Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said on Wednesday that Hillary Clinton should not pick Sen. Elizabeth Warren as her running mate, citing Warren's lack of foreign policy experience.
I know Secretary Clinton pretty well," Rendell said on 1210 WPHT Philadelphia radio. "I'm not an insider in the campaign but I know her pretty well. I think she will not pick somebody that she feels in her heart isn't ready to be president or commander-in-chief and I think Elizabeth Warren is a wonderful, bright, passionate person, but with no experience in foreign affairs and not in any way, shape, or form ready to be commander-in-chief."
Rendell, the chairman of the Philadelphia Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention, later called the station back to clarify that he didn't mean to single Warren out.
"I didn't want it to leave it hanging out there about Elizabeth Warren," he said. "Elizabeth Warren's problem would be the same problem I'd have. Let's assume someone said consider Governor Rendell for vice president. I have no experience militarily, no experience in foreign affairs, and would be a difficult choice because if anything happened in week one and I became president, I would be lost."
In his first appearance on the show, Rendell offered his advice to Bernie Sanders in the wake of Hillary Clinton clinching the Democratic presidential nomination. Sanders' goals, Rendell said, would be best served by dropping out and endorsing the presumptive nominee.
"If Bernie wants to speak on prime time, he would have to suspend his campaign before we get to Philadelphia and I think that's likely what he's going to do," Rendell said.
Rendell continued, "The danger of having his name placed in nomination and fighting to the bitter end, the danger is that could embitter some of his own supporters as opposed to Bernie standing up next week and saying, 'Look, we fought hard, we did amazing things, we went from 1% in the polls to almost winning, we've accomplished a lot, we've got a lot of roads to go down together, I'm gonna keep my PAC in operation supporting progressive candidates, but right now the person who's most likely to get the type of action that we wanted to see is Secretary Clinton.'"
Rendell suggested that Sanders tell his supporters, "'Get over your disappointment. Get out there and vote for Secretary Clinton.' He can do that and he can do it very credibly."
CORRECTION
Ed Rendell is the chairman of the Philadelphia Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention. The article previously stated that he was the chairman of the Democratic National Convention.