Sen. Warren: ‘The game is rigged, and the Republicans rigged it’

[TomCADem]

Source: Washington Post

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) brought her populist message Saturday to this small college town to rev up the final weeks of Sen. Al Franken's reelection campaign, but also to claim the mantle of the modern liberal movement's political godfather.

Speaking before more than 400 people at Carleton College, Warren repeatedly invoked the spirit of the late Paul Wellstone, the fiery liberal senator who died 12 years ago this month in a plane crash during his reelection campaign. Wellstone remains a revered figure in Minnesota politics, and his brand of populism -- out of step in the Clintonian Democratic Party of the 1990s -- is now mainstream among leading liberal activists. Warren has become the most prominent public face of that movement, and the Wellstone disciples in this town 40 miles south of Minneapolis gave their approval Saturday.

"The game is rigged, and the Republicans rigged it," Warren said to loud cheers.

It's part of a three-state tour of Senate campaigns for Warren, who later Saturday headed to St. Paul for a get-out-the-vote rally on behalf of Franken, Gov. Mark Dayton (D) and other candidates. Franken and Dayton are strong favorites to win reelection next month.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/10/18/warren-in-minnesota-the-game-is-rigged/

---

Edit to note that the Washington Post now has renamed the article to "The game is rigged," but taking out Warren's quote, which says, "and the Republicans rigged it."

[JDPriestly]

1. Your "edit to note" is the most important part of your post. Thanks for posting.

Wonder who censored the criticism of Republicans. Wonder who at the Post did that.

[Jackpine Radical]

12. Unknown Senator giving political talk in Midwest says Game is Rigged

Dear Mr. Bezos--Do I get the headline writer job now?

[Cal33]

31. I've heard that the Washington Post is now at least 50% Republican-owned.

[redruddyred]

51. in any event it's becoming progressively more unreadable.

they changed their font, moved away from longform journalism...

[Hoppy]

2. WatdahelzamatterU? Ink costs money.

Nothin' to see here. Move along.

[oldandhappy]

3. agree totally

[Enthusiast]

4. Kicked and recommended a whole bunch!

Yay, Senator Elizabeth Warren!

[JoePhilly]

5. She's wrong ... both parties are the same!!!

[baldguy]

9. Seems that on DU the loudest voices cheering Warren on are saying the same thing.

If only the good Senators fans would actually try to listen to what she has to say, rather than what they imagine she's saying.

[beachbum bob]

6. totally bogus statement

republicans didn't rig any thing...democrats, progressives and liberal didn't step up to the plate......2000 election perfect example of what happens when these same people voted for Nader knowing damn well it would give GWB the election......to me Nader and his supporters own everything Bush and Cheney did....100%

[Jackpine Radical]

15. A couple of points here--or maybe 5 off the top of my head:

Butterfly Ballots.
Jews for Buchanan.
Bush v. Gore.
Brooks Brothers Riot.
John Ellis, Bush cousin on Fox.

[olddad56]

26. I don't believe Nader made any difference.

Not because I'm a fan of Nader's, but because that election was fixed. If the spotlight wasn't on Florida, it would have been on one of many other southern states. The Supreme Court had no legal right to take that case away from the Florida State Supreme Court, but they did. A coup happened in 2000 and it was going to happen regardless of where the focus ended up.

If another member of the Bush crime family runs in 2016, you will see it happen again.

[Orsino]

7. The Republican Party was one of the tools used to rig the game, yes.

So was the Democratic party, to an extent. Senator Warren is not taking a long view here.

[baldguy]

10. Talk about not taking the long view.

The GOP barbarians are pounding at the gate, the Democratic Party is the only entity able to hold them off - and you can't seem to tell the difference between them. How very sad.

[Orsino]

18. The Democratic is holding the barbarians off the gate?

By becoming them more slowly, yes.

Big Money is capable of doing the same goddamned things to both parties. Dems just started in a better place.

[baldguy]

21. Painting both parties as the same just helps the people you're complaining about.

If you can't recognize that, then they've won. You're letting them win.

[Orsino]

23. Refusing to recognize a common dysfunction helps the people I'm complaining about. n/t

[baldguy]

27. And the Koch Bros are perfectly happy to have you blame their crimes on Democrats.

Perfectly happy, indeed.

In fact, they've spent a sizable chunk of their ill-gotten fortune over the last several months to ensure you do just that. And if the GOP wins, they'll have succeeded.

[Orsino]

35. The problem is much bigger than that.

Pretending that rich people buying our democracy is an isolated issue is how we got here. Spending whole election cycles studying only the Kochs, or pretending that Republicans invented the problem isn't addressing the crisis.

[baldguy]

41. Please see Sen Warren's quote titling the OP

And finally admit that you're blaming the wrong people.

[Orsino]

55. Millions of people are to blame, including me and possibly even you.

I'm not being selective in applying blame for decades of systemic rot. Pretending that the buying of elected officials is a Republican phenomenon, or a recent one, has uses during the campaign season...and is nearly useless if we claim to be looking for a solution.

Undoing it is going to involve the repealing of countless laws and the overturning of countless court decisions. Or a Constitutional Amendment or three.

None of that can begin while each party blames the other.

[freshwest]

8. WAPO is going for the CT crowd. Warren is right, and they censored her words. Typical RW crap.

[daleanime]

11. ........

[littlemissmartypants]

13. Shame on you, WAPO.

Symbolic censorship is still censorship.

Go Liz.

~ Lmsp 🙌

[pansypoo53219]

14. wall street rigged it for themselves. the democrats became vichy to survive.

[truedelphi]

17. ^^^^^^^^^^^^n't

[truedelphi]

16. But until Democratic Leadership starts to actually care,

Nothing will change.

Our "Democratic Leaders" are far more interested in setting up their bank acocounts and toadying to various interests than in caring whether they win or lose.

After all, look at Bill Clinton - he has made far more money since leaving the WH than while in it... This shows that it is not about governing - it is about maneuvers.

Bill can support some conservative Blue Dawg Democrat over a more progressive Dem, time after time. As a reward, he then gives X amount of speeches at the Corporate podium, for a quarter of a million dollars a pop.

An even more sickening "Dem Leader Player" is one Di Feinstein. On not not one but two occasions she chose the candidate for the gubernatorial election in California, ensuring that the lukewarm candidates she hand-picked would lose to Ahnold. In one case, at the Primary polling places, the Democratic voters chose Steve Westly, but Di Fi declared that he had not served in the trenches of the Party long enough. So then she handed the candidacy over to Phil Angelides, who was a virtual unknown up in Northern Calif., and well known for being corrupt in Southern Calif. Was this stupidity on her part? Hardly.

[TomCADem]

24. So, Warren is wrong!

She should have said, "The game is rigged, and its the Democrats' fault because they just don't care." You have to love the suppress the vote, false equivalency meme that both Democrats and Republicans are at fault. Who was responsible for the federal government shutdown? Per the corporate media, both the Democrats and Republicans are at fault!

[marshall]

28. She could have added the coda "and we let them"

it wouldn't have portrayed Democrats as completely powerless bystanders in the role of citizenship.

[truedelphi]

60. I was in the trenches regarding the voting situation back in 2004 -

And the Democratic "Leaders" dismissed all the information about the electronic voting systems being controlled.

With some few exceptions, such as The Black Caucus in Congress, the work of Barbara Boxer to join with that caucus to protest what happened to the ballots in Ohio - and some people like Bill Bradley and Lynn Woolsey - the Democratic Party meme was that they didn't want to rock the waters and so no one even stopped to scold John Kerry for surrendering his position within a mere twelve hours after Andy Card announced the election went to his boss, George W Bush.

He had promised Democratic voters he would never concede within a day of the election, that he had an army of lawyers to contest any inappropriate activity regarding the voting situations, etc, but he quickly forgot all that. And the only reason that there were voting re-counts in Ohio was on account of the efforts of Ralph Nader and David Cobb, both of whom arranged for $ 100,000 to arrive in Ohio to set up the vote recounts!

It is wrong for the media to say it was the fault of both parties that the government shut down last Autumn, as it was only the republicans fault. But the Democratic Leaders are either stupid or "Vichy" collusionists regarding the way they have ignored the gerrymandering, and the electronic voting machinery. The Democratic Leadership knew years ago that the gerry mandering was going to happen, and they let it happen, and now they are all "Oh my God! There has been gerrymandering!" Since the Dems had control of the House from 2007 on, and after that they held the US Senate, with Obama as President from January of 2009, they really have no excuses - they were the damn Party in power, but they didn't care to stop the gerrymandering! And looking at the bank accounts of those Party Leaders who are handling things, they are not stupid.

[billhicks76]

19. For All Our Sakes...Dump Hillary!

And pick a Warren ticket with someone else who's real and not afraid to end up like JFK. It's time to realize that risking ones life is an acceptable sacrifice to be Leader if the world.

[INdemo]

45. I agree ..and we liberals would have to dig deep to finance her camapign

and we could do it. Unlike Hillary who has millionaires and billionaires all lined up whenever she gives the word(that should signal the fact she is not a Democrat)..So that alone should tell the Democratic voters who say "liberals" cant win that we don't need a Republican lite.

We can do it folks. Talk about a grass roots campaign.The election of 2016 could make the difference between saving our Democracy from the final steps of corporate take over.

[billhicks76]

47. Yes!!!

And Warren is challenging people as we speak.

[madokie]

20. Nothing gets my dander up quicker than hearing someone say the parties are the same

anyone who says that simply are not paying attention, simple as that. Or they're a republiCON or stupid as a toad stool

[baldguy]

22. +1000

[TomCADem]

25. Exactly, its part of the corporate media false equivalency meme!

While Fox News goes all in for Republicans, the so-called mainstream media, pushes the false equivalency narrative that there is no policy differences between the two parties. We would all have healthcare 401(k)'s if they Republicans and corporate America have their way, and they will call it the freedom to choose, which is just another way of saying the freedom to die penniless.

[NorthCarolina]

29. The neo-liberal contingent of the Democratic Party is FISCALLY the same as the GOP.

It is true that they may have moved towards more Socially "tolerant" positions than their GOP counterparts over the past couple years, but on fiscal matters such as serving Wall St. interests for personal gain, supporting Trade Agreements that are beneficial to corporate financial gains to the further erosion of America's middle class, calling for cuts to Social Security and Medicare, I can find little difference. For some here apparently this social liberal-fiscal conservative mix makes for a good Democrat. For me personally, not so much.

[pampango]

32. Even fiscally most Democrats don't have a "shrink the government, cut taxes for the rich" mentality

that dominates the GOP now. The Democratic Party goes along with republicans too often for my taste but i do not see them as 'the same' in any case.

[NorthCarolina]

40. Perhaps not

"exactly" the same, but we're in the territory of splitting hairs.

[joshcryer]

50. Objectively false. Social policies are objectively economic policies.

You cannot separate them. Period.

[Maineman]

33. Beware. Declaring there is no difference in the parties is a tactic to surpress the vote.

Yes, too many Democrats are influenced by big money and right wing tactics; but the Republican party is all in with big money, radical religious elements, and fear based wackos.

[geretogo]

39. That is the slight difference between the two .

[baldguy]

53. There's no difference in saying there's "no difference" or a "slight difference".

You're helping the RW suppress the vote, which is the only way the RW wins.

[woo me with science]

42. You know, this accusatory crap gets pretty damned old.

Mass spying on Americans? Both parties support it.
Handing the internet to corporations? Both parties support it.
Austerity for the masses? Both parties support it.
Cutting social safety nets? Both parties support it.
Corporatists in the cabinet? Both parties support it.
Tolling our interstate highways? Both parties support it.
Corporate education policy? Both parties support it.
Bank bailouts? Both parties support it.
Ignoring the trillions stashed overseas? Both parties support it.
Trans-Pacific Job/Wage Killing Secret Agreement? Both parties support it.
TISA corporate overlord agreement? Both parties support it.
Drilling and fracking? Both parties support it.
Wars on medical marijuana instead of corrupt banks? Both parties support it.
Deregulation of the food industry? Both parties support it.
GMO's? Both parties support it.
Privatization of the TVA? Both parties support it.
Immunity for telecoms? Both parties support it.
"Looking forward" and letting war criminals off the hook? Both parties support it.
Deciding torturers are patriots? Both parties support it.
Militarized police and assaults on protesters? Both parties support it.
Indefinite detention? Both parties support it.
Drone wars and kill lists? Both parties support it.
Targeting of journalists and whistleblowers? Both parties support it.
Private prisons replacing public prisons? Both parties support it.
Unions? Both parties view them with contempt.
Trillion dollar increase in nuclear weapons. Both parties support it.
New war in Iraq. Both parties support it.
New war in Syria. Both parties support it.
Carpet bombing of captive population in Gaza. Both parties support it.

Perhaps the two corporate-purchased parties themselves have something to do with this conclusion by the American people.

Half of Americans don't care which party controls Congress
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024988821#post12

[redruddyred]

52. I think a lot of people are sick of the wars in the middle east.

from both the right and the left, but you wouldn't know it judging from our representation.

[RiverLover]

54. "Drilling and fracking? Both parties support it."

This is what finally pushed me to feeling a total disconnect with my party. I'm a progressive w/o representation.

I will still vote democratic though, the other side is still worse.

[CanSocDem]

58. Had to be said. (eom)

[woo me with science]

43. Yes, the accusatory crap gets really, really old.

It's gotta really suck when your *entire,* handpicked administration goes rogue and spends YEARS working aggressively, consistently, and proactively against all of your most cherished goals.

In fact, Dems are SO deeply and existentially obstructed that our administration's own record looks like this:

The record shows aggressive, proactive pursuit of a corporate agenda,
(This list does not show a president trying to enact a liberal agenda and being obstructed. No, it shows him aggressively and proactively implementing policies for the banks and corporations at the expense of the 99 percent.)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3202395

CUT THE CRAP! Your Month in Review from the most "progressive" administration ever.
Whoa! More proactive corporatism!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025006297

Just a Republican thing, huh? Assaulting the Constitution itself
("Good god. I can't stop!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5554112

Study: Obama's "Trade" Deal (TPP) Would Mean a Pay Cut for 90% of U.S. Workers
("A Republican is making me do it?!&quot
http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/2013/09/the-verdict-is-in-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-a-sweeping-free-trade-deal-under-negotiation-with-11-pacific-rim-coun.html

Obama’s Latest Betrayal of America and Americans in Favor of the Big Banks: TISA
("Oh, shit. Here I go again!&quot
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/26/1309671/--Obama-s-Latest-Betrayal-of-America-and-Americans-in-Favor-of-the-Big-Banks-TISA-by-Bill-Black

Bombing Syria: The next step in the PNAC playbook, remember?
("They're Democratic peace bombs: TOTALLY different!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025520459

The "Justice" Department under Obama
("Please, Mr. Holder! Stop! Stop!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025587151
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025586874

Look at the OFFERS.
("God I hate when this happens!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022060108

[joshcryer]

49. Those poor Republicans.

How dare anyone call them out, they're so normal, clean, they don't want to destroy democracy with their efforts against voters, with their efforts against social welfare, they are so nice and clean. How dare anyone call them out since Democrats are not better.

[INdemo]

57. no they are not the same but

with the corporate take over in force Democrats are moving closer to the center right and resemble a Republican more so than a Democrat. Democrats are suppose to represent the middle class, working class America and many talk the talk but more and more Democrats only walk the Wall Street path.

[raouldukelives]

30. Certainly rigged. The riggers are those who donate labor and money to corporations.

Money knows no party affiliation. I mean, what do they really think Lockheed is going to do with the money they squirrel away in them. Push for world peace?

[geretogo]

34. I watched the master " rigger " Ronald Reagan using his rigging tools in 1980 , his disciples have

this country so tightly rigged I think nothing short of a violent up rising is going to start
unrigging the corrupt system .

[ballyhoo]

36. I've been saying that day after day for over a year. Yet,

you still have people saying but there is a difference in the two parties. Except for a very few, there is no difference.

[Cal33]

37. Let me put it this way: If the Repubs. were to win both Houses and the Presidency in 2016, there

(1) either will be no more elections by 2024, or Americans will have to go through
the motion of phony elections, the way it was under Stalin in the USSR.

(2) In short, a Corporate Fascist Oligarchy will have taken our country over.

Whereas if the Dems. were to win both Houses and the Presidency in 2016, it
depends on the following:

(1) With a middle-of-the-roader as president, the present political trend would continue.
The same old BS, with our country going further down the drain slowly and surely.
Total fascism would be delayed for awhile.

(2) With a Progressive as president, s/he will have a very tough fight ahead to bring
back some democracy to our nation again.

That, I think, would be the difference.

[geretogo]

38. Your probably right

[ballyhoo]

46. Well, Cal33, I hope you are right, but I fear you are wrong. Progressive

Last edited Tue Oct 21, 2014, 09:37 AM - Edit history (1)

President is fine, as long as they don't become Reagan Democrats after election day.

[Cal33]

56. Do you think people like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders...etc... would ever

become "Reagan Democrats"? I highly doubt it.

[ballyhoo]

59. Sorry for the mistake on my post. You picked up what

I meant to say anyway. I like Warren, but I don't think she'll run. Sanders has no chance. It will be Hillary Clinton, whom I cannot stand, or a Republican. Would I rather have Clinton than a Republican? I guess. The Party once again is moving toward an election without a viable progressive candidate with Obama very possibly releasing an executive amnesty order after midterms. So you tell me what's going to happen. It's as Warren said: the Republicans fixed the game. And the game is over, possibly forever.

[INdemo]

44. Check this out too

MSNBC had this on their Web site this morning with the complete article with pictures etc and have taken it down now also.
Guess George Will just could not handle the truth along with WaPo's Woodward

[joshcryer]

48. But democrats are no better!

Or so I hear.