Friday, January 29, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings



What do we do to revitalize democracy? How can we bring tens of millions of Americans back into the political process? Revitalizing the electoral process is, in some ways, a simple matter.

NEXT: Getting out the vote

U.S. responsible for 82% of all gun deaths in 23 high income nations




The Pew Research Center said in October of 2015 that gun homicides declined in the '90s hitting a plateau between 2009 and 2014 of 11,000 to 12,000 a year. Suicides with guns, on the other hand, increased. But a new study by the National Institute of Health found that...
"While the United States has failed to significantly reduce its annual rate of gun deaths, other high income countries have been making steadier progress, resulting in a wider gap between the U.S. and its international peers when it comes to fatal shootings."
PubMed under the NIH said:
CONCLUSIONS:
The United States has an enormous firearm problem compared with other high-income countries, with higher rates of homicide and firearm-related suicide. Compared with 2003 estimates, the US firearm death rate remains unchanged while firearm death rates in other countries decreased. Thus, the already high relative rates of firearm homicide, firearm suicide, and unintentional firearm death in the United States compared with other high-income countries increasebetween 2003 and 2010.
Researchers David Hemenway and Erin Grinshteyn found that "...firearm homicide rates were 25 times higher in the U.S. than in other high-income countries." That is compared to 2003 when it was 19.5 times more than comparable countries. As the number of guns on the street goes up, so do the deaths by firearm violence.

The American public must continue to stand up to the gun lobby and put organizations like the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) out of business.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings


Republican at the podium
Make no mistake about it: the wealthy and their political representatives are working hard to keep people away from the voting booths. They have vigorously opposed legislation that would make it easier for people to vote. They have corrupted campaign financing, so that citizens have lost faith in the political process. They have turned negative campaigning into a high art, with the result that huge numbers of voters demonstrate their disgust with gutter politics by refusing to vote on election day. They have begun the process of dismantling social programs so that citizens increasingly feel that government cannot and will not do anything to meet their needs.

Bernie sanders looking good in Iowa




In the latest Quinnipiac poll released yesterday, Bernie Sanders leads Hillary Clinton by 4 points, 49% to 45%. By demographics Bernie trounces her with men, trails slightly with women, way ahead on the age group 18-24, trails slightly on 45 to 64 year-olds and is way behind in the 65+ age group. An earlier Quinnipiac survey this month...
Clinton and Sanders are not far apart among women. Sanders has a net favorability of plus-81 with women; Clinton's is +69. Among men? Sanders is +88 and Clinton is +29 — a massive gap.
Should Bernie bring more women over to his side, he would have two major groups along with the young. Not sure he'll ever get the older folks 65+ and I believe it has something to do with Sanders Democratic Socialism; they remember Joe McCarthy and his fight against Communism and just seem to mistakenly put the two together. Another factor is that Sanders's support is far heavier among the third of poll respondents who've never been to a caucus before.

But The Washington Post cautions there are red flags. One, in 2008 fewer men voted and traditionally young people don't vote. I say, with the enthusiasm Bernie is getting from men in Iowa, and the fireworks this Presidential election has created, they will go to the caucuses on Feb. 1. And that goes double for the younger vote.

Oh, by the way, The Huff Post combination of several national polls had Bernie Sanders at 35.8% against Hillary Clinton's 51.0% as of January 24. Bernie's up from 33.3% and Hillary's down from 54.8% since January 1. Pretty significant for less than a full month.

FLASH: Does Microsoft have a "Hillary" ulterior motive with Iowa caucus software


The Bernie Sanders camp is suspicious of the offer by Microsoft for the "free" software that will tabulate Iowa caucus results. MSNBC reports "The Sanders campaign has built their own reporting system to check the results from the official Microsoft-backed app." Sanders aides noted that Microsoft employees have donated several hundred thousand dollars to Hillary Clinton over the years.

I did some research on my own to check on thesr donations and came up with the following April 2015 statements from the The Washington Free Beacon:

"Few corporate entities have managed to entwine themselves in the Clinton financial empire more thoroughly than Microsoft, a 20th century technology company that presumably feels great affinity toward a couple of 20th century politicians trying to recapture past glory.
"The feeling is apparently mutual. Hillary used Microsoft software, for example, to operate her now-deleted private email server.
"Microsoft has been supporting the Clintons years. When Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2008, Microsoft was one of her top campaign contributors: the company’s employees and political action committees donated $184,119.
"Microsoft is a regular sponsor of the Clinton Global Initiative, and has donated between $1 million and $5 million to the Clinton Foundation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which also sponsors CGI events, has donated more than $25 million to the foundation."
Coincidence, perhaps, but the ties that bind have a funny way of ending up tipping the scales in a favored direction. 

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings




The greater the belief that participation in the political process doesn't really make a difference, the likely it is that people will give up hope that we can ever attain a just society and a decent standard of living.

Would you vote for Hillary Clinton if Bernie Sanders isn't nominated?


Sanders Warren ticket
One voter said Clinton is “bought and paid for,” another said he wouldn't vote for Clinton unless Elizabeth Warren was on the ticket. Yet one more said the "dream" ticket would be Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Those are three viewpoints that do indicate a definite preference, but don't demonstrate a voting population that would stay home from the polls without Bernie. And they shouldn't. All you need to confirm this is to look at who leads the GOP ticket. Donald Trump.

If you want that maniac in office, or for that matter, any of his fellow candidates, especially Ted Cruz, then stay home on November 8. Most agree that "...a low-energy, low-turnout election in November would be disastrous for Democrats," according to the Washington Times. Jeff Weaver, Sanders campaign manager, feels his candidate is the one to wake up new progressive candidates and bring them out in November.

RootsAction.org says, “The head of one of the two big political parties in the United States is trying to manipulate the presidential election process by limiting direct debate and tilting the national party apparatus in favor of one candidate. This is unacceptable,” A Democratic county chairman in Iowa, Jason Frerichs agrees. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was co-chair of Hillary's campaign in 2008. There’s no doubt she’s putting her fingers on the scale, limiting the number of sanctioned debates,” Mr. Frerichs said.

And now Michael Bloomberg says he might run if Hillary Clinton isn't nominated. Looking at Bernie Sanders momentum and his recent surge in the polls, don't think the Bern will worry, although Bloomberg could take away some votes.


Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings




It is in the interest of those who have great wealth and immense corporate power to weaken democracy. The less power the people have the fewer checks there are on those who already control the American economy and its resources.

Obama talks 2008 and Bernie Sanders


Just today it was reported on MSNBC that "Obama doesn’t see Clinton vs. Sanders as a repeat of 2008." He goes on to confirm that Hillary Clinton is establishment and Bernie Sanders is, well, too focused on one thing. Admittedly, Bernie started his campaign and has continued to emphasize America's inequality, but under that heading falls all of issues also being promoted by Clinton:
Campaign finance reform
Climate change
Criminal justice reform
The economy
Gun violence reform
Health care
Immigration reform
Voting rights  
There are more but the above shows just how close the two campaigns really are. It doesn't point out, however, the differences which make Bernie Sanders the choice of voters who want real change. Like in 2008. Bernie wants a $15 minimum wage, Hillary only $12. Bernie wants honest, single-pay universal health care, Hillary satisfied with Obamacare. Bernie wants to control the wealthy and Wall Street, Hillary is a part of it. There's even more.

Hillary thinks that we must work within the framework of the current political system, Bernie wants a revolution to change that and do away with the current disruptive government. Hillary wants to modify the educational system, Bernie wants to change it to free education for all. Hillary not clear on how she'll pay for her proposals, Bernie will tax the wealthy, large corporations and Wall Street. The last is perhaps the most significant in the separation between the two candidates.

President Obama, along with the rest of the Democratic establishment, is protecting the party favorite over the Independent candidate. Bernie Sanders will finally put this kind of thinking to rest.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings



In recent elections the concept of "one person, one vote" has been supplanted by the influence of big money. The more money you have, the more power you have. Some citizens participate by contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the politicians and parties of their choice. Most citizens contribute no money and do not vote. To paraphrase Orwell, some citizens are clearly a lot more equal than others.

How will GOP Congress exploit Polish Jew Socialist as president?




A Republican Congress has done a commendable job of abusing an African-American President who was elected in a landslide in 2008 and re-elected in 2012 with another...landslide. Sen. Mitch McConnell said immediately in 2008, "My number one priority is making sure president Obama’s a one-term president." This dufus has been eating his words ever since. And he, along with dufus 2, former speaker John Boehner, have done everything in their power to thwart everything the President has undertaken.

But here is a list of Obama's accomplishments. Among the ninety by 3 Chics Politoco are Iraq troop withdrawal, passed The Affordable Care Act, Financial industry reform that prevented a second Great depression, killed Osama bin Laden, and obviously many more. You get the picture. But throughout this man's Presidency the beltway bunglers have dogged him on every issue, holding him in contempt for doing the things the American public wanted.

Enter a Polish Jew who is a Democratic Socialist and I wonder what Mitch McConnell will say about him, that is if he is still Senate Majority leader, or even in the Senate when Bernie Sanders takes over the White House? Apparently Obama being black was enough for Republicans, admit it or not. Bernie is Polish; will that bring back the Polish jokes of the 1960s? He is a Jew, but, wait, the GOP is desperate to wrest the Jewish vote from the Democrats.

So that leaves the fact that Sanders is a Democratic Socialist and I am sure the Republican hate machines will make the most of that. Sen. Claire McCaskill has already fired the first salvo saying “I think it would be absolutely impossible for a self-declared socialist to win states like Missouri." These shallow thinkers like McCaskill don't even realize that three of America's greatest institutions are Socialistic: The Post Office; Social Security; and Medicare.

A Gallup Poll in 2010 said that 36% of the American public viewed Socialism positively and that acceptance has grown over the last five years. So take your pick. He's Polish, he's a Jew and he's a Democratic Socialist. Who wants to bet on what the GOP will pick to try and bring him down after he is elected? Whatever that is it won't work with the Bern either.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

The assault has started on Bernie Sanders 2


LBJ on Medicare
Yesterday I posted on Hillary Clinton's attack that Bernie Sanders couldn't match up to Barack Obama's drive for the Presidency in 2008 because he "can't galvanize the African-American vote and he will not dominate caucus contests." I went on to show how he was well on his way in both cases. And then we talked about the Democratic establishment and how the hardliners are fighting him in favor of Clinton. Like Debbie Wasserman Schultz handling of the debates.

Today it's the media and its attack of Sanders' single-payer plan for universal healthcare which says he is  "...proposing sweeping policies that defy political realities." Further, it calls his approach on immigration incomparable. The MSNBC piece does give Bernie credit for getting his message on revolution across and almost bringing Hillary Clinton to her knees. Further, "But the substance of his proposals easily crumble under scrutiny."

Sanders senior policy adviser Warren Gunnels admits, “It’s going to take a political revolution to pass single-payer {health care} for all Americans.” But didn't it take something of a revolution for Lyndon Johnson to pass Medicare and for Harry Truman to bring us social Security? No one says the single-payer plan is perfect, but, then, Obama didn't pass the Affordable Care Act thinking it wouldn't need tweets. All great welfare programs have gone through this scrutiny.

And don't we know why there has been no immigration reform passed? A GOP Congress that has ideologically blocked every program President Obama has put before them just because it is...Barack Obama. Bernie's plan for immigration is considered overly optimistic when it comes to immigrant coverage for healthcare, but many believe making at least some coverage available will alleviate emergency room visits and could bring health care costs down.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

The assault has started on Bernie Sanders




First Hillary says Bernie Sanders is no Barack Obama from 2008 because Sanders can't galvanize the African-American vote and he will not dominate caucus contests. To begin with, he is leading in the Iowa caucus and in one recent month his ranking in So. Carolina jumped 17%, the latter heavily populated by African-Americans. So the battle begins between two fully qualified opponents with only one with the right mandate.

And then there's the Democratic establishment, "As he faces the toughest onslaught of his political life over the next 11 days before the Iowa caucuses, Sanders will have to go it nearly alone," says Alex Seitz Wald on MSNBC.  So far he hasn't needed this group of die-hard party hardliners. Bernie Sanders' supporters are not the kind who listen to the establishment so this palaver will fall on deaf ears. And wherever they are coming from, new ones are added daily.

More on this tomorrow.


Friday, January 22, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings





Re. Oligarchy: The poor are disenfranchised, not by law, but in fact. The young think that voting has little to do with them or their prospects. Ordinary citizens have decided that the political process is likely to fail them, and so they vote in even smaller numbers.

Millennials rule and they are for Bernie Sanders




There are 71 million Millennials and 41% of them support Bernie Sanders and stand 50/50 on going to the polls in November. That's almost 30 million voters tops, 15 million minimum going in the gate. Sanders opponent, Hillary Clinton, is losing voters under age fifty, trailing his 41% at 35%. But it would seem that the enthusiasm we have seen during Bernie's rallies is likely to bring out the majority of his supporters to the voting booth.

Clinton "has lost significant support among Democratic women, with her lead over Sanders shrinking from 45 points to 19 points in that group. Her support went from 64%-19% last month to 54%-35% now." With approximately 52% of the American electorate female, that puts another significant group in Bernie Sander's corner. As an example, there are 688,450 Millennials in Iowa of which almost 49% are women. The question is, how many of these are evangelical?

Of course Sanders can't depend on just these demographics to win the primary. And if he doesn't win, the hardcore Democrats are fearful Bernie's supporters won't come over to Hillary's side. After all he did call for a political Revolution and that does mean a fight against the Washington establishment, and Clinton does represent that faction. Considering the fact that the Bern did bring all these young voters out of the shadows, the Dems certainly can't afford to lose them.

The only answer is to nominate Bernie Sanders as the Democrat's candidate and elect him to the presidency in November.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Concealed carry permit holders responsible for over 800 gun deaths since 2007




According to the Violence Policy Center, "...Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 849 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, including 29 mass shootings that killed 139 people. That's close to 100 gun deaths per year from those cowboys who think they are protecting the public. It's time to put on the brakes and start limiting concealed carry to only those with a special need. I have talked to several of these people and they consider this a right given under the 2nd Amendment and it is not.

The VPC exclaims, “Our research makes it clear that allowing more guns in public places is making us less safe.” The organization's  Legislative Director Kristen Rand states, “It’s also clear that state lawmakers who weaken concealed carry laws increase the risk that even more of these tragic, fatal incidents will occur.” Like Arizona, where the only requirement for a concealed carry permit is that the person must be a warm body. Pathetic.


Bernie Sanders Sayings




An oligarchy is a form of government in which a small group of people hold power. It seems that a smaller and smaller group of citizens are determining our nation's future.

Sen. Claire McCaskill is nuts


Sen. Claire McCaskill

It's not enough that Hillary Clinton is disparaging her opponent, Bernie Sanders, but now the Democratic establishment is organizing to defeat the Bern. Sen. Claire McCaskill said, “I think it would be absolutely impossible for a self-declared socialist to win states like Missouri,” adding Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to the lot.But a 2010 Gallup poll reported that 36% of Americans had a favorable view of Socialism and that has improved measurably over the years.

 And just 9 percent of a select group of Millennial voters say Sanders' description of himself as a Democratic Socialist makes them less likely to support him. YouGov says that 36% of Millennials as a whole have a positive view of Socialism. In October 2014, a Rasmussen poll found that the Democratic Party views Socialism on a 50-50 basis with Capitalism. All of which makes McCaskill's "absolutely impossible" statement both dumb and ludicrous. But if the Dems do decide to mount an all out campaign against Bernie Sanders it will just piss off his supporters even more.

The Senator from Vermont seems to be ahead in both Iowa and New Hampshire, and that does not register well with the party's die-hards. Sanders committed a mortal sin by becoming an Independent to begin with. Then came the next egregious offense, at least as far as Debbie Wassermen Schultz was concerned, by daring to run in the Democratic Primary to oppose her favorite, Hillary Clinton. In other words, the Bern upset the establishment and that is what he is all about.  

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings




Voting among the poor is almost non-existent. Among different age groups, the young vote in lower numbers than any other group. Public cynicism about the Democratic process has never been greater, and individual belief in the possibility of democratic change has never been more threatened.

Do you despise Wayne LaPierre? Watch this video and you will




Charles Topher calls the head of the National Rifle Assn. (NRA), Wayne LaPierre, despicable, disgusting. Topher says his moral code embraces only money, calling for more guns in schools immediately following the gun massacre of 20 six-year-olds and 6 teachers at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Well, I couldn't have said it better except my description would have included many expletives.

LaPierre cowardly refused to appear with Barack Obama at the "Guns in America" town hall on CNN January 4. Then it took him two weeks to come up with an answer in which he challenges the President to a one-on-one gun control debate. The terms: "...that the debate be one hour with a moderator, no pre-screened questions and no long answers." Apparently LaPierre isn't capable of putting together long sentences unless he has a script in front of him.

This challenge from the country's head gun nut consists of an eight-minute propaganda video designed to showcase his arrogance and ignorance of the issues, while completely ignoring the facts. LaPierre is the epitome of the village idiot who stumbles through life as an...idiot. Read the article and watch the video--if your stomach can handle it--here.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings




Although the corporate media doesn't discuss it too often, the facts are quite clear. In the presidential election of 1996, half of all eligible voters cast their ballots. Two years earlier, when the Gingrich-dominated Congress was elected, only 38% of Americans voted. This compares with over 70 percent participation in most other major industrialized countries.

Sanders cuts Clinton So. Carolina lead 17% in 30 days




Hillary Clinton is leading Bernie Sanders 47% to 28% but Bernie's surge is significant in that Clinton led 67% to 31% last December 17, which totaled 36 points at the time. Phil Noble, President of the So. Carolina New Democrats says the Clinton lead still worthy but Sanders is "closing fast." The Democratic SC Primary is February 27. Here are some more figures from Phil Noble:
Among key subgroups, the results of the poll were as follows:
African Americans voters are expected to make up 60% of the primary electorate: Clinton 54%, Sanders 18% and O'Malley 2%.
White voters are expected to make up 40% of the primary electorate: Clinton 39%, Sanders 44%, and O'Malley 2%.
Men voters are expected to make up 40% of the primary electorate: Clinton 37%, Sanders 44% and O'Malley 3%.Women voters are expected to make up 60% of the primary electorate: Clinton 48%, Sanders 32% and O'Malley 2%.
"We believe this poll gives a good snapshot of the state of the race in South Carolina today," said John Thevos, Research Director of SC New Democrats who managed the survey. "Most of all, it shows that things can change very quickly in the Palmetto State and the primary on February 27 could well surprise lots of folks."
A couple of months ago So. Carolina was all gloom and doom for Bernie Sanders since it was assumed that Hillary Clinton had locked up the African American vote. Now it is obvious that the state as a whole is rethinking its loyalties. It is simply a matter of recognition of the candidate and his issues and it is obvious that once folks learn what the Bern is all about they begin to feel it.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Bernie Sanders nailed Sunday's debate




If you watched last nights Democratic debate you should be even more convinced that Bernie Sanders should and will be our next President. All the immaterial Republican candidates aside, this was a battle between three extremely well-qualified individuals that want to go to the White House in 2017. I say three because Martin O'Malley is now a shining star for the 2014 campaign, proving why he has remained in the 2016 race.

But the night was Bernie's and he made good use of it to point out the differences between his campaign and that of Hillary Clinton. It's all about change, which, by the way, is what put Barack Obama in the oval office in 2009. Bernie Sander's Revolution is catching on and Clinton can't cope with the fact that the American public sees a future in Bernie's Independent approach. Yes, he is truly the Independent the country has been waiting for that will set the two-party system on its heels.

As you will see in tomorrow's post, the Bern has already made great strides in So. Carolina but Sunday's debate should improve this even more.

Bernie Sanders Sayings




Why don't the great majority of Americans elect a government that will look out for their interests and fight for a fairer distribution of wealth? We can only answer that question if we look the unpleasant truth straight in the eye. And the truth is that the fabric of American democracy is currently extremely fragile, and that the U.S. government as currently constituted does not represent the interests of the ordinary citizens.

Bernie Sanders has surged in national polls in six months




The Huff Post has combined a number of national polls starting in January of 2015 through this January, showing the phenomenal growth of Bernie Sanders' campaign. As an unknown, he polled a low 4% on January 12, 2015, Hillary Clinton 60.8% and Martin O'malley .09%. Today, Sanders is 37.5%, Clinton 51.6% and O'Malley 2.7%.

Since Clinton has lost 9.2 points, O'Malley has gained only 2.6, that would indicate to me most of the 33.5 additional points Bernie Sanders has added are from formerly undecided voters. The interactive Huff Post also shows just under a twenty-percent increase for Bernie in just one month; Dec. 2015 31.4%, Jan. 2016 37.5%. In that same period Hillary lost 4.1 points. If you believe in polls, and keep in mind this is a collection of several, this is significant.

The Iowa Caucus is February 1, New Hampshire Primary following on the 9th. And then there are the Nevada Caucus and South Carolina Primary on February 20. It has been said that, even if Bernie Sanders wins Iowa and New Hampshire, and he is ahead in both, he will fade in Nevada and South Carolina and beyond. I say that is no longer true, based on the fact that his national recognition has grown by at least 20% since starting his campaign, and the last month continued to confirm that this will continue and play heavily in all future primaries.

South Carolina is already showing promise for Bernie Sanders but Nevada is uncertain at this point. More on this tomorrow.


Sunday, January 17, 2016

Bernie Sanders too old?...Nah




Guess how old Ronald Reagan was when he was elected to office: he was 69. Bernie Sanders is just 74, five years older, and in good health, but it is reported that the Clinton campaign plans to attack Bernie on his age, perhaps even in the debate tonight. If this happens, it will be one of the low blows of the campaign, and hopefully Bernie will respond with his usual emphasis on the issues, showing Hillary's desperation in losing ground.

And then there are all the skeletons in Clinton's closet like Benghazi and the Emails that the Bern has elected not to pursue. Bernie Sanders has stayed on issue during this campaign just as he has in the 34 years he has been in political office. Hillary Clinton has flip-flopped on same sex marriage, gun control, the Iraq War and drivers licenses for illegal immigrants.

Okay, it's four to one; Bernie just flip flopped on his support for a bill that gave legal immunity to gun manufactures, now promising to back one that strips them of this immunity. But any way you cut it, there is more consistency in Bernie Sanders than Hillary Clinton. And you can depend on this consistency in his Presidency because he has no obligations to big donors, big business and those represented by Clinton's PACs.

By the way, Hillary Clinton is 68 years old.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings




By slashing special breaks for corporations, we could help working families immensely--and ordinary Americans would not have to pay a cent more in taxes.

Bernie Sanders considered significantly more honest than Hillary Clinton



Why enforcing current gun laws hasn't worked




Members of Congress, including some Democrats, answer new gun control legislation with, 'Just enforce the current gun laws.' During Barack Obama's town hall on guns broadcast on CNN last Thursday, he at least partially answered the question. These same members of Congress "...then cut (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) budgets to make it impossible to enforce the law," he said.

An example is my post yesterday connecting new Speaker, Paul Ryan, to "voodoo economics" in his 2014 budget, designed to cut taxes to the bone, eliminating needed programs like those above. Another vivid illustration is the GOP action, initiated and backed by the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) some years ago that refuses to allow the CDC to release figures on gun violence. These valuable statistics would allow the government to prioritize gun laws.

And then while Obama was actually speaking at the CNN town hall on guns, the NRA boneheads, who didn't attend the town hall, tweeted to the President, "If the goal is to save lives, then prosecute criminals." Wayne LaPierre, NRA head, just keeps putting out the same old shit.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

THE NATION Magazine endorses Bernie Sanders




If you haven't read The Nation and you are a Progressive, you should. If you are a conservative, you should read The Nation just to find out how ridiculous your ideologies are. It is the top Progressive publication on the market and I have followed this publication for the last few years; it has strengthened my Progressive position more with each article read. Today, it endorsed Bernie Sanders.

This endorsement confirms with no doubt who the Progressive candidate is in the Democratic primary, placing Bernie Sanders in the position of being the people's candidate. If you're not sure what that means, it indicates the only one running for President who wants to put the middle class and the disadvantaged before the wealthy and big corporations.

It is an endorsement that Bernie can take to the bank. The Nation has endorsed Democratic candidates only twice. Jesse Jackson in 1988 and Barack Obama in 2008.




















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Bernie Sanders Sayings




We can also reverse the inequitable distribution of wealth by closing loopholes in corporate taxes. If we eliminated tax breaks for corporations, corporate subsidies, and other forms of corporate welfare, we could save $125 billion a year. Those savings could be applied to healthcare, education, social services--and to balancing the budget. 

Paul Ryan ups John Boehner on untruths




MSNBC says the Beltway "considers Paul Ryan some kind of numbers-wiz policy wonk," even though his 2014 budget that passed the House was considered "voodoo economics." But Steve Benen says, :...his answer yesterday was a reminder that the Wisconsin congressman really doesn’t know what he’s talking about." Benen refers to Ryan's attempt to explain the success of the Obama-era economy.

It's almost like the new Speaker lives in a dream world of his own and, unfortunately,  he is only two heart beats away from the Presidency. Here's Ryan's "gibberish," as Benen refers to it:
1. Paul Ryan opposes the Fed’s recent monetary policies.
2. Paul Ryan believes the Fed’s recent monetary policies are bad for the economy.
3. Asked about positive economic developments, Paul Ryan credits the policies he doesn’t support.
Paul Ryan is obsessed with rewarding the wealthy at the expense of the working class and the needy. Bernie Sanders will remedy that when his Presidency sweeps out the House GOP majority and replaces it with Progressives.  

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings




It is also time, high time, to establish a tax on wealth similar to those that exist in most European countries. Simply stated, a wealth tax would require the very wealthiest Americans, people worth millions of dollars, to pay taxes on their accumulated wealth, rather than enabling them to get ever richer without giving anything back to the society that makes their wealth possible. A tax on wealth could raise tens of billions of dollars a year.

Close connections between President's SOTU speech and Bernie Sanders campaign




Barack Obama closed the last year of his Presidency with an excellent SOTU speech that reverberated through all the accomplishments of his seven years and the conflict that he has experienced with the GOP Congress in opposing almost everything he has proposed. No hostility, just hard facts that should put Republicans on notice that this will probably gain momentum with the new Democratic President in January 2017.

He did not identify who the next President will be but he indicated the United States is now on a course of Progressivism, one that is supported by the American public, and one that must be advanced in the future. Obama also touched on some topics he felt were priorities for this country that have been championed by Bernie Sanders for the last 30 years and are major thrusts of his campaign for President.

The income and wealth inequality, something Joe Biden praised him for saying this was new territory for Hillary Clinton. Getting big money out of politics. Establishing a living wage, increasing the minimum to $15.00 per hour. Creating decent paying jobs. Strengthening and expanding Social Security, to name only a few. Clinton has picked up on many of these issues, attempting to make them her ideas. But the voting public is beginning to get wise, as they become more familiar with the Senator from Vermont.

President Obama has said he won't endorse one of the Democratic candidates. After tonight's SOTU, it won't be necessary.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Sanders takes lead in Iowa and thunders to new high in New Hampshire


A new Quinnipiac University poll out today places Bernie Sanders with 49% of likely Iowa Democratic Caucus voters with Clinton at 44%, a five point lead. Just recently Clinton led Sanders by three points.  The men are 61 to 30 percent for Bernie, the women 55 to 39 percent for Hillary. And Sanders favorability with this same group is 87-3 compared to Clinton's 74-21. Hillary Clinton does lead Bernie Sanders when it comes to who would win in the general election, 85% to 68%.

In the New Hampshire Primary, Bernie has taken a significant lead of 14-points over Hillary, 53% to 39% in todays Monmouth University poll. With 52% of New Hampshire primary voters completely decided on who they will support, in addition to the 53% currently supporting Sanders, "... another 20% of primary voters say they could end up voting for him on February 9th instead of their current choice.

For the General Election in November, Bernie Sanders against the GOP leading candidate, Donald Trump, 51 percent to 38 percent, but Hillary Clinton only 44 to 47 percent, both Quinnipiac polls.

Now, onward to South Carolina.

Bernie Sanders Sayings


That {a flat tax}is precisely the wrong direction to take. We need to reaffirm the just principle that those who benefit the most economically from our society should pay the most to sustain it.

Gun Control could be Bernie Sanders weak link in long haul




Hillary Clinton hammered Bernie Sanders on gun control by pointing out his votes to grant immunity to gun makers from lawsuits when their products are used in crimes, and for voting against the Brady Bill five times. Clinton says Sanders shows no signs of changing his positions on these issues and that does not correspond with the wishes of the American public which is veering more in the favor of reasonable gun control.
I have been critical of Bernie's failure to come out strong for gun control from the beginning and believe it hurts him now more while the realization is finally hitting the U.S. that too many guns are responsible for the daily shootings and mass killings in this country. I really cannot see how someone can be a true Progressive and not realize how much negative impact guns have on the total population. The 2nd Amendment be damned, America needs to rein in the gun culture now.

In last Thursday's CNN Town Hall on gun control, Barack Obama came out moderately for more action on guns, with much less force than I had expected and hoped for. Again, I have felt that the President has also been much to soft on this issue, and this has been another let down for me. Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs told Politico,  Sanders was “willing to take another look at the gun manufacturer immunity legislation.” Not good enough for me and, I am sure, many gun-violence-fed-up Americans.

I am for Bernie Sanders to the end, which I envision to be the day that he and Jane walk into the White House after he is elected President. But in the meantime, too many innocent people, including children, are dying from gun violence and I believe that all that are involved in this fiasco know what has to be done. So why don't we do it.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings


They {the wealthy} and many of their conservative mouthpieces are even trying to sell the nation on a flat tax, allowing a billionaire to pay the same rate as a mother of two earning $5.50 an hour in her service-sector job.

Obamacare survives with President's veto




Over 50 times now the dunce cap kids have tried to repeal The Affordable Care Act that has more people covered for their health care needs now than ever before. Okay, I hear the naysayers, and yes there are still problems that have to be fixed but what if they had given up on Social Security and Medicare during their trying times? In the MSNBC article, one reader posed this question:
"I know that republicans will do whatever the NRA wants because of the millions of dollars that they receive in bribes. What I'm not sure about is why they are so stuck on continually trying to abolish or not fund Obamacare? Who has bribed them on this one?"
 That's an interesting question and raises another equally absorbing query; just who has the GOP's gonads on this one. One would need only to look at the health care industry and health professionals. The GOP and conservative groups receive far more in donations than Democrats and Progressive organizations. Which would indicate to me that if you are a Republican politician, you're in it for the money. Sure, the Dems do it but the scales are weighed heavily toward the GOP when it comes to taking money for favors.

Of course there is still that factor of animosity toward Barack Obama and anything he has or is trying to accomplish in his presidency. This will perhaps go down in U.S. history as the most egregious act ever perpetrated by a Republican Congress.  

Friday, January 8, 2016

President Obama drops gun control fact bomb on CNN Town Hall




After the President determined that Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Assn. was too much of a coward to debate him at the CNN Town Hall on guns, he made the following compelling statement:
“…there’s no other consumer item that we purchase…There’s nothing else in our lives that we purchase that we don’t try to make a little safer if we can. Obama on guns."
But we don't do this with gun, despite the ease in doing so, because LaPierre and his NRA henchmen have Congress by the balls. Pathetic.

Bernie Sanders Sayings




There is no reason that those who earn over $200,000 a year should not pay a significantly larger percentage of their income in taxes than they currently do. Of course, the greed of the wealthy knows no bounds. 

Gun manufacturers depend on gun nuts with double-digit IQs




I should have made a parody out of this piece since it is so farcical. But just visualize this scenario. President Barack Obama opens his mouth about some reasonable gun control and thousands of gun nuts go rushing to their nearest weapons supply store and stock up on handguns and assault rifles. No matter that all these short supply brainiacs already have an arsenal of each, bought the last time President Barack Obama opened his mouth about reasonable gun control.

It's the NRA plan, led by Wayne LaPierre, and the gun manufacturers pay him well to pump up these stooges to do their bidding. And it has worked. There has been another rally in gun stocks because the stock market knows their coffers will swell significantly when LaPierre's puppets hit the streets and storm the gun stores.

It's like the little old lady who gives her last $2 to charity; some of these gun addicts probably have trouble putting food on the table but will still purchase an AR-15. This has gotten so pathetic that some of these people should probably be committed. But that won't happen and gun manufacturers will go on selling more guns, some of which will end up on the street and take part in future daily killings and mass shootings. 

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Bernie Sander Sayings




We need to establish a more progressive income tax. The more you earn, the more you pay. Not only is that a fair principle, but greater progressivity would lessen the inequities in income that currently afflict us.

Obamacare beats sign-up expectations but GOP Congress wants to repeal




More than 8 million people signed up for coverage via the federal HealthCare.gov health insurance exchange marketplace as of Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on MSNBC. She added, "Today, we have more sign-ups, more new enrollees and a younger population than we did last year.” Didn't Pres. Obama caution that we must give the healthcare act time and the young people would begin to participate?

Our new esteemed House Speaker, Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), was quoted at the same time on "Meet the Press," "It’s a law {ACA} that is not working.” So much for improving the new Speaker's intelligence over Boehner and working across the aisle.

If that wasn't enough, yesterday "The House voted almost entirely along party-lines, 240 to 181, to repeal the Affordable Care Act and defund Planned Parenthood." Obama has already said he was going to veto any of this Republican bullshit, which makes it perfectly clear to me what a mockery the GOP is and has been making of the Congress in pursuing their stupid ideology. It's a proven fact that the more the public knows about the ACA, the more they approve of it. 

It is also obvious that much of the original and ongoing disapproval of ACA is due to Republican negative advertising and promotion since its inception in 2010, much of which was and continues to be totally untrue. It's all a matter of whether or not we want to provide coverage for every citizen of the U.S., some who can't afford it, like many of the industrialized countries in the world. Or do we continue to let the covetous, greedy Republican population keep America in the dark ages? 

It's pretty much your decision when you go to the polls in November. 

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Bernie Sanders Sayings


At a time when this country is seeing a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires, the rich must start paying their fair share of taxes.

Another example media ignores Bernie Sanders


These are Bernie Sanders donors
On January 1, MSNBC reported that Hillary Clinton had raised $37 million in the 4th quarter of 2015, bringing her total for the year to $112 million. The piece even said that 60% of her 2015 donors were women. Bernie Sanders raised $33 million in the same period, but I had to go to the International Business Times to find that out. Bernie ended the year with a total of $73 million but there is one distinct difference between the two races.
Clinton raises much of her money from PACs and corporate donations whereas Sanders' money all comes from individual donors and that translates into votes, as compared to Hillary's block contributors. 
From the beginning, the media has ignored this candidate with an arrogance that says, 'We will decide who is going to be the next President.' 538"s Nate Silver said Donald Trump received 4 times the media coverage of what Bernie Sanders received. In Sanders first campaign rally he drew 5,000 and the Washington Post completely ignored the rally.

And as far as the national and primary polls are concerned, Clinton's popularity is partially the product of her coverage. In a September Media Matters article, MM reports that Clinton received 82 minutes of network news time, second only to Donald Trump, where Bernie Sanders received a measly 8 minutes. Think of that. When you compare this exposure with how TV ads are often the reason a candidate wins his or her race, it's easy to see why Hillary Clinton is ahead in the polls.

And that should make Bernie Sanders supporters mad as hell.



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