On New Day Saturday on CNN, as two Democratic guests appeared on the show, host Victor Blackwell surprisingly brought up and pressed them on the issue of DNC chairman Tom Perez rescinding his endorsement of the Democratic nominee for Omaha mayor because the Nebraska Democrat has a history of not being pro-abortion enough.
At 7:31 a.m. ET, Blackwell brought up the issue:
Let's go out to Omaha where we know that there was the endorsement from Senator Sanders of Mr. Mello -- Heath Mello -- who is running for Omaha mayor who has, in the past, supported some legislation that many would say is anti-abortion rights.
After playing a clip of Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings recently proclaiming that he recommends a "big tent" for the Democratic party, the CNN host continued:
The mayoral candidate -- he had the endorsement of Senator Sanders, then the endorsement of Chairman Perez, but Chairman Perez has pulled back that endorsement after learning of this support of this so-called anti-abortion rights legislation. Reconcile those for me, how the Democratic party can be big tent but cannot make room for Heath Mello?
After former Washington, D.C., Democratic chairman A. Scott Bolden declared that "I don't think we should have a litmus test," and then shifted to another topic, fellow guest Symone Sanders -- a CNN political commentator -- claimed that mayoral candidate Heath Mello does not oppose abortion rights and called him a "good Democrat" as she began:
Well, I just want to say I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, and Heath, what's so interesting here is Heath Mello isn't anti-choice. Heath Mello is a good Democrat here. And, one, I want to encourage folks to ask the locals, but, two, we have to, as Scott said, be rebuilding the party.
Blackwell soon injected: "Mr. Mello has said that he would do nothing to impede upon a woman's right to choose."
After Sanders responded, "Absolutely not. Heath Mello is not anti-choice. He has fought to protect Planned Parenthood and everyone on down the line," Blackwell followed up: "So was the chairman wrong to rescind his support?"
She evasively responded:
Look, I think we got to, we got to, we got to, we have to get our bearings here. It's not going to be easy. Republicans are looking for holes anywhere and everywhere to cut Democrats off at their knees. And so I think we need to stand united as a party.
Blackwell pressed her again: "This was an intra-party fight. I don't know that the Republicans had anything to do with this. This was a decision whether or not Chairman Perez would support this candidate in Omaha who has come under fire for a previous vote."
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the April 22, New Day Saturday on CNN:
7:31 a.m. ET
VICTOR BLACKWELL: You mentioned purity tests. Let's go out to Omaha where we know that there was the endorsement from Senator Sanders of Mr. Mello -- Heath Mello -- who is running for Omaha mayor who has, in the past, supported some legislation that many would say is anti-abortion rights. I want you to listen to what Congressman Elijah Cummings said about the big tent that he's hoping for of the Democratic party. Let's watch this.REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D-MD): Many of us don't have a clue of what's going on in each other's districts and how tough it is. But, again, look, I want to win in the end, and so I want to pull as many people under that tent as I can.
BLACKWELL: So, Scott, he had the endorsement -- the mayoral candidate -- he had the endorsement of Senator Sanders, then the endorsement of Chairman Perez, but Chairman Perez has pulled back that endorsement after learning of this support of this so-called anti-abortion rights legislation. Reconcile those for me, how the Democratic party can be big tent but cannot make room for Heath Mello?
A. SCOTT BOLDEN, FORMER WASHINGTON DC DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN: Well, I think they can make room for everyone. Just because you've got this litmus test -- or rather, I don't think we should have a litmus test whether each race is different, each candidate is different, all factors, but all politics is local politics here. So one race doesn't make a party. It is a big tent -- it has a common enemy, and putting resources and rebuilding those 1,100 seats or races that we lost at the local, county and state level is super-important.
And so the Democrats are finding their way, if you will. We've got a new chair -- Bernie Sanders is a very big part of that, endorsing and winning at the local level is super-important. And that's going to happen. We may have some hiccups, but in the end, we've got to get it together we've got to win at the local level.
BLACKWELL: So was the chairman wrong? Go ahead, Symone.
SYMONE SANDERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I just want to say I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, and Heath, what's so interesting here is Heath Mello isn't anti-choice. Heath Mello is a good Democrat here. And, one, I want to encourage folks to ask the locals, but, two, we have to, as Scott said, be rebuilding the party.
And I think it speaks volumes when headlines can take away from the work that good Democrats locally and good Democrats across the country are doing when folks don't read deep into what's really going on and actually get the facts.
BLACKWELL: He would -- Mr. Mello has said that he would do nothing to impede upon a woman's right to choose.
SANDERS: Absolutely not. Heath Mello is not anti-choice. He has fought to protect Planned Parenthood and everyone on down the line.
BLACKWELL: So was the chairman wrong to rescind his support?
SANDERS: Look, I think we got to, we got to, we got to, we have to get our bearings here. It's not going to be easy. Republicans are looking for holes anywhere and everywhere to cut Democrats off at their knees. And so I think we need to stand united as a party.
BLACKWELL: This was an intra-party fight. I don't know that the Republicans had anything to do with this. This was a decision whether or not Chairman Perez would support this candidate in Omaha who has come under fire for a previous vote.
