https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyTB4qkTrK8
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) twice refused to answer what the difference is between her party and the socialism of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Wasserman Schultz was asked last week by Chris Matthews on MSNBC what the difference is “between a Democrat like Hillary Clinton and a socialist like Bernie Sanders.”
“But the more important questions is what’s the difference between being a Democrat and being a Republican,” she replied before Matthews interjected with the question again.
“The relevant debate that we’ll be having over the course of this campaign is, what’s the difference between the Democrat and the Republican,” she responded.
On Sunday, Wasserman Schultz had the same question posed to her again by Meet the Press host Chuck Todd.
“Given that Bernie Sanders is an unabashed socialist, believes in social Democratic government, likes the ones in Europe, what is the difference? Can you explain the difference?” Todd asked.
Wasserman Schultz said “it’s always fun to be interviewed by Chris Matthews.”
“And I know that he enjoys that banter. The important distinction that I think we’re going to be discussing — I’m confident we’ll be discussing in this campaign — is the difference between Democrats and Republicans. The difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats want to make sure that people have an opportunity to reach the — climb the ladders of success and reach the middle class, have a good education, have a secure retirement,” she said.
“Look at the Republican field. What they stand for is the extremism that you’ve seen in– on full display over the next — the last few weeks, which is why Donald Trump is their frontrunner. I mean, Donald Trump has — is essentially a reflection of where the Republican Party is today: limiting a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions, you know, supporting– shifting to a more privately-focused education system, ending Medicare as we know it– that’s the important and relevant contrast as we go through the next 18 months of this presidential election.”
Wasserman Schultz, who was a national campaign co-chair for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, insisted among reports of a Joe Biden candidacy that “there would always be room for the sitting vice president if he chose to run for president.”
“You know, Vice President Biden has not ever ruled out whether he would eventually run for president. So like any of the other candidates when they were thinking or in any stage of the process, we’ve kept his team informed as well as– as– as well as every other candidate, both before and since they have decided to join the race,” she said.
She said the DNC “will be announcing our schedule as soon as we get it finalized,” with six debates. Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley have protested the DNC debate schedule as too few debates too late in the cycle.
“You know, I think Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Lincoln Chafee, Martin O’Malley– any of our candidates when compared to the Republican field have an appeal, because they speak to the issues that are important to the American people,” Wasserman Schultz said. “…And the American people would eventually choose our nominee as president.”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member