Bernie Sanders Annihilates Mitch McConnell and Delivers a Lesson in Compassion

[babylonsister]

http://www.politicususa.com/bernie-sanders-annihilates-mitch-mcconnell-delivers-lesson-compassion.html


Bernie Sanders Annihilates Mitch McConnell and Delivers a Lesson in Compassion

By: Jason Easley
Jan. 7th, 2013


Sen. Bernie Sanders went on MSNBC today and completely leveled Sen. Mitch McConnell for claiming that revenue is not the issue, and explained that the government is spending money to keep people from starving.

Here is the video (at link):

Sanders said, “The question that we have to debate as a nation is that deficit reduction is a very important point, but we have to understand that today at 15.7% our revenue as part of GDP is the lowest that’s it has been in sixty years. So when Sen. McConnell says revenue is not the issue, he is dead wrong. Revenue is very much the issue. The American people have been very clear. They do not want to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. They do want to ask the wealthy and corporations to pay more in taxes.”

Sen. Sanders explained why the government is spending so much money right now, “Do you know why we are spending a lot of money? Because we are in the midst of a terrible Wall Street caused recession. Where real unemployment is close to 15%, and if we do not expand the Food Stamp program children in America go hungry. And if you do not provide unemployment compensation, workers will be out on the street having lost everything. Historically what happens when you are in the midst of this terrible, terrible recession, and again real unemployment close to 15%, what the American society has got to do as a society, is take care of people in need. As the economy improves, as fewer people are on unemployment, those spending programs should go down. But you can’t leave fellow Americans out there on the street.”

snip//

Mitch McConnell is dead wrong, and his insistence on cuts without revenue will lead to more suffering for millions already in need. Republicans has tossed aside their responsibility to our society. All they can see is their own ideology. Conservatives want spending cuts because their ideology tells them cuts will grow the economy.

This is why, in the face of an onslaught spearheaded by blind ideology, it is the responsibility of the left to speak for the voiceless and fight for those most in need during these difficult days.

[ReRe]

1. Amen, Hallelujah, I love it when...

K&R

... Bernie stands up and tells the truth! Shame on you McConnell. Shame, Shame. Shame!

[Caeser67]

2. Who is Bernie Sanders To Come In With Them

DAMN FACTS!

[Cha]

3. Spending without Revenue is how bush's Surplus from Clinton got

annihilated and President Obama was left a trillion $$$$$$$$ Deficit.

F****** republiCONS like mitch need to actually take personal responsibility and quit yapping.

[think]

5. The public should be reminded of this time and time again.

The reason for our current fiscal mess is Bush cut taxes while increasing spending.

Spending Under President George W. Bush
Veronique de Rugy | Mar 2009

Adjusted for inflation, in eight years, President Clinton increased the federal budget by 11 percent. In eight years, President Bush increased it by a whopping 104 percent.
~snip~

http://mercatus.org/publication/spending-under-president-george-w-bush

[Cha]

7. Exactly, think! Tryin' to do our part. nm

[Ed Suspicious]

8. He increased it while balancing it if I recall correctly. Then Bush peed in the pool. n/t

[Dont call me Shirley]

48. That's all the bushes do is pee in the pool; they turn everything they do in to a crime.

[stultusporcos]

4. Thanks to the NRA and GOP well armed poor, hungry, desperate and pissed off people in the streets

could very well be the result of the GOP being a-holes.

This is not a threat, just a very real form of blowback that the GOP never really thinks about as a direct result of their policies.

[Trailrider1951]

14. But the real problem with that is Fox Noise telling them that their hurt is all the liberals fault!

And they listen.

[stultusporcos]

17. So you have a choice now prepare for possiable RW blowback againt liberals or don't

We all have choices in life hopefully you will choose wisely.

[truebluegreen]

22. What, exactly, are you advocating here,

O Wise Stultus? You sound very...profound.

[stultusporcos]

50. I advocate choice and free will, nothing more

[truebluegreen]

51. Yup.

That's what I thought.

[WillyT]

6. HUGE K & R !!!

[JDPriestly]

9. K&R

[humbled_opinion]

10. OMG I love this guy...

Bernie Sanders is exactly right again.

[hfojvt]

27. Bernie is apparently full of crap

If he really believes that revenue is a problem, then why did he just get done voting inf FAVOR of $2.4 trillion in tax cuts to the top 20%, including $600 billion to the top 1%?

[1StrongBlackMan]

31. Because Bernie understands ...

that one eats an elephant, one bite at a time ... Because Bernie, having been a part of the legislative body understands that governing means you don't/can't/won't get everything you want, when you want it ... Because Bernie understands that giving some to the upper 20% and upper 1% is less important than giving more (as a percentage of income) to the lower 80% and 99%.

[hfojvt]

35. more as a percentage of income

that's exactly what Bush used to say. I'd laugh if that wasn't so fucking sad.

Nope, sorry, he is full of crap. You simply cannot vote for $3.7 trillion in tax cuts and then turn around and say "revenue is a problem".

p.s. The "more as a percentage of income" does not appear to be true either, see page 2 http://ctj.org/pdf/bidenmcconnelldistribution.pdf

[1StrongBlackMan]

36. Okay ...

The wise words of a homeless guy I recently encountered ...

Mannn, I'm living on the street ... If I'm getting a meal, what do I care that someone else with more eats, too?"

[hfojvt]

39. maybe because if you donate $100 to feed the homeless

and I use $10 of it to actually feed the homeless and put the other $90 in my pocket, it sorta means that fewer homeless are gonna get meals, or clean socks, or coats, or blankets, etc.

And if a politician passes a bill claiming "this bill will help feed the homeless" and 10% of it goes to feed the homeless and 90% of it goes into the pockets of much richer people, then that politician is pretty much full of shit.

[1StrongBlackMan]

40. But what about the alternative ...

as is/was the most recent case, where there would be NO money offered to feed the homeless and a raising of all taxes, including that of the working class ... in fact, the homeless programming would be defunded with the fiscal cliff. What is the better circumstance?

And please don't come back with, "Well, we should have done something else" without identifying what should have been done AND, more importantly, an explanation of HOW that something else would have been accomplished.

Thanks in advance.

[hfojvt]

52. but what about another alternative

an alternative where we have a President who fights for something good? Who fights on our side? He might fail, but trying to do something good and failing is better than trying to do something bad and succeeding. At least then he would have tried.

And you are probably gonna say it could not be done.

Because it is easy to be cynical and say "it can' be done, because Washington is designed to resist change"

But it would be nice to at least see some people try. Nothing can be done if people do not try, but if they give it a good effort and inspire the people, they might just find out that "yes we can".

[1StrongBlackMan]

53. You ignored my pre-condition ...

requesting a path for your alternative ... "Trying" to pass legislation where there clearly are not the votes is wasted effort.

[hfojvt]

54. from where I sit, it is called

fighting the good fight

trying to justify shitty legislation just because "it passed" is an absurd defense of excrement. Just because it passed, does not convert excrement into chocolate pudding.

Throwing a nickel to the poor and $100 to the rich makes the country more unequal which does tremendous amounts of harm, no matter how happy some of the poor may be about their nickels.

[1StrongBlackMan]

55. Okay ...

No path; just gripes. Gotcha.

[hfojvt]

56. and you, on the other hand

no understanding or sympathy, just fucking excuses for betrayal.

Gotcha right back at you.

Would there be some point to me detailing a plan, when the President and the Party have already chosen betrayal?

[1StrongBlackMan]

57. No ...

I have plenty of understanding and empathy and I see compromise that moves the ball forward, i.e., gets something for the vulnerable groups, as far less a betrayal than sticking to some pie in the sky ideological dream that (largely does not effect me) and nets the vulnerable group nothing ... and I really don't care that someone else benefits from that compromise, so long as the vulernable group gets what they need.

I'm just tired of hearing people wax on and on about what SHOULD happen, without presenting a plan as to HOW that "should" can be accomplished, in the real world of divided government and a divided electorate. Doing so is disinguenuous, at best, and intellectually lazy/dishonest, in all cases.

[Skraxx]

11. Now Imagine Sanders Backed Up By Frank in the Senate

Would be a thing of beauty.

[Sherman A1]

12. K&R

[patrice]

13. K&R

[kag]

15. Thanks, babylonsister.

I will ALWAYS k&r Bernie!

[deutsey]

16. K&R

[freshwest]

18. Bernie is doing a good job for all of us. Thanks, babylonsister.

[Jeevus]

19. Morality doesn't even have to be part of the equation.

Republicans can't be sold on the idea of compassion, so why not emphasize the practical consequences of gutting social programs for the poor?

What do poor desperate people often do? Commit crimes. Not all of course. But poverty and crime go hand in hand. So you can be an Objectivist and still agree that crime is a bad thing.

[Volaris]

20. Only if youre NOT in the side business of making a buck of incarcerations...

The hateful fuckers.

[Bainbridge Bear]

32. Yes, the CCA,

the "Corrections Corporation of America" (look them up) , is not interested in social justice. It cuts into their profits. Remember that the U.S. has the largest prison population in the world.

[infidel dog]

44. "Corrections Corporation of America????"

Ye gads. It sound like something out of an outrageous work of political satire. Too bad the reality is so fucking obscene.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

21. All that social disruption from crime, etc. is very expensive.

financially and societally and emotionally.

But the bastards make a buck off of it by privatizing the prison system.

[Bainbridge Bear]

33. It can cost more to

imprison a former drug dealer for a year than it would to send them to Harvard. Quite a racket they have going there.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

41. Yes. And they don't understand preventive medicine.

Or early childhood intervention, early education, like Head Start.

They would rather lag behind, even though $1 in preventive care saves $3 later on.

They don't want to pay for contraception, and neither do they want to pay for kids and moms on welfare. They just want them to die in the streets.

[malthaussen]

24. Criminals rarely prey on the wealthy...

... so why should the wealthy care if some homeless and desperate people rip off other poor and desperate people?

-- Mal

[AlbertCat]

29. What do poor desperate people often do? Commit crimes.

More or less crime than Wall Street people? Do poor people crimes do more or less harm than Wall Street and corporate crime?

[Jeevus]

37. I don't disagree.

My comment had nothing to do with that.

What I'm saying is that we often defend funding of social programs on moral grounds. I happen to believe moral arguments in defense of funding for social programs are usually sound. BUT, since Republicans and Wall Street types aren't swayed by moral arguments, perhaps they can simply look at the cost to society of doing away with social programs.

If they're making money from imprisonment, which I know they are, that's another realm of immorality.

[AlbertCat]

38. I don't disagree with you either.

It's just when we hear the word "crime", I'd like bankers and traders to come to mind as readily as black guys in hoodies..... y'know?

[drynberg]

23. SEN. SANDERS = EXACT APPROACH FOR THOSE LIKE SEN. McCONNELL

Why? He spoke directly, plainly, and of course fact-based, not ideologically induced foam as we hear from those calling themselves conservative. Bernie of course, didn't leave out compassion for fellow Americans, because just where are we without compassion? I love Bernie!!

[malthaussen]

25. I love Mr Sanders, but...

... he can say what he will, the ideologues will continue to repeat their party line, and the paid-for media will repeat it to the masses. And regardless of what most of the American people may want, Congress will do its own thing, which has nothing to do with what most of the American people want.

-- Mal

[infidel dog]

45. Ye-ess, but I thank him for saying it.

[Overseas]

26. K&R. He tells it like it is.

[AlbertCat]

28. Conservatives want spending cuts because their ideology tells them cuts will grow the economy.

Reality on the other hand has something else to say.


Just what exactly do Repugs think government is FOR? if not to make citizens' lives better?



"Ideology" is just the polite way of saying they're nuts ignoring reality.

[merrily]

30. Senator Sanders is too kind.

All they can see is their own ideology. Conservatives want spending cuts because their ideology tells them cuts will grow the economy

.

Republicans in the Senate are stubborn, but not brain dead. They know as well as you and I that spending cuts don't grow the economy.


Greed is not an ideology. They don't want to pay taxes because their greed conquers all else.

And they want to cost Democrats votes because they get more power and more money that way.And so they go after what they perceive to be the Democratic base--organized labor and the people who really need social safety nets.

And, for some reason, Democrats don't do enough to stop them

[dotymed]

34. If "our party" is not corporate controlled,

how can Bernie Sanders not be a part of President Obama's cabinet? Not in a foreign duty (Ambassador) capacity, but in a capacity where his convictions can be utilized to help straighten out our domestic disaster.
Honestly, I would vote for Bernie (and volunteer) in a heart beat if he ran for POTUS. It is criminal not to utilize his intellect and "people first" views to help Americans during this time in history.
Bernie is articulate, humble, and very well informed. He spent years in the house of representatives before he became a senator. His views are the same as the majority of Americans. I know that he serves on the veterans committee, which is very important. Yet, during these very trying times, his voice and actions would be well utilized in a high ranking, domestic cabinet position. He is an Independent but Obama utilizes rethugs...
Oh, he is not of the "third way"...OMG, is is a socialist democrat...nevermind....

[Martin Eden]

42. Repukes are always warning that we'll turn into Greece ...

... but if that happens it will be due to their prescription for austerity and their policies responsible for the recession.

[supercats]

43. Once Again Senator Sanders Is THE Voice Of Reason

I hope Ashley Judd primaries McConnells' ass!
He is repeatedly a disgrace on the American people.

[JackHughes]

46. Get the Republicanists to explain the difference..

Get the Republicanists to explain the difference between "over-spending" and "under-taxation."

[Ccarmona]

47. Repugs Only Care

about the debt and deficits when there's a Democratic President.
And would the Repugs stop calling it the Democrat Party. It's The Democratic Party.

[Dont call me Shirley]

49. THANK YOU, SENATOR SANDERS!