Sanders Delegates Shout Down Ron Kind Over TPP Support

Emotions continue to run high among some Bernie Sanders supporters in Wisconsin’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin was shouted down by Sanders supporters during a state delegate meeting, upset by Kind’s support for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

The shouting started when Kind told Wisconsin delegates that trade agreements like the TPP can work.

“They can work for the benefit of our workers,” he said, garnering yells of, “No!”

It continued when he tried to hold a brief press conference in the hallway.

Kind cut that short, but Sanders delegate Andrew Walsh of Apppleton did talk to reporters. He was among those who got in Kind’s face.

“We’re going to apply pressure and anyone who supports (the trade deal), we’re going to hold their feet to the fire,” he said.

Walsh said he wanted to see how the TPP debate played out before he’d commit to voting for Hillary Clinton in November.

Some Sanders’ backers are also still raw over the Democratic National Committee’s role in favoring Clinton over Sanders this election cycle, prompting one of the committee’s vice chairs to apologize to Wisconsin delegates Wednesday morning.

Former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Ryback said he was outraged when emails came out showing the DNC had favored Clinton. He said it’s important to look people in the eye and tell them a mistake was made. He told reporters afterward that the party also needed to restore trust.

“I believe that anyone within the Democratic Party who was favoring one candidate or the other and was doing it on DNC time should not be keeping their job,” he said.

Ryback said the next chair of the DNC should make it clear to people throughout the party that the committee is neutral and do everything possible to maintain a level playing field.