Bernie Sanders told us what we had to do to stop this abomination. We have to stand up.

[Karmadillo]

Sitting and waiting for our elected representatives to actually represent us has pretty much been revealed as a less than productive path. Bernie Sanders told us what we have to do:

http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=07C45D73-82A3-432D-9995-45C48D996EC5

He concluded, "If the American people stand up and say, we can do better than this, that we don’t need to drive up the national debt by giving tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, that if the American people are prepared to stand – and we’re prepared to follow them – I think we can defeat this proposal.

Over the next two weeks, millions of students and teachers will be on vacation. If they joined together with the millions of seniors within two hundred miles of Washington, DC, we could make sure this proposal doesn't pass. We're going to have to organize and fight to take back our country and this act of thievery on the part of the plutocracy is as good a time as any to start.

I know zilch about organizing a march on short notice, but maybe this thread could be a forum for discussing what we would have to do to make it happen. We've got the internet and we've got the grievance. Let's not sit back and wait for someone to save us. Let's save ourselves.

[dkf]

The public just voted in the party who we attacked for giving breaks to billionaires.

There is no outrage people! Americans are more outraged by the unemployment rate and a stagnant economy.

[laughingliberal]

14. And, yet, polls show 53% oppose extending tax cuts for the wealthy.

Tax cuts for the wealthy are one of the reasons for the stagnant economy.

[gateley]

1. If you're in agreement with Bernie, in lieu of, or waiting for, a march, deluge

your representatives (and others) with phone calls, faxes and e-mails. My "threat" to those who don't represent me are "although I'm not a constituent, I am prepared to contribute to your challenger's campaign next time you're up for reelection". That's it - money.

I'm lucky in that my Congressman is totally on board with this, I don't have the same confidence in my Senators so I've been calling them daily, asking what their stance is and strongly urging them to vote against this.

[jaxx]

2. What are Bernie's plans for the unemployed?

Feed them to the pubs?

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

3. Some things are worth sacrificing for principle.

[jaxx]

4. Oh hell no, people are not to be sacrificed.

What a crappy thing to say. Two million unemployed will be affected by losing the extension. Add the rest of the family and it's 8 million. Then add the others who will lose benefits as the year moves on and it's millions and millions.

What kind of cruelty is this? Principle doesn't taste good on dry bread and it doesn't pay the bills and buy clothes for the kids.

People need to get off their high horses and look at reality. These principles stink.

[Karmadillo]

5. We would get the UC extension without the transfer of wealth to the rich.

nt

[jaxx]

8. Where would you get the extension?

The senate voted down even considering it twice this week. Twice.

[laughingliberal]

15. Sure. Cause they think they can hold it for ransom.

If we hold our ground, they'll have to cave. Even my Republican Senator voted for the extension. Said he'd rather it was paid for but he can't vote against UI extensions in a state with 14.4% unemployment.

[nenagh]

6. I listened to Bernie for much of yesterday.. and he said that anytime..

the unemployment figure reached the level it is today that always both Repubs and Dems extended the time of UI benefits..

at least that was what I heard....

I wish I could link you a segment of his speech.

[Saturday]

7. That's exactly what he said. nt

[jaxx]

10. They can't even get it past cloture to bring it to a vote.

Bernie is a nice guy, but he is wrong on this.

[laughingliberal]

16. Right. Because they knew we'd cave. Disgusting how often they're right about that.

Bernie is not wrong on this.

[Karmadillo]

12. Link

He argued Obama getting an extension of UC was no compromise because history shows benefits would have been extended anyway given the high level of unemployment.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/12/bernie-sanders-filibuster

On unemployment benefits:

I get upset when I hear that the Republicans' unwillingness to support an extension of unemployment benefits for 13 months is a major compromise. . .Whenever the unemployment is above 7.2 percent, always, whether the president was Democratic or the president was Republican, what people did was say we have got to extend unemployment benefits. It’s kind of common sense. It’s not partisan.

[lunatica]

9. Won't all the Representatives also be on vacation?

And as dire as this sounds, marching on Washington is useless. What will get their attention will be riots. Riots like we had in the 60s and like Europe is experiencing now.

Our government can yawn behind their hands with ease at our one day 'marches'. The corporations can go on a day's vacation to the Bahamas with our one day strikes.

The marches and strikes that worked in the past were extended actions and they were messy and violent at times. And how many people in the West can afford to travel to Washington DC for one day's march?

[Karmadillo]

18. If we show up in DC in large numbers, our representatives would be more than aware regardless of

their taking the vacation we're paying for.

[ladjf]

11. The 98% ers need to pool their resources to try to stop this

mad rush toward giving all of the money to the top 2%. That ought to be doable.

[Scurrilous]

13. K & R

:thumbsup:

[amborin]

17. K&R