Burn-ie Sanders: Vermont governor endorses Hillary Clinton

[NCTraveler]

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin endorsed Hillary Clinton for president Tuesday, the same day his Green Mountain companion Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his official presidential campaign kickoff event.

The Democratic governor tweeted his support from his campaign account, calling her “a lifelong champion for everday Americans.”

Meanwhile, Sanders, an independent senator and self-described democratic socialist, is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. On Tuesday, he announced the details of his waterfront campaign kickoff event in Burlington, Vermont on May 26 (which includes free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream).

Shumlin isn’t the first Vermonter to take Clinton’s side over Sanders. Former Vermont governor and 2004 presdential candidate Howard Dean endorsed Clinton back in December.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2015/05/20/burn-sanders-vermont-governor-endorses-hillary-clinton/NwOYhSK0Arh4L7ZDFVoXZL/story.html

While I am not big on the headline, Clinton is working her tail off. Her coalition is growing at a rapid pace and the right wingers have been left with faux controversies that are helping her cause in the end. Hillary has great people backing her and that group will continue to grow at a rapid pace.

[Thinkingabout]

1. YEA

[safeinOhio]

2. May not matter, but

Bernie's coalition is growing at a rapid pace for not having big money interest backing it.

[NCTraveler]

5. No doubt it is.

One of the best parts of starting with limited name recognition is the exponential growth one sees. Sanders is currently experiencing that and it is great. The more power he can gain in the party the better off we all are.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. ...

[democrank]

4. I guarantee this came as no surprise to Bernie Sanders.

Unless some crazy shift happened overnight, Sanders has far more support here than Shumlin.

[NCTraveler]

6. I would hope it came as no surprise to him.

He had to have lobbied for the endorsement in person or by way of advisors. I doubt there are any big surprises to Sanders here at all. That doesn't mean it is not a huge positive for Clinton.

[karynnj]

67. Maybe not - Shumlin is not worth winning over

Dean, on the other hand would be - as would Madeline Kunin, who is incredible and has made getting women in politics an issue for decades.

I seriously doubt ANY effort was made to get Shumlin.

[BeyondGeography]

7. She is a much more realistic choice and he doesn't want to have to wait an extra hour

for disaster relief when there's flooding in VT.

[cali]

9. Shumlin is done in Vermont. Most unpopular Guv

in decades- maybe ever-

He barely got re-elected in the bluest of states last year, running against a complete neophyte repub. It got thrown into the statehouse where dems have supermajority and he's so disliked by dems that some voted against him in protest.

His term ends at the end of 2016 and he literally couldn't get elected shit collector here. He's angling for a job with HRC.

[BeyondGeography]

12. It's always something

He's obviously brown-nosing. Whatever Shumlin's situation in VT, this is bad optics for Bernie, coming right before he announces.

[cali]

21. as you can see I wrote about Scummy 8 months ago

and you're right- The he did this on purpose. It's a nasty thing to do- not just to Bernie but to Vermonters- who will just despise him even more- though really he did that long ago- cheating his poor disabled neighbor out of his land was really it for Scummy.

Hillary supporters should be proud of Scum's endorsement. It just radiates class.

[yeoman6987]

51. I doubt 99 percent know any of that

All they know is that Senator Sanders' home governor endorsed another candidate. That is all voters know. They don't know about internal conflicts in the state.

[KingCharlemagne]

17. Notice how your substantive replies get zero response from the OP? Telling. - nt

[NCTraveler]

22. I replied to that poster before you posted this. nt.

This site stamps each post with a time. So unless you just "overlooked" it, or feel her other post I replied to completely lacked substance, you are being dishonest.

[stevenleser]

43. That person should delete that post and apologize, but of course they won't. nt

[cali]

45. So I shouldn't have written about Scummy back in November?

He's detested here- and I detailed why months ago with more detail added in this thread.

[stevenleser]

46. Not you. The person to whom she replied. nt

[KingCharlemagne]

56. Actually, you are the one being dishonest. You did not respond to Cali's post #9, either

before or after I posted. But whatever you've got to tell yourself.

[NCTraveler]

58. Time stamps. You can't run from them. Your post is clear.

I haven't responded to thousand's of cali posts. As you haven't either. Your post here is dishonest and this site gives certain tools for transparency. Time stamp being one of them.

[KingCharlemagne]

59. Buzz off. Your post about 'transparency' is singularly untransparent in its lack

of specificity.

[NCTraveler]

61. Interesting tactic. Make a dishonest post and then tell me to buzz off my own op.

I like this. It's unique and fun.

[Arkana]

53. Why's he so hated?

[karynnj]

68. Read Cali's posts

He cheated a disabled neighbor out of his property for a fraction of its value - in spite of Shumlin being very wealthy.

[cali]

8. And boy can she have that endorsement- from a creep who cheated his disabled neighbor

out of his land.

and from the most unpopular guv we've had in memory. Shumlin barely won reelection last year in the bluest of blue states. It went to legislature and even some dems voted against him.

Here's more on Scummy Shummy from a post I wrote last year. I have no problem with him endorsing HRC, but I think his timing is pure scummy shummy- a few days before Bernie's big VT kickoff. This so illustrates why we Vermonters dislike him. Shummy's done in VT. He's angling for a job in an HRC admin.

In a state this small, you can't get away for too long with the shit Peter Shumlin has pulled. Yes, he's supposedly the most liberal governor in the country, but his incompetency, the ongoing disaster of the health exchange, his lack of virtually any good relationships with fellow lawmakers in his own party, and the nasty story about his cheating a poor neighbor out of his property, all caught up with him. In Vermont, all politics are super local.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025816030

Gov. Peter Shumlin had to sneak out the back door of his own inauguration.

That should tell you a thing or two about how politically weakened the East Montpelier Democrat finds himself as he settles in to a third two-year term.

Blocking Shumlin's path from the dais of the Vermont House to its front entrance Thursday afternoon was a group of Vermont Workers' Center activists irate over his decision three weeks ago to scrap his long-promised single-payer health care plan. After the governor concluded his inaugural remarks, the protesters sat down in the center aisle and would not leave the House for more than five hours, at which point the Vermont State Police arrested 29 of them.

Left-wing health care advocates weren't the only ones standing in Shumlin's path. Earlier in the day, 69 members of the Vermont legislature took the remarkable step of voting against returning him to office, despite the fact that he won a plurality in last November's election.

<snip>

http://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2015/01/09/analysis-peter-shumlins-no-good-very-bad-day

[NCTraveler]

10. She will take it.

As she will with all endorsements. As will Sanders. Great start to her campaign. A campaign that will have nothing to do with privatizing social security. I'm sure you now agree with that. Dean is another great endorsement. Really the list is long and full of great people who are working to move the country forward. We have two excellent candidates working for progress. Go Sanders and Clinton.

Supports single payer health care.
First governor to preside a same-sex wedding
Helped implement the first state with universal healthcare
Signed a bill making Vermont the first state banning hydraulic fracturing
2012 Election - Beat Brock 58 to 37 percent
Signed bill making physician assisted suicide legal
Worked for the decriminalization of mj
Held a pro-choice rally two days before one of his elections
Signed a GMO labeling bill


I can see why you don't like him.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. She hired Clay Middleton, a longtime aide to S.C. Rep. James Clyburn to lead her S.C. campaign

Bookmark this post...She will get >80% of the SC Democratic primary vote . That is if she hasn't vanquished all her opponents by then.

[Robbins]

24. well if that happens

I won't have to bother with voting.The democratic party has no place anymore for liberals.Obama has proven this.I am not being fooled again.

It's pointless for me to vote for congress since stuck in republican district.I am fed up with dems here In Missouri.They are just useless.

Hillary winning would prove there are just 2 branches of corporate party.Liberals have no place in eather party then.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

27. Let me preface my remarks by saying if I have a choice...

Let me preface my remarks by saying if I have a choice I would much rather make a friend than an enemy ... If I named at least a half dozen issues where any Democratic presidential candidate will be better for folks like us than his or Republican opponent could I convince you to vote for him or her?

[Robbins]

34. after obama

I am deeply scenicil.i would kill myself before voting republicans.

Bernie sanders has a long history that has earned my support.I don't have amnesia from 1992 to present.

It's personal for me as disabled american on social safety net.I don't have time for these corporate loving dems who talk one way to get elected and do another when in office.I supported obama over hillary and for long time even defended him.TPP finally convinced
me i was complete idiot to do so.Hillary is poentialy even worse being more hawkish than him and clintons have history of being even more corporate friendly

[DemocratSinceBirth]

37. If you are disabled you should be scared to death...

I'm resigned to corporate power. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to temper it and bend it, even if by a little bit, to our will but it isn't going away...It sure ain't something the Republicants will fix.



That being said you if are disabled you should be scared to death of Republicans controlling the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Without the veto power of a Democratic president a Republican House and Senate can repeal the Affordable Care Act and turn Medicaid into a block grant program. That means poor folks will be left to the tender mercies of their state governments, most of which are controlled by Republicants.

I can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good or not so good...

[Robbins]

44. Dems

already went along with one cut to food stamps.

If republicans had been willing to put rasing taxes on wealthy on table Obama was prepared to put cuts to social safety net.

despite what clintons think the words "Bi-partisan" is terrable word.

The social safety net is under attack and few dems will stand up for it with supporting all these corporate handouts and endless wars.

Besides here in Missouri my vote is pretty much worthless.as well as many dems In Missouri useless.as aftermath of michael brown shooting proved you can't get any justice here.

What's the point when dems act like republicans.

[eloydude]

62. I'm exactly in the same boat you are in, Robbins.

I'm disabled, on social safety net. Two issues comes before me, as I'm still young enough to work (i'm 39) but having difficulty finding jobs,

[JaneyVee]

11. Shumlin under the bus.

The weird thing about purists is that they wouldn't seem to mind handing over control of 90% of senate and congress to the tea party as long as their favorite 3 ideological purist senators remain. Hey I'm all about quality over quantity, but these days it takes 60 to pass a bill.

[Robbins]

15. How about

support a leader who will lead and fight for people instead of sucking up to wall street and attacking liberals instead of republicans.

TPP proves voting for people just because they have a dem infront of their name will get us nothing.

[cali]

23. Obviously- as the post from November that I reposted indicates

I, and most Vermonters were done with Scummy, quite some time ago.

And I'm not remotely a purist. I don't have problem, for instance, with Murphy being dem candidate in Fl. I do have a problem with Scummy- anyone who cheats his poor, disabled neighbor out of his land, is just that- scum.

[Robbins]

13. Corporate dem supporting the choice of the corporations

what a shock.

[NCTraveler]

14. Opposition noted.

Supports single payer health care.
First governor to preside a same-sex wedding
Helped implement the first state with universal healthcare
Signed a bill making Vermont the first state banning hydraulic fracturing
Signed bill making physician assisted suicide legal
Worked for the decriminalization of mj
Held a pro-choice rally two days before one of his elections
Signed a GMO labeling bill

Lets say a Barbara Boxer endorses Clinton. Will you attack her as being corporate? Do you attack all progressives as being corporate?

[Robbins]

19. Obama attacked liberals who oppose TPP

She is candiate of wall street,banks,and corporations.

True liberals would be supporting a real liberal like Bernie Sanders not corporist like Hillary Clintons.

The clinton vs Sanders race will prove if there really are 2 partys and not just 2 branchs of same one the corporate party.

Of course the MSM will try to deny the exsistance of Bernie Sanders in race as much as possable as even MSNBC is doing.

[cali]

25. I like Boxer. I respect her. I will have NO problem with her when she

inevitably endorses HRC. Hell, I won't have a problem with Pat Leahy when he does. At all. But what Scummy is doing is tacky to the max. He's deliberately stepping on Sander's official kickoff.

And you realize there are reasons why Vermonters detest the guv, right? All you have to do is read my post from November.

Labor and Public Interest Groups here detest him and so do most Vermonters. He literally couldn't get elected to sweep the sidewalks in Montpelier.

[NCTraveler]

33. How many terms has he been elected to the governorship?

Other state offices?

Did he play a role in any of this?

Supports single payer health care.
First governor to preside a same-sex wedding
Helped implement the first state with universal healthcare
Signed a bill making Vermont the first state banning hydraulic fracturing
Signed bill making physician assisted suicide legal
Worked for the decriminalization of mj
Held a pro-choice rally two days before one of his elections
Signed a GMO labeling bill

[cali]

48. Fail. Supports cuts to the social safety net, cuts to education

against raising taxes on his fellow wealthy citizens
Bashes unions
cheated a disabled, poor neighbor in a land deal
did NOT work to come up with a plan to support single payer

Socially liberal and works against economic justice.

Vermonters aren't stupid and we're much more liberal than he is, but if it were just that and not a matter of his having stabbed unions, the Progressive Party and countless others in the back, he wouldn't be so deeply unpopular. Governor Dean was fiscally conservative but he didn't lie the way Shumlin has.

[NCTraveler]

49. Factual.

Supports single payer health care.
First governor to preside a same-sex wedding
Helped implement the first state with universal healthcare
Signed a bill making Vermont the first state banning hydraulic fracturing
Signed bill making physician assisted suicide legal
Worked for the decriminalization of mj
Held a pro-choice rally two days before one of his elections
Signed a GMO labeling bill

[KingCharlemagne]

16. Alternate headline: "Vermont Governor plays it safe, endorses Hillary." - nt

[NCTraveler]

18. I would agree with that.

While not endorsing the senator from ones own state might seem to not be safe, backing winners has always been viewed as politically safe.

[cali]

26. Had he done this AFTER Bernie's kickoff next week, that would have been fine

I'd still loath him, but I wouldn't have a problem with it. You'll never see Pat Leahy- who will almost certainly endorse HRC, behaving in such a nasty way.

[NCTraveler]

28. He's such a nasty person. Not a progressive in any way.

Supports single payer health care.
First governor to preside a same-sex wedding
Helped implement the first state with universal healthcare
Signed a bill making Vermont the first state banning hydraulic fracturing
Signed bill making physician assisted suicide legal
Worked for the decriminalization of mj
Held a pro-choice rally two days before one of his elections
Signed a GMO labeling bill

[cali]

40. Here, let me fill you in on why he's so loathed here.

Did it ever occur to you that I know more about my state than you do? Kind of arrogant to lecture a Vermonter about Scummy. I realize that to people who live in states like NC, he looks liberal. And he's fine on social issues, but he's considered a centrist here. Hell, there are only a handful of repub legislators here who don't support marriage equality. And quite a few of our repubs support single payer. But it's more than that. We have never had a governor so despised by members of his own party in the House and Senate. He's alienated the wonderful folks at VTDigger and Seven Days. He's stabbed so many people and organizations in the back, there's a line here to slam him. He's lied repeatedly and even after barely beating a neophyte repub for guv last year, he's continued to fuck the people who helped him.

Shumlin has repeatedly, over objections in legislature which is controlled by a dem supermajority to cut services. He has refused to consider raising taxes on the wealthiest Vermonters and the many wealthy people with second homes here.


He didn't make any real attempt to implement single payer.

One of my least favorite things about our incumbent Governor* is his tendency to adopt Republican talking points, thus giving them a validation they don’t deserve. It’s sometimes called “kicking the hippies” — talking tough about Them Damn Liberals, in an attempt to self-position as a reasonable centrist.

<snip>

http://thevpo.org/2015/02/12/peter-shumlin-tough-guy/

http://www.vermontpressbureau.com/vsea-pushes-back-on-cuts-shumlin-unfazed/

Guess Which Ultra Liberal State Is About to Become a Hellish Place for People to Work in?

<snip>

The governor also announced that he plans to hack away at state jobs by consolidating emergency call centers and closing a school that serves state prisoners. In addition, he said that Vermont parents should “expect better outcomes for our students at lower costs.” He’s called for education cuts and higher student-teacher ratios, moves that will probably result in layoffs. This past fall, he announced he wants to outlaw teacher strikes in the state.

<snip>

Shumlin is a Democrat who has received support from Bernie Sanders and owes much of his success to the working people of Vermont. He was supported by VSEA when he first ran for governor in 2010, after he criticized his Republican predecessor’s proposed layoffs and budget-cutting methods. The union continued to support him during his re-elections in 2012 and 2014. Before the last election, in 2014, Shumlin met with all the unions and assured them that he could be counted on. He insisted that layoffs would be a last resort. He won that election by less than 2,500 votes and, because he received less than 50% of the state's vote, his win had to be approved by the Vermont General Assembly. If Shumlin hadn't obtained support from the unions, there's a very real chance he could have lost.

Shumlin was also greatly assisted by a social democratic third party, the Vermont Progressive Party. When he first ran for governor, the Progressive Party made a conscious decision to sit the contest out if Shumlin agreed to act on some important issues upon election: closing the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant and supporting single-payer healthcare. Shumlin narrowly edged out Republican Brian Dubie by less than 4,000 votes, which makes it safe to say that the chances of him winning, if a Progressive Party candidate had run, would have been impossible. As Progressive state representative Christopher Pearson told the New York Times in 2014, “Shumlin was very clear on his stance, and it pulled him through a narrow primary — a lot of Progressives were volunteers on that — and then he narrowly won.”

<snip>

http://www.alternet.org/labor/whats-matter-vermont

I could go on and on about why Scummy is so disliked, but I'll end with the story of his exploiting his poor, disabled neighbor- and that really didn't go over well here. Scummy is wealthy, worth over ten million.

Gov. Peter Shumlin responded Thursday to media scrutiny of a recent land deal. He is now saying he will extend a lease for an unspecified period of time to a low-income man who sold his family homestead to the governor in November.

When Jeremy Dodge sold the property to Shumlin for about a quarter of its then appraised value, Dodge claims he did not know what he was doing. More than six months after the closing, Dodge and community members are questioning whether the governor took advantage of him, and it’s unclear whether Shumlin will charge Dodge extra for allowing him to remain in the home he and his father built.

<snip>

Standing stiff-lipped at the Salvation Army warehouse where he works, Dodge said Wednesday that he earns less than $10,000 a year. He says when he sold his home, he didn’t know he might be able to make money from an auction or that he would have the option of retaining his property by paying off the taxes, plus interest, over the course of a year. Even if Dodge’s home was auctioned off, he would have had the option to stay in his home for another year.

“I actually thought I was going to have to move in 30 days with no money, and some money was better than none, and I could not afford a lawyer,” he said Tuesday. “He took advantage of me because I’ve got bipolar; I’ve got zero education really. I like the governor as a person … but as far as a businessman, this sucked.”

<snip>

http://vtdigger.org/2013/05/24/digging-deep-into-the-shumlin-dodge-deal/

[fredamae]

54. Thank you for the "insiders view"

This is what we miss/ignore, so often........the full background details behind the candidates story...selective details and bullet points are too frequently used and believed as the Whole Story.

Sometimes, some politicians do Great things, but we Must look at the Whole record and discuss/evaluate the Bad things they've done also. Far too frequently, the bad stuff is So bad it negates the good.

We elect/reelect politicians who don't necessarily Support the people they represent because we don't thoroughly VET them.
So. Thanks for fully vetting him for us.
The "birds eye experience" is the best.

[fredamae]

29. A "Status Quo" Gov n/t

[NCTraveler]

31. I wish his positions were "Status Quo" for the rest of the gov.

Supports single payer health care.
First governor to preside a same-sex wedding
Helped implement the first state with universal healthcare
Signed a bill making Vermont the first state banning hydraulic fracturing
Signed bill making physician assisted suicide legal
Worked for the decriminalization of mj
Held a pro-choice rally two days before one of his elections
Signed a GMO labeling bill

Unfortunately that isn't the case. Great progressive to have on board.

[fredamae]

35. This is Great! However

"Supports single payer health care.
First governor to preside a same-sex wedding
Helped implement the first state with universal healthcare
Signed a bill making Vermont the first state banning hydraulic fracturing
Signed bill making physician assisted suicide legal
Worked for the decriminalization of mj
Held a pro-choice rally two days before one of his elections
Signed a GMO labeling bill"

Where is he on matters of White Collar Crime: Wall Street, Big Banks/Breaking them up, Corp Welfare, Austerity, Soc Sec, Medicare, etc, etc, etc?

Dems (mostly) are Great on Social Issues, but when it cxomes to the main and basic problems of the economy, increasing taxes on the Upper, Upper Class, min wage (action-not just words) etc...let's face it...they (status quo Dems) Suck

[NCTraveler]

36. Not all of the issues listed are social issues as you are trying to claim.

Read again.

[Robbins]

39. Consider

who will stand up for the disabled,poor,and elderly on SS,SSI,medicare,medicaid,food stamps.These programs are under attack by GOP.Corporate Dems policy hurt them.

Then we have militazian of police along with things like patrot act and NSA spying.

Hawkish foreign policy hurts people at home.when Neo-cons get their wars who pays for it.certinly not by new taxes on wealthy.
by cutting the social safety net.

[cali]

41. Scummy is a lying piece of shit. There are good reasons Vermonters detest him

He's stabbed so many people in the back it's like a bad farce. Please read my other posts in this thread to understand why he's no liberal icon.

[Doctor_J]

65. his views are much closer to Sanders than Clinton. in all nine of your identical posts in

this thread. Yet he endorses the anti healthcare, pro fracking front runner. Sounds like a real weasel. He'll be much more comfortable in Camp Clinton. Not surprising that vt democrats hate hate his guts.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

50. "Status quo" seems good to me

i rather have eight more years of Obamaism than eight more years of "Walkerism", "Bushism", "Paulism", "Rubioism", or God help us, "Cruzism".

[Jackpine Radical]

30. Wow, there go Bernie's chances.

I'm just devastated, I tellzya. Devastated.

[NCTraveler]

32. I don't think it is devestating in any way.

Great pick up, but there are tons more out there. Both Sanders and Hillary are going to have great endorsements.

[Jackpine Radical]

38. I really appreciate the whole civil tone you take in these discussions,

and the information in the OP. I also appreciated Cali's information about the Governor. To the extent that any of this early jockeying has substance, this thread has substance. In the grand scheme, we're all on the same side, trying to move our society in a more liberal and humane direction, but we're awfully good at losing perspective & foolishly making enemies of each other over our internecine disputes about how to get there.

I lean toward socialism, & Bernie represents my politics and my heart more closely than anyone has since George McGovern. I'm old now, and the chance to support and vote for someone like him is something that I can't pass up now, even if it strikes others as Quixotic.

I do have substantial problems with Hillary, and don't need to detail them here, but I know that when it comes to it, I'll be voting for the Democratic candidate in the General Election.

But truly, I see a vote for Bernie as a vote for societal healing, and a vote for Hillary as a vote for harm reduction.

[NCTraveler]

47. I like Sanders and Hillary.

I truly do. I like Sanders and his ideology over that of Clinton. I also think Sanders CAN win. I also can't reconcile Clintons vote to authorize military use in Iraq. Who the hell thought Bush wasn't going to use that power. Apparently Hillary did. Still, pretty much all of our candidates supported buying the bombs for the mission. Something that was not necessary. I like where she stands over ninety percent of the time. Sanders that number probably goes up over ninety-five percent.

Here is what I am waiting for to determine my primary vote. I am waiting to see the people Sanders surrounds himself with. That will be the complete determination if he is in it for the win or not. We all have to be honest and understand the current structure of Presidential campaigns. The best person doesn't get the job. The best management team often does. If Sanders surrounds himself with an excellent team he will have my money, support, and vote in the primary. That is truly all it will take.

"But truly, I see a vote for Bernie as a vote for societal healing, and a vote for Hillary as a vote for harm reduction."

You won't see me go against that point strongly. I could make a couple of points, each of which would be minor compared to the main point of "harm reduction," therefore I simply won't make them.

"I do have substantial problems with Hillary, and don't need to detail them here"

As do I. Two main areas. Her vote to authorize use of force in Iraq. The next one covers a large area so I am going to generalize. Her approach to improve the fiscal health of the country is incremental. The manner she talks about it and the manner in which she proposes reform. I do think her end game is very progressive yet her negotiation starting point would not be where I want it to be. I think that is where we lost a lot of momentum with Obama. I truly think he started negotiations with what he wanted mixed with a bone for the right. I have often been a part of negotiations and that isn't a good starting position. The bone is ok, starting with what you want is not. You start with more than you want and prepare to back down on certain items from there. I think Hillary would negotiate a little differently, but not monumentally different. Shit, not even sure that makes sense the way I have written it. It does to me. lol

I will still spend time here building up Hillary and Sanders, while shitting on the other side. Far too many people with excellent ideas and history on our side are being hammered right now for reasons I don't find to be honest.

If someone fights for things like this:]

Supports single payer health care.
First governor to preside a same-sex wedding
Helped implement the first state with universal healthcare
Signed a bill making Vermont the first state banning hydraulic fracturing
Signed bill making physician assisted suicide legal
Worked for the decriminalization of mj
Held a pro-choice rally two days before one of his elections
Signed a GMO labeling bill

You will not find me going around slamming them. I have to many people actively working to take my rights away to attack the good people in govt who are fighting for my rights.

[ismnotwasm]

52. +1000

[Jackpine Radical]

70. You've come up with a very nice blend of principled stance and practicality.

I would say "pragmatism" but that word has come to carry the negative connotations of "expediency," and to imply excessive focus on self-interest, rather than relating to the things we need to do in the real world to best advance our original purposes.

[Nye Bevan]

42. I think the probability of Bernie becoming president has not been affected by this news (nt)

[NYC_SKP]

55. • • • • • • Good morning! Allow me to serve you some wonderful and tasty breakfast! • • • • • •

.

This is some fresh data, cooked up this morning!





Remember this? We aren't even 1/3 the way through this season:





See a pattern?

[brooklynite]

57. So you're saying Bernie Sanders will be as popular as Barack Obama was?

Any basis for that assumption?

[NYC_SKP]

63. I see one, two, three stars rising and one big star, not so much.

So early in the season, and comparing the two graphs, Hillary looks less inevitable than she did in 2008!

[NCTraveler]

60. I see a great pattern. nt.

[Buns_of_Fire]

64. Okay, NOW I know where the "free ice cream" dig came from...

(It was in a post I read yesterday, I don't even remember who, that pointed out that Bernie wouldn't get their vote, free ice cream or not.)

On Tuesday, he announced the details of his waterfront campaign kickoff event in Burlington, Vermont on May 26 (which includes free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream).

Not that I lost any sleep over it, but it seemed a little odd (especially since Vermin Supreme has promised everybody a free PONY!).

[karynnj]

66. Here in VT, the governor has a far lower favorability than Sanders

In fact, he did not get over 50% in the election last fall - so the legislature had to vote him in. The reason is that many Democrats did not vote for him - including some I know.

Dean is an important endorsement for Clinton - and I think Leahy will be as well. Shumlin - not so much.

[HappyMe]

69. From what I have read about this guy,

she can have him.

People or celebrities endorsing a candidate never changes my mind.