Bernie's mystery Soviet tapes revealed (by Politico)

[Skya Rhen]

Over the course of 10 days, Sanders, who was then the mayor of Burlington, and his dozen-member delegation traveled to three cities: Moscow, Yaroslavl and Leningrad, now known as St. Petersburg.

Their goal was to establish a “sister city” relationship with Yaroslavl, a community along the Volga River home to about 500,000 people. At the time, the Soviet Union was beginning to open itself to the world, if only slightly — and Sanders was a self-described socialist with an unusually large interest in foreign affairs for a mayor.



https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/17/bernie-sanders-mystery-soviet-video-revealed-1330347

[NurseJackie]

1. Wow!

It will take me a little while to process that.

[SMC22307]

2. It's hilarious that folks are trying to portray this as something nefarious.

Seriously, fucking hilarious.

[Mr.Bill]

4. I agree.

It seems we want our prospective president to have experience in foreign policy, just as long as they have never set foot in Russia. We went through the same thing with Bill Clinton.

[SMC22307]

9. Exactly. One of my favorite classes in high school was...

Soviet Area Studies. I would have gone in a heartbeat! I applaud Bernie and the Burlington delegation for pursuing a sister city relationship... would have been fascinating.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

10. Yes, I remember that. It's gotta be a problem if it involves Bernie... that's just how it is.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

8. Beyond hilarious... more like divisive.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[SMC22307]

15. Sounds like a line of attack that would be coming from Republicans...

not our side. Ooga-booga -- commies!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

23. You'd think those promoting such divisive attacks would realize that only helps tRumpty Dumbty.

We need to stay united if we want to ensure defeating that bastard!!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[pnwmom]

19. You don't think it would be an issue in the general? With all the concern people have about Russia?

[SMC22307]

21. Americans don't seem to care that Russia stole the election.

Why would they care if Bernie wore a towel at a spa and drank vodka in pursuit of a sister-city relationship? Although Republicans are masters at twisting the truth and attacking, so they'll be able to use it. But they'll be able to find something to use with any Democratic candidate...

[pnwmom]

33. We'd be throwing it away as an issue if we put up a candidate who seemed to have close ties. n/t

[SMC22307]

37. It's not an issue. The "average American" doesn't seem to care.

Trump, McConnell, et al. have close ties. GOPers wear "I'd rather be Russian than a Democrat" to rallies. When Republicans need all things Russia to attack Democrats, however, they'll be successful at manipulating those same unwashed masses to suddenly think Russia is "bad." They're simplistic, but effective.

[Kurt V.]

3. it will always be Leningrad to me :)

[crazytown]

38. 'We will always have Leningrad"

[Kurt V.]

39. .

[billpolonsky]

5. Good Lord

"Throughout the videos, as well as in the final episode of “Bernie Speaks With the Community,” Sanders speaks at length about his dream of reducing conflict between the two nations by building relationships between ordinary citizens. While being interviewed by a Russian man on a bus, he says he would “love” for young people to participate in exchange programs between the two cities."


Certainly the devils work....

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

11. IKR!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Autumn]

13. Damn him! I can no longer support him

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

25. Yup, yup... that's the last straw for me!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Autumn]

26. Gonna have to switch to Biden now

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

32. LMFAO!! Let's not go crazy now!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. Did you hear!?!? They sang This land is Your Land!1!1

[SMC22307]

18. And drank vodka while wearing towels at a spa.

Egads!

[Autumn]

29. OH GOD NO! Please tell me they didn't do that. He gave a Russian woman a small American flag!

[Uncle Joe]

36. Game over!

[SMC22307]

17. "...reducing conflict between the two nations by building relationships between ordinary citizens."

The horror!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

30. The horror is right!! Bernie needs to be investigated... pronto!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[nolabear]

6. Yeah fine.

[Nanjeanne]

7. Oh that's wonderful. I understand the project is still going on. Love this!

[Uncle Joe]

12. This is actually a pretty good read.

Thanks for the thread Skya Rhen.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

31. Thought the same thing.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[stonecutter357]

16. WOW !

[Gothmog]

20. There is a ton of material for oppo researchers in these tapes

Link to tweet

Sanders’ opponents, though, will likely find much in the tapes to call outlandish. And in a campaign season in which Democrats are concerned about nothing more than defeating President Donald Trump, there’s plenty of material that Democratic voters might worry the Republican Party could spin into a 30-second negative ad.

[Lucky Luciano]

22. The horror!

[Gothmog]

24. The GOP has large oppo file and would use this and other material if sanders was nominee

Trump had a two foot thick book of oppo research on Sanders http://www.newsweek.com/myths-cost-democrats-presidential-election-521044

They ignored the fact that Sanders had not yet faced a real campaign against him. Clinton was in the delicate position of dealing with a large portion of voters who treated Sanders more like the Messiah than just another candidate. She was playing the long game—attacking Sanders strongly enough to win, but gently enough to avoid alienating his supporters. Given her overwhelming support from communities of color—for example, about 70 percent of African-American voters cast their ballot for her—Clinton had a firewall that would be difficult for Sanders to breach....

So what would have happened when Sanders hit a real opponent, someone who did not care about alienating the young college voters in his base? I have seen the opposition book assembled by Republicans for Sanders, and it was brutal. The Republicans would have torn him apart. And while Sanders supporters might delude themselves into believing that they could have defended him against all of this, there is a name for politicians who play defense all the time: losers....

The Republicans had at least four other damning Sanders videos (I don’t know what they showed), and the opposition research folder was almost 2-feet thick. (The section calling him a communist with connections to Castro alone would have cost him Florida.) In other words, the belief that Sanders would have walked into the White House based on polls taken before anyone really attacked him is a delusion built on a scaffolding of political ignorance.

I am so glad that sanders is being vetted this cycle and will not be the nominee

[left-of-center2012]

27. to establish a "sister city" relationship

[JoeOtterbein]

28. Thanks for posting my daughter's article. It always cool to see one on DU first, so I'll just add:

Bernie's mystery Soviet tapes revealed
Unseen by the public for three decades, a POLITICO reporter views hours of footage from his 1988 'honeymoon' to the USSR.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN 05/17/2019 02:01 PM EDT

[Politicub]

34. I like that Bernie resisted the Reagan crap.

Going against Reagan is a net positive.

It's too bad that people are trying to make this into a terrible, awful, not-very-good thing.

I get that some tender feelings may be hurt with a GOP attack ad. The GOP is going to make outlandish attack ads no matter who our candidate is.

[democrank]

35. Putin must be really pleased about this one.

Sister Cities? They’re actually a good idea. So good that there are many of them in the U.S.A.