The DNC Has a Deal for Bernie Sanders

In choosing stick or carrot to get Bernie Sanders and his supporters to play ball at this summer's Democratic National Convention, the Democratic National Committee has decided to go with the carrot—at least for now. Two sources familiar with the situation say the DNC plans to offer Sanders a "concession" in the form of seats on a critical convention committee tasked with crafting the party's platform, per the Washington Post. The goal: to bridge the growing gap between the two camps. It's become what US News frames as a "family feud," most recently fueled by chaos at last weekend's Nevada Democratic Convention, when Sanders supporters were said to have thrown chairs and become hostile toward organizers. Some Sanders devotees have also accused the party of rigging the nomination process to ensure Hillary wins.

Sanders has called for the party to "do the right thing" and embrace his supporters, some of whom have warned there may be protests at the convention if their concerns aren't heard. He also penned a letter to DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz earlier in May asking for seats for his own people on three important convention committees—the platform group, as well as one for rules and one for credentials. For the 15-person platform committee, Sanders wanted it split right down the middle between his people and Hillary's, with one "neutral" rep of Wasserman Schultz's choosing. The unnamed Post sources say a final decision should come shortly and expect that while Sanders likely won't get the seven seats he's seeking, he'll end up with more than what the DNC originally allotted him. (More Bernie Sanders 2016 stories.)