Bernie Sanders: Craig Jelinek, CEO of @Costco...

Bernie Sanders: Jon Stewart...

Luckovich toon: The Senate just wrote me a letter…

John Fugelsang: I don't get to hate anybody....

10 frightening facts about Tom Cotton

Hailing from Arkansas, 37-year-old Senator Cotton boasts the title of being the youngest member of the Senate, but he spouts the old warmongering rhetoric of 78-year-old Senator John McCain. From Guantanamo to Iran, food stamps to women’s rights, here are ten reasons why Tom Cotton is a dangerous dude.

1. He penned an underhanded letter to the leaders of Iran that sparked the trending hashtag #47Traitors. On March 9th, Cotton and 46 of his Republican colleagues went behind President Obama’s back by signing an “informative” letter to Iran, saying that a nuclear deal would not last because the next president could reverse it. Secretary John Kerry, one of the lead negotiators in the talks, called the letter “utterly disgusting” and “irresponsible.” Two dozen editorial boards slammed the letter and over 200,000 people signed a petition asking the senators to be charged for violating the Logan Act, a law which forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments.

2. Senator Cotton said the only problem he has with Guantanamo Bay prison is that “there are too many empty beds.” Ignoring waterboarding, indefinite detention, forced feeding and other torturous acts, Tom Cotton insists that the US should be “proud” of how it treats the “savages” detained in Gitmo. As far as Cotton is concerned, “[the prisoners] can rot in hell. But as long as they don’t do that, then they can rot in Guantanamo Bay.” This is counter to the position of many other Senators and President Obama, who has promised time and time again to close the prison. There are still dozens of men held at Gitmo who have been cleared for release, but that doesn’t seem to bother Senator They-Can-Rot-in-Hell.

3. He has compared the negotiations of the UN Security Council (P5+1) with Iran to the “appeasement of Nazi Germany.”This accusation is ridiculous. Rouhani’s Iran is not Hitler’s Germany. Despite Cotton’s claims that “there are nothing but hardliners in Tehran,” Rouhani is a reformist, someone we need to work with to defeat ISIL. And the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran are a far better ––and safer–– approach than pushing Iran to the brink of war with the US (and Israel). For once, there is actually hope for a peaceful solution, something that certainly was not an option with Nazi Germany.

4. He thinks the use of killer drones should be expanded. Killer drones have resulted in thousands of civilian deaths in countries we’re not even at war with, like Pakistan and Yemen, and have led to an expansion of extremist groups. Senator Cotton makes the argument of many other pro-droners: that drone pilots are safer than air pilots, and casualties are reduced. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Drone pilots still suffer the psychological trauma associated with attacks, and the “collateral damage” of drone strikes means that families and children lose their lives along with the targeted terrorists. (Note: only 2% of all people killed by drone strikes have been confirmed “high-value” targets.) The last thing we need is the expansion of drone warfare, Tom.

More here: http://www.salon.com/2015/03/14/10_frightening_facts_about_tom_cotton_partner/

Why did you sign, Senator?

Here is the letter an Arkansas voter sent directly to Senator Cotton...

Sanders Files Bill to Strengthen, Expand Social Security...

WASHINGTON, March 12 – As boxes of petitions signed by 2 million Americans were hauled into the Capitol today, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation to expand benefits and strengthen the retirement program for generations to come.

The Social Security Expansion Act was filed on the same day Sanders and other senators received the petitions gathered by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

“Social Security is the most successful government program in our nation's history. Through good times and bad, Social Security has paid out every benefit owed to every eligible American,” Sanders said. “The most effective way to strengthen Social Security for the future is to eliminate the cap on the payroll tax on all income above $250,000 so millionaires and billionaires pay the same share as everyone else.”

Sanders’ measure would make the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share. Under current law, the amount of income subject to the payroll tax is capped at $118,500. That means someone making millions of dollars a year pays the same amount in payroll taxes as some making $118,500 a year. The legislation would subject all income over $250,000 to the payroll tax. Doing so would impact only the top 1.5 percent of wage earners, the Center for Economic Policy Research has estimated.

The bill also would subject unearned household income above $250,000 to the same 6.2 percent tax as applies to most earned income. The top 0.1 percent of Americans gets about half of all capital gains income.

Asking the wealthiest Americans to contribute more into Social Security, would not only extend the solvency of Social Security through 2060, it also would allow Social Security benefits to be expanded for millions of Americans.

“At a time when over half of the American people have less than $10,000 in savings and senior poverty is increasing, we should not be talking about cutting Social Security benefits. We should be talking about expanding benefits to make sure that every American can retire with dignity,” the senator said.

The bill would:
•Increase Social Security benefits by about $65 a month for most recipients.
•Increase cost-of-living Adjustments for Social Security recipients.
•Provide a minimum Social Security benefit to significantly reduce the senior poverty rate.

Social Security today has a $2.8 trillion surplus and will be able to pay all promised benefits until 2033, after which it will be able to pay around 75 percent of all promised benefits. The Social Security Expansion Act would increase revenue and extend the solvency of Social Security for the next 45 years.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-calls-on-congress-to-strengthen-and-expand-social-security

Bernie Sanders: Robert Reich

Robert Reich: Elizabeth Warren Would Be A "Strong Primary Challenger" For Hillary Clinton (video)

Former Secretary of Commerce Robert Reich, who served in President Bill Clinton's cabinet, appeared on MSNBC Wednesday night to encourage Sen. Elizabeth Warren to seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. Reich wants Warren to run because it would mean another target for Republicans rather than just Hillary Clinton.

"As of right now, Hillary Clinton is the only target for Republicans," Reich told MSNBC host Chris Hayes on Wednesday. "If there were a primary challenger, there would be other targets. For her to be a target for another year and a half or more, I mean you can imagine what this means. It's so easy to just target one person."

"I think it would help Hillary Clinton, assuming she runs, because as you just said, what we know from politics from primaries, from presidential elections is that when you have a strong primary challenger, it helps the actual general election challenger, nominee, to be better," Reich said.

ROBERT REICH: I think it would help Hillary Clinton, assuming she runs, because as you just said, what we know from politics from primaries, from presidential elections is that when you have a strong primary challenger, it helps the actual general election challenger, nominee, to be better, to have a sharper message, to be asked questions, to practice questions. It helps the public understand what the central issues are.

You know, as of right now, Hillary Clinton is the only target for Republicans. If there were a primary challenger, there would be other targets. For her to be a target for another year and a half or more, I mean you can imagine what this means. It's so easy to just target one person... If the Democrats don't have a primary debate, then the entire news is going to be focusing on the Republican race and basically nobody's going to know what's at stake...

For the same of Hillary Clinton, for her candidacy, and her nomination, assuming that she's going to be the nominee, and by the way, I want to make it very clear she's an old friend. I think she would be a great president, she'll be a great nominee, but she would do better and the public would do better and the American kind of system would be better if there is a strong primary contestant.

See the video at: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/03/11/robert_reich_elizabeth_warren_would_be_a_strong_primary_challenger_to_hillary_clinton.html