Day 1 Of Democratic National Convention Marked By Division
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Democratic National Convention opened in Philadelphia Monday morning, but it isn't the city of brotherly love for Democrats.
Convention protests reveal deep divisions between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton delegates.
Also, the chair of the Democratic party resigned.
All of this coming after Russian hackers stole DNC emails that showed party leaders working against Sanders.
Convention day one is chaotic and divisive, starting with the shocking sight of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz getting booed off while speaking to her own Florida delegation. Many are angry Sanders supporters upset about the hacked emails.
"We know that the voices in this room that are standing up and being disruptive, we know that that's not the Florida that we know," Wasserman Schultz said.
DNC Vice Chairman R.T. Rybak, the former Minneapolis mayor, said DNC staffers involved acted unethically.
"The emails illustrate the fact that some people were not. That is wrong and it is deeply wrong," Rybak said. "Immediate action needed to be taken, and it did, and it starts at the top and I'm happy the chair recognized it was time to step down."
Rybak had called for Wasserman Schultz to quit, and said her resignation was "appropriate." He said he's also very concerned about Russian government interference in the American election.
"The most important first thing out of my mouth on this is that someone at the DNC did things wrong and we're holding them accountable. That being said," said Rybak, "why would the Russian government want to get information from the Democratic National Committee any more than say, why way back Richard Nixon wanted to get information from the Democratic National Committee, which is how Watergate got started."
The FBI is investigating the release of the emails as a federal crime. Some top Democrats say the Russians are trying to embarrass Clinton and support Donald Trump for president. There's no evidence of that.
It's likely this is only the first of many email batches that might be made public.
Wasserman Schultz wasn't the only one to get booed Monday.
Sanders got booed by his own supporters when he asked them to support Clinton.
"We have got to defeat Donald Trump, and we have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine," he said.
The DNC made a public apology to Sanders and his supporters Monday.
Monday night, Sanders made an impassioned plea to Democrats. Despite protests and tears from many of his supporters, he endorsed Clinton.
"Any objective observer will conclude that based on her ideas and her leadership, Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States," he said.
Minnesotans played key convention roles Monday night. Congressman Keith Ellison, and early Sanders backer, introduced Sanders.
In a show of unity, Sen. Al Franken teamed up with comedian Sarah Silverman. He's for Clinton, she was for Sanders until now.
First Lady Michelle Obama took a swipe at Trump, saying the Republican nominee is not qualified to be president.
"Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country isn't great, that somehow we need to make it great again," Michelle Obama said. "Because this right now is the greatest country on earth."
The First Lady represents only a part of a Democratic arsenal expected to come out for Clinton this week. President Bill Clinton speaks Tuesday, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Just a week ago, the Republicans were meeting in Cleveland to nominate Trump. Democrats woke up to a shocker Monday morning: Trump got a convention bump. A CBS News poll shows Trump and Clinton tied at 42 percent.
Meanwhile, Trump couldn't resist. In a speech Monday he told the DNC Chair: "You're fired."
