PHILADELPHIA, July 25 (UPI) — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was greeted by his more than 1,800 delegates at the Democratic National Convention by a minutes-long standing ovation before delivering a strong endorsement of his former opponent Hillary Clinton.
Sanders supporters have been vocal since arriving in Philadelphia at their displeasure with Sanders’ treatment by the Democratic National Committee. Emails hacked and released from the DNC showed staffers with a clear bias toward Clinton and against Sanders, a charge he levels throughout the campaign.
Sanders supporters heckled speakers during the afternoon session on Monday and blocked people from entering Wells Fargo Center in a mostly orderly gathering outside the arena during the day.
Sanders, during his address Monday, told supporters he and Clinton have worked together since the end of the primary campaign on core issues and the party’s platform reflects much of his liberal agenda from the campaign, including ending big-money politics, increasing the minimum wage, opposing free trade deals and creating free public school tuition for college students.
“It is no secret Hillary Clinton and I disagreed on a number of issues. This is what this campaign is about. This is what democracy is about. I’m happy to tell you at the Democratic platform committee there was a significant coming-together of the two campaigns and I’m happy to report we produced what is by far the most progressive platform in the party’s history,” Sanders said.
Earlier in the day, Sanders sent a person plea via a mass text message to supporters, asking them to refrain from staging protests on the convention floor.
By Monday night, Sanders told an adoring crowd he fully supports Clinton for president.
“We need leadership which brings our people together and makes us stronger not leadership which insults Latinos and Mexicans, insults Muslims and women, African-Americans — and seeks to divide us up. By these measures, any objective observer will conclude that based on her ideas and her leadership, Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States” Sanders said.
As for his own political future, Sanders said he is prepared to keep fighting for the political revolution his campaign helped start.
“I understand that many people here in this convention hall and around the country are disappointed with the final result of this nominating process. I think it is fair to say no one is more disappointed than I am,” Sanders said. “Together, my friends, we have begun a political revolution to transform America and that revolution, our revolution, continues.”
