Sen. Bernie Sanders, DNC chair Tom Perez stop in Frankfort Coffeetree Cafe on unity tour
Published 12:40 am Wednesday, April 19, 2017
[font color="navy"]Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders talks with Mary Nishimuta, co-owner of the Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe, Tuesday after the panel concluded. Nishimuta served as one of Kentucky’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention last year. (Photo by Brad Bowman/[email protected])[/font]
Excerpts:
Panelists asked questions about removing corporate money from political campaigns, earning a living wage, having access to affordable health care or education, and skilled training, which were popular parts of Sanders’ campaign platform.
“I don’t think young people get heard in politics — especially in Kentucky,” Rogers said. “When liberal and progressive young candidates run they don’t get support from the establishment. The people that need to be heard on this type of media platform are coal miners, working-class people. I also think my voice should be heard.”
Sanders said the Kentucky Democratic Party hadn’t reached people as it should and the party should return to the Democratic Party of the early 1900s that represented working-class Americans.
“The goal for me is for people to understand that we are wealthiest country in the history of the world and there’s no excuse for a middle class continuing to shrink. The word has to get out that it is not a radical idea to say health care is a right for all people. It exists virtually in every other major country on earth,” Sanders said. “I suspect that the Democratic Party here in Kentucky has not done the kind of job it should’ve done in explaining to the people of Kentucky that, if I’m not mistaken, correct me if I’m wrong, that hundreds of thousands of people have received health care as a result of the ACA (the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare). It’s not just health insurance; it’s jobs.”
As a member of the Senate, Sanders also criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as a champion for keeping corporate money and funds funneled from the Koch brothers in politics.
Perez and Sanders both said it is more effective to remain dedicated to having a conversation on issues instead of just attacking a political opponent.
“I think that several progressives in the state use this (the cafe) as our progressive hub because we stand up for the values that we all believe in terms of morals and values and ethics in representing the people,” Nishimuta said. Perez and Sanders “wanted to be in Frankfort and the Democratic Party knows that the grassroots energy is very important and reached out to me to see if this was a possibility and it happened.”
http://www.state-journal.com/2017/04/19/former-presidential-candidate-sen-bernie-sanders-democratic-national-committee-chair-tom-perez-stop-in-frankfort-on-unity-tour/
