CONTINUE TO COME AT IT FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, BUT I
DON’T HAVE ANY DOUBT ABOUT THE
SINCERITY OF THE GOALS.
>> IN TERMS OF SENATOR
SANDERS --
SANDERS -- >> UH-HUH.
>> UH-HUH. >> -- HE SAID THIS WEEK THAT
HE’S SPOKEN YOU IN THE LAST FEW
DAYS.
DAYS. >> HE HAS.
>> SO THAT ONE’S ACCURATE.
>> UH-HUH.
>> UH-HUH. THAT’S RIGHT.
THAT’S RIGHT. >> THAT’S GOOD.
WHAT’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE
WITH SENATOR SANDERS?
YOU OBVIOUSLY SHARE A LOT OF
IMPORTANT POLICY GOALS, BUT SOME
DIFFERENCES AND YOU’VE BEEN
COMPETITORS OVER THESE LAST FEW
MONTHS.
MONTHS. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WHAT’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH
HIM?
HIM? >> SO, BERNIE AND I HAVE BEEN
FRIENDS FOR LONG, LONG TIME
DATING BACK WAY BEFORE I EVER
GOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS, AND
THROUGH THE HOUSING CRASH, IN
PARTICULAR, KIND OF HERE WERE
CENTRAL ISSUES WE WERE WORKING
ON.
ON. I CAME UP -- IN FACT, THE FIRST
TOWN HALLS I’VE EVER DONE WERE
IN VERMONT, WERE FOR BERNIE
SANDERS.
SANDERS. >> WOW.
>> WOW. >> AND BRUCE DROVE ME UP ON A
SATURDAY AND WE DID A COUPLE OF
TOWN HALLS, AND, BUT IT’S A SET
OF ISSUES WE’VE WORKED ON, BOTH
OF US, FOR A VERY, VERY LONG
TIME.
TIME. >> THAT’S --
>> I RESPECT THAT.
>> THAT IS USUALLY GROUNDS FOR
MUTUAL TRUST OR AT LEAST MUTUAL
UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU’VE HAD A
RELATIONSHIP LIKE THAT.
>> I SURE HOPE SO.
YEAH.
YEAH. UH-HUH.
UH-HUH. >> ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED
TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT
RELATIONSHIP WITH SENATOR
SANDERS IS SOMETHING I TALKED TO
HIM ABOUT LAST NIGHT WHEN I WAS
IN VERMONT AND THAT IS THERE
HAVE BEEN SOME REALLY UNTOWARD
ATTACKS BY SENATOR SANDERS’
SUPPORTERS, NOT BY HIM, HIMSELF,
AGAINST YOU, PARTICULARLY
ONLINE.
ONLINE. HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE CALLED YOU A
SNAKE.
SNAKE. THEY USED THE SNAKE EMOJI FOR
YOU.
YOU. THEY’VE CALLED YOU A TRAITOR.
THEY TRIED TO ORGANIZE SOMEBODY
TO PRIMARY YOU TO FORCE YOU OUT
OF YOUR SENATE SEAT HERE IN
MASSACHUSETTS.
MASSACHUSETTS. AND THE SENATOR SAID LAST NIGHT,
HE RESPONDED, HE SAID, "I
CONDEMNED THAT."
CONDEMNED THAT." AND HE’S DISTANCING HIMSELF FROM
WHAT HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE DONE.
I WANTED TO ASK IF -- IF THAT
ROSE TO YOUR LEVEL OF
CONSCIOUSNESS, IF YOU WERE AWARE
THAT WAS GOING ON, IF YOU HAVE
ANY REACTION TO THAT OR TO HIS
COMMENTS ABOUT IT LAST NIGHT.
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S -- IT’S NOT
JUST ABOUT ME.
I THINK THERE’S A REAL PROBLEM
WITH THIS ONLINE BULLYING AND
SORT OF ORGANIZED NASTINESS, AND
I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT WHO
SAID MEAN THINGS.
I’M TALKING ABOUT SOME REALLY
UGLY STUFF THAT WENT ON.
YOU KNOW, IN THE -- OUT IN
NEVADA WHEN THE UNITE HERE HAD
PUT OUT AN ANALYSIS OF THE
DIFFERENT CANDIDATES AND THEIR
VIEWS ON HEALTH CARE AND OTHER
ISSUES AND SOME OF THE BERNIE
SUPPORTERS ONLINE TOOK EXCEPTION
TO IT AND THEY DIDN’T JUST TAKE
EXCEPTION THAT WE DISAGREE, YOU
KNOW, OUTRAGEOUS TOWAY TO DO THI
WHICH ANYBODY CAN DO, THAT’S
FINE.
FINE. YOU CAN BE CLEVER AND CAN FIND
CLEVER WAYS TO BE KIND OF MEAN
SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES. OKAY.
OKAY. I GET THAT PART, TOO.
BUT THEY ACTUALLY PUBLISHED THE
PHONE NUMBERS AND HOME ADDRESSES
OF THE TWO WOMEN, THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR AND THE COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR, WOMEN OF COLOR,
IMMIGRANT WOMEN, AND REALLY PUT
THEM IN FEAR FOR THEIR FAMILIES,
OF -- THEY -- THESE ARE -- THESE
ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE
TOUGH WOMEN.
TOUGH WOMEN. TOUGH WOMEN WHO’VE RUN LABOR
ORGANIZING CAMPAIGNS AND REALLY
EARNED THEIR JOBS IN THEIR
UNION, I MEAN, THE HARD WAY.
AND, YET, SAID FOR THE FIRST
TIME BECAUSE OF THIS ONSLAUGHT
OF ONLINE THREATS THAT THEY FELT
REALLY UNDER ATTACK AND -- AND
THAT WASN’T THE FIRST TIME IT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. WORKING FAMILIES PARTY, TWO
WOMEN THERE, WOMEN OF COLOR, WHO
WERE ATTACKED RIGHT AFTER THEY
ENDORSED ME.
ENDORSED ME. AND I THINK THIS FUNDAMENTAL
QUESTION ABOUT WHAT GOES ON
ONLINE AND WHERE THOSE LINES ARE
AND HOW MUCH EACH OF US -- AND I
WANT TO SAY THIS FOR ALL OF THE
CANDIDATES, BACK WHEN THERE WERE
LOTS OF US -- WE ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE
OUR SUPPORTERS AND DO REALLY
THREATEN, UGLY, DANGEROUS THINGS
TO OTHER CANDIDATES.
>> AND IT’S A PARTICULARLY --
IT’S A PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITH
SANDERS’ SUPPORTERS.
SANDERS’ SUPPORTERS. >> IT IS.
>> IT IS. IT JUST IS.
JUST A FACTUAL QUESTION.
AND IT IS.
AND THAT’S SOMETHING I THINK
THAT -- THAT --
>> HAVE YOU EVER TALKED WITH
SENATOR SANDERS ABOUT THAT?
>> I HAVE.
>> WHAT WAS THAT CONVERSATION
LIKE?
LIKE? >> IT WAS SHORT, BUT, YEAH,
WE’VE TALKED ABOUT IT.
BUT I THINK IT’S A REAL PROBLEM.
>> DOES HE NOT SHARE YOUR VIEW
THAT HE’S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
BEHAVIOR OF HIS SUPPORTERS?
>> YOU KNOW, I SHOULDN’T SPEAK
FOR HIM.
FOR HIM. IT’S SOMETHING HE SHOULD SPEAK
FOR HIMSELF ON, BUT I DO THINK
IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO
RECKON WITH IN OUR POLITICAL
DISCOURSE, IN PARTICULAR,
BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT POLITICS IS
ABOUT IS TO GET OUT AND PUT YOUR
IDEAS OUT THERE.
PEOPLE CHOOSE SIDES.
PEOPLE VOTE.
PEOPLE VOTE. PEOPLE SAY, I’M HOLDING A SIGN
FOR HER, I’M HOLDING A SIGN FOR
HIM.
HIM. THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE DO, BUT
WHAT UNDERLIES THAT IS A
FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN DECENCY AND
RESPECT FER OOCHOR EACH OTHER AN
UNDERSTANDING THAT NOBODY TRIES
TO PUT SOMEBODY’S FAMILY AT RISK
OR SOMEBODY PERSONALLY AT RISK
BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE WITH YOU
ON THE POLITICS OF IT, BECAUSE
THEY SEE THE POLICY DIFFERENT,
BECAUSE THEY DON’T SUPPORT YOUR
CANDIDATE AND THEY SUPPORT SOME
OTHER CANDIDATE.
OTHER CANDIDATE. NO.
NO. AND IF WE FOLLOW THAT SAME KIND
OF POLITICS AND DIVISION THAT
DONALD TRUMP FOLLOWS, THAT
NOTION OF -- HE DRAWS STRENGTH
FROM TEARING PEOPLE APART, FROM
DEMONIZING PEOPLE, FROM SAYING,
OH, THOSE ARE BAD PEOPLE AND
THAT’S -- THAT’S KIND OF HOW
THEY DRAW THEIR STRENGTH.
IT’S NOT WHO I WANT TO BE AS A
DEMOCRAT.
DEMOCRAT. IT’S NOT WHO I WANT TO BE AS AN
AMERICAN.
AMERICAN. AND TO THE EXTENT I HAVE ANY
POWER TO CONTROL THAT, I DO WHAT
I CAN AND I CALL ON OTHERS TO DO
THE SAME AND I THINK WE HAVE TO
HAVE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AROUND
THAT.
THAT. >> IF THAT IS A PERSISTENT
PROBLEM IN THE MOVEMENT AROUND
SENATOR SANDERS, THAT WAS A
PROBLEM THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
COMPLAINED ABOUT IN 2016 AROUND
HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.
ALL THE MORE SO THIS YEAR.
AND THE SENATOR, YOU KNOW, SAYS
THAT HE’S AGAINST IT AND SAYS
THAT HE’S CONDEMNED IT.
I’VE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT IT
DIRECTLY, BUT IF IT IS A
PERSISTENT PROBLEM AND
THERE’S -- FOR WHATEVER REASON
HE CAN’T CONTROL IT OR IT’S NOT
BEING CONTROLLED BY HIM, IS
THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT THE
PARTY COULD DO ABOUT THAT?
I ASK BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT
HAS AN ONGOING SCHISMATIC EFFECT
IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> I THINK IN 2016 IT MADE IT
VERY HARD FOR THE POST-PRIMARY
GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN OF
HILLARY CLINTON TO GET ANYWHERE
NEAR SUCCESS, AND I THINK IT’S
GOING TO DO THE SAME THING
WHETHER OR NOT SENATOR SANDERS
IS THE NOMINEE THIS TIME.
I SEE IT AS FACTIONALIST,
SCHISMATIC AND INJURIOUS.
IF HE CAN’T FIX IT, I DON’T KNOW
IF THERE’S ANYBODY ELSE WHO CAN.
>> I THINK OF IT MORE AS HAS THE
TIME COME FOR US TO START
THINKING MORE CREATEIVELY ABOUT
HOW TO DO THIS?
DO YOU SET UP SOMETHING, FOR
EXAMPLE, FROM THE CAMPAIGN THAT
EVERY SINGLE DAY ANSWERS BACK TO
THIS WITH THE -- THE AUTHORITY
OF THAT PERSON’S CAMPAIGN AND
SAYS, WE’RE NOT DOING THIS, I’M
FLAGGING THESE.
FLAGGING THESE. WE DON’T LIKE THIS, WE DON’T
WANT THIS, WE DON’T WANT ANY
PART OF THIS, WE CONDEMN IT, HOW
MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY
THIS.
THIS. AND I -- AND I WANT TO SAY
IT’S -- IT’S -- LET’S WORK ON
DOING THIS CREATIVELY.
CAN GIVE YOU JUST AN ANALOGY
HERE?
HERE? >> PLEASE.
>> PLEASE. >> YOU KNOW HOW WE TALK ABOUT
MONEY IN POLITICS AND WE TALK
ABOUT THE SUPERPACs AND THE
OUTSIDE MONEY AND SO ON, PEOPLE
HAVE ALWAYS JUST SAID THERE’S
NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
IT’S TOO BAD.
WHEN SCOTT BROWN AND I RAN IN
2012, REMEMBER, WE DEVELOPED A
CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TWO OF US
AND SAID WE’RE GOING TO KEEP
SUPERPAC MONEY OUT OF THIS
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. AND WE FIGURED OUT OUR OWN
ENFORCEMENT DEVICE AND WE MADE
IT WORK.
IT WORK. NOW, IT’S NOT A PERFECT ANALOGY,
BUT THE POINT IS YOU DON’T HAVE
A CREATIVE SOLUTION TO SIT DOWN
AND TRY A CREATIVE SOLUTION.
AND IF THE FIRST ONE DOESN’T
WORK, MOVE IT ASIDE AND LET’S
TRY THE SECOND, AND IF THAT ONE
DOESN’T WORK, MOVE IT ASIDE AND