Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/682605
ByNicholasRiccardi and Catherine Lucey The Associated Press DENVER Gabriel McAr- thur is heading to the Dem- ocratic National Convention in July to serve as a delegate for Bernie Sanders. Scream- ing and shouting are a dis- tinct possibility from the Sanders camp at the event, he says. McArthur and other Sanders supporters are ap- proaching the gathering with the enthusiasm that has powered the effort from the start — holding garage sales, delivering pizza and raising money online to pay for their travel to Philadel- phia. But their nerves are raw now over the Democratic Party's perceived slights against the insurgent can- didate and they are cling- ing to a bygone hope that Sanders can wrest the nomination from Hillary Clinton despite her over- powering lead in dele- gates. As these super-fans chant "Bernie or bust," Demo- cratic officials are growing increasingly worried about dissent, especially after a recent state convention in Nevada turned raucous. Some of the Sanders back- ers who are going to the convention as delegates for him — and there are more than 1,400 — give party of- ficials little reason for com- fort. "I don't think we're going to see a lot of vio- lence, but we are going to see some screaming and shouting if the DNC doesn't humanize itself," McArthur, a 24-year-old administrative assistant in suburban Denver, said of the Democratic Na- tional Committee. "A lit- tle civil disobedience is OK. It's part of being an American." Sanders delegates, in more than a half dozen in- terviews, say that while vi- olence is not their goal for Philadelphia, party unity isn't their priority, either. They don't believe he has been treated fairly by the party establishment. "Anything can happen," said Jesica Marie Butler, 25, a Sanders delegate from Hawarden, Iowa, who vol- unteers for the campaign and is raising money on gofundme.com for her trip to Philadelphia. "This is a movement. This is a polit- ical revolution. It's getting people involved in the pro- cess. We're going to stick to it." Clinton only needs 90 more delegates to lock up the presidential nomina- tion, a number she's likely to reach June 7, the final major day of primary vot- ing. She now leads Sand- ers by nearly 300 delegates won in primaries and cau- cuses, an advantage that grows when including su- perdelegates, or party offi- cials who can back any can- didate. Most of them, by far, say they will support Clin- ton. Still, Sanders has shown no interest in letting up, despite concerns of many Clinton supporters that he is undermining her as Republicans coalesce around Donald Trump. Many Sanders delegates don't want him to give up, either. JoAnn Fujioka, a Sand- ers delegate from Denver, said she didn't approve of the chaos in Nevada, where Sanders support- ers shouted down speak- ers and, according to party officials, hurled chairs in protest. The state party chairwoman later re- ceived death threats and thousands of angry phone calls. Fujioka says Sand- ers supporters are deter- mined, but idealistic and optimistic. "We should do whatever we can to get him nomi- nated," she said. "We are in it to win it — as Bernie is." DEMOCRATIC RACE Sa nd er s de le ga te s br ac e for a fight at convention By Julie Pace The Associated Press LOUISVILLE, KY. Donald Trump on Friday slammed Hillary Clinton as "heart- less" for backing restric- tions on gun ownership that he said would leave Americans in high-crime areas unable to protect themselves. He also chal- lenged Clinton to follow his lead and release a list of potential Supreme Court nominees. Trump's remarks came at the National Rifle As- sociation convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The gun rights organization endorsed the presump- tive Republican nominee ahead of his remarks, de- spite Trump's previous sup- port for measures like an assault weapons ban that the NRA vigorously op- poses. The businessman has taken a far less restrictive stance on guns during the Republican presidential primary. His call for end- ing "gun-free zones" across the country was enthusi- astically welcomed by the NRA crowd. Trump centered his re- marks on Clinton, claiming she would seek to "abol- ish" the Second Amend- ment through the Supreme Court and release violent criminals if elected pres- ident. He also called her "Heartless Hillary" — a new nickname from the branding expert for the likely Democratic nomi- nee — for backing restric- tions aimed at reducing gun deaths, saying her proposals would instead leave law-abiding citizens exposed to criminals. "She's putting the most vulnerable Americans in jeopardy," Trump said. He added that women in par- ticular would be at risk, a nod to what he's said will be a security-focused ap- peal to women in the gen- eral election. Trump heads into the fall campaign with stun- ningly high disapproval ratings with women. The supremely confident Trump appeared to ac- knowledge that weakness, saying that while his poll numbers with men are strong, "I like women more than men." "Come on women, come on," he said. Clinton's campaign called Trump's gun poli- cies "radical and danger- ous." Senior policy adviser Maya Harris said Clinton believes "there are com- mon-sense steps we can take at the federal level to keep guns out of the hands of criminals while respect- ing the Second Amend- ment." Among the measures Clinton supports are ex- panding background checks to sales at gun shows and online pur- chases, and reinstating a ban on assault weapons. Trump backed an as- sault weapons ban, as well as slightly longer waiting periods for gun purchases, in a 2000 book. He's since said such bans don't work and has also called for making it easier for law- abiding citizens to carry guns for self-protection. On Friday, he reiterated his call for ending "gun- free zones" and touted the list of potential Su- preme Court nominees he released this week as a sign of his commitment to upholding the Second Amendment. "I'd like to call for Hill- ary Clinton to put together a list also," said Trump, pre- dicting her potential jus- tices would be a "day and night" difference with his. He also said he expects the next president to appoint between three and five jus- tices to the high court. NRA leaders were blis- tering in their condemna- tion of Clinton, accusing her of threatening Amer- icans' freedom and being driven by personal greed. During one speech, an NRA leader briefly played a video showing Clinton barking like dog. The organization's lead- ers were less robust in their endorsement of Trump, mentioning him by name only briefly and saying little about his record on guns. They appeared to acknowledge there may be some reluctance among their members to backing the real estate mogul. Chris Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, said that for those who preferred other candidates to Trump, "It's time to get over it." POLITICS At NRA, Trump slams Clinton for 'heartless' gun restrictions MARKHUMPHREY—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association convention on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky. SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 3 B