Bernie Sanders: ‘Don’t Underestimate Me’

[Playinghardball]

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

[arcane1]

1. "A message that can resonate all over this country"

Damn right!!

[hifiguy]

14. I keep thinking of Paul Wellstone.

Once they actually heard him, people who would never have thought about voting for him became enthusiastic supporters. Why? He said exactly what he meant and people knew exactly where he would stand. People like being told the truth whether they agree 100% with someone or whether they do not.

[arcane1]

16. Exactly. And I want to think people are sick of being pandered to.

I really really want to think it!!

[hifiguy]

17. I hope Gandhi is still right

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

Mahatma Gandhi

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. LBJ underestimated Gene McCarthy and ended up bailing out.

[lewebley3]

3. The GOP will fund his campaign, No I don't underestimate the Damage he can do to the Dems

Last edited Thu Apr 30, 2015, 03:20 PM - Edit history (1)

He is just what the GOP wants, they will hired trolls claiming to
Sanders supporters to attack Hillary and the Dem's.


There were already a few on the talk shows, attacking Bill and Hillary
for everything. But not blame on the Bush and GOP.

[PowerToThePeople]

4. ...

[morningfog]

5. The GOP is going to fund Bernie's primary run?

Have you let Sen. Sanders know of this development?

[cyberswede]

6. Oh for fuck's sake.

[BrotherIvan]

8. MIRT!!

[lewebley3]

12. You don't think some Sanders people would love to take Koch money to bash Hillary

The Koch's have said they will spend 100million to take down the Dems
and Hillary.


All they have to do is pass some money around, the GOP has put a lot
of people out of work.

Hiring trolls will easy!!

[BrotherIvan]

13. MIRT!!

[hifiguy]

15. Obvious troll sighted in Aisle 4.

Cleanup!

[arcane1]

19. So, we should forego the primary and anoint Hillary?

You really need to try harder with this

[fadedrose]

7. Where does he stand on the Mideast

ISLE, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Israel, Jihadists, and all the other weary places? Nobody could make piece there, but can he keep it from getting worse?

Or a 2-State solution?

[BrotherIvan]

11. If you look up any of those issues, he is very clear on his position

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/10/12/bernie_sanders_on_isis_this_is_a_war_for_the_soul_of_islam.html

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: Well, Candy, I think the main point being made is of course ISIS is a brutal, awful, dangerous army and they have got to be defeated. But, Candy, this is not just an American problem. This is an international crisis. This is a regional crisis. And I think the people of America are getting sick and tired of the world and the region, Saudi Arabia and the other countries saying hey, we don't have to do anything about it. The American taxpayer, the American soldiers will do all the work for us.

Most people don't know is that Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest defense spender in the world, more than the U.K., more than France. They have an army which is probably seven times larger than ISIS. They have a major air force. Their country is run by a royal family worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

He seems to support Israel very strongly but thinks independently about it

The Senate is warning Palestinians against undertaking any “negative” unilateral actions re Israel at the United Nations, and look who isn’t signing on to the letter that AIPAC has endorsed: Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Folks have been pressing Warren and her staffers not to sign this letter – and she didn’t. Neither did Bernie Sanders of Vermont. - See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2014/09/elizabeth-sanders-bandwagon#sthash.CPofGVYR.dpuf

And here is an article from today about Sanders' Middle East Policy

http://www.juancole.com/2015/04/president-bernie-sanders.html

[freshwest]

9. Bravo, Bernie! Hope to see more updates as the campaign progresses. Thanks, Playingharball. n/t

[polichick]

10. And don't underestimate the people (once they decide to get back on the horse).

[Orrex]

18. If I am proven wrong, and Sanders is elected President, I will publicly apologize for my error

Until then, I don't beleve that he can win the general election.

[Jefferson23]

20. K&R.