6/17 News Roundup & Open Thread – Hear the Bern Episode 10: But The Union Makes Us Strong, Sanders Pushes For Drastic Change To US Economy & More

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Why do American workers face some of the weakest labor protections – and consequently some of the highest inequality – in the developed world? To find out, Briahna turns to Dr. Lane Windham, a Georgetown professor and author of Knocking on Labor’s Door, and Ryan Grim, DC Bureau Chief at the Intercept and author of the new book We’ve Got People. Dr. Windham tells a story of workers, including women and people of color, fighting for access to union rights on the eve of the country’s turn toward neoliberalism. On the political side, Ryan describes the Democratic Party’s fateful pivot away from labor power and toward big money politics in the early 1980s.

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6/14 News Roundup & Open Thread – Sanders Responds To Hickenlooper With Video From FDR, Danny Glover stumps for Sanders in SC & More

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Figured I would start with a FOX link 🙂

Bernie Sanders responds to Hickenlooper with mocking video from FDR

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., seemed to mock fellow 2020 candidate John Hickenlooper after the former Colorado governor rebuked Sanders’ endorsement of Democratic socialism.

On Thursday, Sanders posted a video of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt appearing to attack politicians who acted as though they could implement his “New Deal” programs better and without the large price tag.

“Let me warn the nation against the smooth evasion that says ‘Of course we believe these things. We believe in Social Security, we believe in work for the unemployed, we believe in saving homes, cross our hearts and hope to die — we believe in all these things but we don’t like the way the present administration is doing them,'” Roosevelt said, apparently mocking his critics.

“‘Just turn them over to us. We will do all of them. We will do more of them, we ill do them better, and most important of all, the doing of them will not cost anybody anything.'”

The video seemed to imply that candidates like Hickenlooper falsely claimed they could achieve similar results through policies much different than Sanders’.

..

His remarks followed Sanders’ impassioned defense of his philosophy Wednesday, when he called on progressives to ignore “massive attacks from those who attempt to use the word ‘socialism’ as a slur.”

Sanders’ response seemed to signify growing tension between centrists and the more progressive wing of the party — something that popped up in criticisms of 2020 frontrunner and former Vice President Joe Biden.

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6/12 News Roundup & Open Thread – Bernie Sanders to Defend Democratic Socialism as ‘Unfinished Business’ & More

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Bernie Sanders makes the case for democratic socialism as Trump attacks and moderate Democrats worry

President Donald Trump has already attacked it. Moderate Democratic candidates warn against it, too. But in a speech Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders will lean in to his democratic socialist views, defend them, and argue that Democrats must embrace his political vision if they want to reconquer the White House next year.

“There is this belief that technocratic squishiness is the way to solve problems,” Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir told CNN in a thinly-veiled, now familiar criticism of former Vice President Joe Biden. “Sen. Sanders is prepared to make the argument that what we need is a fighter unafraid to take on the big problems of the day and offer up real solutions to solve them.”

Sanders’ unlikely rise to the upper echelons of American politics has come with stunning speed. He began the 2016 Democratic presidential primary as a relative unknown, a Senate backbencher generally viewed — even by himself — as an outsider inside the Washington beltway. But his profile quickly rose when pitted against eventual nominee Hillary Clinton, a pragmatism-preaching liberal who was ultimately defeated, in part, by Trump’s populist appeal.

Sanders entered the 2020 race offering much the same message as four years ago, but with loftier electoral expectations and a matured operation.

In an interview, Shakir conceded that the “socialism” label is one that Sanders’ opponents — both Democrats and Republicans — will continue to use in an attempt to tar his campaign, but insisted the Vermont senator has no plans to back off his fundamental argument.

“This is a fight we are excited to have,” Shakir said, denying the speech was a response to dipping poll numbers or an attempt to reboot the campaign. “We are not going to duck this charge. We plan to take it on front and center. This has always been something that (Sanders’) political opponents have used as a way to try and bring him down and despite those attacks, he has only gotten more popular.”

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In excerpts from the speech provided by the campaign, Sanders will cast his version of democratic socialism as the “the unfinished business of the New Deal.”
“We must recognize that in the 21st century, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, economic rights are human rights,” Sanders will say. “This is what I mean by democratic socialism.”

Sanders also plans to use the speech to attack Wall Street, calling out the big banks and their allies in Washington as hypocrites who readily indulge in self-enriching “corporate socialism” — as seen during the bank bailouts that followed the 2008 financial crisis.

“While President Trump and his fellow oligarchs attack us for our support of democratic socialism, they don’t really oppose all forms of socialism,” Sanders will say. “They may hate democratic socialism because it benefits working people, but they absolutely love corporate socialism that enriches Trump and other billionaires.”

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6/9 BNR: Sanders Attracts Biggest Crowd at Capital City Pride Forum; Talks Dental Care in Marshalltown and Rallies in Waterloo; Still 2nd in latest DMR Poll, & Open Thread

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Bernie marched into Des Moines at the Capital City Pride Forum around 1:45. He was greeted by the largest crowd at the event

Bernie discussed Medicare for All with Iowans in Marshalltown. Dental care was raised as a huge concern because Medicare doesn’t cover it, or current Dental plans limit surgeries, still have large out of pocket costs.

From the Times-Republican:

Helping Sanders talk about health care were four panelists from different parts of the state who joined him at Dejardin Hall at Marshalltown Community College.

The high cost of prescription medicines were a key complaint.

“What is to stop a pharmaceutical company from raising the cost of your medicine, two, three or four times what they cost now?,” Sanders asked the crowd. “They do it at will. The pharmaceutical industry recently made $69 billion in profits.”

Sanders said when he is in the White House he will work to cut prescription costs by 50 percent.

He cited Canada’s health care systems as a model the U.S. should exemplify.

“I took several women from Vermont suffering from breast cancer who required a certain medication,” he said. “We drove the 50 miles from St. Albans, Vermont, a working class town, into Canada. We were able to purchase their medications for one-tenth of the cost of what some are paying in the U.S.”

While many in the crowd held Bernie signs and cheered him on during his remarks, others in the audience have not made up their minds with the Feb. 3, 2020 caucus nearly eight months away.

“I have not decided on a candidate,” former Marshall County Supervisor Denny Grabenbauer of Marshalltown said. “I am here with my granddaughter Abby. We wanted to come and see what Sanders’ campaign is all about.”

However Theresa Walton of Marshalltown is a strong Sanders supporter.

“I am for Sanders,” she said quickly. “I was for him in 2016. I supported him on caucus night and volunteered for his campaign. My husband was a Sanders delegate.”

Walton said she likes Sanders positions on health care.

“My sister lives in Vermont, and we have known of his (health care) record for quite some time. He irritates a lot of people because he has some good ideas. But health care … they have done well with that in Vermont and health care is a major issue in this country.”

DMR published results of 2nd IA poll. Graphic is courtesy of DMR.

Bernie finished his day by firing up voters in Waterloo:

From the Waterloo Courier:

The 77-year-old U.S. senator from Vermont fired up a large crowd at the National Cattle Congress Pavilion, earning huge applause for his progressive platform including single-payer health insurance and free college tuition while attacking climate change and income inequality.

“We’re going to have to take them all on,” Sanders said. “We’re talking about Wall Street; we’re talking about the fossil fuel industry and the insurance companies and the drug companies and the military industrial complex and the prison industrial complex and the corporate media — all the the power that is out there trying to preserve the status quo.”

Bernie will be appearing on State of the Union this morning with Jake Tapper. He will be marching with McDonald’s employees on the Fight for $15 to the IA Dem Convention in Cedar Rapids.

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6/7 Sanders at Political Party Live Tonight; TGIF Afternoon/Evening Open Thread

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C-SPAN says it is broadcasting the event at 7:00 PM CT. JD Scholten will also be at the event before Bernie. Prefer to watch it early in the AM? It will be rebroadcasted at 4:56 CT tomorrow!

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UPDATE: Link to C-SPAN

Bernie will not be on until 8:00 PM (or possibly after 8):

6/7 News Roundup & Open Thread – On The Trail With Bernie Sanders, SEIU Endorses The Green New Deal & More

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

Happy Friday friends!

TIME follows Bernie Sanders on the 2020 campaign trail:

If you missed it yesterday, here’s a written article on Bernie from TIME as well:

Bernie Sanders Wants to Change America. But He May Have to Change Himself First.

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