After all the accusations leveled against Carly Fiorina being a “whiner” for decrying the CNN GOP Debate rules (which I disagree with), now you can add a similar story on the Dem side of the house. Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley gave a speech in front of the Democratic National Committee to complain that the debate schedule is rigged in #HillaryClinton’s favor. In a one on one interview seen on CNN, O’Malley decries the paltry number of debates on the 2016 Democratic schedule as a “coronation” for Clinton and compares the Democratic National Committee to the World Wrestling Federation (can’t disagree with him there!).

I have to hand it to O’Malley though, he seems to have a brass set since he made similarly scathing comments sitting on a dais with Democrat Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz sitting just feet away from him. He slammed the DNC decision to limit debates to six in total, with only four prior to the much ballyhooed Iowa Caucuses in February.

Although O’Malley never directly mentioned Clinton, the Democrat front runner, during his DNC rant the impression of the crowd was certainly that he was referring to her as the beneficiary of the truncated debate schedule. In fact O’Malley has been going after Clinton on social media and in the press lately too. In an article in a New Hampshire newspaper O’Malley said that he believed that Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State hurt the Democrat party’s image. He explained that the issues that the Democrat party should be discussing are things like clean energy, education for American children and making college affordable.

“These are the issues we need to be talking about as a party, and until we start having debates, our party is going to be defined and branded by questions like: What did Secretary Clinton know? When did she know it? And when will the FBI conclude its investigation? That’s not a formula for success in the fall.”

O’Malley has a strange supporter in this assault on the DNC, avowed Socialist Bernie Sanders from Vermont has also loudly kvetched about the lack of debates on the schedule. So much so that he wrote a letter to the DNC in June calling on the organization to sanction additional debates. In a shocking twist, he mentions one thing I actually agree with (terrifying), and that is for Democrat candidates to be able to debate Republican candidates in early debates. He goes on to say that he thinks that adding debates would help gin up the Democrat base and increase voter turnout.

“Voter Turnout: In recent years, low voter turnout has hurt progressive candidates all across our nation. As you know,the lower levels of turnout in both 2010 and 2014 have resulted in huge Republican gains in the House and Senate aswell as in statewide and legislative races. It’s obvious that when more people vote, more Democrats win elections, andso the purpose of our campaign should be to encourage as much voter participation as possible.”

Well Bernie, that is where I sincerely hope that you are right. If fewer Democrat debates results in lower Democrat voter turnout, that just might save the country. As someone wise once said , you can always draw large crowds when you are giving away free stuff. And as Margaret Thatcher once said:

Maybe the Democrat party should think about that.