Bernie Sanders Sayings

Do the elected officials in Washington stand with ordinary Americans - working families, children, the elderly, the poor - or will the extraordinary power of billionaire campaign contributors and Big Money prevail? The American people, by the millions, must send Congress the answer to that question.

GUN NUTS TURN TO BROOMSTICKS WITHOUT THEIR GUNS

The Department of Justice "Operation Choke Point" has been kept a secret but has come to light recently and has the gun nuts scared as hell. One such gun lover commented that if Choke Point worked, all that they would have left to defend themselves with was a "very powerful broomstick." The operation is so named for its ability to choke off financial services to targeted industries like gun manufacturers. A frustrated Obama administration is desperately trying to save lives from gun violence and, due to a yellow-bellied Congress, has had to resort to desperate moves. And that is what makes this sort of thing so egregious, a gutless Congress and an apathetic public that won't stand their ground.

Congress…and the President now…are losing the American public’s trust

With two-thirds of the public disapproving of the way Congress is handling the federal spending issue and only 26% on their side, you might think the blame lies squarely on the backs of the congressional leaders whose overall ratings are even worse.  Not so.  52% disapprove of the way President Obama has managed the issue but with 43% that do approve.  The latter is a lot better than Congress but David Gergen says right now this country is “leaderless.”  That is frightening when you consider the major issues facing the United States today.

Other than the lately infamous term, “Sequester,” also on the table is gun control legislation, immigration reform and taking the leadership on improving the environment.  This country cannot remain as a world leader without tackling and solving all four of these problems.  The typical Washington charade recently that is supposed to be governing is considered farcical by many throughout the free world.  In another poll, “…Americans are divided over whether Obama is emphasizing unifying the country or taking a partisan approach.”  That’s not good.

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland commented, "It looks like this could turn into a "lose-lose" scenario for both sides, although the Republicans appear to have more to lose than Obama."  But the President’s advantage has been diminishing over the last two months, according to CNN’s Political Editor, Paul Steinhauser.  DavidGergen on CNN was much blunter: “In times past, a president has usually risen to the demands of leadership when a Congress has stubbornly resisted tough choices…”  Gergen added:

“That's what Lyndon Johnson did in persuading key Republicans to help pass the civil rights bills of 1964 and 1965. And that's what Bill Clinton did in working with a Republican House led by Newt Gingrich. People forget how hostile House Republicans were to Clinton -- hell, they impeached him -- but he nonetheless worked with them to pass four straight balanced budgets and an overhaul of welfare.”

Excellent definition of sequester by The Young Turks:
 

It seems to me that it all boils down to the art of negotiation, which I emphasized in a recent post.  Sam Rayburn was a master, as was Lyndon Johnson, both from Texas.  Bill Clinton had this knack and even Barack Obama has exhibited moments of proclivity in bringing the two sides together as he did in passing the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare.  Negotiation is defined simply as a “mutual discussion and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or agreement.”   It means that both sides must give a little and take a little.  Is that so hard?

Well, apparently it is, because David Gergen says that both Congress and the White House are neglecting their responsibilities of bringing this country together.  And if there is no real leadership on either side, the USS America is basically sailing without a rudder.  Gergen continues, “One of the foremost duties of Congress is to pass a budget: It has failed for four straight years. Republicans, especially in the House, have continually refused to meet the White House halfway.”  My question is whether House Speaker John Boehner is still in control.

Americans have now become apathetic about the sequester with only 18% of the U.S. who say they understand “very well” what happens when it goes into effect.  I am frankly not sure whether or not enough of those in Congress and the White House honestly know the outcome following today’s deadline.  The fact of the matter is that some feel the President should have more power on deciding where the cuts should be made and Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, and Jim Inhofe, R-OK, are working on a bill right now to address that issue.

Whatever happens today, this Congress, and partially Barack Obama, will have to shoulder the blame for the fact that the greatest nation in the free world could not bring together its two main political factions in an agreement to keep its democratic government functioning normally.  Just the idea of the bickering that has been going on for the last 12 years is enough to turn your stomach.  But the idea of putting ideology before your country is unforgivable.  Enough is enough.

Obama up with Hispanics, down with youth

It was both the youth vote and Latinos that helped get President Barack Obama elected in 2008.  One is still hanging in there and the other has real reservations over what he has done for them.  Even though Hispanics are concerned that the President hasn’t done enough for their people, they still support him.  Considering the way the GOP looks down on this group, that’s a wise choice.  The younger vote is something else, and unless Obama puts them back to work soon, they may just skip the elections.

Only 55.3 percent of Americans age 16 to 29 have jobs.  According to Brad Chase, Barack Obama missed the boat on two issues.  Rather than create jobs for the young unemployed, he talked about it in community forums.  Rather then really providing a bailout on the huge burden of college loans, he only reduced rates by a pathetic 0.5 percent.  This has led to an approval rate by the 18 to 29 age group of less than 50 percent.

But the Prez just may have his sights on the burgeoning Latino voting population to carry him through in 2012.  Combining this with running against a Republican Congress that has done everything they can to defeat anything he proposes, but has done nothing of their own in the last three years may be a winning combination.  At the end of the year, Hispanics favored the President over GOP front-runner Mitt Romney by a margin of over 2 to 1.



According to a Pew survey, two-thirds of Latino registered voters supported Democrats where only 20 percent were for Republicans.  However, Obama’s deportations are an issue where 77 percent who knew of this disapproved of the administration’s policy.  But in a recent proposed change in migrant policy where immigrants closely related to U.S. Citizens would not have to leave the country to apply for legal status, the President got their attention again.

There is a group up for grabs, the Millenials, in their early 20s, and Brad Chase says they have a short memory, but they have experienced hard times in Obama’s last three years.  They aren’t yet leaning to the right, but neither are they enthused with the left.  They are currently in the middle, and The Center for the Study of the American Electorate says they can be had by a candidate that focuses on answers to their issues.

Chase says the President or a presidential candidate might do or talk about doing three things for the youth vote.  First, create a limited student debt forgiveness program for those over $30,000.  Second, Place control on “Predatory lender/services” where servicers like American Education Services (AES) resort to bullying tactics with parents.  Third, allow the discharge of a student loan in bankruptcy.

With two-thirds of registered Hispanic voters favoring the Democratic Party, there is good reason to believe this could translate into more Democrats elected to the U.S. Senate and House, as well as state legislatures.  This will be more prominent in border-states like Arizona, New Mexico and Texas that have hefty Latino populations.  Once this trend gets rolling it will be hard to stop considering the boom in the growth of Hispanics throughout the U.S.

One thing is certain, with a 9 percent favor rating of Congress, which is primarily focused on the GOP, and early signs that these yahoos aren’t about to change their tactics—specifically because the Tea Party won’t let them—progressives in the next few months leading up to November must emphasize this to the public.  If we, starting with President Obama, don’t take full advantage of this golden opportunity, it will be a loss that goes down in history.

Congress enjoys fat pensions and 401(k) plans while Americans just get poorer

The current Congress will have a hard time convincing the American public they should be re-elected, except for those dolts that walk around in a daze and end up voting for who they are told to vote for.  It’s pathetic, but in my estimation, it is this apathetic group that can often sway elections.  Otherwise, how would you explain nit-wit incompetents like Arizona’s sham Gov. Jan Brewer getting into office?  There is no other explanation, and it is likely that 2012 will be the long awaited reckoning.

In the meantime, these blundering blockheads we have sent to Washington will go on their merry way and even if we throw them out will enjoy a hefty pension of an average $40,000 per Congress member per year.  The taxpayer’s portion of that nice nest egg is 23 percent, according to newspaper columnist Laurie Roberts who laments “…the number of the people who approve of the job they're doing could fit comfortably into a Smart car…”  In addition there is a lucrative 401(k) plan which taxpayers also must contribute to.



All this while recent Census figures show that almost 1 in every 2 people in the United States are now considered poor or low-income.  You read that right; 146,400,000 people now fall into that category, based on current population figures from the U.S. Census.  And the numbers could go up if states continue to make further cuts.  But a conservative researcher says some of those in this class “…live in decent-size homes, drive cars and own wide-screen TVs.”  There is always the exception, but this does not explain the overall situation.

The actual figures are 97.3 million in the low income category and 49.1 million below the poverty line.  And the total is up by 4 million since 2009.  Yet the GOP refuses to allow a tax on millionaires that could help in stabilizing the economy and putting many of these people at the poverty level back to work.  But Tom Coburn of CNN says the millionaire tax won’t work but suggests instead ending  earmarks for the wealthy.

These earmarks include tax write-offs for second homes and luxury yachts, gambling losses, business expenses, electric vehicle credits, even child care tax credits.  There are unemployment checks in the amount of $74 million, $316 million in farm subsidies, $9 billion in retirement checks, and $16 million in government-backed loans to attend college.  If we can’t tax the filthy rich, at least we should be able to take away perks that could be going to help low income and poor.

To me this sounds absolutely ridiculous and reeks of the grounds on which most Social Democracies are founded.  A financial inequity such as we have in America today has all the elements of a revolution and there are many out there that have already been pushed to the limit.  The Occupy Movement is an example and considering its longevity so far, could easily pave the way to more disorder in the trenches.  The extreme conservative right must take full credit for the situation we are in, and progressives must realize the opportunity at hand and take full advantage.

If the 1% buy elections, the 99% must cancel that with their votes

The Center for Media and Democracy’sPR Watch says, “…the top one percent are playing an increasingly outsized role in American elections.”  My simple answer to that is to offset this influence with the 99 percent that can out contribute and vote out the congressional culprits that are taking it under the table. 

Yes, that’s exactly what it is when you buy votes, no matter how the contribution was made.  We’re all sick and tired of the stock answer from aides—almost never from the elected official—that the donation of money to his or her campaign has nothing to do with the Senator’s or Representative’s votes.  BS!

This becomes even more bizarre when you consider many of these politicians and their aides, when leaving office, slip right into high-paying lobbyist positions in Washington, as the following video illustrates.

This increased influence was made possible by the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, and is one of the primary factors fueling the Occupy movement nationwide.  PR Watch accuses a CEO of the Variety Wholesalers dimestore discount chain headquartered in North Carolina of buying that state.  “The Republican agenda in North Carolina is really Art Pope's agenda,” says Marc Farinella, a Democratic political consultant.

Thanks to the Citizens United decision, Super PACs can now raise unlimited funds from corporations, unions and individuals, using this huge storehouse of cash against federal candidates.  PR Watch says this decision proves that “money is speech” and that in 2012 money will overwhelmingly come from the 1 percent.  Unless…the 99 percent kicked in say a $5 donation, $1 for low income households, for their progressive candidate of choice.  Than go out and vote.

This has become necessary because in 90 percent of political races, the one who raises the most money wins.  That’s why the folks like those in the Occupy movement, plus all good progressives out there, must take a direct approach to the 2012 elections and support the left with both money and votes.  And if you need good reason to get on the progressive band wagon, let me tell you more about that 1 percent.

The figure includes 1.4 million households that earn nearly 17 percent of U.S. income and pay approximately 37 percent of its income tax.  Their collective adjusted gross income is $1.3 trillion and the average income is $960,000.  This is the group whose incomes have soared while the middle-class deteriorates.  And the higher up in the income categories you look, the higher the gains.  It is one thing if at least we are all moving in a positive direction, but this is clearly class favoritism.

It is time to re-think the philosophy of share-the-wealth, or those without will find another way to take it back.

Are members of Congress descended from the caterpillar?

Science has discovered that caterpillars essentially talk with their butts.  That would certainly be an exact DNA match with Congress.  Apparently these creatures—the caterpillars, not Congress—scrape their rear ends on leaf surfaces to establish their territory.  Sort of like when the republicans took over the House in the last election.

It seems there’s a difference by age.  The old farts don’t scrape, they just push their opponents around.  Does that remind you of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell?  But here’s a surprise.  The young upstarts aren’t aggressive.  Looks like even the caterpillar doesn’t want to be associated with the Tea Party.  These little critters are also pests which fits the profile of most Republicans. 

A caterpillar is also on its way to being a beautiful thing…a butterfly.  You couldn’t attach that conversion to either side of the congressional aisle.  They also turn into moths that are naturally attracted to flame which would remind one of the suicidal tendencies of the GOP House that places partisan ideology over the good of the country and the American people.  These slinky insects also have poor vision, another perfect match with the Republican conservatives. 

I could go on forever.  Some caterpillars are targets of animal predators, but have learned to defend themselves with devious means.  The point is that we have a dysfunctional Congress, including Democrats and Republicans, that would rather argue between themselves rather than putting the U.S. on the road to recovery.  The GOP has been out to get President Obama from the day he took office, and they may very well succeed if he doesn’t stand firm on progressive issues.