Bernie Sanders disavows ‘Democratic whores’ comment as ‘insensitive’
Bernie Sanders quickly condemned on Thursday a comment made by one of his surrogates who referred to “corporate Democratic whores” while warming up the crowd at a rally in New York City.
Paul Song, a physician and health care activist, made the remark before Sanders spoke at the event that drew an estimated 27,000 supporters to Washington Square Park on Wednesday night.
“Medicare for all will never happen if we continue to elect corporate Democratic whores who are beholden to big pharma and the private insurance industry instead of us,” Song said.
The Hillary Clinton campaign called for Sanders to disavow the comment.
“Very distressing language to say the least,” Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri tweeted. “[Bernie Sanders] should disavow.”
Very distressing language to say the least. @BernieSanders should disavow. https://t.co/xSNZyHwlAS
— Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri)
The Vermont senator did.
“Dr. Song’s comment was inappropriate and insensitive,” Sanders tweeted. “There’s no room for language like that in our political discourse.”
Dr. Song’s comment was inappropriate and insensitive. There’s no room for language like that in our political discourse.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders)
Song himself took to Twitter to apologize Wednesday night.
“I am very sorry for using the term ‘whore’ to refer to some in congress who are beholden to corporations and not us,” he wrote. “It was insensitive.”
I am very sorry for using the term “whore” to refer to some in congress who are beholden to corporations and not us. It was insensitive.
— Paul Y. Song (@paulysong)
But the phrase took off on Twitter, where supporters of both candidates used the remark to attack each other.
Every time I hear @HillaryClinton being attacked with sexist language, it makes me feel under attack too. Anyone else? #DemocraticWhores
— Amy Tidd (@AmyTidd)
Clinton is the epitome of a corporate whore, and nobody should have to apologize for saying so. #DemocraticWhores pic.twitter.com/wfYNunFdxB
— Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules)
If you’re a Bernie supporter and you’re tweeting #DemocraticWhores in earnest, you’re not a progressive or a radical; you’re a misogynist.
— Lauren Rankin (@laurenarankin)
Corporate #DemocraticWhores is a figurative term that can be applied to far more men than women. It’s sexist 2 assume it’s targeting women.
— NoSleepSheep216 (@TwoOneSix216)
It’s not the first time Sanders has been forced to address strong language used by one of his surrogates.
At a rally in Atlanta in February, rapper Killer Mike, one of the senator’s most visible supporters, stirred controversy while relaying a conversation he had with an activist who told him, “A uterus doesn’t qualify you to be president of the United States.”
In that case, Sanders defended the rapper.
“What Mike said, essentially, is that … people should not be voting for candidates based on their gender, but based on what they believe. I think that makes sense,” Sanders told reporters. “I don’t go around, no one has ever heard me say, ‘Hey, guys, let’s stand together, vote for a man.’ I would never do that, never have.”
