Current and former Sanders staffers turn on each other in campaign aftermath

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Former rivals Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden join forces to form climate change unity task force

Democratic leaders hope the effort helps patch up wounds from the primaries; Peter Doocy reports.

Even by the standards of partisan vitriol being hurled in all directions amid civil unrest and the coronavirus pandemic, a remarkable dispute is raging among Bernie Sanders alumni in the aftermath of his second failed presidential campaign.

Current and former Sanders staffers have lashed out at one another in recent days, concerning both general gripes about working with the Democratic establishment and personal shots at individuals’ post-campaign activities.

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Former Sanders speechwriter David Sirota has been critical of the campaign, tweeting repeatedly about its failures and how those involved, including himself, “should accept their blame” for Sanders’ loss.

But it was a criticism of the “unity task-force” made up of Sanders and Biden supporters that caused particular consternation.

“I don't know who needs to hear this, but many of us don't want to hear career Beltway political operatives boasting about task forces while this shit is going on right now,” Sirota said in a tweet that he later deleted but was reported by Politico. “Jfc — try to be a little less tone deaf.”

In response, Sanders spokesperson Mike Casca took a shot at Sirota for supposedly using campaign information for personal gain.

“[D]amn right. real change happens when you steal an email list from the campaign and use it to create your own paid newsletter,” Casca said Tuesday night, referring to Sirota’s Too Much Information newsletter. “[W]hy can’t anyone see that? anyway, subscribe if you can.”

That same night, former Sanders senior adviser Winnie Wong blindsided campaign manager Faiz Shakir and senior adviser Jeff Weaver, accusing them of not caring about their base and only being concerned with “their own political careers INSIDE the beltway.” She then took it a step further, saying, “Naming the enemy is a must and I just did it.”

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That prompted Shakir to defend himself for working with the Democratic establishment and trying to move them further to the left.

“Trump's gassing protesters, but I’m the real enemy. For what? Trying with every fiber of my being to get Bernie elected but coming in 2nd,” he tweeted. “And then trying to get the 1st place finisher to move in a progressive direction and defeat Trump.”

Sanders senior adviser Josh Orton called out Wong for vilifying Shakir and Weaver, while taking a shot at her own latest endeavors.

“The people who did everything to elect a presidential candidate with the most aggressive crim justice plan in history? And you start a super PAC?” he tweeted.

Sanders campaign former Iowa deputy state director Bill Neidhardt also jumped to Shakir’s defense. “In what universe is Faiz the ‘enemy’ here??” he asked. “Let's beat Trump, not each other.”

“The social movement universe - a distinctly different universe than the one you belong too,” Wong responded, prompting Neidhardt to reply that he has “no clue what the hell you’re talking about.”

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Shakir told Politico that people should not read too much into the recent infighting, while still blaming those chasing their own self interests.

“We have had disagreements on some things here and there, but [we were] all working hard for the same goal,” he said. “And it’s just frustrating that there’s some folks out there who want to get attention off of criticisms.”