Bernie Sanders Ties Hillary Clinton to Poverty Caused by Welfare Reform

[nashville_brook]

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/24/bernie-sanders-ties-hillary-clinton-to-poverty-caused-by-welfare-reform/?_r=0

Bernie Sanders Ties Hillary Clinton to Poverty Caused by Welfare Reform

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont began his day of campaigning Wednesday by criticizing Hillary Clinton’s support of welfare reform in 1996, accusing her of backing legislation that ultimately increased poverty levels and led more Americans to face economic anxiety.

(snip)

“What welfare reform did, in my view, was to go after some of the weakest and most vulnerable people in this country,” Mr. Sanders said. “And, during that period. I spoke out against so-called welfare reform because I thought it was scapegoating people who were helpless, people who were very, very vulnerable. Secretary Clinton at that time had a very different position on welfare reform — strongly supported it and worked hard to round up votes for its passage.”

Mr. Sanders said that since the legislation was signed into law, the number of families living in extreme poverty has more than doubled. He said that if elected, he would work to reverse that trend.

“What we are going to do in this country if I have anything to say about it is to say if somebody works 40 hours a week, that person is not going to live in poverty,” Mr. Sanders said, adding that he would raise the federal minimum wage to $15. “Today the minimum wage of $7.25 is nothing less than a starvation wage.”

(snip)

[grasswire]

1. YES!!!!!

That thread this morning about Kasich and the Clintons collaborating on Welfare Reform is the background for this.

[nashville_brook]

2. the dogwhistle has always been: "those lazy minorities"

that's why crustaceans like Kasich will team-up with Clinton on this.

[grasswire]

4. I'm happy that he is working to hold her accountable.

Most South Carolinians likely had no memory of that debacle.

[nashville_brook]

6. he's getting down to business and it's a beautiful thing to see.

truth to power.

[grasswire]

7. he will be accused of beating up on her

She hates it when her own words indict her.

[CorporatistNation]

32. A'Whistle" That Is "Tuned" To Be "Selectively Heard And Understood."

Bernie is SOLID!

[jillan]

3. Good! Too bad the networks didn't show this speech, they were too busy talking about Trump.

[nashville_brook]

5. and if Trump wins the script will be "oh you terrible Sanders supporters"

didn't GOTV. when in reality all the cards have been stacked for Trump and Clinton.

[PonyUp]

8. Bernie is starting to fight back. His numbers will only go up. n/t

[nashville_brook]

11. and Brock will squeal ever so loudly.

so. much. fun.

[closeupready]

18. He knows well how to campaign - while we, his supporters, get impatient,

his timing turns out to be perfect.

[yourpaljoey]

30. Agreed.

[CharlotteVale]

9. K&R

[AzDar]

10. Truth bomb... Incoming!!

[libtodeath]

12. Tell it like it is Bernie!

[Cobalt Violet]

13. It's so true.

Horrible thing. Those were bad times. Don't want to go through them again. GO AWAY CLINTON!

[nashville_brook]

15. we're still dealing with the fallout. every homeless family -- that's fallout.

child poverty skyrocketing...it's just unconscionable.

[livetohike]

14. Hillary was not an elected official in 1996. He's quite

desperate now.

[tk2kewl]

16. as if she didn't push her husband's Welfare Reform Act

and not just in the 90s

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511327987

[tk2kewl]

17. quote from the book of Hillary...

In her 2003 book, Hillary Clinton wrote that:

“It was a critical first step to reforming our nation’s welfare system. I agreed that he should sign it and worked hard to round up votes for its passage — though he and the legislation were roundly criticized by some liberals, advocacy groups for immigrants and most people who worked with the welfare system.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1280125452

[nashville_brook]

23. she whipped votes and owns that. so sorry!

next!

[shenmue]

25. He can't lie, Bernie=Jesus

Somebody said it on DU, therefore it's true.

[99th_Monkey]

19. I've been waiting for this. I hope it's not too late.

Bernie's been so soft & forgiving for so long, regarding Hillary's abysmal record
re: PoC that it's been infuriating at times; now he's telling the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth about her & Bill's record.

I say it's about time.

[Jitter65]

20. You mean the law that Bernie voted FOR??? nt

[TTUBatfan2008]

21. Sanders voted against Welfare Reform

I think you're confusing it with the crime bill.

[nashville_brook]

22. nice try. NEXT!

[beam me up scottie]

38. What? Do you care to cite proof of that?

[Orsino]

24. An important contrast.

Go-along-to-get-along versus fuck-no.

[shenmue]

27. Not really.

Thanks for playing!

[nashville_brook]

28. they will be judged by their works.

judging.

[Orsino]

40. Really.

This is the planet where those things happened.

Clinton can't tout her experience without owning her actions. Or failures to act.

[WillyT]

26. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[oasis]

29. I hope he does try to trot out that lame attack in the next debate.

Hillary will clean his clock.

[mountain grammy]

31. So many people hurt by this

including one of Bill's biggest fans..

Heartbreaking story:

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/tragic-end-woman-bill-clinton-exploited-poster-child-gutting-welfare

[TIME TO PANIC]

33. K & R!

[zentrum]

34. Yes, it's about time

..he did this. Have been waiting for this. Not as a negative attack but as a real piece of connecting the dots. It's education.

He needs to do the same with the Prison Reform thing. He needs to point out more what NAFTA did to working people.

It's alway been nonsensical to me that AA's support the Clintons, with this history of harmful impact on the Black family.

[Not a Fan]

35. Welfare reform ....

... was one of the most damaging things that BILL CLINTON did to this country - and we have to find our way back. That HAS to be undone.

Blaming Hillary because she supported her husband at a time when he was in the political fight of his life for his presidency?

I'm not going to blame her for that.

She had been muzzled from expressing her own opinions after her plan for Single Payer Health Care failed and then Democrats lost the congress. Bill's advisers told her to stop having independent positions on political matters.

Do you imagine Michelle agrees with everything Barack does? No - and you'll never know if she doesn't.

HRC wasn't an independent agent and could not act on any theoretical support.

What she thought DID NOT MATTER from a policy perspective.

I don't really blame Bernie for using it though. I do understand that he's quite desperate - struggling for a way to gain the support of African Americans - which is exactly what this is.

[nashville_brook]

36. she was quite desperate to get back in the game and whipped votes -- nice try.

not a matter of what she "thought" -- it's a matter of what policy she was marketing.

[winter is coming]

37. +1,000,000.

Just like her IWR isn't just the actual vote, but the speech she gave supporting it.

[Orsino]

39. That's go-along-to-get-along for you.

I not only blame her, I'd say she owns a piece of it until she repudiate so-called Welfare Reform and her support for it.

Forever, unless she has a good story for why she might be against it so long after she was for it.

[DirkGently]

41. +++* KNR for truth. n/t

[PonyUp]

42. kick! nt