Wow. Lawrence O'Donnell

[evertonfc]

"Not one sentence of President Sanders legislation can pass without the votes of every Democratic senator who he's decided to taunt as "the Democratic establishment." Currently 14 senators support Medicare For All. Does he plan to insult the rest into voting for it?"

[W_HAMILTON]

1. Where the lie tho?

[Eyeball_Kid]

2. No, Lawrence. He'll COMPROMISE, just like every other politician. Jeez...

O'Donnell should know better.

[drray23]

4. Really ? He has never done so in more than 30 years in congress.

Hence his dismal record as a senator with no bills to his name other than naming post offices. He latched onto other bills after others did the work of gathering support for it.

[dsc]

7. really so he might do a public option like Pete suggests

and he and his supporters call Republican, you mean that kind of compromise.

[bitterross]

22. No he won't compromise

In the years he's been in Congress he has never compromised. It has always been "MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY" for him.

[hangaleft]

46. Oh, you mean like the Republicans

I’m not a Bernie supporter for the simple reason that I believe he’s gonna lose, and lose badly, if he gets the nomination.

But I like his “fuck you” attitude. For decades we’ve been rolling over for the “other side” (who I consider the “enemy”, not our “opponents”). It’s time we start pulling that Merrick Garland kind of bullshit. Going high when they go low has brought us to the edge of autocracy.

[at140]

84. Keep in mind President has veto power. Sanders would stop all RW bills, NO COMPROMISE!

President Sanders would be the most reliable veto to nix each and every right wing legislation coming to his desk.

[MFM008]

36. No

Nothing he supports will ever get through the republican senate.
If he is the nominee it will stay that way.

[Happy Hoosier]

45. Will he? He hasn't really shown much of that skill. NT

[ehrnst]

50. Along with "incremental" I thought that was a dirty word where Senator Sanders is concerned.

[redqueen]

59. Yep

It's called politics. He's not exactly new to it

[nini]

75. Lololol

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

3. About time the facts are put out

Ty Lawrence

[dalton99a]

5. Kick

[JackInGreen]

6. Undpoken - 'So we'll shoot ourselves in the foot and damn the consequences

There will be no negotiation with that vile, fowl Sanders' fuck Larry, pencil in a long mustache for him to twirl.

[Vivienne235729]

8. Lawrence O'Donnell always makes a good point.

[yaesu]

9. yep, someone else posted about what that comcast employee tweeted about so old news, pffft

[wyldwolf]

10. Sanders & Trump. Opposite sides of the same coin.

[helpisontheway]

12. True. nt

[George II]

14. Perhaps opposite ends of the same horseshoe?

[Rebl2]

16. Bingo!

[Blaukraut]

19. Both are narcissists with a cult following

But maybe it takes a new cult to get rid of the old one. Who knows? But I'd take a hundred Bernies over one Trump.

[Chicago1980]

30. Wouldn't go that far.

[Bucky]

41. Agree 100%

The panic mongering around here is getting a little ridiculous. Sanders is a ferocious fighter for his ideals. His authenticity is bringing a lot of new people into the party. I think we have a patriotic duty I keep those people in the party and happy and this in turn will keep the Democratic Party stronger.

But people shouldn't lose their minds over Bernie. Comparing him to the obscene baboon currently smearing his shit all over the White House walls represents a loss of objectivity. In the end, a President Sanders like any politician will compromise in order to have accomplishments.

[Polybius]

40. Come on

Bernie is way better than Trump.

[LisaM]

44. I've always thought that.

Not always opposite, either. Remember the NO TPP stickers?

[G_j]

76. That's a nice pundit meme, but

How have Trumps politics been consistent over the years?

[nini]

77. Exactly

The writing is on the wall but people can't read I guess.

[OAITW r.2.0]

11. How many Bernie Believers are running? At federal, state, and local level?

I suspect very view are branding themselves 'Bernie Democrats". So , yeah, should BS somehow gets elected, it will be House and Senate Democrats that make the sausage. And Bernie damn well better sign it into law.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Lawrence knows Congress

Insane to think M4A will pass just because of Bernie. You have to have the votes, you have to pay for it. Republicans will be screaming "Obama came for your guns, Bernie is coming for your health insurance!" We do have to live in a real world with practical considerations, and there is no tether to reality at the moment.

[subana]

69. & there's always the never ending refrain of...

...he'll raise your taxes!! Of course he may be giving you something for it but that's not what republicans will see. They'll see one more democrat who raises taxes!

[Gore1FL]

15. I am hoping the voters that want these programs will.

Medicare for All is something we should all want.
Affordable Education should be what we all want.
The end of Reaganomics should be what we all want.

[aikoaiko]

17. In all fairness, LOD said this before tonight's victory.

Those Senators work for the people they serve and right now they like Bernie's message.

[LiberalArkie]

18. Just like JFK would never get anything done because he would have to check with the pope

on everything.

[Bucky]

47. Nice mic drop

If the debates prove anything, the Democrats have nothing but rational, intelligent, passionate people running for president.

When I took the Isidewith.com test, I scored above 90% agreement with all of them except Gabbard. That means they'ree all pretty close on substantive policy questions. This is much ado about nothing

[krny9]

20. Hmm

Despite all the angst he is not tilting at wind mills. By having clarity in his views, he will get them to look at better alternatives rather than the typical watered down legislation. We need some one like him to stand up to the entrenched healthcare corporate machine. It will be a hard road to make any meaningful change -- but he is our best hope of some one who would try hardest. Even if he is not eventually successful, the debate will energize the country and get the ball rolling. I don't expect any other candidate on the roster to fight as hard as he will.

[58Sunliner]

32. Fight?? Really?? Where are the plans-the strategy?? The numbers?? Oh-not important enough.

Just empty rhetoric. One long never ending stump.

[subana]

70. exactly!

he can promise the world to them but if he doesn't have a plan to actually accomplish it, it doesn't matter what he promises! He's simply painting them a pretty picture without having a plan to achieve it.

From what I've read, most articles I've seen say that Bernie's plan is more generous than healthcare plans in other countries. Why would he propose a more generous plan than say, France, Britain or other countries? Knowing how much republicans hate to raise taxes. Maybe he already knows he can't accomplish it so he might as well promise the moon!

[ProfessorPlum]

82. There are none so blind ...

[Loki Liesmith]

55. I'm not interested in the change he's offering.

[Doitnow]

61. Apparently a lot of people are interested.

[Loki Liesmith]

67. That's fine. I don't care.

If they try and take away my health care and those of people like me they will regret it.

[Karma13612]

81. Well, what if the medical coverage was better than what you have now?

I have medicare advantage right now and it is excellent.

I think the trick is the messaging and clear facts.
We have to get beyond the baseless rumors and fear mongering.
That is what is killing the M4A popularity for some folks.

And these union members who fought for their plan? Well, I was in a union, and we fought for our plan. And it was still terrible. The premiums were horrendous and the employer had ZERO interest in negotiating and being reasonable for better coverage or lower premiums. And this was the big union 1199 SEIU.

[Doitnow]

62. If you ask for a lot, you get something. If you ask for little, you get nothing.

[TheSocialDem]

21. Maybe the senate should come around to what over a majority of Americans want

[Tweedy]

25. Are you also practicing false equivalency?

The GOP is enabling an unindicted co-conspirator to dismantle our justice system.

The democratic establishment (of which Bernie IS a part, since he caucuses with them) stood up to that threat and still stands up to that threat.

So-- what is he doing to move his fellow Senators? Insults are not a strategy.

It is very bad form to play 1960's radical today, in 2020. Bernie seems to be sadly stuck there.

Nonetheless, the Senator from Vermont is not a sadist, even if he is playing with false equivalency. This alone renders him a better choice than the current White House occupant.

[Chicago1980]

31. Or...

Maybe you should vote in the senate that can get it done...

51 republicans don't want what the "majority" of Americans want.

[jalan48]

23. No we can't doesn't seem to be working for the Centrists.

[Tweedy]

28. No, we can't struck me as silly too

Yet, insulting the people, without any evidence, whom you want to support your nomination and agenda, using slang right out of the Vietnam era is equally a self defeating strategy.

The insult strategy is equally dumb if you want to actually achieve anything.

Yet, despite Bernie's false equivalency, we can count on this: democrats always plod on, trying to perfect our union. There is always hope.

The Speaker of the House is still trying to get the unindicted co-conspirator in our White House to agree to a large infrastructure package and to lower prescription drug prices. All the unindicted co-conspirator knows how to do is insult, lob hate and scapegoat those with the least power among us.

Nonetheless
Nancy Pelosi persists

[Tweedy]

24. It is an absurd strategy by Senator Sanders

And Mr. O'Donnell rightly nailed him for it

[bitterross]

26. Sanders will be a disater.

Not only will he be a tool used against moderate Democrats in purple states, he has never shown he can compromise to get meaningful legislation enacted.

The Senators and Representatives have people at home to whom they must answer. They cannot support Bernie and also do that.

[democratisphere]

27. Bernie will not be the Democratic Presidential candidate.

[Tess49]

39. Dear God, I hope you are right!

[disndat]

65. Trump obviously support Sander

because he and his promises of medicare for all and other goodies have no chance of winning. Trump
chose to support the weakest Democratic candidate he and his thugs (Putin) could knock down.

[Tess49]

74. Agree. Sanders will lose his shirt if he is the nominee. n/t

[subana]

72. I hope you're right too!

I'm still hoping one of the other dems will break out of the pack & save us from this nightmare!

[KT2000]

29. Carter ran as an outsider

and the Democrats in Congress held it against him. They would not back him up, according to a then Congressman from Washington state. Alienating the people you need to enact your legislation is not the way to go. That is just an ego exercise and he knows better.

[efhmc]

33. I have been here since 2002 (back when people got so excited that we had reached 2000

members). The only two posts I have had taken down in that time were about Bernie. One just happened and one was about the 2016 election. One involved an event with the Bernie Bros at the 2016 Texas convention. Something I and many others witnessed personally. Taking down my post will never change my opinion about him and it just makes me go to twitter where I can give my honest opinion. If Bernie is our candidate, we will lose. The Russians and the GOP are super excited to have him as our candidate.

[kellytore]

38. This!!!

[LovingA2andMI]

52. All of THIS...

Period!

[liberal N proud]

34. Well, can't piss on people , then expect them to work with you

[MontanaMama]

37. Right?

Unfortunately, BS has us by the short hairs if he gets the nomination. He knows we can’t vote for the MF.

[blue-wave]

35. Bernie is certainly stepping in "it" lately

Makes me question his judgement more and more every day.

[Cha]

42. Exactly.. that Dem "Establishment" he has "news" for.

Link to tweet

[efhmc]

48. Did you see this reply?

"You are a misogynistic egomaniacal white guy with no idea of what a real Democrat is since you are not and never have been one."

[Cha]

49. No, I hadn't.. TY.

[StocktonNative]

43. O'Donnell is eating crow

about Bernie not being a viable candidate.

He's pretty much telling people to vote for the Orange Marmalade rather than the "Amendment King".

But reduced perscription prices, free healthcare and school, forgiving student loans, increased wages as well as "Free the Weed" are all policies America wants, Larry!


Feel The Bern!

[Skittles]

51. lol

riiiiiiiiiiiiiight

[yaesu]

53. must be a slow news night. nt

[Billsmile]

54. The Establishment

A President Sanders would be the de facto leader of the Democratic Party.

[NJCher]

56. Insult has a new meaning

In the age of trump.

What Bernie said could hardly be considered an insult.

[redqueen]

60. Seems like many are just completely losing their shit over Bernie.

There's more than likely gonna be a LOT of heads exploding on March 3rd!

[Capt. America]

57. There is not going to be a President Sanders.

He'll go back to being an Independent. That's why we need a full time Democrat to WIN!

[oasis]

58. Let him have his fun for now. nt

[elder phd]

63. i normally like lawrence

but this is just careless.

i mean, bernie won't have to insult them into passing it.

it's up to WE, THE PEOPLE to shame them into passing it.

[uponit7771]

64. K&R

[Shadowww]

66. Free

The BS cult of supporters see Free Free Free without funding plans
I guess BS will set a record for the most Veto's ever

[PDittie]

83. Welcome to DU!

[subana]

68. good comment!!

They would need 60 votes in the senate to pass it, that means he's going to need a lot more dems elected who are willing to support it! I know the healthcare plan sounds appealing to a wide variety of people but if there is no actual path to get it accomplished, it doesn't make much difference what he promises!

And here's another point that many may not have thought of before. His plan (as I understand it) would eliminate all health care insurance companies. We all saw how republicans opposed the ACA. Time after time they tried to repeal it. Trump tried to get rid of it but he never could accomplish that so he chose to defund it. So, if Bernie is able to accomplish his plan, what happens when another republican administration comes in & tries to eliminate it too? Then no one would have healthcare!! That's a frightening thought, isn't it?

[lsewpershad]

71. Lawrence

is the establishment.

[zentrum]

73. so, Lawrence is saying they are all

.....too selfish to vote on behalf of the American people just because they feel insulted?

Isn't it about policy rather than"The Club"?

I'm not saying they are like this---only that that what's Lawrence is actually implying.

[ejbr]

78. Is he supposed to let them

Cheat him as they did in Iowa and will certainly continue to do going forward. If they are going to let him run, then let him run. Iowa is leaps and bounds worse than any Russian interference.

[Traildogbob]

79. For gods sake

Stop all the damn bickering and circle firing squad. Take all your damn balls and go home. 4 more of trump and GOP will make all your desires come true. We are why he WILL win. It is getting nauseating to even be here now. DU use to be my escape, a group of fiery Anti Trump/Putin warriors, all on the same page. I read all this back and fourth now and would feel more hopeful if I watched Thuck Chodd all day long. Get it together, get it together, get it....to.....gether!!!😡😤🖕🇷🇺🐘💰

[MuseRider]

80. Aren't they supposed

to vote for what their constituents want and give up any grudge they might have? They WORK for us.

I don't see the word establishment as a bad word nor do I think he means it that way. I think he simply means that they are all comfortable with things as they are and that is not really working for us right now. Everyone doing anything that requires leadership has to shake up the ship now and again, it is not a bad thing. What works now will eventually not work if things do not change to reflect what is happening outside the offices of those people running things.

With the awful future ahead we all should think things need to be shaken up if not for us oldies for our children and grandchildren. Establishment always needs this now and again, it is just the way it is.