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The Lid: Bernie Sanders' Surrogate Problem

One of the most interesting things about today’s brouhaha over a Bernie Sanders supporter who used the phrase “corporate Democratic whores” was that it took so long for an unruly Sanders surrogate to get this much attention
Image: Bernie Sanders Speaks At The National Action Network Convention
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during the 25th annual National Action Network convention on April 14, 2016 in New York City. Yesterday Hillary Clinton spoke to the group which raises national issues of importance to black Americans. Clinton and Sanders will meet for a debate in Brooklyn this evening. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos… Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will face off in a highly-anticipated debate tonight in Brooklyn. We assume they’ll draw sharp distinctions between their policy plans for America’s kombucha, beards, and microbrews.

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‘16 from 30,000

One of the most interesting things about today’s brouhaha over a Bernie Sanders supporter who used the phrase “corporate Democratic whores” was that it took so long for an unruly Sanders surrogate to get this much attention for going off-script. As Sanders campaign reporter Danny Freeman points out, health care activist Paul Song was hardly the first (or the most famous!) #FeeltheBern fan to use controversial language (see examples from Rosario Dawson, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.) But one very big reason for the in-depth coverage of Song’s remark and subsequent apology was the relative absence of Donald Trump in the news cycle. The GOP frontrunner is hardly quiet -- after all, he’s flatly accused the entire GOP nominating apparatus of being “corrupt.” But Trump has notably NOT been lurching lately from one hyper-controversial comment to the next (akin to his remarks about the KKK, nuclear attacks and punishing women for abortions.) That created some room in the news cycle for a Democratic controversy that might have otherwise gotten second billing to high-stakes drama on the GOP side. It’s another reminder of how much of a break both Clinton and Sanders have been getting for the last few months, as Trump distracting from their protracted fight by taking up all the oxygen day in and day out.

POPPING ON NBC POLITICS

FOR THE RECORD…

“Some people, look, an eye for an eye, you can almost say that. That’s not a particularly nice thing.”

  • Donald Trump, asked on WHAM 1180 AM radio what his favorite Bible verse is

TOMORROW’S SKED

Hillary Clinton begins her day in New York City before heading to California.

Bernie Sanders travels to Rome.

Trump holds rallies in Plattsburgh, New York and Hartford, Connecticut.

Kasich and Cruz also campaign in the Empire State.