PHILADELPHIA — Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy touted unity at the Democratic convention Monday even though his leadership role in the party’s platform became a lightning rod for supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“Why Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine? I believe that we must instill hope in every American,” said Malloy, who chairs the Democratic Governor’s Association.
“With the Trump-Pence ticket, it’s like a contest to see who can discriminate more,” he added.
Sanders supporters were outraged late last week when internal emails published by Wikileaks showed Democratic National Committee officials had conspired to stifle the Vermont senator’s popularity in the primaries.
The revelation threatened to unravel the hard-fought party unity that Clinton had secured ahead of the convention.
Malloy’s appointment to co-chair the Democratic platform committee irked Sanders, who unsuccessfully called for the removal of the Connecticut governor from his leadership role in May.
As an outspoken surrogate for Clinton, Malloy attacked Sanders throughout the primary season, especially for his record on guns.
He praised Kaine’s record as the former governor of Virginia, an “alumni” of the DGA.
“The middle class of America is getting stronger thanks to the work of Democratic governors,” Malloy said.
The Connecticut governor touted his own economic policies, although his state consistently ranks among the weakest in the country when it comes to the economy.
“Democratic governors across this country are leading the way,” Malloy said.
The DGA chair is facing his own set of scandals in his home state.
A grand jury was convened to investigate the Connecticut Democratic Party’s fundraising efforts on behalf of Malloy’s 2014 re-election campaign, the Hartford Courant reported Friday.
