Sen. Bernie Sanders has reportedly refused to sign a planned Democratic condemnation of the harassment of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema because it didn’t also criticize her political views.
According to a report in Axios, citing email exchanges among Democratic senators’ aides, the Vermont socialist requested a preface before the statement’s declaration that following Ms. Sinema into a bathroom and filming her was “plainly inappropriate and unacceptable.”
Mike Casca, Mr. Sanders’ communications director, asked that the sentence begin “While we hope Senator Sinema will change her position on prescription drug reform and support a major reconciliation bill.”
Jeff Giertz, communications director to Sen. Cory Booker, said that the New Jersey Democrat, who was organizing the letter, “can’t agree to that edit.”
Mr. Casca responded that “Sanders will not be signing, so please cut ‘Senate Democratic Leadership Team’ from headline.”
The statement has not been published, and, according to Axios, it is “currently unclear whether it will run.”
Axios reported that the Democratic senators who plan to sign onto Mr. Booker’s letter include Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Mark Warner of Virginia and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
According to Axios, Mr. Casca declined comment. A spokesman for Ms. Sinema also declined to comment.
Twice over the last five days, illegal immigrants have accosted Ms. Sinema in public for the benefit of their own selfie cameras, demanding that she commit to supporting a path to citizenship. The first confrontation occurred in a women’s room at Arizona State University, the second on an airplane flight.
Ms. Sinema and her allies, according to Axios, are privately stewing about lack of support from other Democrats, particularly progressives, over what she sees as “not legitimate protest” and “wholly inappropriate.”
President Biden, for example, downplayed the bathroom incident Monday, calling it “part of the process” and something that “happens to everybody.”
