Bernie Sanders has been making a lot of appearances lately, criticizing friend and foe alike, but mostly Republicans, to protect the poor and middle classes from the predations of Bankster greed and Republican hostage taking. I’m happy to say that he has been getting a hero’s welcome wherever he goes, because he certainly deserves it, as the following article by Jon Nichols and video demonstrate.
Declaring that “Social Security is the most successful government program in our nation’s history,” and decrying threats to Medicare and Medicaid that would punish Americans who did not cause the current economic crisis, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders brought thousands of progressives from across the Midwest to their feet Saturday, as they cheered his message to President Obama and the Congressional “super-committee”: “We can deal with deficit reduction in a way that is fair and responsible.”
“Instead of balancing the budget on the backs of working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the most vulnerable,” Sanders said, “it is time to ask the wealthiest people and most profitable corporations in this country to pay their fair share.”
In several speeches to crowds numbers in the thousands who gathered for Fighting BobFest events in Madison, Wisconsin, Sanders continues to spell out the progressive economic agenda that argues against cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to balance budgets and address deficits and for tax policies that end special breaks for the wealthy and multinational corporations that offshore jobs from the United States.
President Obama is expected to deliver a major speech Monday on deficit reduction, and the White House has indicated that the president’s plan will not include “changes to Social Security.” Sanders is glad of that: “I am delighted that the White House has decided not to cut benefits under the program that has kept millions of retirees out of poverty,” the senators said in Madison. “Social Security has $2.5 trillion surplus, can pay out every benefit for the next twenty-seven years and has not contributed one nickel to the deficit. Social Security should be strengthened, not cut.”… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <The Nation>
It’s worth the time to click through for the rest of Jon’s article.
It is also more than worth the time (42:57) to watch the video of Bernie’s speech in Madison.
Doesn’t he have his finger on the pulse of what America needs?
20 Responses to “Bernie gets a hero’s welcome”
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I just love that man!
Ditto ! That’s all i got to say about that!
Sen. Sanders: With heartfelt thanks from all of us liberals for ALL that you do. (OK, OK – so that crowd looks like a bunch of “Limousine Liberals” …it still comes from the heart)
Very cute!
If only we had 59 other Bernies in the senate we might once again have a country we can be proud of.If youy get a chance contribute to Bernie he will be facing a tough reelection with the billionaires spending freely to defeat him. With elizabeth Warren hopefully we will have 2 senators representing the people
Welcome Albert. 🙂
I just don’t understand how Sanders is so popular and so correct in every proposal and ideological stance he takes and yet he is a self-described Socialist! Doesn’t that mean something? Today I watched Morning Joe – and “joe” complained about how 250 thousand for a private biz owner with 4 kids to put through college should be asked to pay more taxes!!!!!!!! SAY WHAT!!!!!????
I had 2 kids in NYC combined income of about 45 thou, and (I only wanted to stop at 1 child, because I said to my wife “we’re too old to have a second child – what if something should happen to one of us?”) well she died of breast cancer when the kids were still young! Income dropped to 25,000 and I put the kids through college – now am contemplating bankruptcy cause now I’m on disability! Joe has the audacity to talk of a family of 6 (4 kids) – in my mind a family of 4 kids is unreasonable in this day and age – the norm is 2 kids, and with the economy so tenuous at best, who but a multi millionaire plan for more children? It incited me so much to hear that 250 thou families shouldn’t pay more taxes! WTF!!
Thanks Bernie – always my hero – for the common man!
Long live Bernie Sanders!
Welcome, John! 🙂
Thank the Good Lord for Bernie–
LONG LIVE BERNIE SANDERS, AND MAY HE SUCCEED IN ALL OF HIS ENDEAVORS!!!
Sen. Sanders is one of a dozen or so in politics that genuinely cares for the USA and her people. Thank you Sen. Sanders. We need you as president.
Welcome Hosea. 🙂
Bernie should run for President, to form the Democratic debate.
He has already declined.
I figure I’ll just reply to everyone at once, because we all agree about Bernie.
There are a lot of other good reasons for living in the beautiful state of Vermont, but being able to cast a vote for a true statesman, like Bernie Sanders, would top the list.
Welcome Bill. 🙂
Not only that the state is beautiful!
From The Nation interview: Asked at a packed Friday night gathering in Madison to explain how Obama and the Democrats can win next year, the senator answered: “Clearly, you are not going to win over the American people unless you are prepared to stand and fight.”
Many have said that Mr Obama and the Democrats need to find their collective backbone and stand up to the political pugilists, the Republicans. From the first time I saw Sanders in the media, he has remained faithful, almost religiously so, to the principle of standing up for the American people, the 98%. The people have to stand up and be counted with Sanders if they want change. It is hard to keep hammering, and there is no guarantee of winning. But if you want guarantees, I’ll guarantee that if you don’t stand up and be counted, you will lose. I am learning that lesson today as I keep pushing for clemency for Troy Anthony Davis. I don’t think I’ve ever pushed so hard.
Keep pushing with Bernie. You owe it to yourselves, you owe it to your neighbours, you owe it to your country.
Amen, Lynn!