Bernie Tells It Like It Is

[bigtree]

from Greg Kaufmann at The Nation: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/539928/bernie_tells_it_like_it_is

{snip}

Bernie Sanders' assessment of where we are one year into the Obama presidency is what made me just want to run the tape recorder and transcribe. So here's what he had to say:

"A year ago at this time, the American people were in amazement about a brilliant, charismatic guy named Barack Obama who had run the best campaign in our lifetimes--elected President. Democrats gained more seats in the Senate, Democrats gained more seats in the House.

A year later, we are in a very, very different place. How did that occur?

I think one of the reasons that it occurred is that we have wasted month after month after month negotiating with people who are not interested in serious reform. So from Day One the understanding should have been--we have 50 votes, let's do it, let's move quickly, let's take on the Republicans, let's rally the American people around a real strong healthcare bill.

Well, it's only been a year and apparently the White House now has that message. And we are going to go forward with reconciliation.

. . . I happen to have the belief that Obama ran the best campaign that I've seen in my lifetime. I think a mistake was made after the election, that we forget about the grassroots in this country, we forget about the trade unionists, and we say to them ‘Oh, we campaigned telling you that we were opposed to McCain's tax on your healthcare benefits, but by the way we changed our mind.'

I think what we have got to reengage in is a progressive, clear agenda . . .


read more: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/539928/bernie_tells_it_like_it_is

[LakeSamish706]

1. Total agreement with Bernie, and well said. n/t

[damntexdem]

2. Bernie always tells it like it is.

And I agree with this one.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. I was pushing Sanders/Feingold but nobody would listen.

And I mean nobody.

:cry:

[LakeSamish706]

5. I don't think they would have run anyway, but it was to damn bad indeed. n/t

[rhett o rick]

4. Bernie is America's Senator. He is not a Democrat. nt

[madmax]

6. If we could only

clone him and Grayson!!

[Mike 03]

7. As usual, he is cryptic. Is he blaming Obama for the failure of Obama's vision to catch fire?

Or is he blaming the lame legislators?

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, bigtree.

[Mike 03]

9. Bernie Sanders is like Dennis, at first glance he seems bold and new and wonderful, but if you

actually listen to him talk, it is just a riff, and often times it is incoherent. And also, Sanders tends to only show up at Committee when it is his time to ask questions. He shows up late and leaves early. Hard to call that "character."

This is not different from any other political shim sham. He is smart, has good ideas, but it is just a show.

[bigtree]

10. politics is a show

Sen. Sanders is usually right on the issues. He's no more a 'sham' than the political process itself. He's is anything but 'incoherent'. The only thing which may make his efforts there appear to be a 'show' is the inclination of the majority of the party to forget their promises to the voters and to dismiss the Senator's commitment to the promises he's made his constituents. He must be doing something right for Vermonters to re-elect him every year without a party label.