Questions for Senator Sanders

[synergie]

Questions for Senator Sanders

Many questions have been asked of Senator Sanders during town halls, debates and interviews. Some that needed follow up did not receive the needed attention. He also often starts to answer the question, then like the experienced politician he is (Senator, Representative, Mayor of Burlington) will often quickly change the answer to a topic he feels more comfortable answering.

When he began his campaign, did he not know that releasing tax returns has been the standard for years?

If yes: Why wasn’t he prepared in advance to release older returns before he began campaigning?

If No: Did he not notice in the 2012 campaign how Mitt Romney was questioned about his lack of transparency with the little information he released on his taxes? Has he not noticed dating back to the 70’s the press has reported when presidential candidates released their returns and what was in them?

Dr. Sanders does their taxes and said that both have been too busy to get the old returns together. She stated on MSNBC’s With All Due Respect that they are done on TurboTax and she needed to get home to find them. Was she referring to 2015 since as she said that she normally files for extensions, but not previous years? TurboTax stores old returns electronically for easy retrieval from anywhere with an internet connection. Why did she not pull them up during their flight to Rome? She also said on that same interview “every election we’ve released them” . If this is true, why doesn’t Tax History Project have them listed on their website? Why can’t the press find them? Is Dr. Sanders confusing tax returns with Senate Financial Disclosure forms? http://www.taxhistory.org/www/website.nsf/Web/PresidentialTaxReturns

video of her interview

As a member of Congress, Senator Sanders cannot make paid speeches, receive honorariums or paid for TV appearances. (something he does not say and the press rarely mentions). His Senate PAC (yes he does have one for Senate even though not for President). He received royalties for a book and those were given to charity. What charity were they given to? If they released their old returns, we would know.

http://www.coloradoforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Reports/Family_Affair_Senate_2014_CREW.pdf?nocdn=1

As Sec. Clinton said “lets compare apples to apples”. Her not releasing speech transcripts is not the same as not releasing tax returns. If they are as “boring” as you say, then there should be no reason to not have had them ready to be released when you started your campaign.

Regarding your FEC Financial disclosure forms. Your campaign has asked for an extension that would go past the primary season. The reason stated, like the delay in releasing your taxes is due to the campaign. Isn’t putting the FEC documents something routinely handled by the campaign treasurer?

Are you delaying to avoid questions about your trip last month to Rome?

Tad Devine, one of your senior advisors on April 15th, told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that your trip to Rome was “personal”, but when asked who paid for it he said the campaign (see clip at 1:30–1:50). How is this not a violation of violation of 52 U.S.C ss 30114(b)2(E)?
52 U.S. Code § - Use of contributed amounts for certain purposes

Paragraphs (1) and (2) do not apply to a flight on an aircraft owned or leased by the candidate involved or an…
www.law.cornell.edu

<iframe src=’http://player.theplatform.com/p/7wvmTC/MSNBCEmbeddedOffSite?guid=n_mitchell_devine_160415' height=’500' width=’635' scrolling=’no’ border=’no’ ></iframe>

In 2008 Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were in a much tighter race than you are in now. Hillary suspended her campaign on June 7th with a speech many said helped to unify the party. She did not take it to the DNC in Denver. You said that you will continue the campaign until the DNC. Why is this year different?

Unless there is an complete blowout with the remaining primaries and caucuses, you will be trailing Secretary Clinton in both pledged delegates and votes at the time of the convention. ABC News estimates you need 101% of the pledged delegates to secure the nomination. Secretary Clinton needs 70%. So this will be decided by the Superdelegates. You have been a vocal critic of the Superdelegate system and the DNC during the primary season. How is flipping Superdelegates when you are behind in votes and pledged delegates democratic? How is that following the will of the people?

Many more questions at the link that the media has "forgotten" to ask, despite the numerous times Bernie and his wife have spent at their stations, and in 'interviews".



https://medium.com/@MikeJUofA/questions-for-senator-sanders-474056dca75#.9kferkf1k

[Loudestlib]

1. Release the speeches!

[synergie]

2. If Bernie and Jane would do what they promised and what every other candidate has done

then we can see exactly what speeches Bernie has been giving, and then we can all ask everyone to release the speeches.

Why won't Bernie keep his word? What's he hiding?

[jillan]

7. What Bernie speeches are you talking about? Most of his speeches are on youtube.

[benny05]

47. I may be wrong, but it looks like a snark

But also a note to HC that she still hasn't released her speeches. I doubt we will see them as the M$M isn't interested in seeing her ties to Big Money.

[cali]

21. All his speeches are out there.

[synergie]

55. Prove it. Taxes will show if that's true, and hey candidates are required to release those

anyway, especially when they've said they would AND been caught lying about already having done so.

Whatever might Bernie and Jane be hiding?

[Thinkingabout]

26. Release the conversations with the lobbyists, like NRA and conversations with Lockheed Martin.

It would be interesting to see what the NRA said which has resulted in Sanders voting with the NRA, and what Lockheed Martin tells him in order to continue to fund the F-35 program filled with cost over runs.

[Armstead]

32. I don't think you want to go there

Conversations with lobbyists? Conversations with corporate leaders? Conversations with Wall St. Billionaires?

If Clinton were required to do that it would require a 40-mile long train to hold them.

[George II]

49. Why? Why is what someone did as a private citizen so damned important all of a sudden?

This was NEVER an issue in any other campaign going back to before I was born. Now all of a sudden Sanders has gotten himself into a campaign that he knows he has no chance of winning, so he has to create all these phony issues to put up a smoke screen.

So, let's turn that around:

What did Sanders do with the approximately $5M he's earned in Congress - he claims to have a net worth of only $800K (or less).

Why can't he submit his Personal Financial Disclosure to the FEC on time? It's due NOW, and unlike those speech transcripts that disclosure is required by law. What do they have to hide?

Clinton has about 10 years of FULL income tax returns on her website, Sanders has released only one, and that piecemeal, for two years ago. Jane told Andrea Mitchell a few days before they went to Rome that the 2015 returns would be released "when they're due", which was April 18. Now almost three weeks later they still haven't released them. What do they have to hide?

Speaking of Rome, which we now know was NOT because of an invitation from the Pope (who reluctantly met with him for about 30 seconds in the lobby of the place they were staying), how much did they spend on that trip and how did they pay for it?

Lot's of turnabout questions for Sanders, but he has no answers.

[puffy socks]

51. Bravo!

[pangaia]

4. It's like football..subs in and out and in and out

Now in baseball, a much more sane sport BTW. Once you are out, you are out..

[Live and Learn]

6. Just spin away for endless bull crap.

[synergie]

12. You do seem to be doing that with endless demands that have neve been made of any

candidate ever, while spinning the fact that Bernie and Jane have lied, and have failed to do what's required of them.

spin, spin, spin and hurl out endless bull crap about they just can't seem to find the online turbo tax records, or the ones they claimed they released?

[synergie]

13. Um, yeah, since they're kind of required, but you guys counter with transcripts

And the actual bullshit continues, as Bernie and Jane continue on their elitist, Romney like disdain at following the rules everyone else has to.

Why not stop the cycle, and simply do what's required of presidential candidates? Truly, why so very much BS on the subject?

[840high]

53. Disdain at following the rules....

That would be Hillary. Ask the FBI.

[synergie]

54. The FBI has stated they found no wrongdoing. Disdain at following the rules is

what Bernie and Jane are experts in, be it lying on loan documents, releasing tax records, following primary rules or even registering to vote on time. That's Bernie and Jane.

[840high]

56. FBI did not state that.

CNN did.

[synergie]

57. And which entity was CNN quoting?

[Live and Learn]

5. At least Bernie realeased his Wall Street transcripts, where are Hillary's?

[synergie]

10. so when asked to do what EVERY presidential candidate has done, one cylce

after one got excoriated for not releasing his, you respond to legitimate questions about his failure to do so, EVEN AFTER PROMISING to, and then lying about but demanding something that no one has, in the history of this country, EVER asked of ANY presidential candidate?

Sure, so why did he lie? Why won't he do what every other candidate has been asked to, what's he hiding?

And how shall we know if he truly has released anything if we can't do what Bernie did and dig through his own tax records?

[Live and Learn]

14. Transcripts first. We asked first. And they will be much more informative.

Just hand them over and you get your tax returns. so simple.

[COLGATE4]

34. Please provide a link to authorization you were given

by the Sanders campaign to make that offer on their behalf. I assume you wouldn't say this unless you actually were authorized to make a formal offer like that. That would be irresponsible.

[Eric J in MN]

8. Bernie Sanders is more liberal than Clinton

...on almost every issue.

If he releases his tax returns for every year or not, it won't change that Sanders is the only candidate who wants to:

- ban fracking
- make public universities tuition free
- have drug treatment on demand
- have Single Payer healthcare

[synergie]

15. How do you know? We already know he's invested in fracking companies,

has no plan to actually make public universities tuition free, or a plan for drug treatment period, and has no clue how to get a single payer system and doesn't even understand that it's not the same thing as Medicare for All.

So, he's pretty Romney and Trump like when it comes to releasing his tax records, which as an elected official whose issue is corruption of money in politics, makes his reluctance to keep his word and do what every candidate is required to do, rather supect.

Also, he's liberal on guns? On championing the rights of rape victims?

Sorry, but no. Releasing his tax returns as he claimed he already did, but has not, and promised to do, but also failed to will at least make him as liberal as every actual Democrat who has run for president.

So, what's he hiding? Other than his actual plans to get any of his vague rhetoric accomplished.

Why do you Berners and Bernie ALWAYS change the subject on this issue? Why don't you want him to stop being a liar who doesn't keep his word on at least this ONE thing, and ask him to release his "boring" taxes? What's he afraid of, and why are you so scared to ask?

[JDPriestly]

16. I can't believe anyone makes the accusations you are making.

For example, Bernie has explained clearly exactly who and how he would tax Wall Street speculation and the transactions that are speculative there in order to fund his free tuition in state schools.

Medicare for all would be funded by people paying what they now pay for for-profit insurance either to non-profit insurance or a public Medicare system. That's the way it is done in other countries. There are a variety of systems in place elsewhere. We just pick one or devise our own. We already pay for both college and healthcare, and Bernie's plans in those areas would be merely to collect the money to cover the costs in a way that is slightly different from what we now have.

Bernie does not have a lot of money. Who in the world is worried about his tax returns?

Let Hillary release the transcripts of all of her speeches first. She received for a couple of speeches the income that Bernie made in a year. That's why she needs to release the transcripts and better yet videos of her speeches before Bernie releases his tax returns.

[Eric J in MN]

20. Bernie Sanders' College for All Act

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s1373/text

[Thinkingabout]

27. Releasing the one year shows Sanders in the top 6% and paying taxes at 9% level, yes it is time for

rich people to start paying their fair share of taxes.

[Eric J in MN]

30. Is there something specific Sanders did

...when filing his taxes which is wrong?

[shenmue]

45. Not true

[Jack Bone]

11. Many think contested conventions are best!

"You said that you will continue the campaign until the DNC. Why is this year different? "

Contested conventions add drama and mystique to the campaign...one could argue that it would help the Democratic ticket in the GE as we take on "The Made For Primetime Reality TV candidacy" of Trump.

[JDPriestly]

17. I agree. I remember the conventions in 1952, the first year in which I listened to both

the Democratic and Republican conventions on the radio. We did not have TV yet.

I was very young, but I remember the excitement and how my father explained to me what was going on. Even the radio broadcast was thrilling.

Nowadays -- a bunch of boring speeches usually. No suspense. Rather boring actually.

Remember Clint Eastwood and the chair at the Republican Convention a few years back. Desperate to fill time.

If Bernie keeps running up and through the convention, hopefully to November, voters will be excited and engaged in my opinion. Like me, he probably remembers the time before conventions were so staged.

[NastyRiffraff]

41. Believe it or not

Political conventions are not held for your entertainment. That may be hard for you to believe, but 'tis true. Sorry.

[Waiting For Everyman]

18. HRC says she won, so his tax returns are a moot point.

This is the candidate at the center of an active FBI investigation. What room does she have to point fingers? What a nerve!

Maybe Bernie should decide to "evolve" and get interested in her emails after all. I know Trump already is.

And supers have the right to flip, and Bernie has every right to make his case to them. HRC doesn't own them, and always before, their choices were not revealed until after all the Primary voting was over, as it should be. She connived (including a payoff scheme with the state parties to "buy" them) to have them counted for her before the Primary even started, which is THROWING THE ELECTION, and no one calls her on THAT.

Then we have all the absurd voting irregularities and moles planted in his organization in several states.

Hillary should tell us about all the "work" she got done at the State Dept. for donors to the Clinton Foundation. Greasing the rails for weapons deals and extraction of resources in less developed countries by her insider friends, and arranging honors and perks for questionable heads of state. But the FBI will tell the public in due time anyway. Then many will be regretting their vote for her.

She has a lot of room to talk about anybody else, about anything whatsoever. And her surrogates and pocket pundits are just as shameless.

[synergie]

23. Bernie says he's still in it, and he said he'd do what every other candidate would

so either he's a liar who cannot be trusted to keep his word, or he can release his tax records.

The candidate who wasn't under investigation (despite the best attempts by Right wingers to imply otherwise http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/14/jeb-bush/heres-whats-wrong-jeb-bush-saying-hillary-clinton-)

The one the FBI and everyone else involved has stated has not broken any laws and has done nothing wrong, and wasn't hacked? That one? She can point fingers all she'd like about Bernie's lies, but she's not, because why bother.

Voters are asking why Bernie refuses to release his taxes, hey remember us?

Bernie's all about doing whatever best serves his needs, he doesn't evolve though, he makes mistakes and then pretends they never happened. Yes, it's funny how Trump and Bernie and Jane and you guys are all about the failed right wing talking points. Too bad there is no wrongdoing there and that indictment you're still fantasizing about, when even right wingers gave up months ago, isn't happening.

So Bernie has the right to doxx the supers and unlreash his abusive hordes upon them to harass them and call them names? (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-superdelegates-idUSMTZSAPEC2TAP0RGD)

Well he did say last night that hurling abuse at little kids, ripping their signs out of their hands and screaming obscenities at families attending the rallies is wonderful work, as long as the violent peons don't disturb the elites inside of course.

Supers have the right to support any candidate whenever they want, and no matter what stories you make up about why his own colleagues don't want to have anything to do with Bernie, you can't back up your allegations with anything approaching a fact, and bitter untruths do not substitute. So you're kind of talking out of both sides of your mouth with the Supers, attacking them for doing what they're within their rights to do, while impugning them and excusing Bernie's plot to harass and abuse them into compliance because he thinks he's "entitled" to them.

Yeah, you've got lots of interesting paranoid delusions there, moles and voting irregularities, is that when supporters didn't follow the directions on Bernie's website about when they had to register? Right. That's not their fault either must be those moles!

Hillary is not the one failing at transparency here, but if you wish to hear about the fiction that Bernie and his RW SuperPacs have dreamed up, well you'll have to ask the creators about what they made up.

The FBI has already told you that there is no wrongdoing, but you seem to be unwilling to accept reality, since your stories are so much more interesting, with all the imaginary moles and the bribery that never happened etc.

She does have lots of room to talk, but she isn't excoriating Bernie for his lies, his dishonesty, or his numerous incidents of FEC violations (which are actually against the law) or Jane's background in fraud. Shameless is spinning this many lies an this many RW talking points to try to distract from simple questions, like

Why won't Bernie keep his word and release his tax returns, like every other candidate is supposed to do? What's Bernie hiding? Why are Bernie and Jane lying about releasing tax records when they have not done any such thing?

What's Bernie hiding, and why are you more interested in badly written fiction than the truth?

[Waiting For Everyman]

24. You don't want to bring up the word "liar" backing your candidate!

Talking points don't impress me. You'll what you get when you get it. And I'll wait for the FBI to settle the controversies.

Contrary to what your anonymous spinners say, the FBI doesn't work on nothing.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

33. Why doesn't a person do those things?

If a person is a demigod he or she is exempt from the laws and rules that govern mortals.

[pangaia]

44. Don't you have something better to do?

Why waste such a beautiful life typing such gobbledeegook?

[Thinkingabout]

28. Sanders is being investigated by the FEC, has been sent two letters containing names of donations

from individuals over $2700, now he even wants to extend the time to report for his convenience. Campaign finance reform is one of his core issues, he is failing to honor the current laws.

[Cha]

19. Thank you for this, synergie.. Good thing BS lost now jane doesn't have to give anymore excuses

about why they won't release their taxes.


Hill Yes! ?@SayHillYes
BREAKING: Jane Sanders releases official statement about whereabouts of tax returns:
1:47 PM - 11 Apr 2016
190 190 Retweets 243 243 likes

https://theobamadiary.com/2016/04/11/picture-of-the-day-8/

[shenmue]

46. The dog ate his homework

[UtahLib]

25. K&R. nt

[baldguy]

29. They must be hiding something.

[NorthCarolina]

31. Bernie's taxes are boring. I'm anxious to see some Clinton Speech Transcripts though.

I'm sure, in the vein of transparency that all POTUS candidates strive for, they will be released shortly. The voters demand compliance and truly deserve no less.

[COLGATE4]

35. The voters demand compliance. Compliance with what?

As far as I know, there has never been an obligation for any candidate to release transcripts of private speeches to private groups. Is there a law that I just haven't hear about?

[NorthCarolina]

36. Compliance WITH THEIR REQUEST.

She's asking us for our votes, and we're asking to see her speech transcripts before we say YES. Don't the voters have the upper hand in the election process anymore?

[COLGATE4]

37. Oh - "their request". How about the millions of us who want compliance

with OUR requests - 1) That Hillary continue to ignore this ridiculous "give us the speeches" pseudo controversy and 2) That Bernie man up and stop soliciting donations for a campaign both he and his supporters know he cannot win.

And yes, the voters have the upper hand. They have made clear that Hillary is their choice for our party's nominee. And they will do so again for President in November.

[NorthCarolina]

38. Let me ask you, as a voter

WHY would you demand that Hillary NOT release her transcripts. Don't you want to know what/who you are casting your vote for? I do.

[COLGATE4]

39. No. I couldn't care less what she said to those groups. I've been in enough of those events

to know that nothing - repeat nothing - of any importance ever gets said. And yes, I know who I'm casting my vote for.

[Bluenorthwest]

40. Question for Sec Clinton: What the actual fuck?

[NastyRiffraff]

42. Thanks for this Synergie

Excellent questions. I wish the media were more adept at following up. Regarding the taxes, Bernie and Jane are clearly stalling. As for Bernie saying that he's made no paid speeches to Wall Street firms, this should be broadcast far and wide:

As a member of Congress, Senator Sanders cannot make paid speeches, receive honorariums or paid for TV appearances.

Of course, he conveniently forgets to mention that.

[synergie]

43. The extension til AFTER the primaries are over is what really takes the cake!

They're lying and if he wants to stay in the race, fine, pretend like you believe you have a chance, as you fleece people and ACT like a candidate. He lied, Jane lied and the lies are so ridiculous and lame that they need to be called out.

He doesn't believe in charity, so which charity did he donate to? One of his family member's fake ones? There is so much that is just hinky with their finances and the shady lies that prove that transparency with elected officials is an actual issue for them really just points to something truly messed up. If only we had investigative journalists instead of these fops who won't ask a simple question!

[brer cat]

48. Excellent questions

that deserve an answer. Thanks for the post, synergie! K&R

[treestar]

50. When is the media going to

Ask those tough questions? Bernie should be able to handle them

[nolabels]

52. What exactly are we talking about when you refer to the 'media'

Media Consolidation -- brought to you by Reagan and Clinton
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2008/1/18/439135/-

[LWolf]

58. Have you asked him your questions? nt

[Orsino]

59. No excuse for not releasing returns or transcripts. n/t