Bernie Sanders Gets Roll Call Vote at DNC
Philadelphia, Penn. - Bernie Sanders' name will be placed in nomination and there will be a full roll-call vote on the Democratic National Convention (DNC) floor Tuesday night.
The move comes following a large e-mail release by Wikileaks showing bias from party leaders, including DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, in favor of Hillary Clinton. The 20,000+ emails even included correspondence with members of the press to help Clinton's image.
Earlier Monday, mayhem exploded against Wasserman Schultz when she made her first public appearance after being forced to resign her position as head of the DNC. Angry Democrats heckled her with boos and cries of "Shame!" as the party tried to move past the shocking revelation.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Sanders supporters "fanned out across Philadelphia on Monday morning, collecting signatures to ensure the Vermont senator gets a roll call vote on the convention floor."
At the Rhode Island delegation breakfast on Monday, a volunteer from Pennsylvania went from table to table, collecting some of the required 600 delegate names.
"It's so that there can be a roll call vote, so people can actually say if they're for Bernie Sanders," said Lauren Niedel, a Sanders delegate and one of the leaders of the Sanders movement in Rhode Island.
Whether a roll call will be taken to nominate Clinton has been a topic of negotiations between the Sanders and Clinton campaigns. Eight years ago, after the last contentious Democratic primary, the vote was theatrically interrupted by Clinton, asking for unanimous support of then-Sen. Barack Obama.
There are also reports that the independent Bernie Delegates Network, a group that includes 1,250 Sanders delegates, is "actively exploring a challenge to Sen. Tim Kaine's (Va.) vice presidential nomination.”
Sanders backers are wary of attempts to prevent them from voicing their support for their chosen candidate.
Bernie Sanders will address the full convention in a prime-time speech tonight.
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