dull as dishwater?

I did! I did!

If anyone wants any proof of the fault lines within the Democratic Party, just read any NYT piece on Hillary that's run since the summer. You will find the comments replete with and chock full of Sanders' fans threatening to cancel subscriptions if they so much as see one more puff piece on Hilary or one more on Bernie that didn't take more serious stock of the depth and breadth of his support.

It's embarrassing to the Times that they didn't see fit to report on the chaos they sowed within their own readership and how that reflected the deep dissatisfaction with Hillary! but the rest of us have all seen it, we know it's there, and it's allowed us to aim a clearer eye at the media's sycophantic blind spots than ever before. A reckoning will be coming, and if it's not today or during the campaign, it will all come crashing down on them much more embarrassingly when the time is right.

cubanbob said...

Lance said...

I don't think even he is delusional enough to think he can become the president.

I think Sanders hopes to be the Democrats' version of Goldwater. He's even running against the Democrats' version of Nixon!
12/19/15, 1:08 PM "

Spot on! Still Sanders is Goldwater without the smarts and Hillary is Nixon without the charm, ethics and smarts of Nixon.

Still the Democrats have one ace in their favor: they are running against Republicans.

Pettifogger said...

The older I have gotten, the less ready I am to rush into filing a lawsuit--most of the time. Here, however, Sanders may have feared his threat of a suit would not be taken seriously. In such cases, quickly filing suit may sometimes be the way to go.

tim in vermont said...

If he runs third party, I will vote for him. I thing that America could use a far left third party that gets enough votes to get matching funds next time around. Bernie could do that, I think.

John henry said...

Bernie is not a member of the Democrat party. I still don't understand how he can be a Democrat candidate but apparently they can't stop him.

what I really don't understand is why the Democrat Party needs to support him or give him access to any party resources.

John Henry