Statement by Bernie Sanders on President Obama's State of the Union Address

[Cali_Democrat]

Sanders Statement on State of the Union
News Release – Sen. Bernie Sanders
Jan. 28, 2014

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement tonight after President Barack Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress:

“I welcome President Obama’s focus on reducing inequality and helping working families in America. The American economy is not sustainable when so few have so much and so many have so little. It’s a moral issue and it’s an economic issue.

“The American people, no matter what part of the country they are from or what political party they support, want us to put millions of people back to work. They want to deal with income and wealth inequality. They want us to raise the minimum wage.

“I applaud the president’s decision to issue an executive order which will raise wages for hundreds of thousands of workers, an issue that I and other senators have been working on for months. The president has made it clear that employees working for government contractors should not be paid starvation wages. This executive order also gives us momentum for raising the minimum wage for every worker in this country to at least $10.10 an hour.”

http://vtdigger.org/2014/01/29/sanders-statement-state-union/

[geek tragedy]

1. Wait, he didn't cry that he had been betrayed and that the speech crushed the hope in his soul?

Just another DLC sellout!!!!

(because it's necessary)

[Cha]

71. Mad Men creator Matt Weiner is another "sellout" out too.. he

was "honored that his show was part of the much needed conversation".

"President Obama’s surprise shout-out to Mad Men in his State of the Union address Tuesday night earned an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the show’s creator."

http://tvline.com/2014/01/29/mad-men-state-of-the-union-obama-matt-weiner/

[adirondacker]

80. "Obama’s ‘Modest’ Agenda Sen. Bernie Sanders called President Barack Obama’s State of the Union

address “modest” and added, during an interview on The Ed Schultz Show, that the president missed opportunities to speak about campaign finance reform and other important issues."

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/013014

[geek tragedy]

85. all very valid points. nt

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. Look out Bernie!

[Whisp]

6. Pic of Cool Bus, ready for Major Underthrowing:

It's like the Jaws of Buses.



boomboom boomboom boomboom

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. Daayyuummm!!!

[stevenleser]

7. At this rate, we are going to need one of these to accommodate everyone under the bus

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. That is H-U-G-E!!!!

[Whisp]

10. awwww, that looks like two buses kissing after a good meal. n/t

[underpants]

26. one of the buses is sick and the other one is pushing it to the doctor

that's what I was told when I was a kid

[pkdu]

3. Lots (49) of views , no recs , one comment , you know they didn't read what

they hoped to see from Sanders.

[geek tragedy]

5. they knew it was positive because it wasn't posted by a member

of their club

[1StrongBlackMan]

32. LOL n/t

[SunSeeker]

35. No kidding. It's like high school all over again around here.

[VanillaRhapsody]

40. I think the word we are looking for here is "clique"

just like the Mean Girls!

[Whisp]

46. the Prom Kings and Queens are not amused! n/t

[VanillaRhapsody]

49. Because we are laughing at their non-existent prom gowns and tuxes!

Seems they bought them in the "Emporer's New Clothes" bargain basement. Maybe they need to shop elsewhere!

[Whisp]

50. Talk about transparency! ewwww, my eyes!

[dotymed]

60. We are not allowed to post

about Obama cheerleaders,...are we?

[SunSeeker]

72. You just did. nt

[Whisp]

4. K&R

[Blue_In_AK]

11. I'm sorry, but you guys are sounding desperate.

Do you really think that ANYONE here doesn't applaud the president when he wants to raise wages by whatever means necessary and focus on inequality? If he follows up the speech with action, even better.

[tridim]

13. Yes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4400065

It's pathetic Obama hate, nothing more.

[ProSense]

15. It's

"better late than never": http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024409411#post2

[Blue_In_AK]

16. In fairness, it IS difficult to live on $10.10 in a lot of places,

but the president can only do so much given the recalcitrant congress.

[Scootaloo]

30. Don't expect some posters here to comprehend that

I welcome a minimum wage of $10.10 and applaud Obama for "going there." really, it is a hell of a bold step on his part

But the sad reality of the matter is that even that is not enough. That's not a fault of the president's, it's just the way the bills balance out. $10.10 is survivable, but it's not really something you can advance on - unless you want to wait four decades' worth of saving a pittance in order to buy something nice.

[VanillaRhapsody]

43. but it IS Progress...

and that is what all "Progressives" want isn't it? By some of the posts around here one has to wonder...

[Scootaloo]

51. $10.10 is a great start, but it shoudn't be the finish line, too.

[VanillaRhapsody]

52. No one ever said it was the end....but your displeasure is duly noted...

[Scootaloo]

53. Might want to start taking better notes

It's not displeasure. It's not even dissatisfaction. It's expectation.

[VanillaRhapsody]

54. OH BELIEVE me...I HAVE been taking notes....

[Scootaloo]

55. Well, if that was an example, you need to up the quality

[VanillaRhapsody]

57. no the quality....is completely reliant on those that the notes are taken about!

which sets that bar pretty damn low.

[Scootaloo]

58. I think you've lost the simile.

Anyway. $10.10. Good. Could be better. Next topic.

[VanillaRhapsody]

79. Simile

sim·i·le
ˈsiməlē/Submit
noun
noun: simile; plural noun: similes
1.
a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g., as brave as a lion, crazy like a fox ).

[noiretextatique]

59. be happy with crumbs, you peon

and so very thankful it is better than nothing, but only half of what it should be.

[Cali_Democrat]

17. Now people can't even post direct word-for-word statements from Bernie Sanders...

without being called desperate.

It's like the person is mad I posted a statement from Bernie Sanders on DU.

Unreal.

[1StrongBlackMan]

39. They may be mad ...

you posted THAT Bernie statement ... had Bernie (or EW) came out critical of President Obama's SOTU Address (or anything about President Obama) you wouldn't be "desperate", but rather, a "free thinking, principles over party" kind of guy/gal.

[VanillaRhapsody]

44. +whatever big number you can think of...

[Cali_Democrat]

47. Sooo true!!!!

[L0oniX]

25. "It's pathetic Obama hate, nothing more." LOL jeeze

[VanillaRhapsody]

45. How would YOU explain the cognitive dissonance?

Elizabeth Warren AND Bernie Sanders are now the enemies too apparently!

[Egalitarian Thug]

21. It's all they've got.

When defending the indefensible, the options are limited. Too many of the actions taken by the Goldman-Sachs administration are indefensible, so what choice do they have?

I'm sure the same people promoting a pro forma press release as an endorsement, were trying to shout "Rep. Kucinich voted for the ACA, therefore even he supports it" here as they were on Kos, back in 2009.

[treestar]

31. lol,no desperate is searching

for a word, just any word, to prove Bernie and Elizabeth Warren aren't backing that corporatist sellout!

[Phlem]

37. OMG.

-p

[uponit7771]

68. Been around DU lately? FUD is thicker than a Snicker

[Blue_In_AK]

69. You got me on that one.

I had to look it up. Yes, there does seem to be plenty of that to go around.

[Jamaal510]

73. Be vewy quiet; it's Elmer FUD season on DU. Huhuhuhuh...

[stupidicus]

84. obviously this point of agreement trumps his many criticisms

and exonerates him of his prior racism and ODS.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Bernie+snaders+obama+criticisms&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7RNQN_enUS484

[sheshe2]

12. Bernie Sanders and John Lewis too?!

How dare they support what the President said last night.

Thanks for letting us know, Cali_Democrat.

[Jefferson23]

14. Why wouldn't he support him?

This executive order also gives us momentum for raising the minimum wage for every worker in this country to at least $10.10 an hour.”

The sooner the better, Obama.

[TBF]

18. $10.10/hr isn't a lot in New York City -

but it's a lot in Peoria. I wish he had gone for $12 (for negotiating purposes) but this is a positive step. If he can pass an executive order to get folks to $10.10 that would be an awesome start.

Folks need to remember that many of the battles we won 100 years ago (8 hour days, weekends, child labor laws) we did with UNIONS. Painting signs, marching, sometimes dying in the process (see: Haymarket Affair). I'm not advocating violence but I am saying that we need to be prepared to fight out here in the field. Unionizing low wage employees should be our primary thing. We can vote and all that - but in the end the president is an administrator who does his best. Most victories for the working class come from our own efforts to push things forward.

[Iliyah]

19. OOPSIE

How dare him! Same with Warren!

2014 and thereafter, the fight is on to win congress and keep the Presidency blue!

Thanks and K&R

We are not standing still.

[Maedhros]

20. Looks like Bernie does what I do:

Praise the President when he does things that I support, condemn him when he does things that are reprehensible.

What's the problem?

[Rex]

22. The problem here is that some worship the ground he walks on and knee jerk any

negative reaction.

You know, non-critical thinkers. People that only see things in black and white. I too (like you) can separate each and every individual thing he does and praise/criticize accordingly. Of course that makes me an instant hater with the Binary crowd, but they are a lost cause I'm afraid.

[Maedhros]

23. I'm not into hero worship.

Bernie, more often than not, holds positions with which I agree.

[Rex]

24. I am very wary of blindly following any leader.

History shows that usually leads to disaster.

[Phlem]

28. +1000000

I don't get why this is so hard to understand?

yeay TTP!

-p

[Rex]

29. Some have no respect for history imo.

They pretend THIS TIME will be different.

[Phlem]

34. I know.

everyone complains that R's are lemmings cause they walk in lock step, but this is what we want too? To support a third way candidate non the less.



-p

[Cali_Democrat]

27. I just posted a direct word-for-word statement from Bernie himself without commentary

Where did I say there's a problem?

Oh that's right....I didn't.

[Maedhros]

33. I apologize - I was responding to a number of commenters who were hyperventilating

over the assumed cognitive dissonance imposed upon so-called Bernie worshipers by his statement.

[Iliyah]

42. The posters were commenting on a previous thread where Sen. Warren had

a positive statement as well and she basically was thrown under the bus by so called worshipers. The comments like mine was in line with that thread. Majority DUers here can agree to disagree with totally respect for each other.

K & R

[Scootaloo]

41. If you ever disagree with the president, it means you're on Rand Paul's presidential campaign

Or so, I've been told by a few posters.

I'm puzzled about why Cali_Democrat has suddenly decided Sanders is worth listening to.

[VanillaRhapsody]

48. hmmmmm funny seems EVERYTHING this President does is reprehensible to some around here

so Yeah...good question...

What IS their problem?

[Maedhros]

62. The thing I find most reprehensible is posters that drag down the quality of discourse on this site

with vapid middle-school ejaculations with no content and no real objective other than to ridicule other posters.

[VanillaRhapsody]

63. right because disagreeing with them is just so "ejaculate"

right....hatred is the new love!

I ridicule the ridiculous....

[Maedhros]

65. ejac·u·la·tion:

: a short and sudden expression of emotion

Vocabulary is your friend.

[VanillaRhapsody]

77. did i say I had a problem with what "ejaculation" means?

do I really look like the kind of girl that doesn't know something about that?

Seriously...GMAFB!

[Maedhros]

88. Look: your schtick is old and worn thin.

Your posts are empty. They bring nothing to the debate other than middle-school taunts. You don't cite sources, you don't provide insight, you don't engage in good-faith discussion.

You insult people and post snark. That's pretty thin gruel for a political forum.

[VanillaRhapsody]

89. I don't have a "schtick".....

I ridicule the ridiculous...
But you must not pay attention... I often cite the dictionary for example...incase you've noticed that! For an example see my sig line

Your attempt to smear me with this "schtick" of yours is the REALLY thin gruel!

[Maedhros]

90. No, you ridicule positions with which you disagree

as a way to avoid the necessity of framing logical arguments, presumably because there is no evidence to support your arguments, because you are unable to find the evidence supporting your arguments, or because you do not understand how to construct a logical argument.

[VanillaRhapsody]

91. No I ridicule the ridiculous posted at a Democratic Forum...

nothing more nothing less...and I provide lots of evidence. You not agreeing with them is YOUR problem not mine.

Here is something for your ridiculous post

ri·dic·u·lous
riˈdikyələs/Submit
adjective
1.
deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd.
"when you realize how ridiculous these scenarios are, you will have to laugh"
synonyms: laughable, absurd, comical, funny, hilarious, risible, droll, amusing, farcical, silly, ludicrous; More

[Maedhros]

92. Please show me the posts you've made in which you:

1. Constructed an argument.
2. Backed it up with facts.
3. Provided links to independent sources supporting those facts.

There might be one or two of your posts out there I've missed, but I haven't seen you do anything other than what you just did now: sneer at posters you don't like.

[VanillaRhapsody]

93. There's ALOT you've missed...and I am not your researcher...

I sooooo believe you have read EVERY post I have ever made...yeah right! I AM sneering and ridiculing THIS notion.

And by the way....what do YOU call what you are doing right now? Substantive?

[Maedhros]

94. No, it's not substantive. I'm feeding a troll.[n/t]

[VanillaRhapsody]

95. No actually you are BEING one!

big difference...

You are trolling ME...I didn't start this discussion YOU did!

The epitome of hypocrite!

Pot calls kettle black!

[VanillaRhapsody]

78. and sarcasm is NOT YOUR friend...

[demmiblue]

67. +1

[frwrfpos]

36. recommend

[VanillaRhapsody]

38. Under the bus with Bernie and Elizabeth Warren...

is their anyone left that deserves tire marks by their standard?

[Whisp]

61. What do you think of this for their new logo?

Or this one for a more realistic feel:



We can work on the slogan, how about:
Please tread on me?

[grantcart]

76. both of them hate food stamps, don't you know?

[sulphurdunn]

64. Raising minimum wages

and creating jobs is not part of the corporate business model anymore than saving the planet from environmental collapse. If someone can find a may for corporations to make more money doing those things than they do now by screwing the world let me know.

[Oilwellian]

66. I loved this part

“The American people, no matter what part of the country they are from or what political party they support, want us to put millions of people back to work. They want to deal with income and wealth inequality. They want us to raise the minimum wage.

It was a fairly short response and only focused on raising the minimum wage, so as Sen. Sanders said, we all agree that's a good move on Obama's part. But we also know Senator Sanders disagrees with Obama on many issues, so I find it rather amusing to see the desperation in this OP for his approval on just this one issue. Realistically, we will never see Bernie Sanders bow down to all of Obama's policies and a huge majority of us will continue to voice our concerns.

[Cali_Democrat]

70. Why are you trying to make his statement into a divisive issue?

Why can't we just appreciate his statement and the fact that both Bernie and Obama believe in raising the minimum wage?

Why the focus on disagreements or the reference to amusing desperation in your post?

"Bow down"? Seriously?

It's funny how I can post the EXACT WORD-FOR-WORD statement from Bernie only to get a response like this from you.

This is simply a statement from Bernie...you can agree or disagree with him. I don't care. But trying to make it into a divisive issue is rather pathetic.

You're better than that.

[blackspade]

74. Bernie!

Bernie calling it like it is!
Obama is right on about this topic.
Now I want to see follow through.

[morningfog]

75. Recommend! I totally agree.

This is a good proactive move that can be built into momentum. I like that Obama put pressure not only on Congress, but on states, too. He called on Governors to follow his lead.

There were a lot of great points to his speech. Honestly, probably the most optimistic and forward thinking SOTU I've heard since the Clinton years.

[Armstead]

81. UMMMMMMM....Please read this as an addendum

From Sen. Sanders website:
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/

Obama’s ‘Modest’ Agenda

Sen. Bernie Sanders called President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address “modest” and added, during an interview on The Ed Schultz Show, that the president missed opportunities to speak about campaign finance reform and other important issues. NBC’s chief White House correspondent, Chuck Todd, on MSNBC called Obama’s address a speech that “both Bernie Sanders and Mark Pryor could agree on.” Sanders welcomed the president’s focus on reducing inequality and helping working families, WCAX-TV reported.

[stupidicus]

83. well that, coupled with other critiques, surely makes him a racist ODS sufferer

no?

[stupidicus]

82. this is supposed to be a surprise or something why?

oh that's right, Bernie made a very narrow and specific case for something he's long championed.

What does he think do you suppose about the TPP promoted, the confusing "let's drill baby"/"awk awk climate change!" stuff, etc.

It's not like he supports everything BHO's proposed, and really just a kudo for one thing he does.

Is that supposed to irritate someone or something, or serve to mitigate the criticisms he's leveled against BHO for which his worshippers have had no defense?

[Oilwellian]

86. Oh, c'mon, join in with the pedants

We're supposed to throw Bernie under the bus! He betrayed us by agreeing with one issue Obama mentioned in his speech. If you had a grade school mentality, you would understand that means Bernie supports everything Obama wants! Don't you see???

[stupidicus]

87. LoL

that sums it up nicely, and illustrates as well as anything could how desperate they are to defend the often indefensible.

As I've noted repeatedly, while they may not share much with the rightwingnuts in terms of policy povs, they use the same playbook on defense. Logic and reason take a back seat to whatever works through the miracle of positive reinforcement within the "centrist/Third Way/etc" tribe.

it's much the same dynamics to be found in a grade school popularity contest, for sure.