Bernie Sanders: ‘Don’t Underestimate Me’

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Senator Sanders

‘I’m Running’ Promising to fight "obscene levels" of income disparity and a campaign finance system that is a "real disgrace," independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday he will run for president as a Democrat, The Associated Press reported. Sanders on Thursday announced he would seek the 2016 nomination “in a bid likely to pressure Hillary Clinton from the left and challenge her on financial issues,” Reuters reported. "I've been traveling around the country for the last year trying to ascertain whether there really is grassroots support in terms of people standing up and being prepared to take on the billionaire class," Sanders said in an interview Wednesday with USA Today and the Burlington Free Press. "I believe that there is." On “Good Morning America,” ABC News’ Jonathan Karl said Sanders is “a long shot to be sure with a fiery message about taking on big money interests.”

‘I Love this Country’ Sen. Sanders plans to forge as a progressive political revolution. “I love this country,” Sanders said in an interview Wednesday with the New Hampshire Union Leader, which said he’s motivated to run to address the “decline in the middle class and the unbelievable levels of income inequality.”

‘Don’t Underestimate Me’ Sen. Sanders is running for president, presenting competition from the political left to front-runner Hillary Clinton “People should not underestimate me,” Sanders said. “I’ve run outside of the two-party system, defeating Democrats and Republicans, taking on big-money candidates and, you know, I think the message that has resonated in Vermont is a message that can resonate all over this country,” The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

Sanders’ Goals Avoiding the fanfare that several Republicans have chosen so far when announcing their candidacies, Mr. Sanders issued a statement to supporters that laid out his goals for reducing income inequality, addressing climate change and scaling back the influence of money in politics, The New York Times reported online.

Sanders’ Priorities Sen. Sanders has been pushing for higher taxes on the rich and more money for programs serving the middle class and poor since long before talk of income inequality became fashionable. He has long supported creating a public health care system similar to Canada's and Britain's. He favors equal pay for women, a higher minimum wage and stronger labor rights. He frequently expresses outrage that a "billionaire class" has taken too much control over the American political and economic systems, and labeled it "beyond belief" when the House voted last month to provide $269 billion in tax cuts for the wealthy. He has backed legislation to crack down on offshore tax havens, provide more youth jobs, expand Social Security and increase the estate tax. He supports a five-year, $1 trillion plan to rebuild roads, bridges and other infrastructure. He says that would create 13 million jobs, AP reported.

Sanders’ Passion “If Sanders can harness the energy coursing through the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, he can make the issues he is passionate about central to the campaign and force Mrs. Clinton to embrace more liberal positions on economic issues, much as she has done lately on cultural issues,” The New York Times blogged.

Sanders’ Policies “He's staked out numerous positions over the years that are considerably more progressive than those embraced by more mainstream Democrats,” according to CBS News. Sanders “has advocated for increases to Medicare and Social Security benefits and pushed for ending tax cuts for the wealthy,” ABC News reported. “The likely effect - and intent - of a Sanders challenge is to push both Clinton's campaign and her administration, if there is one, further left, thus consolidating liberal control of the party,” Charles Lane wrote for The Washington Post.

White House ’16 Sanders was called “a champion of the progressive movement” on WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire. Sanders “is a man on a mission,” political analyst Chris Graff told WCAX-TV. Sanders appeals to the people who participate in the primaries, Mark Plotkin said on BBC radio. His candidacy also was covered by WPTZ-TV, CNN, Bloomberg, The Huffington Post, NPR and others. With double-digit ratings in multiple polls, Sanders is a leading opponent to Hillary Clinton, The Washington Examiner reported.

Baltimore Riots The nation confronted shocking scenes of Baltimore's smoke-filled streets after the death of Freddie Gray from injuries he suffered while in police custody. Hillary Clinton said African-American men are still far more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes and sentenced to longer prison terms. “Without naming Mrs. Clinton, Sanders bemoaned the overly punitive legislation of the Clinton era,” The New York Times reported.

More here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/043015

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 1987: an idea that is American as apple pie...

Bernie Sanders Once Moonlighted as B-Movie Comedy Actor...

Since Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-NH) is about to announce a run for president, this is the opportune time for everyone to remember that he’s a cheerful oddball compared to most buttoned-up politicians of his ilk. For instance, as Buzzfeed’s Andrew Kaczynski discovered, he was in a rom-com!

Yes, here he is, below, in a cameo appearance in the 1999 film My X-Girlfriends Wedding Reception, focusing on a Jewish-Italian wedding and all the hijinks that inevitably arise. Sanders himself plays a rabbi named Manny Shevitz, which, haaaaaaa. (We can’t find evidence that there was a Roman Catholic priest in the film named Bluddo Crist.)

Sanders, also known for his forays into folk music, was a U.S. Representative from Vermont’s only congressional district when he filmed the role, and has one other IMDB acting credit to his name: a small role as “Bernie” in Sweet Hearts Dance, a somewhat forgotten romantic drama starring Jeff Daniels and Susan Sarandon.

Watch him act below, as clipped by BuzzFeed:

http://www.mediaite.com/online/bernie-sanders-once-moonlighted-as-b-movie-comedy-actor/

TOMORROW; Sen. Sanders for his 1st interview as a Democratic candidate for president...

Neil deGrasse Tyson tweets Mr. Sulu on his birthday...

Neil deGrasse Tyson tweet...

I'D Riot, Too...

Three weeks ago, Kentucky fans rioted, burned cars, and attacked police after losing a game..

Meanwhile in the USA...

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Senator Sanders

White House ’16 Sen. Bernie Sanders will announce his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, ABC News, CNN, Reuters, National Journal, The Guardian, Politico, The Huffington Post and others reported. “Sanders may end up serving as the most prominent voice for the left wing of the party - particularly voters who are suspicious of Clinton and her ties to Wall Street,” according to The Washington Post. LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK

Sanders at Howard University On the same day that Hillary Clinton visited three homes of wealthy Manhattan benefactors to raise an estimated $1 million in campaign funds, Sen. Sanders gave a Howard University audience a sneak preview of a campaign platform that is squarely aimed at "the billionaire class," Bloomberg reported. Sanders avoided commenting directly on the widespread reports of his impending announcement. “I've said I'd make a decision by the end of the month and today's what? The 28th?” he said. “Let me be diplomatic here. A formal decision will be announced before the end of this month, and we would love to have you on board,” USA Today and the Burlington Free Press reported. A formal announcement will be coming soon and we would love to have your company." LINK

Trade In recent weeks, Sanders has been a forceful critic of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which would eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers for the U.S., Canada and Asian countries conducting commerce with each other. "One of the key reasons why the middle class in America continues to decline and the gap between the very rich and everyone else is growing wider is because of disastrous trade agreements which have sent millions of decent-paying jobs to China and other low-wage countries," Sanders said last week, The Associated Press reported.

Labor AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka criticized the 12-nation free-trade deal supported by the Obama administration, as well as Trade Promotion Authority, but Clinton's presidential candidacy puts labor in a particularly difficult position. Clinton has dithered on TPP since she became a candidate, despite having previously calling it "the gold standard" for promoting free, fair, open, and transparent trade. Clinton's potential Democratic challengers include Sen. Sanders and other ardent TPP opponents, National Journal noted.

Sanders’ Agenda Among his proposals, Sanders calls for free college tuition, a $1-trillion program to rebuild the nation's roads and bridges, government-run health care, higher taxes on the wealthy and publicly funded elections to reduce the influence of the country's rich donors, the Los Angeles Times reported. LINK

Background in Vermont Sen. Sanders is the longest serving independent member of Congress in history, according to The Burlington Free Press. His father, an immigrant from Poland, sold paint for a living —and Sanders' views about the distribution of wealth were formed early. "A lack of money in my family was a very significant aspect of my growing up," he said in December. "Kids in my class would have new jackets, new coats, and I would get hand-me-downs," he told The Associated Press. There were reports on Sanders’ planned announcement in the Burlington Free Press, Rutland Herald, Times Argus, WFFF-TV, WPTZ-TV and WCAX-TV. LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK LINK, LINK, LINK.

Mayor de Blasio New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is elevating his profile with an eye toward influencing the 2016 presidential race. Sen. Sanders said in a recent interview that de Blasio deserves to be heard. “He's playing a very important role within the progressive community," Sanders told Newsday. LINK

Facebook With the presidential race heating up, a torrent of politically charged commentary has flooded Facebook, the world's largest social networking site, with some users deploying their ''unfollow'' buttons like a television remote to silence distasteful political views. Mike Massaroli, from Staten Island, told The New York Times that he is occasionally unfollowed even by friends who playfully cast him off as ''the dude who is voting for Bernie Sanders.''

National

Obama on Violence in Baltimore President Barack Obama denounced the Baltimore rioters as “criminals and thugs” who “distracted” attention from legitimate concerns raised by those protesting the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who was arrested by Baltimore police on April 12 and died a week later, according to The Wall Street Journal. LINK

Curfew Enforced There was no repeat of Monday’s violence, in which dozens of people pelted police with rocks and bottles, looted several stores and set things ablaze. National Guardsmen with rifles and police in riot gear looked on while fire-scarred buildings smoldered, burnt cars were towed away and the rocks hurled by rioters were swept from the streets. Merchants and neighbors came out to clean up shattered stores and streets strewn with debris, The Washington Post reported. LINK

Clinton on Criminal Justice Hillary Clinton will deliver a major speech on criminal justice reform Wednesday, calling for fundamental changes to how the United States punishes its citizens and an end to a system that disproportionately targets black men. Clinton is scheduled to keynote the 18th Annual David N. Dinkins Leadership and Public Policy Forum at Columbia University Wednesday morning. It will be her most significant policy address since she launched her 2016 presidential bid this month, The Huffington Post reported. LINK

Gay Marriage The Supreme Court on Tuesday was deeply divided over one of the great civil rights issues of the age, same-sex marriage. But Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, whose vote is probably crucial, gave gay rights advocates reasons for optimism based on the tone and substance of his questions, The New York Times reported. LINK

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/042915 …