Hey millennials: is Hillary Clinton Authentic? Rodham 2016

[JTShroyer]

[VIDEO] Is Hillary Clinton Authentic? Rodham 2016

Hey my fellow millennials, here’s Hillary Rodham Clinton fighting for education, families, children, and women throughout her entire career.

Hillary *IS* authentic:

After Yale, Hillary worked for the Children’s Defense Fund, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Legal Services, cofounded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, secured federal funds to expand medical facilities in Arkansas’s poorest areas as chair of the Rural Health Advisory Committee, successfully reformed the Arkansas education system as chair of the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee while Bill was Governor, and became the first female partner of the Rose Law Firm.

As First Lady of the United States, Hillary increased research funding for prostate cancer and childhood asthma at the National Institutes of Health, helped to create the Office on Violence Against Women and the Campaign Against Teenage Pregnancy which reduced abortion rates by providing women with accurate information and contraception, in addition to highly significant achievements such as the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the Foster Care Independence Act, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which currently provides 8+ million children with health insurance.

Other accomplishments:

–Hillary has worked closely with the Human Rights Campaign on a variety of issues over the years. Hillary has correctly noted she was the first First Lady to march in a gay pride parade. As New York Senator, Hillary fought for stronger hate crime laws and anti-discrimination laws. As Secretary of State, Hillary enacted lifesaving policies and programs that saved LGBT people around the globe, historically declaring on the world stage: “Gay rights are human rights.”

–Fighting and achieving the necessary healthcare for 9/11 first responders as New York Senator.

–Secretary of State: New START treaty with Russia, ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, promoting and protecting the rights of women and the LGBT community worldwide, our “pivot” to Asia strategy – visiting Burma for the first time in over 40 years, and improving the favorability of the U.S. by 20 points worldwide after the disastrous Bush Administration.

Hillary has always stood with women, the middle-class, children, the under-privileged – the invisible.

“When I first met her 30 years ago, she already had an abiding passion to help children. She’s pursued it ever since. Her first job was with the Children’s Defense Fund. Every year I was Governor she took lots of time away from her law practice to work for better schools, children’s health and jobs for parents who lived in poor areas. When I became President she became a full- time advocate for her lifetime cause. What a job she’s done. She championed the Family Leave law, children’s health insurance, and increased support for foster children and adoptions. She wrote a best–selling book about caring for our children, and then she took care of them by giving all the profits to children’s charities. For thirty years, she’s been there for all our kids. She’s been a great First Lady. She’s always been there for our family. And she’ll always be there for the families of New York and America.”
–President Bill Clinton

“I’m not going to mislead anybody. Politics is really hard. And it is harder for women. There’s a double standard, and you can’t complain about it. You just have to accept it, and be smart enough to navigate it. And you have to have a pretty tough skin. To paraphrase a favorite quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: If a woman wants to be in politics, she has to have the skin of a rhinoceros. So occasionally I’ll be sitting somewhere and I’ll be listening to someone perhaps not saying the kindest things about me. And I’ll look down at my hand and I’ll sort of pinch my skin to make sure it still has the requisite thickness I know Eleanor Roosevelt expects me to have.”
–Hillary Rodham Clinton

Source #1: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/19/1434797/-Hey-millennials-is-Hillary-Clinton-Authentic-Rodham-2016
Source #2: http://hillaryisaboss.tumblr.com

[HerbChestnut]

1. Not buying it.

She's changed so many positions in the last few months that it's getting hard to keep track. Her shift on the TPP was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. It extinguished any lingering doubt that she's an opportunist, and cemented that she's essentially become the Mitt Romney of 2015.

[LiberalArkie]

5. I do not mind her changing positions at all, as long as she is learning that the viewpoints

of most of the money/power people she has been hanging with are wrong. Their viewpoints are wrong for her and wrong for the nation. I would be very worried if she did not change positions and move away from the banker point of view. I am hoping she changes even more of her positions.

[JTShroyer]

12. Bernie flip-flopped on guns

Bernie Sanders voted against the Brady Bill 5 times, something President Clinton signed into law to make our nation safer from gun violence. The Clintons made our nation safer from guns. Sad Bernie was a typical politician and played to his pro-gun, 95% white constituency

[LiberalArkie]

17. I have no problem with that as he was voting on how his people wanted him to as

a U.S. Representative. Olympia Snow, John Dingell, Ray Thornton, Blanche Lincoln and I think most of the congress critters from rural areas voted against it.

[JTShroyer]

20. Well...

Bernie is currently running to the left on guns because he's a politician and isn't just playing to his state anymore. If Hillary is a flip-flopping politician, so is Bernie.

[beam me up scottie]

25. Except Bernie has been pro-gun control since at least 1994 when he voted for an assault weapons ban.

In 1994, however, Sanders voted in favor of the final version of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a bill that expanded the federal death penalty. Sanders had voted for an amendment to the bill that would have replaced all federal death sentences with life in prison. Even though the amendment failed, Sanders still voted for the larger crime bill.

A spokesman for Sanders said he voted for the bill "because it included the Violence Against Women Act and the ban on certain assault weapons."

Sanders reiterated his opposition to capital punishment in 2015. "I just don’t think the state itself, whether it’s the state government or federal government, should be in the business of killing people," he said on a radio show.

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/sep/02/viral-image/where-do-hillary-clinton-and-bernie-sanders-stand-/

[LiberalArkie]

33. Look I that there isn't a person on DU who would vote for a person who does not have a

perfect voting record. At the present time Bernie is presenting ideas that I think will cause us to rethink our loyalties to the great capitalistic way that we have operated. I am for that. I think we need to change the direction we have been moving and look at what FDR was talking about. I know that the Democratic party does not think that way any more and that we should be more in tune with what is good for business. I don't. I am not a good New Democrat. I am just an old style FDR, JFK,FRK, MLK Democrat.

[beam me up scottie]

34. He's far more progressive than Hillary.

He may be to the right of her on gun control but not by much, and when it comes to civil rights his record is stellar.

And we need to look at all of his positions, you're absolutely right. We have a chance to elect someone other than the status quo.

[JTShroyer]

50. Funny...

You point out Bernie's *FULL* record on gun rights, but when I point out Hillary's *FULL* record on gay rights, you downplay and minimize it. Ironic, inconsistent, and hypocritical.

Point is -- everyone has changed positions over the years. Hillary made a note of this during the debate.

Bernie Sanders *VERY RECENTLY* gave immunity to gun manufacturers and did, in-fact, vote against the Brady Bill 5 times. Those are undeniable facts.

Hillary was against gay marriage, but she has worked with the Human Rights Campaign for many years and was the first First Lady to march in a gay pride parade. Despite her opposition to gay marriage, as Senator and Secretary of State, Hillary has made it safer to be LGBT in a world of so much hate. As a gay man, I trust her and always have. The programs she implemented as Secretary of State on behalf of gay people is historic. Please do some research on Hillary's full record on gay rights.

I don't deny Hillary can be politically motivated sometimes. But that's because she wants to get to the very top of the food chain for the second time in her life. I have no doubt, that as the Clintons final stand against everything that has been leveled at them since the early 1990s, they will finally dismantle the GOP if let back in the White House. This is why the GOP fears the Clintons so much and are using witch-hunts against them yet again with this "e-mail" scandal. They know the Clintons are ruthless and unstoppable when they get in the White House.

PS: the Clintons paid a 35.7% tax rate [40 million in total taxes] over the last 7 years. They built their success from the ground up, dating back to their days together at Yale Law School. Both Clintons embody the American dream of using their own talents to achieve success -- but they both have never forgotten their roots and they both pay their fair share to a country that has given them so much. They want to pay their success forward to the next generation of Americans. The Clintons were a *NET-POSITIVE* for America. 2-for-the-price-of-1!! #teamClinton #Hillary2016

[beam me up scottie]

52. If you had touted her accomplishments without smearing Bernie I would have stayed out of your thread

I don't care how jazzed you are about Hillary, good for you, everyone should believe in their candidate.

But when you claim that Bernie hasn't "done squat" for lgbt people and try to paint him as a gun nut I'm not going to let that go without challenging it.

[JTShroyer]

61. Uhhh...

Bernie was a gun nut when he recently voted to give immunity to the gun manufactures in 2004 and when he voted against the Brady bill 5 times. But I guess he's changed his mind. Kudos to him!! I love when people change their minds for the better!! Just like when Barack Obama and Joe Biden changed their minds on gay marriage!! But they get a pass for changing their mind because they are men. Or at least that seems to be my only way of explaining why Hillary gets accused of "flip-flopping" for political gain yet men are said to have simply "evolved."

And Bernie hasn't done anything for the LGBT community compared to Hillary's full record. That's why the Human Rights Campaign loves Hillary and their President has known Hillary since her days in Arkansas.

As a gay man, I love Hillary

[beam me up scottie]

63. Repeating the memes over and over doesn't make them true you know.

According to the definition Hillary is more of a "gun nut" than Bernie:

gun nut

1. A person who takes a keen interest in firearms and ammunition, possibly including the study, peer discussion, ownership, bearing and use thereof - usually used playingly by oneself or by other firearms enthusiasts in this sense. Often associates with people with similar interests.

2. A person who takes seemingly morbid interest in firearms out of a belief that they provide protection, security and freedom while appearing scary to the uninitiated - usually used derogatively by non-gun people, particularly those who are scared of firearms.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gun+nut

Clinton's Hunting History

WAUSAU, WIS. -- At a campaign stop this afternoon, Hillary Clinton's focus was on the economy and health care but some in the crowd had other things on their minds. Clinton was asked to discuss gun control which prompted Clinton to talk about her days holding a rifle in the cold, shallow waters in backwoods Arkansas.

"I've hunted. My father taught me how to hunt. I went duck hunting in Arkansas. I remember standing in that cold water, so cold, at first light. I was with a bunch of my friends, all men. The sun's up, the ducks are flying and they are playing a trick on me. They said, 'we're not going to shoot, you shoot.' They wanted to embarrass me. The pressure was on. So I shot, and I shot a banded duck and they were surprised as I was," Clinton said drawing laughter from the crowd.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/clintons-hunting-history/

Hillary hits Obama on faith, guns

Yesterday, Clinton hit Obama for calling Pennsylvanians "bitter," ground on which he fairly ably engaged.
Today, she's onto the other half of his San Francisco remarks, in which he linked economic frustration to clinging to religion and guns (the part he sought to walk back this morning in Muncie, Ind.).

"Sen. Obama's remarks are elitist, and they are out of touch," Clinton said. "The people of faith I know don't 'cling to' religion because they're bitter. ... I also disagree with Sen. Obama's assertion that people in this country 'cling to guns' and have certain attitudes about immigration or trade simply out of frustration. People of all walks of life hunt — and they enjoy doing so because it's an important part of their life, not because they are bitter."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2008/04/hillary-hits-obama-on-faith-guns-007747

Hillary Clinton goes bold on gun safety — but she sounded a different note in 2008

But Clinton hasn’t always been so forceful in her fight for gun control. As the Post highlights, Clinton has dramatically shifted her tone on gun control since the 2008 campaign. While Clinton touted her husband’s record record on gun control (former President Bill Clinton signed into the law an assault weapons ban that has since lapsed) she also heralded personal memories of learning to shoot with her father and defend gun ownership, saying, “there is not a contradiction between protecting Second Amendment rights” and the effort to reduce crime.

“You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl,” Clinton said while campaigning ahead of the Indiana primary, where white working class Democrats propelled her to a narrow victory over then-Sen. Barack Obama. “You know, some people now continue to teach their children and their grandchildren. It’s part of culture. It’s part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it’s an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter,” she continued, in a dig at Obama’s remark at a fundraiser that disenfranchised Americans often “cling” to cultural symbols like guns and religion.

Clinton’s campaign even attacked Obama during the primary by sending out a mailer questioning his stance on gun control from the right.

http://www.salon.com/2015/07/10/hillary_clinton_goes_bold_on_gun_safety_but_she_sounded_a_different_note_in_2008/

Hillary's record on lgbt rights sucks compared to Bernie, sorry but no amount of spin can change the facts. There's a reason why the gay community in Vermont loves him and why he was one of my earliest heroes.


And nice try but calling Hillary out on her flip floppery regarding marriage equality isn't sexist.

[JTShroyer]

66. Stop spamming me with irrelevant bias articles:

Wait -- Vermont? The state Hillary is beating him in right now? The state where Hillary is racking up the endorsements?

I love Vermont! Except for the fact that they are so pro-gun and have pro-gun Senator Sanders that gave immunity to gun manufactures and voted against the Brady bill 5 times but he's flip-flopped now, something that's only OK for him to do. LOL.

[beam me up scottie]

70. Hillary's own words about guns are "irrelevant bias articles"?

[JTShroyer]

72. LOL

Yes. They are. They are trying to use her quotes out of context. Hillary has always supported hunters and she is CURRENTLY PROPOSING that hunters and gun owners that support sensible gun control form a counter group to the NRA. Hillary is already in the developing stages of helping to form this group. Do you even pay attention to her current platform or do you only read bias articles that are attempting to use her words against her?

Hillary has always mentioned hunters in her rhetoric on gun control. I would know. I've followed her forever. And guess what? She's CURRENTLY taking it a step further by telling hunters and other gun owners that hate the NRA to form their own group. Try paying attention to her actual platform and speeches. Thanks!

[beam me up scottie]

76. You are woefully ignorant about Bernie and Vermont and you think I'm not paying attention?

Sanders voted against the pro-gun-control Brady Bill, writing that he believes states, not the federal government, can handle waiting periods for handguns. In 1994, he voted yes on an assault weapons ban. He has voted to ban some lawsuits against gun manufacturers and for the Manchin-Toomey legislation expanding federal background checks.

http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Bernie_Sanders_Gun_Control.htm

He voted in the best interests of his constituents because that was his job.

Like I said, Hillary is more of a "gun nut" than Bernie, both are pro-gun control and pro-2A but only one of them likes guns.

You shouldn't throw stones, it doesn't usually end well for those of you in glass houses.

[JTShroyer]

78. Bernie did what was best for his constituents and PRETENDED to be pro-gun for POLITICAL REASONS:

Bernie did what was best for his constituents and PRETENDED to be pro-gun for POLITICAL REASONS. Now he has flip-flopped because he is running for President and needs to appeal to the liberals. He's a typical politician in this regard. Or he just changed his mind and evolved, like Hillary has on several issues. Which is it? Please be consistent for both candidates.

Oh, and please just admit that those articles were bias. Hillary has always mentioned hunters in her rhetoric on guns and part of her current platform is asking for hunters and responsible gun owners to create a counter-group to the NRA.

[beam me up scottie]

82. Those articles are less biased than your fawning op.

And Bernie didn't pretend to be anything, he voted in the best interest of the residents of Vermont, are you so politically naive that you don't understand that's his job?

He has been consistently pro-gun control and pro-2A his entire career. I provided facts to back that up and I challenge you to prove differently. If you can't just admit it and stop spewing talking points.

Who was Hillary representing when she lobbied against same sex marriage?

And when she voted for the Iraq war?

What kind of person doesn't know it's wrong to deny same sex couples their civil rights?

Or that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11?

[TM99]

83. Give it up.

You can't quote Sanders out of context and throw around the meme 'gun nut' and then squeal not fair when someone actually quotes you Clinton's own words on her 'love of guns' and demonstrates that Sanders moderate gun control legislative acts go back as far as his vote against the Brady Bill.

She flip flops. He has been consistent.

[JTShroyer]

115. Bernie Sanders, Gun Nut:

He supported the most reprehensible pro-gun legislation in recent memory.
By Mark Joseph Stern

SOURCE

When Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders jumped into the 2016 presidential race, he was widely hailed as a far-left socialist who would appeal to the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. A liberal challenge to Hillary Clinton, said Politico. True progressives’ liberal alternative, trumpeted FiveThirtyEight. But before liberal Democrats flock to Sanders, they should remember that the Vermont senator stands firmly to Clinton’s right on one issue of overwhelming importance to the Democratic base: gun control. During his time in Congress, Sanders opposed several moderate gun control bills. He also supported the most odious NRA–backed law in recent memory—one that may block Sandy Hook families from winning a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the gun used to massacre their children.

Sanders, an economic populist and middle-class pugilist, doesn’t talk much about guns on the campaign trail. But his voting record paints the picture of a legislator who is both skeptical of gun control and invested in the interests of gun owners—and manufacturers. In 1993, then-Rep. Sanders voted against the Brady Act, which mandated federal background checks for gun purchasers and restricted felons’ access to firearms. As a senator, Sanders supported bills to allow firearms in checked bags on Amtrak trains and block funding to any foreign aid organization that registered or taxed Americans’ guns. Sanders is dubious that gun control could help prevent gun violence, telling one interviewer after Sandy Hook that “if you passed the strongest gun control legislation tomorrow, I don’t think it will have a profound effect on the tragedies we have seen.” (He has since endorsed some modest gun control measures.)

None of these views are particularly shocking for a Vermont representative: Sanders’ deep-blue state has both high gun ownership and incredibly lax gun laws, and it’s perfectly logical for the senator to support his constituents’ firearms enthusiasm. And a close friend of Sanders once said that the senator “thinks there’s an elitism in the anti-gun movement.”

The act’s primary purpose is as simple as it is cold-blooded.
But Sanders’ vote for a different kind of pro-gun bill is more puzzling—and profoundly disturbing. In 2005, a Republican-dominated Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). This law doesn’t protect gun owners; it protects gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers. The PLCAA was the No. 1 legislative priority of the National Rifle Association for years, because it shields gun makers and dealers from most liability when their firearms are used criminally. It is one of the most noxious pieces of pro-gun legislation ever passed. And Bernie Sanders voted for it. (Sanders’ campaign has not replied to a request for comment.)

[TM99]

137. Ah the reply of campaign operative.

You can't defend your own candidate. You can't address what is written to you.

You promote a meme that has already been thoroughly debunked.

Go away kid.

[JTShroyer]

138. It isn't a meme

It's an article about how Bernie is a "Gun Nut" -- that's why it's the title of the article!?!?!?!?

[TM99]

139. It is a meme.

He has been moderate on gun control. Voted against Brady Bill in 1990's but also vote for assault rifle ban. He has a D- to F rating with NRA. His legislative history is not that of a 'gun nut'.

This is what a 'gun nut' is --

gun nut
1. A person who takes a keen interest in firearms and ammunition, possibly including the study, peer discussion, ownership, bearing and use thereof - usually used playingly by oneself or by other firearms enthusiasts in this sense. Often associates with people with similar interests.

2. A person who takes seemingly morbid interest in firearms out of a belief that they provide protection, security and freedom while appearing scary to the uninitiated - usually used derogatively by non-gun people, particularly those who are scared of firearms.
Me: I keep my AR-15 mags loaded with hollow points for reduced penetration and higher stopping power for riot protection.
Everyone else: You're just another dangerous Second Amendment freak, a raving gun nut.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gun%20nut

To attempt to call Sanders one is yes to perpetuate a meme started by both/or the Clinton campaign and her supporters. Clinton has changed her stance on guns since 2008 when Obama called her Annie Oakley.

[JTShroyer]

162. Just because you personally don't agree with a meme

doesn't mean it can't be true. It might be. It might not be. But your personal opinion is irrelevant.

That article is more than enough proof that Bernie is a gun nut. Did you read the full article!?!?

[Art_from_Ark]

38. Ray Thornton?

What time frame are we talking about here?
He was a representative from 1973-1979, and again from 1991-1997. Before his second stint as representative, he was president of the University of Arkansas.

[LiberalArkie]

39. This was 1993.. But here is the govtrack where I saw it. Thank God I did not delete my cache.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/103-1993/h564

[Art_from_Ark]

40. It looks like the state's entire Congressional delegation voted Nay

Two D's and two R's.

Bernie voted Nay, but his vote was also listed as "statistically notable", which implies that it was some sort of anomaly.

[LiberalArkie]

41. I think all the rural voted against it. Even Olympia Snow. It looked like a rural vs city vote

R or D did not seem to make any difference.

[Art_from_Ark]

42. I'm not familiar with all the Congressional districts,

but from the ones I do know, it does seem like it was more of a rural versus urban vote.

[LiberalArkie]

43. I looked at the national vote and you could see it pretty easy.

[cheapdate]

37. What I'm "not buying"

is the unsound suggestion that Hillary Clinton has "become...Mitt Romney."

That's ridiculous. Clinton and Romney have some small areas of overlap; business, trade, national security, etc. But even in those places they run out of common ground almost immediately.

Romney is a conservative, Christian, Republican. Hillary Clinton is a liberal, secular, Democrat. They couldn't be more different in outlook, temperament, and ideology.

[HerbChestnut]

47. What I meant by comparing the two...

...is that both of them have shown that they're willing to say whatever it takes to get elected. They change their message depending on who their addressing and stake their positions on the political winds.

[cheapdate]

136. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are two very different kinds of politicians.

They agree on more things than they disagree on. Even when they disagree, they at least share a common language for discussing their disagreements.

Putting either candidate in the White House would be a huge win for Democrats and everything they are fighting for. Losing the White House would be a huge defeat.

[Cassiopeia]

2. HRC has a lengthy record we can research

and it doesn't match up to her current positions.

Did she really change her position or is she just saying what she thinks needs to be said.

[Stanley British]

7. The latter part. She's doing a lot of pandering

[riversedge]

27. ah, a new Sander support already has learned the overused vocabulary word 'pandering" well done-

[Stanley British]

31. Who said I was a Sanders supporter?

[ColesCountyDem]

97. Based on this post, it's not an unreasonable assumption:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=703195

[Stanley British]

98. It's a website that has been referenced a lot and has full of useful information, so I thought I'd

share.

[ColesCountyDem]

101. That's cool. I was just explaining how someone mght have thought you supported Sen. Sanders.

[840high]

46. She most certainly panders.

[Android3.14]

3. She's been on both sides of so many issues, all you have to do is edit the history

With a little bit of time, you could make a post to show she supports nearly anything (and with enough money, she might even agree with you).

[JTShroyer]

6. I disagree

Hillary helped create and pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program, giving 8+ million children health insurance. Hillary also fought for unions and a higher minimum wage as New York Senator [despite corporate contributions]. And of course she is receiving contributions from Wall St., she represented them as a Senator from New York. They know the economy does better for *EVERYONE* under a Clinton, just as it did throughout the 1990s. Incomes rose at all levels during the 1990s. The Clintons will fight for American families again in the 21st Century.

[FreakinDJ]

77. NAFTA

[JTShroyer]

81. Working within the context and culture of the 1990s is apples and oranges compared to today.

The Clintons were a net-positive for Americans in the 1990s and will be a net-positive for Americans in the 21st century. If there's anything we've learned about the Clintons in the last 30 years, it's that you want them fighting for you. Hillary's plans and proposals are the most comprehensive and progressive of any candidate to date. Go Hillary Go!!

[JTShroyer]

4. A few of her biggest criticisms addressed:

Gay Marriage:
Bernie fans whine that he wasn’t invited to speak at the Human Rights Campaign like Hillary was:

Maybe that’s because besides his “consistent” words, he hasn’t done squat for the LGBT community.

Hillary fought for stronger hate crime laws and anti-discrimination laws as New York Senator. Hillary also enacted lifesaving policies as Secretary of State to save LGBT people around the globe:

Words vs. Accomplishment.

PS: If you defended Barack Obama or Joe Biden when they "evolved" on gay marriage, you are a sexist hypocrite.

Iraq War:
Hillary gave Bush the authorization to go to war as a *last* resort. Bush went to war as a *first* resort. Bush also didn’t let the UN inspectors finish their job, something he said he would let them do. Why don’t Hillary-haters have a good grasp of history!?!?

Hillary already said she regrets giving Bush the authorization for the war. But she trusted him in the aftermath of 9/11, something most Americans regrettably did. Patriotism and trust was at an all-time high after 9/11/2001, and no one thought Bush would go into Iraq before the inspectors were finished.

Bernie supported funding the war, so he gets to claim he voted against the Iraq war, yet didn’t do anything to actually stop it.

PS: Bernie has flip-flopped on guns, with a history that includes voting against the Brady Bill 5 times.

But, Bernie, it’s OK that you’ve flip-flopped on guns. Just don’t hit Hillary for taking a bit longer to catch up on some positions. She’s been fighting for American families at the highest levels for the past 30 years. But now she’s ready. She’s ready to fight 100% for progressive values in the 21st Century.

If there’s anything we’ve learned about the Clintons in the last 30 years, it’s that you want them fighting for you. Hillary’s plans and proposals are the most comprehensive and progressive of any candidate to date. Hillary and Bill have results from playing and winning the political game. Republicans know this and are scared of the Clintons getting back into the White House, which is why they have propped up this fake "e-mail" scandal.

However, as Hillary noted, everyone changes positions over the course of their life when they gather new information. She’s not a Republican:

This flip-flop argument is 2004-Swit-Boat-John-Kerry tactics. Do you honestly believe Hillary won't fight for American families as President?

Hillary is smart enough to know it takes $$$ to beat $$$, though she and Bill have never forgotten their middle-class roots. Hillary and Bernie voted together in the Senate 93% of the time. Bernie has [virtually] no accomplishments. Hillary has always stood with women, the middle-class, children, the under-privileged – the invisible. Stop the character assassination against Hillary. Haters have been hating since the 1990s. She is ready. Go Hillary Go! #teamCLINTON – The Clintons were a net-positive for Americans.

[beam me up scottie]

10. I think you posted the wrong video, Here, fixed it for you:

[JTShroyer]

13. As a gay man myself:

I care more about ACTION.

Hillary Clinton declared in her historic speech on the world stage, “Gay rights are human rights." In this speech, Hillary outlines what she did for LGBTQ people around the world. Her work as Secretary of State has made it safer to be LGBTQ in a world of so much hate. Hillary, you are my champion. Maybe she took a convenient political position on gay marriage back in the early 2000s to play the political game [something Bernie fans love to obsess about]. But at the end of the day, Hillary HAS done so much good for LGBTQ people by playing and winning the game of politics. Has Bernie done anything for the gay community that even comes close to what Hillary did for the gay community as Secretary of State? Words vs. Results. PS: If you defended Barack Obama or Joe Biden when they evolved on gay marriage, you are a sexist hypocrite. Go Hillary!!

[beam me up scottie]

14. Action? Like when Hillary lobbied for DOMA and Bernie voted against it?

If you slam Bernie for not doing "squat for the LGBT community" when he voted for marriage equality and then claim that Hillary is a lgbt rights champion when she openly opposed it until 2013 you're either a hypocrite or very confused.

[JTShroyer]

18. Wow

One vote? What are his ACTIONS? As Secretary of State, Hillary saved LGBT people worldwide by implementing new policies and programs to combat LGBT hate crimes worldwide. As New York Senator, Hillary worked closely with the Human Rights Campaign. The President of the Human Rights Campaign has known Hillary since her days in Arkansas. They are best buddies [watch the video].

Seriously. Watch this video to know the truth about Hillary's COMPLETE record on gay rights:

[beam me up scottie]

22. I know her "complete record", and so does everyone else:

Hillary Clinton’s changing position on same-sex marriage

On the day that the U.S. Supreme Court was poised to hear oral arguments about same-sex marriage April 28, Hillary Clinton changed her "H" logo to rainbow-colored and tweeted: "Every loving couple & family deserves to be recognized & treated equally under the law across our nation. #LoveMustWin #LoveCantWait."

Clinton came out in support of same-sex marriage in 2013 after more than a decade of opposing it. But her views are particularly in the spotlight now that she is a presidential candidate.

We decided to put Clinton’s statements about same-sex marriage on our Flip-O-Meter, which measures whether a candidate has changed their views without making a value judgment about such flips. We found that as public opinion shifted toward support for same-sex marriage, so did Clinton.

...

Our conclusion

Clinton opposed same-sex marriage as a candidate for the Senate, while in office as a senator, and while running for president in 2008. She expressed her support for civil unions starting in 2000 and for the rights’ of states to set their own laws in favor of same-sex marriage in 2006.

As polls showed that a majority of Americans supported same-sex marriage, Clinton’s views changed, too. She announced her support for same-sex marriage in March 2013.

It’s up to voters to decide how they feel about her changed stance, but on same-sex marriage we give Clinton a Full Flop.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/jun/17/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-change-position-same-sex-marriage/

Good for you! I guess some folks love flip floppers on civil rights!

[JTShroyer]

54. LOL

Hillary saved LGBT lives worldwide by enacting lifesaving programs as Secretary of State and has the full support of the Human Rights Campaign. Hillary declared to all world leaders "Gay rights are human rights." She brought the topic to the forefront with every nation on Earth.

Stop downplaying and minimizing her real record.

[beam me up scottie]

55. Stop ignoring the fact that she opposed their civil rights in this country.

I'm not minimizing anything, that's part of her "real record" too.

[JTShroyer]

62. Did you defend Barack Obama or Joe Biden

when they evolved on gay marriage?

I bet you'll say no even though I bet you did.

And even if you did attack them for it, why are you so obsessed with Hillary changing her mind? She is a methodist from many decades ago. But her actual record of helping gay people worldwide supersedes that. I guess we will have to agree to disagree. But as a gay man I will hold my head high when I vote for her. She has stood with us since her days as First Lady.

Go HRC [Hillary Rodham Clinton]
Go HRC [Human Rights Campaign]

[beam me up scottie]

68. Nope. I'm consistent when it comes to civil rights, too bad you can't say the same.

You're the one who's "obsessed" with glossing over her record, I'm just stating the facts.

Seems silly to pretend she didn't fight against marriage equality until 2 years ago.

[JTShroyer]

71. Get over it

If you aren't going to vote for her because she was once opposed to gay marriage, so be it. That is your prerogative and you are free to vote however you want.

IMO, Hillary saved LGBT lives worldwide and that's the most important thing to me #teamClinton #Hillary2016 <3 <3

[beam me up scottie]

75. I have gotten over it but her civil rights record is only one of the reasons I don't support her.

Her past support for banning late term abortions and the Iraq war and current support of the death penalty and moderate centrist policies are others.

I can't trust her to do the right thing or to even know what that is.

[JTShroyer]

79. Her Iraq war vote is misunderstood

Hillary gave Bush the authorization to go to war as a *last* resort. Bush went to war as a *first* resort. Bush also didn’t let the UN inspectors finish their job, something he said he would let them do. Why don’t Hillary-haters have a good grasp of history!?!?

Hillary already said she regrets giving Bush the authorization for the war. But she, as a Senator of New York, trusted him in the aftermath of 9/11, something most Americans regrettably did. Patriotism and trust was at an all-time high after 9/11/2001, and no one thought Bush would go into Iraq before the inspectors were finished. Bush lied. People died. That's the truth.

Bernie supported funding the war, so he gets to claim he voted against the Iraq war, yet didn’t do anything to actually stop it.

[beam me up scottie]

84. Bernie knew better than to trust Bush and Cheney and so did I.

Why didn't Hillary?

How can I trust her after making a mistake like that?

Bernie voted to provide support for the troops Hillary sent to Iraq, was he supposed to let them do without?

[TM99]

86. Now poor Hillary is just misunderstood.

You must work for the campaign, right?

We have a perfect grasp of history. Considering you identify yourself as a Millennial, the assumption must be that you were a child or at least a teenager 13 years ago. We were adults, and we know exactly what occurred. Revisionism won't be tolerated.

Yes, a lot of idiots trusted Bush and his GOP & Dem war-enablers. And a great many more of us did not. We saw through the lies. We spoke out against the lies. We marched against the lies.

No Clinton does not get a free-pass just because she said, 'Opps, sorry!'.

And hell yes, Sanders supported funding the war. Once committed with no chance of it ending, you support the men and women there dying for your stupid cause. Sanders has been one of the best friends in congress that we veterans could ever ask for.

Vote Clinton. I won't try to change your opinion of her 'greatness'. But sure as fuck, if you come in here spouting off opinions as facts when you are flat out wrong, your ass will be called out on it pronto.

[JTShroyer]

88. It's true, though

Bernie gets to claim he voted against it but he didn't ACTUALLY do anything to stop it. I'm burned out:

[TM99]

89. Cute graphics work on Tumblr

but not here.

Yes, you support financially the troops that have been deployed. You speak out to stop it as he did but you do not leave them high and dry.

But enough about Sanders, really you are the one who is spewing made-up bullshit about Clinton, so let's get back on that topic shall we?

Address your bullshit, don't try to deflect with non sequiturs.

[JTShroyer]

91. You aren't my boss

I have stated that Hillary didn't vote FOR the war, she voted to give Bush the authorization under the premise that he would let the inspectors do their job. He lied to Hillary and all of us. He didn't let the inspectors do their job and went to war as a first [not last] resort. Hillary didn't vote for the war, she voted to give Bush the authorization to go to war as a last resort and only after the inspectors finished their job and came up with something. It sucks that we were lied to by the President of the United Sates, and kudos to Bernie for seeing it, but I honestly don't fault Hillary for it. I blame Bush and Bush only.

And honestly -- who is to say Hillary wouldn't have managed the war better? Part of the biggest problem with Iraq is the mismanagement.

Regardless, we will have to agree to disagree. As Hillary correctly noted, Obama still picked her as Secretary of State despite the Iraq war vote and she actually did a lot of great work. Hillary was also one of the few in favor of the Bin Laden raid.

Here is a lot of the great work Hillary did as Secretary of State. Seriously. It's a must-watch:

[TM99]

100. You do not get

to rewrite history and presents facts that are actually lies or distortions.

No I will not agree to disagree.

Clinton voted with numerous Democrats to give Bush his war. A handful of Congress people knew what this was, spoke out against it, and then voted against. One such person was Sanders.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/video/flashback-rep-bernie-sanders-opposes-iraq-war

Mr. Speaker, in the brief time I have, let me give five reasons why I am opposed to giving the President a blank check to launch a unilateral invasion and occupation of Iraq and why I will vote against this resolution. One, I have not heard any estimates of how many young American men and women might die in such a war or how many tens of thousands of women and children in Iraq might also be killed. As a caring Nation, we should do everything we can to prevent the horrible suffering that a war will cause. War must be the last recourse in international relations, not the first. Second, I am deeply concerned about the precedent that a unilateral invasion of Iraq could establish in terms of international law and the role of the United Nations. If President Bush believes that the U.S. can go to war at any time against any nation, what moral or legal objection could our government raise if another country chose to do the same thing?

These are the words of someone who opposed the Iraq War. These are the words of a leader who would have been a much better manager of the Iraq War.

Who is to say Clinton would not have managed it better? Her time shows us she would not have been.

So once again, enjoy your stay, enjoy your cheerleader, but if you post lies and bullshit, don't be shocked and amazed if you get called the fuck out on it.

[beam me up scottie]

90. Bernie "didn't ACTUALLY do anything to stop it" - that's a lie:

https://m.

[JTShroyer]

92. Words again...

Bernie has consistent words. I've already said that.

[beam me up scottie]

94. Claiming he didn't do anything is a lie. You don't get to make up your own facts.

If this is how you try to sell your candidate you have no right to complain about the Republicans who lie about Hillary.

And Bernie is consistently right on the issues, why is that a bad thing?

[JTShroyer]

110. Hillary authorized invasion as a *last* resort. Bush went to war as a *first* resort instead.

Though the Iraq war is a very large negative for her, she points out her entire record, which includes being one of the few to advocate for the successful raid against Osama Bin Laden, to imposing the toughest sanctions on Iran by convincing the Chinese and Russians to agree to them [something that was unprecedented at the time]. Both are things the Bush Administration couldn’t get done. Hillary’s START treaty with Russia still exists and she improved U.S. favorability worldwide by over 20 points.

Hillary gave Bush the authorization to go to war as a *last* resort. Bush went to war as a *first* resort. Bush also didn’t let the UN inspectors finish their job, something he said he would let them do. Why don’t Hillary-haters have a good grasp of history!?!?

Hillary already said she regrets giving Bush the authorization for the war. But as New York Senator, she trusted him in the aftermath of 9/11, something most Americans regrettably did. Patriotism and trust was at an all-time high after 9/11/2001, and no one thought Bush would go into Iraq before the inspectors were finished.

Bernie supported funding the war, so he gets to claim he voted against the Iraq war, yet didn’t do anything to actually stop it.

Hillary Clinton on the Iraq War:

“Well, I have said repeatedly that if I had known then what I know now, I never would have voted to give the president authority.

It was a mistake to trust George Bush that he would do what he told all of us he would do. … Now, I do not think that that is a necessarily wrong judgment at the time.

What was wrong is the way this president misused the authority that some of us here gave him. And that has been a tragedy.”

My blame will always be 100% on the Bush Administration. Especially for how they mismanaged the war and didn't pay for it. Two things Clinton would have done differently despite voting incorrectly in retrospect.

[beam me up scottie]

111. Repeating a lie won't make it true.

Bernie supported funding the war, so he gets to claim he voted against the Iraq war, yet didn’t do anything to actually stop it.

And it's not a "claim" that he voted against it, it's a FACT.

Learn the difference.

[JTShroyer]

114. Voting against it is nice and all

But he funded it. Say it was for the troops all you want, but he funded it. Bernie Sanders funded the Iraq War.

Bottom line is: Bush Lied. People Died. I refuse to use Hillary as some scapegoat for the Bush Administration. Not only would Hillary have waited until the inspectors finished [something Bush said he would do before going to war] but she also wouldn't have mismanaged the war like Bush did. And she would have funded it instead of exploding our debt. Those are three key facts that people overlook and ignore.

Hate her for the vote all you want, but the reality of it at the time was much, MUCH different.

[beam me up scottie]

116. Knock it off, I don't "hate" her, I hate lies about my candidate.

Like I said, if you hadn't tried to smear Bernie I wouldn't have harshed your Hillary buzz but I will keep correcting the record as long as you keep trying to rewrite history.

Bernie opposed the Iraq war and supported the troops, trying to blame him for something your candidate voted for is a desperate and pathetic attempt to deflect from the truth.

[JTShroyer]

118. Trying to blame Hillary for Bush lying about WMDs and inspectors

is is a desperate and pathetic attempt to deflect from the truth. The reality is much different than Bernie fans are portraying.

Kudos to Bernie for opposing it in principal. But a pacifist wouldn't have funded it. But Bernie did. He funded the war. Period.

At the end of the day I believe Bush lied and people died. Bush is the root and cause of the Iraq war. Period.

[beam me up scottie]

120. Strawmen, strawmen everywhere...

1) I don't blame Bush's lies on Hillary, I blame her for her for her vote.

2) No one ever said Bernie was a pacifist

3) Bernie voted to support the troops Hillary voted to send to eat. Period.

Maybe you should stop making shit up and address what's actually posted.

[JTShroyer]

123. I already did address it?

Just because you don't accept what I've said doesn't mean I haven't addressed it. I don't hold her vote against her. You do. We are different people.

1) “Well, I have said repeatedly that if I had known then what I know now, I never would have voted to give the president authority. It was a mistake to trust George Bush that he would do what he told all of us he would do. … Now, I do not think that that is a necessarily wrong judgment at the time. What was wrong is the way this president misused the authority that some of us here gave him. And that has been a tragedy.” -Hillary Rodham Clinton

ACCEPT IT OR NOT. The choice is yours. I accept it because I know the reality of the situation and that Bush lied to her and said he would let the inspectors finish their job.

2) My point is that Bernie funded the war regardless of voting against it. A pacifist would likely take offense to the fact that Bernie only voted out of principal but didn't actually attempt to defund the war.

3) Hillary didn't for FOR the Iraq war. Hilary voted to give Bush the authorization to go as a last resort. Maybe you should re-look at what it was actually called that Hillary voted for. Bernie supporters make it appear much different than the reality.

[beam me up scottie]

125. WHOOOOOOOSH!

Hillaryous.

[Fawke Em]

117. *Cough*

Letter from the 1970s: http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/bernie-sanders-was-full-gay-equality-40-years-ago

[JTShroyer]

119. Again with more "words"

Why isn't the Human Rights Campaign endorsing him over Hillary?

Why was Hillary recently given a thunderous reaction by the Human Rights Campaign?

[beam me up scottie]

121. What has Hillary done other than use "words"?

[JTShroyer]

122. Not again! LOL

Hillary outlines all the programs and polices she started on behalf of LGBT people around the glob as Secretary of State in this speech. Million dollar programs that didn't exist during the Bush Administration.

[beam me up scottie]

124. Her words helped prevent same sex couples from getting married.

And helped get us into an illegal war in Iraq.

I understand that's an inconvenient truth but it's still the truth.

[JTShroyer]

129. Correlation =/= causation

Sorry dude.

[beam me up scottie]

131. I'm not a "dude" and you can't have it both ways.

If her impassioned speeches for the rights of some have an impact then her impassioned speeches against the rights of others can as well.

You don't get to pick and choose which causes you think she should get credit for.

It's all or none.

[JTShroyer]

135. Her gay rights speech and women's rights speech was

followed with action and results. research. research. research. google. google. google.

[pinebox]

153. Is Bernie Sanders the Most LGBT-Friendly Candidate?

Is Bernie Sanders the Most LGBT-Friendly Candidate?
http://www.advocate.com/politics/election/2015/04/30/bernie-sanders-most-lgbt-friendly-candidate
But Sanders has also been a steadfast and reliable supporter of LGBT equality, supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act when it passed the Senate in 2013 and even calling on President Obama to evolve already and support marriage equality in 2011. He's a cosponsor of the federal LGBT-inclusive Student Non-Discrimination Act and has consistently voted against bills seeking to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, while cosponsoring a bill that would repeal the remaining portions of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Sanders has a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's latest Congressional Equality Index.

[frylock]

149. But that was in the context of the 2000s. Night and oranges compared to today.

[beam me up scottie]

11. "he hasn’t done squat for the LGBT community"

32 Years Before Marriage Equality, Bernie Sanders Fought For Gay Rights



But these are only very recent developments. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton may be champions of same-sex marriage now, but you don’t have to go far back to find a time when they weren’t. And hey, we’re happy to have their evolved support.

Not only did Sanders vote against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 which defined marriage as between one man and one woman, signed into law by then-president Bill Clinton — an unpopular position then — a look back at Sanders’ political career shows consistent support of the gay rights movement. Even when it was more than just unpopular, it was downright controversial.

“In our democratic society, it is the responsibility of government to safeguard civil liberties and civil rights — especially the freedom of speech and expression,” Sanders wrote later in a memo. “In a free society, we must all be committed to the mutual respect of each others lifestyle.”

...

“It is my very strong view that a society which proclaims human freedom as its goal, as the United States does, must work unceasingly to end discrimination against all people. I am happy to say that this past year, in Burlington, we have made some important progress by adopting an ordinance which prohibits discrimination in housing. This law will give legal protection not only to welfare recipients, and families with children, the elderly and the handicapped — but to the gay community as well.”

http://www.queerty.com/32-years-before-marriage-equality-bernie-sanders-fought-for-gay-rights-20150719

On LGBT Rights, Bernie Leads and Hillary Follows

Of course, Clinton has since evolved on LGBT rights, as many have. That's wonderful. But the problem is, she only came out in support of marriage equality after it was not politically risky to do so. In fact, by 2013 - the year Clinton announced her full support for marriage equality - Democratic support for same-sex marriage was the norm, not the exception.

On such an important moral issue that affects my life and the lives of thousands of other Americans, making decisions in this manner is rather despicable. Additionally, Clinton's habit of doing what polls deem politically popular is the reason why so many voters find her inauthentic. Now, if Clinton were the only option for the Democratic presidential nomination, I would understand why we should support her despite these flaws.

But she isn't the only option.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the longest-serving Independent in the history of Congress, is also running for the nomination. And unlike Clinton, his record on LGBT rights is historically excellent.

Sanders voted against DOMA, one of the few members of Congress to do so, at a time when such a stance was not politically popular. Four years after DOMA passed, Sanders helped champion Vermont's decision in 2000 to become the first state to legalize same-sex civil unions. This set a national precedent for LGBT equality achieved via legislative means. In 2009, when Vermont became the first state to allow marriage equality through legislative action rather than a court ruling, Sanders expressed his support once again. Truly, Sanders has been a real leader on LGBT rights, even if this leadership isn't recognized in the way that Clinton's current support is.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-novak/on-lgbt-rights-bernie-lea_b_7662682.html

Bernie Sanders Was for Full Gay Equality 40 Years Ago

Today’s Supreme Court decision was a monumental moment in American history, as it guaranteed the right for gays and lesbians to get married and established full marriage equality.

Many politicians offered their words of support, including President Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Yet it is important to remember that Obama and Clinton both opposed marriage equality as late as early 2012. It is a testament to the work of thousands of activists over decades that the political class was pulled towards supporting equality.

There is however one prominent politician who did not wait so long to call for full gay equality: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

In a letter he published in the early 1970’s, when he was a candidate for governor of Vermont from the Liberty Union Party, Sanders invoked freedom to call for the abolition of all laws related to homosexuality:

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/bernie-sanders-was-full-gay-equality-40-years-ago

Sanders: I was ahead of the curve on gay rights

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Saturday he has been waiting for the nation to catch up to his support for same-sex marriage.

Sanders’ remarks come a day after Friday’s landmark 5-4 Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

He argued he was well ahead of the historic decision, unlike Hillary Clinton, his main rival for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.

...

Sanders at the time served in the House of Representatives, which voted 342-67 in favor of DOMA. The Senate voted 85-14 in favor, before former President Bill Clinton signed it into law.

“That was an anti-gay marriage piece of legislation,” he added of the law that defined marriage at the federal level as the coupling of one man and one woman.

Sanders on Saturday praised Americans for creating greater opportunities for same-sex couples. Friday’s Supreme Court ruling, he charged, was not possible without national pressure for gay rights.

“No one here should think for one second this starts with the Supreme Court,” Sanders said.

“It starts at the grassroots level in all 50 states,” he said. “The American people want to end discrimination in all its forms.”

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/246370-sanders-i-was-ahead-of-the-curve-on-gay-rights

Bernie Sanders was decades ahead of the country on gay rights and ending the war on drugs

Most Americans now support legally allowing gay and lesbian relationships, same-sex marriage, and personal marijuana use after decades of shifting public opinion. But one Democratic candidate for president, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, was calling for many of these changes decades ago.

In a 1972 letter to a local newspaper — which was recently resurfaced by Chelsea Summers at the New Republic — Sanders wrote that he supported abolishing "all laws dealing with abortion, drugs, sexual behavior (adultery, homosexuality, etc.)" as part of his campaign for Vermont governor:

These stances were far removed from public opinion at the time, according to Gallup surveys on marijuana and gay and lesbian rights. In 1972, 81 percent of Americans said marijuana should be illegal — which suggests even more would favor the prohibition of more dangerous drugs like cocaine and heroin. In 1977, the earliest year of polling data, 43 percent of Americans said gay and lesbian relations between consenting adults should not be legal, while 43 percent said they should be legal.

...

But it took decades for the American public to come around to majority support on these issues: It wasn't until 2013 that a majority of Americans supported marijuana legalization, the early 2000s that most consistently responded in favor of legal gay and lesbian relations, and 2011 that a majority first reported backing same-sex marriage rights.

Sanders has carried many of these positions to this day. He was one of the few federal lawmakers to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal ban on same-sex marriages, in the 1990s. And while he told Time's Jay Newton-Small in March that he has no current stance on marijuana legalization (but backs medical marijuana), he characterized the war on drugs as costly and destructive.

http://www.vox.com/2015/7/7/8905905/sanders-drugs-gay-rights

Bernie Sanders' Views On Gay Marriage Show He's Been A Supporter For A Long Time

Now that he's officially announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for president and challenge Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will be talking about his positions on major issues on the campaign trail, and one very big issue he has championed for years is gay marriage. Sanders, unlike some of his potential Republican opponents, seems like he would not turn down an invitation to a gay wedding (and he might actually get invited to one).

In 1996, then-Representative Sanders voted against the Defense of Marriage Act, which barred recognition of gay marriage at the federal level (DOMA was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013). Sanders' and his home state of Vermont were the first to legalize same-sex unions in 2000, at first recognizing them as civil unions. Gay marriage has been legal in Vermont since 2009, and as The New York Times reported, Vermont was the first state to pass legislation in support of same-sex marriage, rather than in reaction to a court ruling.

On Tuesday, as the Supreme Court took up the issue of gay marriage, Sanders issued a statement on his website reaffirming his support, saying gay Americans in every state should be allowed to marry.

Of course all citizens deserve equal rights. It’s time for the Supreme Court to catch up to the American people and legalize gay marriage.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/79951-bernie-sanders-views-on-gay-marriage-show-hes-been-a-supporter-for-a-long-time

Is Bernie Sanders the Most LGBT-Friendly Candidate?

Bernie Sanders, the longest-serving independent member of Congress, is officially seeking the Democratic nomination for president in 2016, the Vermont senator announced in an email to supporters this morning.

"People should not underestimate me," Sanders told the Associated Press in an interview that broke the news of his candidacy Wednesday night. "I've run outside of the two-party system, defeating Democrats and Republicans, taking on big-money candidates and, you know, I think the message that has resonated in Vermont is a message that can resonate all over this country."

The self-described "Democratic socialist" wants to challenge the business-as-usual trend of big money in politics that he says dominates the current candidates — including Hillary Clinton.

The thrust of Sanders's campaign thus far — like his political career as the mayor of Burlington, Vt., 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the past seven in the U.S. Senate — has focused on supporting working-class Americans through elevated taxes on the wealthy and correcting income inequality "which is now reaching obscene levels," he told the AP.

But Sanders has also been a steadfast and reliable supporter of LGBT equality, supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act when it passed the Senate in 2013 and even calling on President Obama to evolve already and support marriage equality in 2011. He's a cosponsor of the federal LGBT-inclusive Student Non-Discrimination Act and has consistently voted against bills seeking to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, while cosponsoring a bill that would repeal the remaining portions of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Sanders has a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's latest Congressional Equality Index.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/election/2015/04/30/bernie-sanders-most-lgbt-friendly-candidate

[JTShroyer]

15. But what are his ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

Bernie fans whine that he wasn’t invited to speak at the Human Rights Campaign. Maybe that’s because besides his “consistent” words, he hasn't done much for the LGBT community:

Is is impossible to watch this and not understand all the great work Hillary has done for the gay community throughout her entire career. This speech was just a few days ago.

Hillary fought for stronger hate crime laws and anti-discrimination laws as New York Senator.
Hillary enacted lifesaving policies as Secretary of State to save LGBT people around the globe.

[beam me up scottie]

19. Did you read the articles? And what did Hillary do in addition to opposing marriage equality?

She "fought for stronger hate crime laws and anti-discrimination laws" while opposing civil rights for lgbt people.

Is that what you consider "great work"?

[JTShroyer]

21. LOL

I'll trust the Human Rights Campaign over you. Sorrynotsorry.

[beam me up scottie]

23. And I'll just take her own words over yours:

1996: “My preference is that we do all we can to strengthen traditional marriages, and that the people engaged in parenting children be committed to one another and to the child. We also have to be realistic and know there are others who can do a good job, as well, of raising children,” Mrs. Clinton told The San Francisco Examiner.

2000: “Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been, between a man and a woman,” Mrs. Clinton said while running for the Senate in New York.

2003: “Well, marriage means something different. You know, marriage has a meaning that I think should be kept as it historically has been, but I see no reason whatsoever why people in committed relationships can’t have many of the same rights and the same respect for their unions that they are seeking, and I would like to see that be more accepted than it is,” Mrs. Clinton speaking to WNYC on the difference between gay marriage and civil unions.

2003: “I am, you know, for many reasons. I think that the vast majority of Americans find that to be something they can’t agree with. But I think most Americans are fair. And if they believe that people in committed relationships want to share their lives and, not only that, have the same rights that I do in my marriage, to decide who I want to inherit my property or visit me in a hospital, I think that most Americans would think that that’s fair and that should be done,” Mrs. Clinton, in an interview with CBS, on whether she still opposed same-sex marriage.

2006: “My position is consistent. I support states making the decision. I think that Chuck Schumer would say the same thing. And if anyone ever tried to use our words in any way, we’ll review that. Because I think that it should be in the political process and people make a decision and if our governor and our Legislature support marriage in New York, I’m not going to be against that,” Mrs. Clinton telling Gay City News that she would not block legislation supporting gay marriage in New York.

2007: “I am very much in favor of civil unions with full equality of benefits,” Mrs. Clinton told Ellen DeGeneres, explaining that she still believed the decision should be left to states.

She finally came around in 2013.

2013: “L.G.B.T. Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones, and they are full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage,” Mrs. Clinton said in a video released by Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/04/16/hillary-clintons-changing-views-on-gay-marriage/

[JTShroyer]

24. Uhh...

I already addressed this.

Words vs. Results.

Look at her full record. Watch her speech at the Human Rights Campaign and look her life-changing work as Secretary of State.

[beam me up scottie]

26. Uhh...Watch her speech:

[JTShroyer]

56. hahaha

The flip-flop argument is so 2004. Are you the new swift-boat team?

As a gay man, I love Hillary. Go Hillary Go!!

[beam me up scottie]

58. You're the one trying to swift boat Bernie on his civil rights record.

It's hillaryous that you think her record is better than his when she opposed marriage equality until 2013.

She didn't change her position until long after Obama and the rest of the country did.

Now suddenly she's a champion for the cause.

[JTShroyer]

64. Consistent words vs. Acomplishments

Hillary has saved LGBT people worldwide because of her world on behalf of the gay community as Secretary of State. That's far more than I can say for Bernie.

Consistent words vs. Accomplishments

[beam me up scottie]

65. One of her "Accomplishments" was denying them marriage equality here.

Bernie fought for lgbt rights for decades.

Sorry but those are facts you can't change no matter how much you love her.

[JTShroyer]

67. Hillary's FULL record

Hillary marched with us as First Lady and saved our lives as Secretary of State. Go Hillary Go!!

It's no wonder the Human Rights Campaign loves you so much ^.^

[beam me up scottie]

69. That's part of her record, she marched with lgbt people while opposing their rights.

I know who's always had my back and supported my rights.

Go Bernie!

[JTShroyer]

73. Luckily

The Human Rights Campaign knows what's up #Hillary2016

[appalachiablue]

30. Knockout, Scottie. Ace work!

[beam me up scottie]

36. Thank you!

This is getting to be routine around here, attack Bernie on his strengths and claim Hillary is better - Swift Boating 101.

[Stanley British]

99. I love this exchange.

You just slapped him with a live trout repeatedly, and that poster hasn't gotten it.

[MisterP]

35. Honduras is less trans-friendly than Iran and Libya is overrun with throat-cutting militias

[whatchamacallit]

8. Authentic Professional Politician

i.e., zebra.

[JTShroyer]

9. Haters have been hating since the 1990s.

Go Hillary Go!!

[aidbo]

16. Im sorry, I have to I can't help it...

[Scootaloo]

45. Bwahahahaha. if you didn't, I would've

[Thinkingabout]

28. K & R, good post

I continue to look past the RW talking points, I dont fall for the cognitive dissonance and know and read the record for myself. She is experienced and strong and she can handle the full spectrum of the presidency.

[JTShroyer]

51. Yes Yes Yes!!

History will look at Hillary Clinton as someone who never gave up and continued to succeed, despite being knocked down over and over again. She will be seen as a polarizing trailblazer who finally found her voice — leading to eventual success as First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State.

Once in positions of power, Hillary is ruthless when it comes to effectively advocating for her positions and destroying the opposition. This is why Republicans have fought (and failed) to stop her political career from climbing to new heights.

Hillary's resilience is unparalleled. She bounces back in the face of defeat because she's smart, articulate, and tough.

Many of Hillary's colleagues have often noted that she is almost always the most knowledgeable person in the room about any given issue. Her knowledge, persistence, and stamina is an unstoppable combination. Her perseverance, despite being attacked daily for the last 30 years, is a testament to her political skill and brilliance.

Former President Bill Clinton, the other half of this political powerhouse, often describes Hillary as the most competent person in his generation. I couldn't agree more. So although she may have been too polarizing to win the Presidency in 2008, we can all be certain that if given the opportunity, she would have been one of the most competent and successful President's in our lifetime. And I hope she is given another chance in 2016.

Hillary is smart enough to know it takes $$$ to beat $$$, though she and Bill have never forgotten their middle-class roots. Hillary and Bernie voted together in the Senate 93% of the time. Bernie has [virtually] no accomplishments. Hillary has always stood with women, the middle-class, children, the under-privileged – the invisible. Stop the character assassination against Hillary. Haters have been hating since the 1990s. She is ready. Go Hillary Go! #teamCLINTON – The Clintons were a net-positive for Americans.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. Is that the "dead broke" version or the millionaire version?

The guilty moderate version or the sometimes progressive version?

The strong leader version or the evolving version?

The not-so hawk or the all-out hawk version?

[JTShroyer]

53. How about all of the above?

Maybe Hillary is more than a one-dimensional person?

[HooptieWagon]

127. True. Two-faced describes her more accurately. Nt

[JTShroyer]

132. Or savvy. But those adjectives are reserved for men only

[TBF]

32. Probably fighting for the women and girls in Bangladesh too -

especially when she was on the Board of Directors of Walmart, Inc.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/recent-killings-taking-toll-on-bangladesh-garment-industry-1445280842

http://www.propublica.org/article/walmart-accepted-clothing-from-banned-bangladesh-factories

Also wondering about all those women, girls, and assorted folks she helped out while working at the Rose Law Firm ...

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/06/us/elusive-papers-of-law-firm-are-found-at-white-house.html?pagewanted=all

[Catherina]

48. Don't forget all the women and girls in Libya, Iraq, Honduras, etc n/t

[JTShroyer]

57. Here is Hillary's amazing work on behalf of women:

[TBF]

93. Movies of rich folk who support her -

while you ignore the points made.

[JTShroyer]

133. I guess you didn't watch the video?

It is VERY informative. Truly.

[TBF]

141. I really don't care what celebrities have to say

about any of the candidates. Voting records. Period.

[JTShroyer]

146. Meryl Streep

outlines all the wonderful things Hillary did as Secretary of State on behalf of women. Your refusal to watch it and gain new insight and knowledge is proud ignorance at its finest.

[TBF]

151. Meryl Streep - net worth M $75 (75 MILLION DOLLARS)

so spare me your crap. I could care less who someone like that is voting for.

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/meryl-streep-net-worth/

[JTShroyer]

157. So what?

How is that relevant? I love when celebrities use their status and wealth for good. Did you watch the speech? It truly is inspiring.

[TBF]

158. I'm glad you're so inspired by the rich folks. nt

[JTShroyer]

161. The Clintons paid a 35.7% tax rate [40 million in total taxes] over the last 7 years.

The Clintons paid a 35.7% tax rate [40 million in total taxes] over the last 7 years. They built their success from the ground up, dating back to their days together at Yale Law School. Both Clintons embody the American dream of using their own talents to achieve success -- but they both have never forgotten their roots and they both pay their fair share to a country that has given them so much.

[Scootaloo]

44. I don't doubt her commitment to the well-being of women and children.

And good for her on that.

What I doubt is her commitment to the poor and middle classes in this country.
What I doubt is her desire for peace with the rest of the world.
What I doubt is her willingness to confront a growing oligarchy.
What I doubt is her commitment to finer social issues that might be as politically easy.

[JTShroyer]

59. The Clintons paid a 35.7% tax rate [40 million in total taxes] over the last 7 years:

The Clintons paid a 35.7% tax rate [40 million in total taxes] over the last 7 years. They built their success from the ground up, dating back to their days together at Yale Law School. Both Clintons embody the American dream of using their own talents to achieve success -- but they both have never forgotten their roots and they both pay their fair share to a country that has given them so much. They want to pay their success forward to the next generation of Americans. The Clintons were a *NET-POSITIVE* for America. 2-for-the-price-of-1. I have no doubt, that as their final stand against everything that has been leveled at them since the early 1990s, they will finally dismantle the GOP if let back in the White House. This is why the GOP fears the Clintons so much and are using witch-hunts against them yet again with this "e-mail" scandal.

Hillary is smart enough to know it takes $$$ to beat $$$, though she and Bill have never forgotten their middle-class roots.

Hillary helped create and pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program, giving 8+ million children health insurance. Hillary also fought for unions and a higher minimum wage as New York Senator [despite corporate contributions]. And of course she is receiving contributions from Wall St., she represented them as a Senator from New York. They know the economy does better for EVERYONE under a Clinton, just as it did throughout the 1990s.

Incomes rose at all levels during the 1990s.

[Thinkingabout]

96. Never for one moment have I thought the Clinton Foundation was set up to aid

Anyone in the top 10% or anyone on Wall Street. I do not know how anyone confuses facts like this, the Clintons have helped the less fortunate for years. Hilary went door to door in migrant camps trying to get children in school and determine if they had health issues. She continues to advocate for children. She has worked to improve women's pay and other issues important to women not only in the US but world wide. I doubt another candidate has a long record of helping the less fortunate as Hillary has.

[Arugula Latte]

49. I know A LOT of Millennials (my kids, their friends, their cousins, etc. etc.)

Last edited Tue Oct 20, 2015, 01:56 AM - Edit history (1)

NONE of them can stand Hillary. They can smell a phony thousands of miles away.

They all love Bernie though.

[JTShroyer]

60. Sadly...

They have no idea that Bernie has no chance of accomplishing anything he wants to do with the GOP congress-Tea Party crazies-Fox News-Trump-Talk Radio-Machine. I know this and I'm 26.

Rachel Maddow had an entire segment on how Obama missed such an opportunity during his first 2 years of his Presidency when he had a Democratic Congress because he actually tried to work with the Repubs [something the Clintons knew was a mistake from day 1]. Obama has since learned his lesson. Personally, I'm ready for the Clintons to go in there and tear it up. Go Hillary Go!! The smart choice #teamCLINTON #Hillary2016

[oasis]

74. Great OP. Thanks for your efforts.

Btw Rachel Maddow will interview Hillary for the first time Friday night.

Again, nice work.

[JTShroyer]

80. Thank You!!

Your support means a lot. Help spread this video!! Lots of Hillary-Haters out there who have no idea about her real record.

Oh, and I loved when Rachel Maddow brought up how Obama tried to work with Republicans when we had a Democratic majority and that it was a miss opportunity. Obama has since learned this lesson, a lesson the Clintons already knew in 2008 and warned us about.

I don't want Bernie. I want the Clintons back in the White House to tear it up. Go Hillary Go!!

[oasis]

102. True.

Obama was so eager to establish bi-partisan participation that he fell for every trap the GOP set for him.

[JTShroyer]

109. Here is video of the Rachel Maddow segment:

[TBF]

95. Oh my you are a baby -

no wonder. You don't even remember the 90s. I worked in the law firm in DC that held the defense meetings for the Clintons (the "Clinton Legal Fund&quot during those years.

Well that explains it. Honestly the rest of us remember all the details - and we also know everything the Bush family has done as well.

We are ready for new ideas - we have a planet to save for our children and grandchildren.

[Arugula Latte]

103. So Hillary is going to be able to "tear it up" in a Republican Congress?!

What makes you think Republicans will cooperate with her but not Bernie?

That is a really strange argument.

[frylock]

152. Yeah, a group she just labeled as her enemy should be quite eager to work with her.

[kelliekat44]

85. they are a reflection of what their parents are saying at home. They really only think about

texting and getting and having "stuff." Not free stuff but stuff. These kids are zombies and they don't even know it yet.

[JTShroyer]

87. haha...

I just think it's annoying kids my age [I'm 26] don't give Hillary the proper credit she deserves on a variety of issues. I blame the culture of YouTube for such an inaccurate and negative portrayal of Hilary Clinton.

[winter is coming]

134. Oh, the irony...

[olddots]

104. here is a dollar

buy a clue .

[JTShroyer]

105. You should probably donate that dollar to the Bernie campaign

He's gonna need it

[TBF]

145. He's doing pretty well with donations from actual people -

how's your lady doing with the bankers?

[JTShroyer]

147. 94% of Hillary's donations

are from small donors of less than $100.

Hillary represented Wall St. as a Senator from New York. And they know that the economy does better for EVERYONE under the Clintons. Incomes rose at all levels during the 1990s.

[TBF]

150. Cite for that claim? nt

[JTShroyer]

156. 94% of Hillary donations $250 or less

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/hillary-clinton-releases-campaign-fundraising-report-n392971

[askew]

106. Hillary supporters sound deluded when they try to argue she is authentic.

She has some positives that you should talk up. Her authenticity isn't one of them.

She flip-flops on issues, she lies compulsively, she is poll-tested and ready to say whatever focus groups and her staffers tell her. She stands for almost nothing but wants to be president.

[JTShroyer]

107. Clearly

You didn't watch the full video.

PS: Changing ones mind is a sign of intelligence. Just as Bernie did on guns.

[askew]

108. I saw all the videos where she lied

She lied about being under Bosnia sniper attack. She lied about her emails too many times to count. She lied about calling TPP the gold standard. She lied about why she flip-flopped. She lies about almost everything.

[JRLeft]

126. Sniper fire. LMFAO!

[JTShroyer]

130. Grasping at the bottom of the barrel now that the scientific polls came out?

:p

[TBF]

144. Ah, the "scientific" polls! As opposed to what other kind of polls?

I know, "scientific" polls MUST be more accurate! Don't question, just vote.

[JTShroyer]

155. Why did Bernie fans say online polls proved he won the debate

when they are unscientific?

[TBF]

159. What? I didn't say anything about Bernie or on-line polls.

Bernie has supporters, not "fans". You're confusing politicians with your favorite actresses like Meryl Streep. Sigh.

[JTShroyer]

160. Here is the transcript. I honestly want you to read it:

"Two years ago when Tina Brown and Diane von Furstenberg first envisioned this conference, they asked me to do a play, a reading, called – the name of the play was called Seven. It was taken from transcripts, real testimony from real women activists around the world. I was the Irish one, and I had no idea that the real women would be sitting in the audience while we portrayed them. So I was doing a pretty ghastly Belfast accent. I was just – I was imitating my friend Liam Neeson, really, and I sounded like a fellow. (Laughter). It was really bad.

So I was so mortified when Tina, at the end of the play, invited the real women to come up on stage and I found myself standing next to the great Inez McCormack. (Applause.) And I felt slight next to her, because I’m an actress and she is the real deal. She has put her life on the line. Six of those seven women were with us in the theater that night. The seventh, Mukhtaran Bibi, couldn’t come because she couldn’t get out of Pakistan. You probably remember who she is. She’s the young woman who went to court because she was gang-raped by men in her village as punishment for a perceived slight to their honor by her little brother. All but one of the 14 men accused were acquitted, but Mukhtaran won the small settlement. She won $8,200, which she then used to start schools in her village. More money poured in from international donations when the men were set free. And as a result of her trial, the then president of Pakistan, General Musharraf, went on TV and said, “If you want to be a millionaire, just get yourself raped.”

But that night in the theater two years ago, the other six brave women came up on the stage. Anabella De Leon of Guatemala pointed to Hillary Clinton, who was sitting right in the front row, and said, “I met her and my life changed.” And all weekend long, women from all over the world said the same thing:

"I’m alive because she came to my village, put her arm around me, and had a photograph taken together."

"I’m alive because she went on our local TV and talked about my work, and now they’re afraid to kill me."

"I’m alive because she came to my country and she talked to our leaders, because I heard her speak, because I read about her."

I’m here today because of that, because of those stores. I didn’t know about this. I never knew any of it. And I think everybody should know. This hidden history Hillary has, the story of her parallel agenda, the shadow diplomacy unheralded, uncelebrated — careful, constant work on behalf of women and girls that she has always conducted alongside everything else a First Lady, a Senator, and now Secretary of State is obliged to do.

And it deserves to be amplified. This willingness to take it, to lead a revolution – and revelation, beginning in Beijing in 1995, when she first raised her voice to say the words you’ve heard many times throughout this conference: “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights.”

When Hillary Clinton stood up in Beijing to speak that truth, her hosts were not the only ones who didn’t necessarily want to hear it. Some of her husband’s advisors also were nervous about the speech, fearful of upsetting relations with China. But she faced down the opposition at home and abroad, and her words continue to hearten women around the world and have reverberated down the decades.

…

She’s just been busy working, doing it, making those words “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” into something every leader in every country now knows is a linchpin of American policy. It’s just so much more than a rhetorical triumph. We’re talking about what happened in the real world, the institutional change that was a result of that stand she took.

…

Now we know that the higher the education and the involvement of women in a culture and economy, the more secure the nation. It’s a metric we use throughout our foreign policy, and in fact, it’s at the core of our development policy. It is a big, important shift in thinking. Horrifying practices like female genital cutting were not at the top of the agenda because they were part of the culture and we didn’t want to be accused of imposing our own cultural values.

But what Hillary Clinton has said over and over again is, “A crime is a crime, and criminal behavior cannot be tolerated.” Everywhere she goes, she meets with the head of state and she meets with the women leaders of grassroots organizations in each country. This goes automatically on her schedule. As you’ve seen, when she went to Burma – our first government trip there in 40 years. She met with its dictator and then she met with Aung San Suu Kyi, the woman he kept under detention for 15 years, the leader of Burma’s pro-democracy movement.

This isn’t just symbolism. It’s how you change the world. These are the words of Dr. Gao Yaojie of China: “I will never forget our first meeting. She said I reminded her of her mother. And she noticed my small bound feet. I didn’t need to explain too much, and she understood completely. I could tell how much she wanted to understand what I, an 80-something year old lady, went through in China – the Cultural Revolution, uncovering the largest tainted blood scandal in China, house arrest, forced family separation. I talked about it like nothing and I joked about it, but she understood me as a person, a mother, a doctor. She knew what I really went through.”

When Vera Stremkovskaya, a lawyer and human rights activist from Belarus met Hillary Clinton a few years ago, they took a photograph together. And she said to one of the Secretary’s colleagues, “I want that picture.” And the colleague said, “I will get you that picture as soon as possible.” And Stremkovskaya said, “I need that picture.” And the colleague said, “I promise you.” And Stremkovskaya said, “You don’t understand. That picture will be my bullet-proof vest.”

Never give up. Never, never, never, never, never give up. That is what Hillary Clinton embodies."

[jalan48]

112. Bernie supporter here but let's give Hillary her due on kids and education.

She's been a champion of kids for decades, we should all be able to acknowledge that.

[JTShroyer]

128. Thank you for giving credit where credit is due!!

You are a gem!!

[TBF]

142. She has talked about women & children -

but what are the results? If you support the policies of the big banks what are you REALLY doing to children across this country? Are you mortgaging their futures? Think about it. It's more than just a photo-op.

[jalan48]

143. I support Bernie because of his position on the banks and other issues.

However, I don't think Hillary was thinking photo ops 40 years ago when she was advocating for children. She has a long history of working for kids, that's my only point.

[JTShroyer]

154. I agree, jalan48...

Her core and conviction is obvious when watching the video.

[jwirr]

113. Always been with children, women and families. Welfare

reform did not help us.

[Warren DeMontague]

140. She's definitely real.

As in, she exists.