SEN SANDERS TO OBAMA

[FourScore]

Blueprint for Dems
Where Do We Go From Here?
By Bernie Sanders

This article appeared in the February 1, 2010 edition of The Nation.
January 14, 2010

SNIP

...In my view, the Democrats--including the president--have absurdly continued to stumble along the path of "bipartisanship" at exactly the same time the Republicans have waged the most vigorous partisan and obstructionist strategy in recent history.

Instead of making it clear that the first two years of the Obama administration would be about digging the country out of the incredible mess that Bush's eight years left us in, (deep recession, financial collapse, record-breaking deficits, disintegrating healthcare system, two wars, lack of respect from the international community, neglect of the environment), Obama, incredibly, has enabled tens of millions of Americans to now believe that Bush's failures are his as well.

Unlike FDR in 1933, who consistently denounced Hoover's Republican policies as the cause of the country's perilous condition, Obama appears very reluctant to be partisan and point out to the American people the cause of our current crises. Can one imagine Obama, for example, telling the American people as Roosevelt did in 1936, "I welcome" the "hatred" of the "economic royalists" whose greed has devastated the country?

In response to Obama's genteel and bipartisan outreach, the Republicans have undertaken an unprecedented campaign of rhetorical savagery. The Right-Wing Echo Chamber of Fox News and talk-radio has implied that Obama is an "illegitimate" president not born in the United States, that he is a friend of terrorists, that he is an antiwhite racist, that he rules unconstitutionally and that his administration reeks of Chicago-style corruption. And those are the respectful attacks!

In the overwhelmingly Democratic Senate the situation has been equally dismal. There, the Senate Finance Committee created a Gang of Six that included three Republicans--two of whom (Grassley and Enzi) are extremely conservative--to determine the shape of healthcare reform. Amid cries of "death panels," "socialized medicine" and "government takeover of health care," the meetings dragged on and on. On the floor of the Senate, the situation has been even worse. The Republicans have played the most obstructionist role ever with a record number of filibusters and other delaying tactics. The Republicans recently even voted temporarily to deny funds to our troops in the field of combat as a way to delay healthcare reform. They are also unanimous in opposing the increase in the debt limit, which if not raised would likely cause the collapse of both the American and the international financial systems.

The result of all this is that Democrats of every stripe and many independents are perplexed, dispirited and sometimes disgusted. Constituency after constituency has been ignored or rejected. Some examples...

SNIP

...The time is short but I believe that the Democrats still have the potential to reverse their fortunes and bring out large numbers of their voters in the coming election. Here are some important steps forward that I believe should be undertaken in the coming months.

§ Perhaps most important, let Obama be Obama. Bring back one of the great inspirational leaders of our time, who is more than capable of taking on the powerful special interests and rallying the American people toward a progressive agenda and a more just society. We have too quickly cast aside the audacity of hope as being too audacious. We need to aspire to more, not less: healthcare for all, education for all, a secure retirement for all, a world at peace and a nation bound together by looking out for what the Constitution called "the general welfare" rather than a series of special interests looking out for their own financial wellbeing.

§ Pass the strongest healthcare reform legislation as soon as feasible - making it clear that it will be significantly improved in the near future. While it was a tragic mistake to believe that a strong bill could pass under the provision that required sixty votes--there was a procedural route that would have required only a simple majority--this legislation does contain a number of provisions that will profoundly help tens of millions of Americans in every state in the country. It is a bill that can be successfully defended in a campaign because, whatever its many weaknesses, it is an indication that we are finally, after countless decades of futility, moving forward. A president and a party that can provide insurance for 31 million more Americans is far preferable to most voters than a party that only says "No."

§ Pass a major bill that creates millions of new jobs rebuilding our infrastructure and moving our energy system in a different and sustainable direction. At a time when we have the most inequitable distribution of wealth and income of any industrialized nation, this bill must be progressively funded. This means taxing the super-rich--the very people whom George W. Bush served so assiduously--in order to make life better for the average American family...

SNIP

...§ Enact Senate reform. It is extremely undemocratic that forty-one percent of the US Senate can thwart the will of the American people, the president, the House of Representatives and a strong majority of the Senate. While individual senators will always have great clout, no one senator should be able to bring the U government to a halt at one of the most perilous periods in American history.

In January 2009 we inaugurated a new president and swore in a new Congress with large Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House. Our nation seemed poised on the brink of a decade of progressive government, a new ascendency of hope and change after eight disastrous years of Republican dominance. One year later the new electoral majority is disintegrating under the weight of continuous Republican attacks and, more important, an unwillingness of both Congress and the president to rally the American people behind the kind of fundamental changes they were anticipating as a result of the election...

MORE AT: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100201/sanders

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. Wow. An excellent piece.

[Divine Discontent]

102. yes, can we leave it on the DU home page for a month...

[democrank]

2. Bernie Sanders...

man of great courage and unwavering principle. Bless him.

[dotymed]

68. If only Bernie

were our President, we would realize a new America just like that of "the greatest generation." Bernie is a Democrat in the style of FDR and that is exactly what we need. Instead, he has to label himself an Independent (he is that) and speak from the Congressional sidelines. I wish we could convince him to run as president. I hope that Obama will listen but I do not anticipate it. He should give Bernie Sanders a prominent role in his administration.

[tblue]

99. Did Obama give any progressive a prominent role in his administration?

"let Obama be Obama"

I think this IS Obama.

[AlinPA]

3. That's it. Sanders nailed it.

[ProSense]

4. Some will focus on Senator Sanders' criticism of bipartisanship, but this is

his key message:

§ Perhaps most important, let Obama be Obama. Bring back one of the great inspirational leaders of our time, who is more than capable of taking on the powerful special interests and rallying the American people toward a progressive agenda and a more just society. We have too quickly cast aside the audacity of hope as being too audacious. We need to aspire to more, not less: healthcare for all, education for all, a secure retirement for all, a world at peace and a nation bound together by looking out for what the Constitution called "the general welfare" rather than a series of special interests looking out for their own financial wellbeing.

§ Pass the strongest healthcare reform legislation as soon as feasible - making it clear that it will be significantly improved in the near future. While it was a tragic mistake to believe that a strong bill could pass under the provision that required sixty votes--there was a procedural route that would have required only a simple majority--this legislation does contain a number of provisions that will profoundly help tens of millions of Americans in every state in the country. It is a bill that can be successfully defended in a campaign because, whatever its many weaknesses, it is an indication that we are finally, after countless decades of futility, moving forward. A president and a party that can provide insurance for 31 million more Americans is far preferable to most voters than a party that only says "No."

§ Pass a major bill that creates millions of new jobs rebuilding our infrastructure and moving our energy system in a different and sustainable direction. At a time when we have the most inequitable distribution of wealth and income of any industrialized nation, this bill must be progressively funded. This means taxing the super-rich--the very people whom George W. Bush served so assiduously--in order to make life better for the average American family...

Pass. The. Damn. Bill.

[Raineyb]

6. It says pass the strongest bill feasible.

This current crap doesn't qualify.

[ProSense]

10. He disagrees with you.

The operative word being "feasible."

[ooglymoogly]

100. feasible has different meanings in different circles

The Pugs for instance think nothing is feasible.

The weak Lilly livered capitulators and cavers, er "moderates" think little more is feasible but nothing offensive to the pugs or the insurance bloodsuckers.

The progressives think anything obviously advantageous to the majority and cost effective is feasible no matter whose fatcat bloodsuckers toes it steps on.

[Bluebear]

8. Obama, incredibly, has enabled tens of millions of Americans to believe that Bush's failures are his

That's his key message.

[BrklynLiberal]

37. Exactly!..and now even the war is his!!!

[Tx4obama]

49. Don't let the republicans brainwash you. Bush owns the 2 wars & failed economy, period. n/t

[pokercat999]

60. Bush passed them on to Obama who embraced them along

with the failed Bush/Cheney policies. They are Obama's now and if he continues down his current path I would rather he resign after the mid-terms and the huge Democratic rollover.

[stevenleser]

110. Let`s not create new negative rules for Obama

the Republicans dont need any help doing that. Vietnam did not become "Nixons war" even though Nixon escalated with the Linebacker I and Linebacker II Air offensives.

[Enthusiast]

62. They aren't brainwashing us,

but the GOP and their M$M has convinced millions of Americans.

[sam sarrha]

77. Ossama's Mentor said Ossamas plan was to Bankrupt America by sucking us into a Middle East wars

Lebanon lasted 17 years... the Group that started it and lost declared at the end that they won.. and people in the West laughed, but they did win at what they started out to do.

Hezbollah http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hizbullah
starts a war, 1000 of his people die, over a million civilians are displaced.. the regions economy is ruined , they don't have the money to rebuild . because western countrys arent likely to invest there again. but the "one" man that started it declares he won because 100 jews were killed...

it is time to understand that logic or lack of it, and reason isn't essential in Islam... due to a fundamental basic teaching repeated by Muhammad several times.. called .."Insallah".. literally translated as.. "if god pleases". nothing really matters, because what is, was, and will be.. happens "only if god pleases". there is no personal responsibility for anything. winning and losing is very different. leaders that lose wars aren't criticized because that would be criticizing Muhammad. i am certain that many of our leaders know this and are using it at great cost to us and the Muslim world...but any criticism of this catrastophe would be met with the cry of "Islamophobia.. ...?"

we wont do any study as to how this works, because it would be criticized as Islamophpbic. so we repeat the the Crusades in their eyes again every time an american soldier steps foot on Muslim soil. Ossama is High Five'n his generals as the death toll of our soldiers goes up with the financial cost/ruin of us Training their Soldiers and arming them to fight us..!!

things are the way they are there because of "Insallah" ..so what do you think that they think of us trying to change gods will..??

it is a terrible cycle of disaster, but we must understand that.. "it is god's will.. and get the hell out" NOW!!! we need to respect their religion.

I have finished my 6th or 7th book on Islam, and am starting on another..

http://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Usual-Punishment-Terrifying-Implications/dp/1595551611/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264342216&sr=8-1
Nonie Darwish presents an insider's look at Sharia and examines how radical Muslim laws are destroying the Western world from within. Living under Sharia law for the first thirty years of her life,a virtual slave to Islamic law, Darwish never questioned or challenged her rights--or dared to even think about the validity of Sharia laws. She didn't try to examine what Sharia was, how it came about or why she followed it. "This is Allah's law," she was told, and she knew what awaited those who questioned Allah's law.
But she doesn't believe the lies anymore, and now she wants to share her experiences with the Western world. Cruel and Usual Punishment is an insider's look at how Muslims sacrifice their basic human rights to obey the archaic and brutal laws handed down to their prophet centuries ago.

then i will read, to balance out the process.. the pro Shiria law advocates
http://www.amazon.com/Shariah-Law-Mohammad-Hashim-Kamali/dp/1851685650/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264342141&sr=8-3
Providing a comprehensive and accessible examination of Shari'ah Law, this well considered introduction examines the sources, characteristic features and various schools of thought of a system often stereotyped for its severity in the West. Complete with a bibliography, glossary, and extensive index of Arabic quotations, this wide-ranging resource will prove an indispensable resource for Islamic students, and an informative guide to a complex topic for the general reader.

this takes a lot of effort.. no one i know has made any effort to 'educate themselves' on this subject.. and it wont happen by Osmosis from TV, i have no idea where they get their information.. the vast majority of Muslims have never read the Koran, abridge or un-abridged... as there are 3 major translations. this is said to be the one of the best..
http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/

reading the Koran is said to be like "listening to 2 people you don't know, talk about something you don't understand", a Quote by the first western translator of the Koran. it is a beautiful quote, it explains a lot.. the Koran isn't Chronological, it is ordered by the length of the Sura.. except for the first one. it is a dialog between Muhammad and the Angel Gabriel about someone else,.. Allah. Allah never appears, or directly speaks to Muhammad. so the quote is appropriate in many ways. the Koran in Arabic is a beautiful flowing poetry that unfortunately doesn't translate..

the Chronological order of the events in the Koran, and the details that explain what it was about are found in another book called the Hiddah, what is in the Koran is sometimes just sorta like a foot note... what Muhammad personally said about it is found in another book called the Sunnah. so it's fairly complicated and best left to be explained by the Religious leaders... that is basically the problem. .......and no one wants to spoil the story so they keep it a secret, ..at the end of the story Muhammad adds a twist to the plot, by declaring Abrogation.. we don't even make movies with twists in plots like this.. it is brilliant.

i was lucky to read the first book that i did... it gave a greater understanding or 'Over View', of the chain of circumstances in the story. it made things more fluid and understandable. i have read several Biographies of Muslims about their lives, Doctors and professional people who have had many secret discussions with other Muslims about the secret "Great Debate" within Islam... that the West is totally clueless about... why??

[skyounkin]

96. It IS his.

[Edweird]

11. ""Pass the strongest healthcare reform legislation" . Good job misrepresenting.

[Bluebear]

13. Talking points, you know.

[ProSense]

16. State of denial, you know. n/t

[Bluebear]

17. Fail, apologist. nt

[ProSense]

18. FAIL, bitter. n/t

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

15. Misrepresenting? Try to not

ignore the rest of what he said:

...this legislation does contain a number of provisions that will profoundly help tens of millions of Americans in every state in the country. It is a bill that can be successfully defended in a campaign because, whatever its many weaknesses, it is an indication that we are finally, after countless decades of futility, moving forward. A president and a party that can provide insurance for 31 million more Americans is far preferable to most voters than a party that only says "No."

[Bluenorthwest]

19. You ignore his core point

"Instead of making it clear that the first two years of the Obama administration would be about digging the country out of the incredible mess that Bush's eight years left us in, (deep recession, financial collapse, record-breaking deficits, disintegrating healthcare system, two wars, lack of respect from the international community, neglect of the environment), Obama, incredibly, has enabled tens of millions of Americans to now believe that Bush's failures are his as well."

But the whole of his text is clear and to the point, there for all to read.

[ProSense]

22. The core point is qualified by "feasible"

and he emphasized that the current bill is "moving forward."

[Bluebear]

33. But, but, we need interpretations!

:silly:

[treestar]

80. He made another point, which was that he wanted the bill passed

Is it not fair for DU to say he sold out and became a corporatist?

[Political Heretic]

24. If Democrats want to pass line by line provisions through reconciliation, great

Pass ban on denial based on preexisting conditions?

Pass annual cap on out of pocket expenses?

Ban lifetime caps on coverage?

Expand medicare coverage and funding?

-- GREAT. PASS ALL THAT!

That's not as far as we need to go, and there's still far more work to be done, but those are things that would help many Americans. I agree.

BUT passing the Senate Bill, as is (which seems to no loner be an option, thank GOD) that Sanders supported is a huge mistake. It contains more in it that would actively harm many working families in the long term. HARM. The first principle of legislative policy should be DO NO HARM.

[swilton]

28. Totally agree with you

I hope passing the current senate bill is no longer possible - does more harm than good

[tblue]

97. +1

[treestar]

79. Sanders is not a corporate sellout?

:sarcasm:

:rofl: :rofl:

Does he not understand Brown won because that bill is a piece of crap gift to insurance companies? :sarcasm:

Sanders must not read DU.

[Mithreal]

92. Some will focus on all of it. The New Dem leadership, not so much.

Lots of conservative Dems all over the discussion of Bernie Sanders message here.

Ironic it is, but the fleas need to feed.

[benld74]

5. they all need to GROW A PAIR AND LEARN HOW TO USE THEM

[Bluebear]

7. 'Our nation seemed poised on the brink of a decade of progressive government' - SQUANDERED.

A disgrace of a year, while apologists told us "it's only BEEN one year".

[doc03]

12. Well I heard on the news about 1/2 hour ago that Obama

wants to work with Republicans on health-care. Doesn't sound like the message is getting through.

[swilton]

27. Sometimes I think Sanders

is giving Obama too much credit and that Obama is using the Republicans as his excuse to do the corporate bidding

[Bluebear]

31. Sometimes?

;)

[SammyWinstonJack]

82. +1

:thumbsup: Obama IS using the republicans as an excuse to do his corporate bidding.

[midnight]

35. We will have lived through another year of Obama working with the Reganites.

Why is this brokering a bipartisan deal more important than actually getting a consumer friendly deal done for the people who voted him into office?

[tblue]

98. "let Obama be Obama"?

He's not Obama? I think he is being himself. I also think we read a lot into him that defies what he actually does.

[treestar]

81. Oh Baloney

Life does go on, you know.

this kind of thinking is stupid. If you want to give up, go home. Others are still trying and don't need your gloom and doom and fake deadlines.

[Bluebear]

108. If your simple-Simon opinions mattered to us, we'd be crushed. As you see, nobody agrees with you.

Still, you call everybody else stupid. You know what? /ignore

All you do is clutter up the bandwidth.

[inna]

103. How to Squander the Presidency in One Year:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/22-7

Worth reading in its entirety, in case someone missed this article. A brutal but important read.

[Bluebear]

113. kick

[lazarus]

Sanders

is the only reason I'd consider moving to New England. It's cold up there, but having Bernie as my Senator would warm my evil heart.

[msongs]

9. gee if I'm really nice to all the republicans, they will LOVE me. ummm FAIL Mr. Obama nt

[BrklynLiberal]

38. It is Charlie Brown and Lucy all over again...

[Bluebear]

109. 'Others are still trying and don't need your gloom and doom and fake deadlines.'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7555959&mesg_id=7559117

Idiots!

[ChicagoSuz219]

14. Take a breath, everyone...

...David Plouffe is back on the case.

If anyone can turn things around to our side, it's him.

Keep the faith!!

[Bluenorthwest]

23. He's a paid political hack

Faith? Whatever. He's got a pay or play I'm sure, money no matter the results. He's just another of the anti equality Chicago faith crowd, and I am sick of their bigotry and backward thinking.

[ChicagoSuz219]

52. That makes no sense to me. n/t

[donheld]

46. Can he make the President start to keep his word?

Instead of speak pretty actually do pretty?

[ChicagoSuz219]

53. I guess it's a shame he's only President...

...and not Dictator. (sigh)

[timeforpeace]

21. He's more Dem than the Dems. You go Bernie.

[swilton]

25. Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Van Hollen, Kaine

HELLO?!!?? Anybody Home??!!

[Robeson]

26. Great piece by Sen. Sanders. The people of Vermont are very fortunate to have him.

[Little Star]

29. Article written before MA Sen. loss. Wonder if Bernie would

have felt a bit different about THIS Senate HC bill if he wrote this after the Massachusetts lesson. I greatly admire Bernie but he was against this HCR before he was for it. Still a great article to bad they won't listen to him.

[Bluebear]

30. "against the HCR bill before he was for it"? Is he a flip-flopper?

[Little Star]

34. He did flip. I think he was trying to make the best of a bad situation.

[mdmc]

58. And he did get big props for America's Community Health Centers

which is pretty much what is out there for the working poor at this point.
So Bernie supports the bill.. the best of a bad situation..

[Little Star]

63. No argument there. Too bad he was put in that bad situation.

Same could be said for Martha Coakley's flip here in Massachusetts. She was making the best of a bad situation and it cost her the election.

[dotymed]

71. My brother has to use community clinics

they will not prescribe him the meds that his cardiologist did. No pain killers (poor can suffer) although they admit he needs surgery. No narcotics at all. Sleep meds that work? NO. Something to calm his nerves? NO. He is a heart patient with terrible dental problems.....no help. They are treated like cattle on a ranch, Darwinism...

[truedelphi]

106. That is how I see it also. n/t

[Vidar]

32. K&R.

[BrklynLiberal]

36. The EXACT speech Obama should give at the SOTYU.... I fervently hope.

"Unlike FDR in 1933, who consistently denounced Hoover's Republican policies as the cause of the country's perilous condition, Obama appears very reluctant to be partisan and point out to the American people the cause of our current crises. Can one imagine Obama, for example, telling the American people as Roosevelt did in 1936, "I welcome" the "hatred" of the "economic royalists" whose greed has devastated the country?"

[laughingliberal]

56. That's what I've been looking for! More FDR! Less Eisenhower. nt

[dotymed]

72. If he would say that

and proceed like FDR, the Democrats would have amazing support. Too late in the corporate game I think. They now own all politicians except a handful, like Bernie.

[elleng]

39. Let Obama be Obama.!

Let Bartlett be Bartlett!!!!

[Jefferson23]

40. Bernie loves America, wish more were like him.

[moondust]

41. K/R

:headbang:

[Overseas]

42. K&R. THank you Bernie for saying what I feel so very well. //nt

[rhett o rick]

43. I love Bernie, but there is a problem here. Either Pres Obama is stupid in his dealings with the

opposition or he isnt dedicated to fixing the problems. Please tell me if there is another choice.

[TCJ70]

44. Well said, Bernie...

...now tell your "democratic" counterparts to read and take to heart your article.

Of course, the only thing I'd change is the part about passing the strongest reform as soon as possible which should come with a caveat: as long as it contains some form of public option.

[annm4peace]

45. will send to my Senators Klobuchar and Franken

Maybe they can find out what Representing the People really means.

[johan helge]

47. K & r

[jonathan_seer]

48. HEY WAIT A MINUTE - Bernie Sanders deserves no cudos for his nation article.

Bernie Sanders could have easily stood up and been the ONE, UNCOMPROMISING senator that refused to cave on the public option or any other must have element of the health care debacle.

He has one of the safest Senate seats of them all.

He could have said, now that you caved to Lieberman, I will NOT vote for this Bill unless MY demands are met.

I will NOT be the 60th. vote for the "Health Insurance Corporation Profit Guarantee Act."

One organization which strongly supports and donates to progressive causes CREDO even set up a petition imploring Senator Sanders to do exactly that.

Yet he declined giving the reason that the Senate is run by Corporate Interests, and his opposition would change a thing.

Tell that to Lieberman and Nelson.

As true as that may be that corporate interests run the upper house, when it comes to what Bernie Sanders can do, the only Socialist Senator, this should have been the ultimate motivation; should have been gasoline on the fire that drives Bernie's desire to be a Socialist Senator.

Not just on a policy level, but a personal one.

This is the ONLY TIME in the last 50 years (probably a lot longer) when everything depended on the actions of a SOCIALIST Senator in the United States Congress.

And historically I do not recall any other time ever when a Socialist Senator had the MAKE OR BREAK POWER over such an important bill

For socialists in general this could have been the moment to show the Left that the spine they seek is in the Socialist Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders.

The reason being of course was the power of a lone senator had never been so great; thanks to the unique kind of cowardice of the Democratic Senatorial leadership and their amateur understanding of the parliamentary rules that govern Senate business, and a super majority that depended on gaining the agreement of a few disloyal few.

Just how singularly gigantic this could have been for the most left wing Senator in the Senate is made clear by how it is now gone.

Bernie Sanders when his moment to shine came, caved just like all the Corporate owned and operated Senators he is now criticizing as well as President Obama.

Bernie is not in Blanche Lincoln's predicament who's in great danger in Arkansas; whose caving actions can be at least understood even if Never supported.

He will be re-elected as long as he wants to be senator.

So he is truly one of the few senators who could have withstood the pressure.

What he wrote makes sense, but standing up to the Corporate Senators before this disaster would have made much more sense.


The fact he caved so easily with nary a word, and caved when he could have stood tall and RISKED NOTHING in doing so - makes me very suspicious of his true motivations.

We on the left need to learn one thing, and that's don't be so quick to declare anyone who speaks up a standard bearer. Before doing that we need to make sure their actions match their words

Jonathan

[bbgrunt]

50. I totally agree, Jonathan. Bernie's words, like our currency,

have been significantly devalued by his lack of action.

[teschman]

66. Sanders did not cave in with nary a word

Jonathan is profound and eloquent in his condemnation of Senator Sanders but he does so without a command of the facts. Senator Sanders was a vocal supporter of the public option and withheld his vote and threatened to the bitter end not to allow it to go to the floor for an up or down vote. In the end he fought for and gained 10 billion dollars for small community clinics and educational funding for small town physicians, a kind of end around to public medicine. He fought valiantly and I for one wish that my Senator Evan Bayh had the integrity and grit this guy has. Bayh is in a safe seat but he waffles with the wind, he's not a leader, not even close.
Now we need to get behind Senator Harkin on his proposal to change the filibuster rule, his idea deserves serious attention. I would direct everyone to google "Constitutional Option" and read the Harvard research study on this issue. It's better know as the "Nuclear Option" put forth by the GOP when the Dems threatened to filibuster Alioto and Roberts for SCOTUS.

[jonathan_seer]

104. Teschman the thing that matters is

he had the power, truly had the power, and HAD NO reason to compromise.

Vermont as you know, has a healthcare for all system, courtesy of former Governor Dean.

That along with Massachusetts would have been replaced by the one proposed by the Senate costing Vermont voters more and giving them LESS.

The senate bill would cost Vermonters more and give them less.

I can't think of any better reason for Bernie Sanders to be the brick wall, but he caved.

It wasn't just his socialist ideology that should have made him the stand up guy.

Sitting in a SAFE seat, one of the safest in congress.

He would have been THE ONE Senator who could have said "my way or the highway."

Instead he handed the map to the Corporate Democrats and said you figure the route there.

Oh and I did NOT condemn him.

MY POINT was too many people seem to be anointing him the same way so many anointed President Obama without looking for "proof" of his words in action.

Before progressives/liberals do that again, it would be wise to look for the proof first.

[Veracious]

51. BIPARTISANSHIP IS FOR PUSSYS

FUCK ALL the Republicans!

[juajen]

54. A republican friend of mine said that Obama now owns the

war in Afghanistan, since he campaigned on ending the war. I still don't know why he escalated the war in Afghanistan, except for the TARP story; so, I now believe the it was all for oil and the pipeline, and that we are battling for control of same.

[emsimon33]

55. Some one needed to speak the truth to power

[mdmc]

57. God bless Bernie Sanders

[gtar100]

59. I hope he reads it and takes it to heart.

[laughingliberal]

61. This is where we should have started

<snip> § Pass a major bill that creates millions of new jobs rebuilding our infrastructure and moving our energy system in a different and sustainable direction. At a time when we have the most inequitable distribution of wealth and income of any industrialized nation, this bill must be progressively funded. This means taxing the super-rich--the very people whom George W. Bush served so assiduously--in order to make life better for the average American family...<snip>

It's not too late. I think if the President came out forcefully for this he'd go up 10 points in the polls. Congress would be very reluctant to oppose him if his proposals had widespread popularity. Tax the rich and use the money for a job's program. We need to forget deficit reduction for now and get jobs going. The more people who go back to work, the more the deficit starts to take care of itself. Once jobs are growing, then look at spending cuts. If they start cutting spending now, we're gonna have 1937 all over again.

Not too happy to see he's still pushing Ben 'entitlement reform' Bernanke's nomination but we'll see.

I like the recent shift in tone and that Warren and Volcker are out front now and Timmeh and Lar have been locked in a back closet. They've done enough damage to this Presidency. If he gets their DLC crap out of there, he can more than save the next 3 years and a lot of our seats at the midterm, too.

[flyarm]

69. "Timmeh and Lar have been locked in a back closet"..now put Rahm in there..and throw away the key!

[laughingliberal]

88. Absolutely! He's been kept mostly out of sight since the MA election, too

All of this gave me some hope he would be changing direction. I'm having doubts, now, as he's still pushing Bernanke's nomination but we'll see. Having Volcker and Warren out front now is a good sign.

[Vinca]

64. Obama has sacrificed his presidency in the name of bipartisanship.

Too much community organizer, too little LBJ slap 'em up side the head. It's got to change or we'll be facing another term of Republican rule and I don't think the country could survive it.

[fasttense]

65. I remember something McCain said (yes, McCain, bear with me)

when he gave his concession speech.

"In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his (Obama's) success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving."

I think we wrongly believe now that we have little influence not just on the election of a President but in the direction our country is moving. Too many believe they cannot take on the powers that be that are inexplicably moving this country toward fascism.

But we hold the power in our hands. Two hundred million adults can not be controlled by 100, 300 or a million heartless men. We cannot be forced to follow unfair laws set out by 5 ignorant fools or by greedy corporations. Our vast numbers can NOT be controlled without our Consent.

Right now the powers that be think they have us in the palm of their hand but the truth is we hold the reigns of power, we are the backbone of this country and we can stand up and resist. We can gather and march to throw off the reigns of tyranny. We have it in our hands. All we need do is act.

[mother earth]

67. Sanders, Kucinich & Dean...true reps of we the people. K & R

As usual, I'm never disappointed in Sanders, the man gets it, and tells it like it is. Obama & all Dems better pay attention.

[NorthCarolina]

70. K&R

[Hotler]

73. kick! n/t

[pleah]

74. K&R

[Daveparts still]

75. Unlike FDR in 1933,

"Unlike FDR in 1933, who consistently denounced Hoover's Republican policies"

Obama is Hoover, Hoover established a $2 billion fund to bail out banks and industry including the car industry, and sent starving Americans seed packages. (Sound Familiar?)

Hoover's administration downplayed economic bad news and played up reports of Green shoots. Hoover's last Thanksgiving address he praised how fortunate we were to live in a country where no one was starving when actually millions were starving.

The Ford Motor Company set up a program to buy old Fords and crush them to help raise the prices of used cars. (Sound Familiar?)

FDR upon election took Hoover's $2 billion and put it toward mortgage rescue which in the long run helped the banks far more than Hoover

[RoccoR5955]

76. K & R Sanders/Kucinich 2012! n/t

[spicegal]

78. Go Mr. Sanders!

But unfortunately, this kind of message needs to reach the masses, not just those of us who read The Nation and frequent progressive blogs. The Dems NEED TO WAGE A MUCH BETTER PR CAMPAIGN, remembering to "keep it simple stupid". I think Obama is getting buried in the minutia, when he should be out there inspiring and educating, winning hearts and minds. Americans in general feel like they're getting screwed. They're anxious and understandably confused when it comes to the proposed healthcare bill.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

83. Obama's hands are tied

he had better untie them and dump Republicans ASAP

The Democratic voters know

[spanone]

84. the first sentence says it all

[DailyGrind51]

85. Bernie Sanders should be "our" candidate in 2012!

[WillyT]

86. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[defendandprotect]

87. Love Sanders . . . .

but, sadly, I think that "bipartisanship" is hard to believe as a cover story

on most of this!

And would remind us all that when Conyers wanted to hold hearings on the Ohio Steal in 2004

GOP/bipartisanship took him to the basement to find a place to hold a hearing!!!

[Armstead]

89. I wish bernie would become a Democrat and push them in an inside leadership role

Bernie is everything the Democratic Party should be,

[Dinger]

90. + Infinity!!!

:patriot: :applause:

[DKRC]

112. Bernie is everything the Democratic Party used to be

before the corporatists took over.

[sendero]

91. Sorry Bernie..

... you analysis of Obama is pretty compelling, but fuck this piece of shit health care bill.

Start over or do nothing.

[tomp]

93. let obama be obama? that's his solution?

does he not realize that obama has been and is right now being obama? the man is not who sanders thinks he is.

sanders is also foolish enough to believe that obama can just do whatever he wants. as soon as obama attempts step 1 of dismantling the corporate stranglehold on democracy he will be brought down, one way or the other. some socialist.

[tekisui]

94. KNR!

[mike_c]

95. excellent article by Bernie Sanders!

:kick:

[Bluesbreaker]

101. Great Article

Sanders isn't even a Democrat, but maybe it takes a well-meaning outside perspective to give this administration a wake-up call.

[winyanstaz]

105. K & R

[mzmolly]

107. Spot on!

:toast: to the good Senator!

[davidwparker]

111. "Obama why?"

[Quantess]

114. kick