CNN: Bernie Sanders Goes After Joe Biden's Voting Record

[TomCADem]

Bernie does what he does best. Go after Democrats. He is so good at it that Trump models his attacks after Bernie. It is a good thing that Bernie refuses to engage in negative campaigning. Also, stop bringing up Bernie’s pro-gun, pro-Russia, and anti-immigration votes. Bernie has seen the light. Let’s deal with the future, not the past.

[murielm99]

1. He goes after Democrats

yet he wants to be the Democratic nominee?

bizarre

[Mr Tibbs]

21. It's an election

This is what happens in elections. They compete.

[John Fante]

28. Good teammates don't shred each other to bits

over who gets to be team captain. They save that fire for the opposing team!

[Uncle Joe]

35. Since when is focusing on the issues, policies or voting records considered shredding?

“I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.”

― Harry S. Truman

[Cha]

60. We need to talk about the truth of BS'

voting record.. we'll see if he thinks that's "hell".

[ehrnst]

68. +1000. (nt)

[TheFarseer]

72. Would be interested

To know exactly what votes you find troubling

[murielm99]

31. He signed a pledge not to do that.

His bros were all puffed up with pride that he was the first to sign. I guess he was the first to break his word, too.

[Uncle Joe]

36. Bernie signed a pledge to support the Democratic Nominee,

to my knowledge the first debate hasn't even occurred much less the first caucus or primary.

[Cha]

55. Yes.. we need Vetting on

BS' voting record, too.

[at140]

29. Bernie is running in primary right?

Who else should Bernie go after during primaries if not his competition?

[Cha]

45. Looks like BS is getting "nervous" like he accuses Dems

of being.

Link to tweet

[murielm99]

48. With their canapes....

as opposed to lobster sliders?

[Cha]

49. Yeah, so far canapes are the only

appetizer that's in trouble!

Lol

[Hortensis]

65. A classic "rubber" hypocrisy in not just him but others has allowed him

to get away for decades with calling himself independent and attacking Democrats constantly even while he's voted 96% of the time as a +1 to the Democratic caucus. And much of the 4% is the tending of his donors he calls corruption in everyone but him. He's been as inseparable in voting behavior as he identifies himself entirely different verbally.

After going on 4 years of this, I see two Senator Bernie Sanders: One has been voting as a +1 to the legislation of his despised "corrupt" Democratic colleagues for his entire career, plus voting to tend his donors. In this way he has been able to keep his extremely elite privileged job in spite of lack of any distinguishing achievements.

The other, the I-Sanders, is a wannabe socialist revolutionary who seems to honestly despise what his +1 self is while pretending he doesn't exist. Or maybe it's not pretense. I've seriously wondered for some time now what he sees when he looks at himself, or if he does.

In any case, "I'm rubber, you're glue" has long been Sanders' strategy for going after Democrats. And it's past time he's seen for what he is, both of him.

[Nuggets]

70. Tired of the Bernies too.

Tired of the Sanders pushed the party left shtick when all he actually offers is a lip-service-left version of what the Democratic Party has already been supporting.

He's has never seemed genuinely interested in getting realistic bills passed so much as he lives to claim the Democratic Party’s platform for himself and to stir up animosity among Democrats with his unearned sense of moral superiority over Democrats.
One doesn’t get to both take credit for the work Dems have done for the avg person over the years , voting with them 96% of the time and then pretend they are better because Democrats are the “establishment” and other members of the party are “elitists.”
It’s dishonest campaigning and it’s as narcissistic as it gets.

[BlueFlorida]

2. He looks angry and out of control nt

[NYMinute]

3. Yep .. all that anger at Democrats

Anger doesn't sell well -- especially against a good guy like Biden.

[NurseJackie]

4. You took the words right out of my mouth.

Personally, I'm looking for a candidate who has the temperament and demeanor to be the leader of the free world.

[helpisontheway]

5. Awww...Bernie is getting scared now..An actual Democrat might win the nomination! 😮nt

[DownriverDem]

18. Sure hope so

I only support true Dems.

[Apple Fritter]

50. "True Dems?"

Yes unfiltered pure blue Dem straight from the Glaciers of Democracy.

[George II]

6. I'm getting tired of this. I didn't think this stuff would begin until...

...at least the end of the year or later.

I thought he said weeks ago that this would be a respectful campaign based on issues, not attacks. That didn't last long.

What he doesn't realize, or maybe he does, is that every time he makes an appearance like this he loses more votes than he gains. He also risks losing DEMOCRATIC support by delegates at next year's convention should it go beyond one ballot. Plus, we need to remember that there still are (rightfully) superdelegates who will participate in choosing the nominee after the first ballot. Most of them are lifetime (some can call them "establishment", I don't care) Democrats who, when faced with the positions and attitudes of the candidates will look elsewhere when it comes time for them to back a candidate.

[BlueStater]

7. I watched some of the video and it looks like he's contrasting his record with Biden's.

I don't even really like Sanders, but what's wrong with that?

[Uncle Joe]

37. Nothing. n/t

[Mariana]

56. Because it's Bernie.

It's wrong when Bernie does it, you see.

[jalan48]

8. Is there something wrong with Biden's voting record? Isn't this what candidates do in the primary?

[BlueStater]

10. Yep.

How exactly are you supposed to argue you're better than another candidate without discussing the negative aspects of them? I'd really like to know.

[honest.abe]

11. I think its preferable to say my approach is better or my vote was more correct..

rather that saying the other candidate was wrong. We dont want to throw negativity on any of our candidates especially the one who is likely to be our nominee. No repeat of 2016 please.

[DownriverDem]

17. Going negative

means you are losing.

[jalan48]

20. Talking about voting records is going negative?

[MrsCoffee]

25. The way Bernie does it.

Of course that's how Bernie does everything.

Scorched earth.

[jalan48]

32. Sounds more like some folks have control issues to me.

[LanternWaste]

67. Talking about canaps and other menu items isn't really part of a record, it's simply melodrama...

Negative melodrama.

[melman]

22. Yes

[George II]

23. Joe Biden was in the Senate for 36 years, he has a long voting record. Should not Sanders....

....concentrate on and explain his own voting record before criticizing Biden? Like:

Voted against Brady Bill several times
Voted against barring weapons from Amtrak
Voted against Russia sanctions more than once
Voted against the Magnitsky Act
Skipping the vote for sanctions on Deripaska (99 others voted)
Voted for the 1994 Crime Bill
Voted a number of times to FUND the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

etc.

No one has a perfect voting record, and people can pull out votes here and there to make a candidate look badly, and the longer one is in office the more votes they've participated in and are subject to "criticism".

[jalan48]

33. It's OK. This is what candidates do and Biden or any candidate is free to question Sander's record.

[George II]

39. No, it's generally not what candidates do, especially a little less than a year before....

....the first primary/caucus.

I haven't seen too many candidates (and there are many) doing this yet, but Sanders has done it more than once, and primarily toward Biden. Elizabeth Warren has done so about one vote of Biden's, but other than that I haven't seen any others (but there may have been), particularly on the scale that Sanders has in the last two days or so.

[jalan48]

41. Is there something about Biden's voting record that is a problem? Better to talk about it now and

not the general election if he is the candidate.

[melman]

43. That's called vetting

or so I'm told. It's a very popular thing...except when it's not.

[jalan48]

44. I've noticed some like vetting when it doesn't involve their candidate.

[Cha]

53. Sanders should worry less about catching Biden right now and more on falling behind Warren

Link to tweet

[Cha]

54. Is BS hoping no one will notice his "voting record"?

Link to tweet

Thank You, George

[Amimnoch]

9. Shocking...

Anyone BUT Bernie 2020.

[TCJ70]

12. Are voting records off limits now?

Comparing and contrasting isn't bad...and how these kinds of decisions are ultimately made.

[DownriverDem]

16. When a candidate goes negative

he/she is losing.

[TCJ70]

24. Is it negative to compare voting records? N/t

[George II]

47. There are two ways to compare voting records, positively and negatively.

[trueblue2007]

13. BS.... knock off "taking out the trash" on our Dem Candidates! He signed a pledge to play fair

He is back to his 2016 tricks that he waged against Hillary.

[LakeArenal]

14. This isn't working for Bernie....

Hasn’t he fallen to third in some polls?
I have seen Biden or some supporter respond to the criticism on Biden’s voting record, counter and show positive votes as well. Or context surrounding criticism.

It’s all good to me. Bernie continues to fight Dem candidates. If that’s the bed he wants to make, he can lay in it.

[DownriverDem]

15. I only support true Dems

We should not be eating our own.

[BlueMTexpat]

19. Bernie seems to be getting a bit

desperate.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. He very much is bound and determined to make CERTAIN no democrat EVER is in the WH again.

I have much more to say about him but soon it will all be clear to everybody.

[redstatebluegirl]

27. He always goes after Democrats. He doesn't see himself as one, and he isn't one.

The party allows him to run as a Democrat.

[roody]

52. You haven't been listening to him.

He sheds Trump every day.

[ehrnst]

73. Well, not always.

"Trump took on the Republican establishment, he took on the Democratic establishment, took on the media establishment and he ended up winning the election to become president of the United States. And that is an extraordinary accomplishment. And it talks about perseverance, it talks about very strong political instincts, it talks about a way to connect with people,” Sanders said.

If someone on DU talked that way about Trump, they would be trashed as a Right Wing troll.

Wouldn't you say?

[Celerity]

30. 11% Bernie is going to start lashing out like a cornered animal

Not a good look. Hopefully he drops out when he is crushed on Super Tuesday (and before). He has no path to the nomination.


Mon
Feb 3
Iowa caucuses
DEMOCRATIC: Closed

Tue
Feb 11
New Hampshire
DEMOCRATIC: Mixed

Sat
Feb 22
Nevada caucuses
DEMOCRATIC: Closed

Sat
Feb 29
South Carolina
DEMOCRATIC: Open

Tue
Mar 3
Alabama
DEMOCRATIC: Open

Arkansas
DEMOCRATIC: Open

California
DEMOCRATIC: Mixed

Democrats Abroad (to 3/10)
DEMOCRATIC: Closed

Massachusetts
DEMOCRATIC: Mixed

Minnesota
DEMOCRATIC: Open

North Carolina
DEMOCRATIC: Mixed

Oklahoma
DEMOCRATIC: Closed

Tennessee
DEMOCRATIC: Open

Texas
DEMOCRATIC: Open

Utah
DEMOCRATIC: Open

Vermont
DEMOCRATIC: Open

Virginia
DEMOCRATIC: Open

[George II]

42. I wish they were all closed. I want DEMOCRATS choosing our Democratic candidate.....

....no one else. By the way, yesterday or Monday I read that Colorado has dropped the caucus and will be holding their primary on Super Tuesday, too. It would not surprise me if we have a clear indication of who our nominee will be by the end of March 3.

[Cha]

58. YES.. Democrats Choosing our Democratic

candidate.. what a Concept!

Good ol Colorado! My homie state

[aikoaiko]

38. LOL. Those were gentle and meaningfully discussed points of divergence between Bernie and Joe

None of the candidates are doing anything differently.

[ecstatic]

40. Bernie, what about your record on the NRA & gun manufacturers?

You've given them a pass at every turn. But I guess that's OK because...you said so?

[Cha]

59. Yes! BS opened the door to talk

about his record on all those subjects.. including this.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Voted Against the Brady Bill 5 times.
Voted to have guns on Amtrak
Voted to have guns in national parks

Link to tweet

[Cha]

46. BS is getting "nervous" like he accuses Dems of being..

Link to tweet

[tumbler2]

51. BERNIE is Comparing Demonstrable RECORD vs RECORD. Informative and Substantive to Me ...

Bernie comes off as calm, rational, and true. I fail to see how comparing record against record is a bad thing. It is a necessary service to the public who cant and wont watch every candidate's road-trip stump speech. Heck, during the 2008 Primaries didnt some candidates admit it was difficult to differentiate amongst their values? Apparently not so difficult between these 2 candidates. Telling.

[ehrnst]

61. It sounds to me more like Sanders sees Biden as the biggest threat to him.

I note that Bernie didn't bring up his record on voting twice in 1998 for military intervention in Iraq which said: “It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime.”

Later that same year, Sanders also backed a resolution that stated: “Congress reaffirms that it should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime.”

Telling.

Link to tweet

It would be rather interesting if Biden was to bring that up in response.

[George II]

62. He can talk about his own record without bringing up others' records. Even in that video....

....he couldn't (or wouldn't) answer the question about whether he regretted voting for the 1994 crime bill.

[still_one]

66. When a campaign hires three people who voted for Jill Stein, and encouraged others to do likewise,

That tells me all I need to know about that campaign

[Cha]

57. "Sanders should worry less about catching Biden right now.."

and, his "voting record"..

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[themaguffin]

63. Bernie, the new Lieberman.

[George II]

64. The old Lieberman.

[NYMinute]

69. Lieberman was at least a Democrat until he lost the primary in CT

[BootinUp]

71. You switch gears very well, lol. Nt