DFA calls on Sanders, Clinton, O’Malley to “leap at the opportunity to add debate”
After months of calling out the DNC's anemic debate schedule, news broke this afternoon that NBC and the NH Union Leader are planning to hold an "unsanctioned" Democratic debate on Feb. 4 -- if the candidates agree to it.
Democracy for America and others have been critical of the DNC's severely lacking (and potentially biased) debate schedule form the start -- and, since November, 145,940 have signed DFA petitions, including one by Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, demanding the DNC hold more presidential debates.
In response to today's news, DFA's Executive Director Charles Chamberlain released this statement encouraging the Democratic candidates to leap at an opportunity for more debates:
"Democracy for America members firmly believe that our candidates and our party are made stronger by more debates focused on the bold populist progressive priorities that grassroots Democrats are looking for our nominee to run on.
"We strongly encourage every Democratic candidate to leap at the opportunity to add an additional debate to the absurdly limited official DNC schedule and work to find other opportunities to make the Presidential contest the fierce competition of progressive ideas that Democrats deserve." -- Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director, Democracy for America