Clinton Aides Blaming Russians Over DNC Email Controversy
PHILADELPHIA (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Large demonstrations greeted attendees Monday as the Democratic National Convention got underway in Philadelphia.
Attempts at portraying unity have been fractured with the email revelation suggesting the party favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders during the primaries. Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned Sunday as Democratic Party chair.
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But Sanders called on backers Monday to help elect Clinton, calling Donald Trump a demagogue.
To roaring cheers from delegates in Philadelphia, Sanders also touted progressive wins in the Democratic party platform and over future nominating rules.
He said "make no mistake about it, we have made history" and said his supporters should continue to push for the "transformation of American society.''
Many of his supporters, frustrated by the primary process and the recent leaked emails from Democratic party officials, have been threatening protests at the DNC.
The DNC has offered its "deep and sincere apology" to Sanders, his supporters and the entire party for what it calls "the inexcusable remarks made over email."
The statement from incoming interim party leader, Donna Brazile, and six other officials said the comments in the emails "do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process."
The statement said the party won't tolerate disrespectful language.
The statement wasn't signed by Wasserman Schultz.
CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported Florida delegates showed Wasserman Schultz their extreme displeasure over WikiLeaks revelations that rather than staying neutral, she favored Clinton over Sanders during the primaries, that officials tried to sabotage the Sanders campaign.
"The voices in the room that are standing up and being disruptive, that's not the Florida we know," Wasserman Schultz said.
The Florida congresswoman is stepping down as party chairwoman at the end of the convention, but her roll was further diminished when she was stripped of the job of gaveling in the convention, so the party can start on a high note.
The FBI announced it is investigating how and who hacked into the DNC computers to reveal all this.
Clinton aides charge it was the Russians who leaked 20,000 emails, intending on helping Donald Trump.
"It's a logical assumption, not a certainty, that the Russians did it and the fact that they're trying to influence our election says one thing and if it's true, do they prefer Trump to Vladimir Putin, who has been an enemy to the United States," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said.
In one of the largest rallies Monday, a pro-Sanders group walked across the Ben Franklin Bridge, which connects Camden, New Jersey and Philadelphia.
About 100 marchers chanted "We are the 99 percent'' as they made their way across the bridge and spilled onto the Philadelphia side.
They plan to meet up with a rally at Philadelphia's City Hall. The group will then march down Broad Street toward a park across the street from where the convention begins late Monday.
The demonstrations, largely driven by Sanders supporters, have been peaceful. Volunteers will be handing out water to demonstrators all week.
"Democratic party's been colluding with Hillary and they're just not being Democratic or fair,"said protester Dan Kleiman.
On Sunday, Sanders said Wasserman Schultz made the right decision for the Democratic Party's future by resigning as party chair but stressed his goal remains the same.
"The focus, though, that I am going to go forward on right now is to make sure that Donald Trump must not become president of the United States," he told CNN.
Sanders said Democrats need new leadership "that will open the doors of the party and welcome in working people and young people.''
Clinton weighed in during her first joint interview with running mate Tim Kaine.
"I can't speak to what people who were not working for me, who were saying whatever they were saying," she said. "I can't speak to that."
Clinton's campaign manager Robby Mook tried to shift blame away from DNC officials to Russian hackers.
"Other experts are now saying that the Russians are releasing these emails for the purpose of actually helping Donald Trump," he said.
Trump brushed off claims that Russia is trying to help his campaign, saying in a Tweet Monday that reports of Russia releasing the emails because Russian President Vladimir Putin likes him is "the new joke in town.''
"How much bad judgement was on display by the people in DNC in writing those really dumb e-mails, using even religion, against Bernie," he said in another tweet.
Meanwhile, the race between Trump and Clinton remains tied heading into the Democratic convention, according to a new CBS News poll out Monday.
The poll found Trump received a small bump after the GOP convention, pushing him up to 42 percent compared to 40 percent just over a week ago. After choosing Kaine as her running mate Friday, Clinton also edged up to 42 percent.
But another poll out Monday instead it shows Clinton trailing Trump.
According to the CNN poll, Trump leads Clinton 48 to 45 percent in a two-way match-up. Trump got a six-point bounce after the Republican convention, the poll found.
"Wait till after this convention. I am confident because Democrats are far more aimed at the middle class, not negativity and harshness," Schumer said. "We're going to win by a lot."
Elizabeth Warren, a favorite of liberals, will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic convention. The Massachusetts senator speaks Monday night in an opening lineup that also includes first lady Michelle Obama, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Sanders.
The CBS News poll was conducted by telephone July 22-24, 2016 among a random sample of 1,363 adults nationwide, including 1,118 registered voters.
The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The margin of error for the sample of registered voters is four points. The error for subgroups may be higher and is available by request. The margin of error includes the effects of standard weighting procedures which enlarge sampling error slightly.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
