On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Story Is,” Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) said that members of Congress, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) failed to adequately vet Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner and “there was information that was out there. We kept hearing more is going to come.”
Kamlager-Dove stated, “I do not think we should be asking Maine voters to put their moral compass on the shelf because you have folks that put vibes over vetting. They should have vetted this candidate, and they should have really had a serious conversation about if he was viable to go the distance. And he should drop out.”
Host Elex Michaelson then asked, “Do you think your colleagues, some of those, including Sanders and Warren and others, do you think they made a mistake in not vetting him well?”
Kamlager-Dove answered, “Yes. I do not think — there was information that was out there. We kept hearing more is going to come. Many of us said we have some concerns about this candidate. And are you telling me that this is the only person who can carry the message, when there are so many of us who are fighting for the same things, access to healthcare, affordable healthcare, challenging these corporations with the monopolies and the antitrust violations, and making sure that working people are being heard. That is the message. That’s the wrong messenger.”
Michaelson then asked, “And do you think people should have spoken up sooner?”
Kamlager-Dove answered, “Well, I don’t know what there was to say, but now that we’ve got a second woman who’s coming out, these allegations are credible. He certainly deserves due process, but he really should be doing right by Maine voters.”
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