Official Bernie Sanders for President 2016 thread

[scumbag]

who had full congressional control when he came into office

One of the standard Republican talking points is that the Democrats had a filibuster-proof, super majority for two years between 2008 and 2010. This talking point is usually trotted out when liberals complain that the Republicans filibustered virtually every piece of legislation proposed by Obama or the Democrats during Obama’s presidency. The implication is that Democrats had ample opportunity to pass legislation and that the reason they didn’t pass more legislation doesn’t have anything to do with the Republicans. It is also used to counter any argument that Republican legislation, (passed during the six years of total Republican control,) has anything to do with today’s problems. They claim that the Democrats had a super majority for two years and passed all kinds of legislation, (over Republican objection and filibuster,) that completely undid all Republican policies and legislation, and this absolves them from today’s problems.
The Truth is that the Democrats only had a filibuster-proof majority for 60 working days during that period, insufficient time to undo even a small portion of the legislation passed during six years of Republican control. Here are the details:

60 days to undo 6 years of total republican control. even if obama was the progressive reformer he claimed to be... 60 days!

[brooks85]

Oh, so when the Department of Labor comes out with employment numbers, jobs like that aren't taken into account?

I would have no doubt they include that in their number. However, it is not still job creation. Governments DO NOT create jobs. I seriously might have to put that on my gravestone. I could one-up this lady...

[ToPHeR]

60 days to undo 6 years of total republican control. even if obama was the progressive reformer he claimed to be... 60 days![/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]

Ok....and how about the Democrats doing the same thing during Bush's terms in office???

But even though Bush had a substantial majority in both Houses of Congress at first, Democrats successfully blocked nearly all of his second term agenda even before their party took power in Congress in 2006.
Bush’s first item of his agenda was Social Security reform. That quickly died after Democrats whipped up a frenzied reaction, scaring most Republicans away from the issue.

Bush’s energy plan passed, but Democrats defeated one of the key components of that bill to block drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Republicans acquiesced to tax credits for clean energy and promoted ethanol.
Bush’s tax reform agenda – planning to make his 2001 tax credits permanent and repeal the estate tax – fell through the floor.
Even Bush’s nominee for the ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, failed to get a vote on the Senate floor, forcing Bush to make it a recess appointment.
Bush’s immigration effort fell short in the spring of 2006. Republicans resisted on one side, and on the other, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Democrats refused to grant him any capital on issue as the solidified their inroads with Hispanic voters.
Bush’s only major legislative success was successfully continuing the war in Iraq and reauthorizing the Patriot Act until Democrats took power in the 2006 elections. From there on, Bush was nearly impotent.

And you want to know why the Democrats only had those 60 days? Because they ended up using their Super Majority to "pass" a terrible bill called Obamacare when they could have done anything else that would have been more acceptable by the American public. They ended up losing their Super Majority because the public voted them out of office for it!

[scumbag]

The Department of Labor doesn't even use the right rubric when it comes out with the weekly unemployment rate.

it's the same way they used during reagan's years -- when the unemployment rate was never this low. not to say i agree with outsourcing good jobs and having wal mart be the largest employer.

liberals like myself and bernie sanders reject the new, conservative-led, service economy. we believe in having a manufacturing-led economy. we know that when manufacturing goes -- so to does engineering and other white-collar jobs.

[scumbag]

douchebag, bush did whatever he wanted for 6 penetrating years. you oysters blocked everything obama did from the jump.

[Snowball]

Governments DO NOT create jobs.

I hate to break this to you, but not only do governments create jobs,
they create most of the jobs where employees are treated the best,
and are not abused.

[ToPHeR]

it's the same way they used during reagan's years -- when the unemployment rate was never this low. not to say i agree with outsourcing good jobs and having wal mart be the largest employer.

Right, because Reagan didn't have the same all time low workforce participate rate or high # of part time jobs which both bring the U4 rate down to the "low" you are referring to...

liberals like myself and bernie sanders reject the new, conservative-led, service economy. we believe in having a manufacturing-led economy. we know that when manufacturing goes -- so to does engineering and other white-collar jobs.

That's great and all, but you don't understand how or where these jobs you speak of are going to come from. It's not as simple as forcing companies into handing out more jobs. You need to create a job-friendly environment to do so and Bernie Sanders has no idea how to do that. He's a socialist after all.

[ToPHeR]

douchebag, bush did whatever he wanted for 6 penetrating years. you oysters blocked everything obama did from the jump.

Wrong. See above about the Democrat Super-majority and how the Democrats did the same thing to Bush after his re-election. You act like this has never been done before...

Also, you act like Bush's policies are any different than Obama's. You loved Bush so much that you voted him in for 2 additional terms.

[GIVEMETHEMONEY]

Wrong. See above about the Democrat Super-majority and how the Democrats did the same thing to Bush after his re-election. You act like this has never been done before...

Also, you act like Bush's policies are any different than Obama's. You loved Bush so much that you voted him in for 2 additional terms.

Double wrong I agree offukkup's mantra, "I have a pen and a cell phone ." Yet the penetrating evil fukker would never go to Ferguson or Baltimore to make a speech and stop it.

What a fukkup piece of worthless shit!

[scumbag]

And you want to know why the Democrats only had those 60 days? Because they ended up using their Super Majority to "pass" a terrible bill called Obamacare when they could have done anything else that would have been more acceptable by the American public. They ended up losing their Super Majority because the public voted them out of office for it!

ah... yes... it's obama's fault that congress is a cesspool of corruption and instead of a strong bill featuring a public option; we get no public option and an individual mandate.

maybe you don't know who calls the shots in congress. hint: it's not obama or the congress people; it's special interests.

[DwightShrute]

Wrong. See above about the Democrat Super-majority and how the Democrats did the same thing to Bush after his re-election. You act like this has never been done before...

Also, you act like Bush's policies are any different than Obama's. You loved Bush so much that you voted him in for 2 additional terms.

Like you correctly stated, Obama had the house and Senate for 2 entire years. Did you get immigration reform done? Did he pass a budget? Did he set a plan for infrastructure rebuilding? Did he tackle the debt? Nope. He still had to bribe Dem senators to pass Obamacare. He promised to carry the healthcare debate live on c-span so that ALL Americans can see. 2 years to do so many things with a majority. Instead, he waited it out and so that he could blame the last guy and the GOP. That's how he was able to fundraise for another term. He is just a puppet to those that pay for his presidency. Obama's presidency is nothing but a failure and a big farce.

[scumbag]

Wrong. See above about the Democrat Super-majority and how the Democrats did the same thing to Bush after his re-election. You act like this has never been done before...

Also, you act like Bush's policies are any different than Obama's. You loved Bush so much that you voted him in for 2 additional terms.

you penetrating drooler! do you even math? we've seen unprecedented obstruction in obama's presidency (evidence: record number of filibusters). you penetrating people are incredibly stupid.

i said i voted for him once you moron.

[scumbag]

Like you correctly stated, Obama had the house and Senate for 2 entire years. He still had to bribe Dem senators to pass Obamacare. He promised to carry the healthcare debate live on c-span so that ALL Americans can see. 2 years to do so many things with a majority. Instead, he waited it out and so that he could blame the last guy and the GOP. That's how he was able to fundraise for another term. He is just a puppets to those that pay for his presidency. Obama's presidency is nothing but a failure and a big farce.

um... no he didn't you penetrating moron. we've been over this. you refuse to accept reality. bush had a filibuster proof majority for nearly 6 years and obama had one for 60 days. not two years you half-wit!

[ToPHeR]

ah... yes... it's obama's fault that congress is a cesspool of corruption and instead of a strong bill featuring a public option; we get no public option and an individual mandate.

maybe you don't know who calls the shots in congress. hint: it's not obama or the congress people; it's special interests.

It is his fault. He's the leader of the free world and should be setting an example for those who work for it. Instead of bringing people to work together, he chooses to lead by divide and conquer.

The bill you ended up with was a result of Democrats putting together a last minute, 2,000+ page piece of garbage that was passed in less than 48 hours after it was written just so they could get something on the books and try to use it as some sort of victory. Not a single Democrat who voted for the bill actually read the bill because it was physically impossible to read all of it in such a short amount of time....Remember the Pelosi "you have to pass the bill to find out what's in it"??? They never even thought about trying to work with Republicans to come up with a common sense resolution. It was all about putting something on the books to make them look successful and it backfired miserably and they paid for it dearly during midterms and still to this day...

^ That's why you lost your 60 days of super majority. The American public took it away.


Newsflash: Obama is told what to do by his special interests. You act like he's this high almighty somehow above it all...He doesn't do shit he believes in. Everything he does is given to him by Valerie Jarrett and her lobbyists.

p.s. who people are calling his mistress btw....

[GIVEMETHEMONEY]

It is his fault. He's the leader of the free world and should be setting an example for those who work for it. Instead of bringing people to work together, he chooses to lead by divide and conquer.

The bill you ended up with was a result of Democrats putting together a last minute, 2,000+ page piece of garbage that was passed in less than 48 hours after it was written just so they could get something on the books and try to use it as some sort of victory. Not a single Democrat who voted for the bill actually read the bill because it was physically impossible to read all of it in such a short amount of time....Remember the Pelosi "you have to pass the bill to find out what's in it"??? They never even thought about trying to work with Republicans to come up with a common sense resolution. It was all about putting something on the books to make them look successful and it backfired miserably and they paid for it dearly during midterms and still to this day...

^ That's why you lost your 60 days of super majority. The American public took it away.


Newsflash: Obama is told what to do by his special interests. You act like he's this high almighty somehow above it all...He doesn't do shit he believes in. Everything he does is given to him by Valerie Jarrett and her lobbyists.

p.s. who people are calling his mistress btw....

Yep that other evil bitch Nancy drugged up Pelosi said, "We must get the bill passed to find out what is in it."

In the beginning the evil bitch lied and said, "We will be th e most transparent government every!"

What an evil lying worthless peice of fukking shti that woman truly is!

[scumbag]

"the american public took it away".

ya... a bunch of morons fired up on glen beck screaming, "keep your gov hand off my medicare you death panel motherfuckers." um... excuse me toothless mcdrooler, death panels are happening in the private sector right now.

"they didn't read it"

you act like this is something new; you'd probably be shocked to learn that they didn't even write it.

"You act like he's this high almighty somehow above it all..."

no i simply stated the fact that he's better than republicans. there isn't a single republican candidate i'd rather have as president. obama is the best possible republican.


anyways... GTFO! i've got no interest in having some "obama v bush" discussion. and if bernie had any sense he'd be making distinctions not only between him and hillary -- but obama too.

[GIVEMETHEMONEY]

"the american public took it away".

ya... a bunch of morons fired up on glen beck screaming, "keep your gov hand off my medicare you death panel motherfuckers." um... excuse me toothless mcdrooler, death panels are happening in the private sector right now.

"they didn't read it"

you act like this is something new; you'd probably be shocked to learn that they didn't even write it.

"You act like he's this high almighty somehow above it all..."

no i simply stated the fact that he's better than republicans. there isn't a single republican candidate i'd rather have as president. obama is the best possible republican.


anyways... GTFO! i've got no interest in having some "obama v bush" discussion. and if bernie had any sense he'd be making distinctions not only between him and hillary -- but obama too.

STFU you senile old fart!

You just want freebies coming to you.

That is why you love the commies and fukking socialist so much!

[rkelly110]

STFU you senile old fart!

You just want freebies coming to you.

That is why you love the commies and fukking socialist so much!

That would be me.

[GIVEMETHEMONEY]

That would be me.

Yep you are a DEMONAZICOMMIEFUKKUPCRAPPY absolutely worthless piece of shit who never contributed to society!

[scumbag]

Yep you are a DEMONAZICOMMIEFUKKUPCRAPPY absolutely worthless piece of shit who never contributed to society!

GTFO of here low-life! rkelly is 10x the man you are.

[ToPHeR]

"the american public took it away".

ya... a bunch of morons fired up on glen beck screaming, "keep your gov hand off my medicare you death panel motherfuckers." um... excuse me toothless mcdrooler, death panels are happening in the private sector right now.

Right, because a handful of tv program viewers decide an election....

You have the IQ of a typical Obama supporter

[DwightShrute]

Yep you are a DEMONAZICOMMIEFUKKUPCRAPPY absolutely worthless piece of shit who never contributed to society!

Ya he thinks different and is usually wrong but rk is one of the only decent liberals on here. He debates like it's supposed to be done.

[grease lightnin]

I would have no doubt they include that in their number. However, it is not still job creation. Governments DO NOT create jobs. I seriously might have to put that on my gravestone. I could one-up this lady...

Her dad probably listens to Limbaugh.

You may think that it doesn't count for job creation but the dept of labor does, and whether you or Topher recognize their numbers or not they ARE the authority on job creation. If they weren't, then the Fed, or more importantly, wall street wouldn't consider their employment data the gold standard, but they do.

Think about it though, all the people who have these jobs get paychecks, and spend their money creating profits for all sorts of companies and shareholders. It all goes in the gdp pot. Those jobs do count, and the govt does create them.

[ToPHeR]

You're missing the point. The u4 rate the labor dept uses isn't accurate. Just because it is below 6% doesn't mean 94% of the country has decent paying jobs making money. The real reason it's low is because of the workforce participation rate being at an all time low meaning people out of work for over a year arnt counted anymore which means the u4 rate drops. It has nothing to do with gaining more jobs. Additionally, most of the jobs added are low pay, part time Jobs but the u4 rate doesn't make a distinction .

This has no effect on the fed or Wallstreet at all because it simply doesn't matter. The fed has been on QE since Obama came in in 08 hence the market being over inflated at all time highs. Once the fed ends QE you will see a big adjustment and prices come back down to actual levels. This is also why you see record wealth inequality. The majority of people making money in the markets are actually a minority because a small amount of the population has any kind of savings fund, much less a portfolio with stocks.

[grease lightnin]

I said what I said because brooks said govt doesn't create jobs. I am not arguing the laborforce participation rate, you are correct, although more of that is due to an aging population than most who bring it up give credit.

QE ended 4th qtr 2014, guy.

[ToPHeR]

Guy, that was QE3. QE4 is right around the corner probably in December. The fed has been delaying the inevitable for months by not hiking rates and is going to start another round of QE instead. QE never ends, they just add another number to it.

[grease lightnin]

Um....could they start another round? Yes. Is that probable? No. Probability is higher that they raise rates than they start more QE.

Nice answer though, I will give you the benefit of the doubt that you knew what you were talking about even though you were insinuating that the stock market would crash when qe stopped when it has been stopped for a year and the market is 4% off all-time highs...

[rkelly110]

GTFO of here low-life! rkelly is 10x the man you are.

Ya he thinks different and is usually wrong but rk is one of the only decent liberals on here. He debates like it's supposed to be done.

Thanks guys.

[grease lightnin]

This has no effect on the fed or Wallstreet at all because it simply doesn't matter. The fed has been on QE since Obama came in in 08 hence the market being over inflated at all time highs. Once the fed ends QE you will see a big adjustment and prices come back down to actual levels.

Yeah this really doesn't sound like you knew QE stopped a year ago.

[scumbag]

Right, because a handful of tv program viewers decide an election....

You have the IQ of a typical Obama supporter

right wing media does sway elections. especially midterms.

Conservative media has gotten big enough to sway elections

There's been dedicated conservative media since the post–World War II years, and it has always had the same concerns — the nefarious role of immigrants, the perfidy of elites, the corruption of the welfare state — but for most of that time, it simply hasn't been big, well-funded, or stable enough to serve as conservatives' only media. It existed as a hectoring presence on the periphery of the Republican Party.
That began changing in the '90s with talk radio and Fox News, both of which found enormous financial success and signaled to wealthy conservatives that media is worth funding (and could potentially take down a president).
The early success of Rush Limbaugh and Fox prompted an explosion of new voices, shows, magazines, and (more recently) digital media like blogs and podcasts. There are now hundreds of conservative media outlets, not only the national ones you've heard of but regional, local, and niche outlets that speak directly and exclusively to the conservative (read: older white male) demographic. It's a full media ecosystem; there's no longer any need for conservatives to stray outside it to stay informed, or "informed."

http://www.vox.com/2015/7/30/9074761/conservative-media-republican-party

says the drooler that needs to be told for a 3rd time: i don't support obama. i do think he's better than you oysters on a handful of issues and equally as bad on the rest.

you were probably the kind of moron who was happy republicans won big in 14'; so they could work with the ****** on behalf of the corporate state to shove another trade deal down our throats.

[DABOOK]

No. Wait. What does that mean? Probably one of the dumber statements I have seen on here. Totally pointless with no facts to back it up. Are you on mind altering meds? You think you know me? Not at all. I like to read a lot. I dont listen to what people tell me. Lets Look at the facts.
Blue states : Highest income states, highest I.Q. , highest % HS Diploma , highest % college degree. Less religion.
Red states : lower income. Lower I.Q. Lower % HS diploma, lower % College degree. More religion
Again. Dont listen to me. Look it up for yourself. It is a fact.

A few things to consider
1. The top 1 % now owns 40% of wealth , while those in the middle class are making less than they were decades ago, when incomes are adjusted for inflation. America is behind Europe in terms of income inequality. Income inequality goes hand in hand with inequality of opportunity , so that those born at the bottom are condemned to almost certainly remain there.
2. Virtually all senators and most representatives are from the top 1 % and know that if they serve the top 1 % they will be rewarded by the top 1 %
3 The chances of a poor or middle class citizen making it to the top in America are smaller than in many European countries and in all other advanced countries.
4. Almost a quarter of American children under age 5 live in poverty. Among developed countries , only Romania has a higher rate of child poverty. Those children have almost no chance of living the American dream.
5 We spend more on healthcare than any other country.
6. If tax rates on return capital were simply equal to the rates imposed on those who actually work for a living , we could realize an extra $2 Trillion dollars in ten years.
7.While economic forces cause gaps between rich and poor , public policy on taxation , the minimum wage , health care , and education are more responsible.
8 People who are well off and live apart from those of lesser means are divorced from economic problems faced by the shrinking middle class.
The above was originally written by Nobel Prize winner Joseph E Stiglitz. He knows that our country has been become morally wrong. It is obvious. The rich get richer. The rest of us (Working middle class) get less than ever. Only one canidate has addressed these issues.

[rkelly110]

To be fair to Reagan, the rich and corporations were enjoying the fact that women were entering the workforce
before Reagan took office.

My mother was a stay at home mom. By the time I was at working age and got married, it took two incomes
to get ahead. Still going on today.

With women entering the workforce, it took down wages. Companies hiring women could pay them less.
Still going on today.

Back to Reagan with his trickle down economics has hurt income equality. Still going on today.

With the influx of illegals, takes down wages. Companies are hiring them legally (so they think, big business in forged
ss numbers and ID's) or knowingly illegally (paying them under the table).

Trade agreements allowing companies to move offshore brings down wages here also.

Elected officials bought by the rich and corporations brings us down in wages.

Health insurance companies taking over the working mans paycheck. (Huge)

Add up all of them together, it's a wonder we aren't a 3rd world country.

[scumbag]

bernie crushing it: they've divided us on black and white, straight and gay, man and women, religious and nonreligious. the end result is the rich are richer and all the rest of us are left fighting amongst each other.

he's keeping it real! getting right to the heart of the matter.

[scumbag]

sup dabook? i like how you roll!

[DABOOK]

sup dabook? i like how you roll!

Indeed. You got the shot -gun I got the brief case. It's all in the game.