Rep. Keith Ellison on why he's backing Bernie Sanders for president

[portlander23]

Rep. Keith Ellison on why he's backing Bernie Sanders for president
Sam Brodey
MinnPost

“He is a very, very strong candidate,” Ellison said in a phone interview with MinnPost. “He and I share a really strong vision in terms of how working and middle-class people can be successful. I plan on helping Bernie out and campaigning for him.”

Ellison named a variety of issues upon which he and Sanders agree — primarily, raising the minimum wage, ending mass incarceration and fighting the oil industry. On one of Sanders’ biggest obstacles — his proud identification as a socialist — Ellison pushed back: “People will go based on substance and not labels. Republicans will try to make distractions about labels. … Bernie has never run away from his belief system,” he said, adding that the late Sen. Paul Wellstone shared the same quality.

Could Sanders compete in a general election against a Republican like Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush? “I think Bernie’s going to stack up well,” Ellison said. “People respect authenticity.”

Sanders and Ellison have a history and a shared vision, so it’s not a shocker the congressman will back his Senate colleague. “Bernie is a friend of mine,” Ellison said. “Bernie is a warm guy. He is a straight shooter. … He has a very broad breadth of support.”

[sabrina 1]

1. Well there goes the 'he has zero endorsements from his colleagues in Congress' talking point.

I'm sure all the best members of Congress will endorse Bernie. The ones who are not beholden to Corporate Donors.

[Metric System]

2. It's zero endorsements from his Senate colleagues. It would be nuts to think he wouldn't get any

endorsements from the House of Representatives in particular.

[portlander23]

3. Yep

[sabrina 1]

6. LOl! Great minds think alike. Seem my post below. Talking point changed, goal posts moved, again.

[Cheese Sandwich]

25. LOL!

That's a thing here

[aidbo]

27. :)

[sabrina 1]

5. New talking point, which will be destroyed eventually also, 'We meant Senate not Congress', Goal

Post movers running to shift the Goal Posts AGAIN! Lol!

I love cwatching the talking points, then watching the rush to move those goal posts.

Now, back to the important stuff that the PEOPLE care about, not the inside DC crowd.

I love the focus on the issues by both these two members of Congress, and always have.

THEY know what the PEOPLE care about, SS, The Money in Politics, that's a #1 Issue now in this campaign, and rightly so. As Biden said, though I'm not sure he'll put his actions where his words are, as Bernie has 'Until we get the money out of politics NOTHING ELSE will be accomplished'.

He certainly has been around long enough to know this. And so has Bernie.

ISSUES MATTER.

But if you want to focus on the trivia that most Americans probably don't care about, like how many Corp Funded members of Congress, sorry, it's the Senate now, are endorsing which Candidate, be my guest. Those goal posts will have to be moved again, no doubt.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

11. What's the appeal of getting establishment types in an anti-establishment election cycle?

[sabrina 1]

12. Good question. Which is why I wonder why they are highlighting it? People are flocking to Bernie

because they are sick of the status quo and all polls show that 'trust' is a huge factor in these elections.

What's interesting is how Bernie is getting the endorsements of MINORITY members of Congress.

[dorkzilla]

13. Hillary’s endorsements are from other bought-and-paid for politicians

You think they’re going to side with the guy who wants to stop the gravy train from flowing?

What counts is what the PEOPLE think. I’m sure a few of Hillary’s “people" supporters will switch camps after tomorrow. Mercurial and defensive is not a way to win elections.

[sabrina 1]

15. I know, if anything seeing the expected status quo endorsements for Hillary only emphasizes

the corporatism she represents.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. Let's see how many ex-members like Kucinich he can get.

[sabrina 1]

16. I love the ones he has so far. Two excellent Representatives of the people. I have no doubt

they have put themselves in the same position Kucinich, or anyone who tells the truth and stands up to the Corporatists who run this country at this point, but the game is up now. Kucinich stood up before people had finally learned just how 'rigged' the system is.

I hope Kucinich does endorse him. Better yet, I hope he runs again now that the country has shifted drastically AGAINST the system that has so destroyed so many lives and so many more people are now aware.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

24. I'd put him in charge of the Department of Peace.

[BeanMusical]

23. +1

[stillwaiting]

8. The Senate is particularly corrupted. And for good reason.

Lock 'em up for 6 years.

[BernieFan57]

10. Senator Obama had no Senate Endorsements at this time in 2007

And he had only six as of January 13, 2008.

Just sayin'.

[jfern]

28. He's got endorsements of 100% of the Progressive Caucus in the Senate :P

[BernieFan57]

4. The goalpost is about to be moved, wait for it.

And we will hear other creative reasons that this bit of news should be dismissed any minute now.

[sabrina 1]

7. It just was moved, see post #2! Lol!

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. "He's a warm guy."

Well whaddayaknow.

Thanks Keith!

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[BainsBane]

17. As much as I like Ellison

He has no idea what it's like to run an election in middle America. He represents one of the most diverse and progressive districts in the country. There aren't many places a Muslim could be elected. If he were to become the nominee, Sanders would have to win votes in states and counties throughout the country, not just progressive areas like Minneapolis.

[JDPriestly]

18. If what I am seeing when I campaign is true, Sanders has California and most immigrants,

and that means 55 of the electors in the Electoral College.

That's a mighty big bite of the election.

Some of the states in which Hillary will do well won't ever vote for a Democrat for president anyway, so why worry?

[BainsBane]

20. immigrants?

Maybe if he is running against Donald Trump but not against a Democrat. Clearly you aren't familiar with his positions and statements on that subject.

I'm not worried, but Keith Ellison is my congressman. I disagree with the decision and posted my views. My right to dissent has not yet been suppressed.

In reality, chances of BS winning the nomination are slim, but if he did, it would likely result in about a 48 state loss for the Dems, and if by some miracle he became president, government would cease functioning. Sanders attitude of my way or the highway is matched on the right by the Tea Party, which continues to move the GOP is moving increasingly to the right and becoming increasingly inflexible (as revealed in the current conflict over the speakership and House rules). As much as many here prefer elected officials that mirror their views and refuse to negotaite, I want government to function; not face continual shutdown. Of course I understand that is in fact the goal for those on the left and right who see government as the enemy. Either outcome would result in increasing hardship for those who depend on government to get by, who need assistance to survive. I am increasingly uneasy with an approach to politics in which ego trumps the desire to get policy enacted for the benefit of the nation.

[JDPriestly]

21. I guess we will have to wait and see, but what I am learning on the ground is the only

people who aren't interested, very interested in seeing Bernie Sanders win are the pro-lifers who certainly are not voting for Hillary.

I life in an immigrant neighborhood. Well,, actually, Los Angeles is a heavily immigrant city, and Bernie is doing very, very well here. So well that I wonder whether they are polling in our area. Because if they were, Bernie would be doing even better than he is.

The debate may change things.

Social Security is a big issue. Bernie will raise the cap. It should be raised.

Hillary had been unwilling to agree to raise the cap in the past. She seemed to think that an income of $250,000 was middle class. That was in 2008. That just showed how extremely out of touch she was.

Americans need Social Security. The Clintons have hung out a lot with the Pete Peterson crowd who hate Social Security.

Bernie is the only candidate I trust with my Social Security. Like many older Americans, that is what my husband and I rely on for income. It's only about $1330 per month on average (the mean is nearly the same as the average because Social Security benefits only go to a certain amount and no higher.). That's not a lot, and millions of American rely on that.

I do especially do not trust Hillary with Social Security.

I also want to see better day-care. Hillary is strong on that issue but she is unlikely to really fight to raise the taxes on her donors to pay for it.

Hillary wants to make college "affordable," but just what does that mean since she says she does not want to give free college to "rich" kids. Well, that means we are back to where we started from with students filling out means-testing forms to see whether they qualify for assistance. No. College is for the student, not the parents. All people who work and not just those who have college-aged children should be taxed to provide free tuition at state schools for all qualified students.

Right now, middle-class people pay for all the programs Bernie wants to pay for out of our taxes. Healthcare, college, dahttp://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1105y-care, etc. Middle class people pay for them, so the rise in taxes to pay for them for everyone will not actually set middle class people back, and will assure they get better value for their money. Wealthy individuals and corporations need to pay higher taxes to help everyone pay for their health care, education and child care.

I also strongly oppose the TPP and the trade courts it would establish. I do not trust Hillary on that issue either. I think most Americans agree with me on that. We have been burned with the trade agreements we have thus far.

Even the WTO decision that states that we can't identify our meat by country of origin is anathema to me. I want to know where the meat I eat comes from.

We can trade without these multilateral trade agreements. And that is what we should do.

[Sheepshank]

19. if were to draw a stright line trajectory

(as we have been told is viable for predicting Bernie's possible surpassing Hillary in voting percentages), at this rate he'll reach maybe 12 by Primaries. Of course not using a straight line trajectory, he may get a few more. I am not sure if anyone thought he would never get an endorsement. I'd never read such a comment on DU.

[BeanMusical]

22. Kick and R

[azmom]

26. K&R

[bullwinkle428]

29. "AH HEARD ELLISON IS ONE O'THEM 'SECRET MOOOOOSLINS'!!1!"

K&R.