Bernie Sanders was mad, really mad, about a comment made by one of his campaign 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 said, “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!”
The Hillary Clinton campaign called for Sanders to disavow the comment immediately:
Very distressing language to say the least. @BernieSanders should disavow. https://t.co/xSNZyHwlAS
— Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) April 14, 2016
Which Sanders did.
Dr. Song's comment was inappropriate and insensitive. There's no room for language like that in our political discourse.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 14, 2016
Then Song offered his own backhanded apology:
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) April 14, 2016
Clinton supporters have gone ballistic on social media using the hashtag #DemocraticWhores:
Every time I hear @HillaryClinton being attacked with sexist language, it makes me feel under attack too. Anyone else? #DemocraticWhores
— Amy Tidd (@AmyTidd) April 14, 2016
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) April 14, 2016
But some Sanders supporters argue the term is just fine:
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) April 14, 2016
Just another day at the circus.