Sanders: DNC Is ‘Dead Wrong’ in Limiting Number of Primary Debates

‘I have let the leadership of the Democrats know that’

TAPPER: “Governor Martin O'Malley tore into the Democratic National Committee on Friday, as you know, accusing the party of rigging the debate process to favor Hillary Clinton. Do you agree with Governor O'Malley?”

SANDERS: “I think rigging is a strong word. I think that, at a time when so many of our people have given up on the political process, when 80 percent of young people did not vote in the last election, 63 percent of all Americans did not vote, I think debates are a good thing. I love debates. Done it all my life. So, I would like to see more debates. I would like to see groups representing working people have a debate to talk about why the rich get richer and everybody else gets poorer. I think environmentalists deserve a debate, so we can talk about how we move aggressively to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel. I think young people deserve a debate, in terms of my idea and other ideas about how we make college education in this country in public colleges and universities tuition-free, how we deal with student debt –“

TAPPER: “Right, but –“

SANDERS: “-- how we deal with tax reform in this country, making the rich pay their fair –“

TAPPER: “But, Senator Sanders, the DNC –“

SANDERS: “Yes.”

TAPPER: “The DNC, as you know, is saying that if you or Governor O'Malley participate in any non-sanctioned debate, then you don't get to participate in the official ones. They are restricting the number of debates.”

SANDERS: “And I think -- and I think that that is dead wrong, and I have let the leadership of the Democrats know that. Again, I think this country benefits -- all people benefits - democracy benefits when we have debates. And I want to see more of them.”

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