Subject: RE: Press calls re Bernie Endorsement
From: "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]>
To: Tracie Pough <[email-masked]>, "Banfill, Ryan" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Paustenbach, Mark" <[email-masked]>, Ryan Banfill <[email-masked]>, "P. Aikowsky" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 21 May 2016 13:29:52 -0700

For your awareness, The Hill is also working on a story based on an interview they did with Nina Turner, which pre-dates the endorsement but is cooking right now for their blog, will run tomorrow:

Turner was highly critical of the DNC and wants an apology from Debbie Wasserman Schultz for how she's handled the nominating process.

Among the the things she said:

1) It will be difficult for the party to unify around the nominee because the DNC has mistreated Sanders from the start, first with the debate schedule, then with the data abase controversy, and now accusing them of violence when there was no evidence of violence at the Nevada convention.

She says Wasserman Schultz jumped the gun in blaming Nevada on Sanders without reaching out to the campaign or investigating what happened.

2) Debbie Wasserman Schultz should apologize to the Sanders campaign for making this "an unfair fight" if she wants the party to unify in the fall.

We had given him standard points we had used earlier in the week to refute the Morning Joe BS, and no quote, just on background reiterating that the DNC is neutral.

Here's what we had given on background, and going forward will just keep punting to Ryan:

The DNC is neutral in the primary.

The DNC Chair has repeatedly said on the air and otherwise that it’s not her job to tell either candidate to get out and has never called for anyone to get out of the race. She has talked in very positive terms<https://www.democrats.org/Post/dnc-chair-statement-on-april-26-primary-results> about both of our candidates<https://www.democrats.org/Post/dnc-chair-statement-on-south-carolina-primary-results-feb-27> and the substantive campaigns they’ve run<https://www.democrats.org/Post/dnc-chair-statement-on-new-hampshire-primary-results>. As for the stuff that Joe and Mika tried to rehash this morning about debates, the fact is our debates earned far better ratings<https://medium.com/@MiraLuisDC/democratic-debate-ratings-rank-far-ahead-of-most-primary-debates-889d8ab42ca#.qepssg11f> overall this year than they did in past cycles. And as NBC knows all too well, when we were able to get both campaigns to agree, we added four.

The rules in place for this election have been pretty much the same for several cycles. In fact, the major change from 2008 – when Obama beat Clinton --- is that there are actually LESS unpledged “super” delegates, now down to 15% from 20% prior to the change. No one wrote or rewrote any rules to help or hurt any specific candidate, these are the Party rules.

The single biggest factor determining the nominee (85%) is the participation of voters in primaries and caucuses. You can see a post we did here that lays out the facts on Super Delegates<https://medium.com/@patricetaylor/here-are-the-actual-facts-about-super-delegates-7660c5c7dd1#.288n079v7>. It also debunks the false myths about Iowa.

The DNC’s delegate selection rules for this primary were set before any of these candidates declared, and are consistent with the rules in place for several cycles – including 2008 when Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton.

Off the Record: There’s just no evidence that the process has been rigged. It certainly wasn’t rigged in Nevada last weekend, which was not a DNC event but a state party one. But don’t take it from us, here’s what Jon Ralston wrote:

http://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/17/ralston-reports-dems-need-unity-but-theyre-getting-mutiny-nevada-democratic-convention-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders/84521894/?mc_cid=6001cbd708&mc_eid=b3f6d44b0b

And here’s what Politifact said: http://www.politifact.com/nevada/statements/2016/may/18/jeff-weaver/allegations-fraud-and-misconduct-nevada-democratic/

<http://www.politifact.com/nevada/statements/2016/may/18/jeff-weaver/allegations-fraud-and-misconduct-nevada-democratic/>

________________________________________
From: Tracie Pough
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 4:24 PM
To: Banfill, Ryan
Cc: Miranda, Luis; Paustenbach, Mark; Ryan Banfill; P. Aikowsky
Subject: Re: Press calls re Bernie Endorsement

Adding Steve.

- TP

> On May 21, 2016, at 4:20 PM, Banfill, Ryan <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
> Yes. [email-masked]
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On May 21, 2016, at 4:17 PM, Miranda, Luis <[email-masked]> wrote:
>>
>> With the understanding that the response is coming from the campaign.
>> ________________________________________
>> From: Paustenbach, Mark
>> Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 4:14 PM
>> To: Banfill, Ryan; Ryan Banfill
>> Cc: Miranda, Luis
>> Subject: Press calls re Bernie Endorsement
>>
>> Hi Ryan,
>>
>> I am sending press calls about the Bernie endorsement to you. Giving reporters your gmail and cell.
>>
>> So far I've sent both Shawna Thomas from NBC/Meet the Press ([email-masked]) and Yamiche Alcindor from the New York Times ([email-masked]) your way.
>>
>>
>>
>> Mark Paustenbach
>> National Press Secretary &
>> Deputy Communications Director
>> Democratic National Committee
>> 202.863.8148
>> [email-masked]
>>