Prominent Bernie Sanders Supporter Resigns from Progressive Group After 'Democratic Whores' Comment

SANTA MONICA, CA -- A Southern California doctor has abruptly resigned as the leader of Courage Campaign, a progressive advocacy group in California on Monday, five days after referring to Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party as corporate "whores."

Courage Campaign sent out a release Monday morning announcing the resignation of Dr. Paul Y. Song without any explanation.

When pressed for the reason of the resignation, a Courage Campaign representative told Patch she couldn't comment on the matter.

The resignation came on the heel of a controversial comment Dr. Song made about the former Secretary of State and the Democratic Party.

Speaking at a Bernie Sanders rally in Washington Square Park in New York City last Thursday, Dr. Song railed at Clinton and the Democratic Party for what he deemed as their failures to enact meaningful health care reform.

"Well, I agree with Secretary Clinton that Medicare-for-all will never happen if we have a president who never aspires for something greater than the status quo," he said. "Medicare-for-all will never happen if we continue to elect corporate Democratic whores who are beholden to Big Pharma and the private insurance industry instead of us."

The Sanders campaign was forced to issue an apology the following day.

"Dr. Song's comment was inappropriate and insensitive. There's no room for language like that in our political discourse," Sanders tweeted.

Dr. Song, a prominent oncologist in Santa Monica, also apologized, calling the remark "insensitive."

Since then, Dr. Song has deleted this twitter account. Efforts by Patch to reach Dr. Song for comments have been unsuccessful.

Many of Hillary Clinton supporters seized on the comment, taking to twitter to remind Dr. Song it was Bill Clinton who secured the release of his sister-in-law, journalist Laura Ling, from North Korea.

Many political analysts believe actions and comments such as this from Sanders' supporters may lead to a wedge within the Democratic Party, leading to the fracturing of the base as experienced by the current Republican Party.

On Saturday, Sanders' supporters threw dollar bills at Clinton's motorcade as it approached the Studio City home of actor George Clooney, the site of a $33,400 per person fundraiser for her presidential campaign.

Clooney defended the fundraiser on Sunday's NBC's "Meet The Press," saying it was necessary to get Democrats elected, but did concede that it was an "obscene" amount of money.

"The Sanders campaign when they talk about it is absolutely right. It's ridiculous we should have this amount of money in politics," Clooney said.

The Los Angeles-based Courage Campaign, whose mission is to bring about a more progressive California and U.S., said it will now be headed by its former political director, Eddie Kurtz.

--Photo courtesy of Business Wire