2 Faced Bernie Sanders: Part 1. The "I didn't mean the apology" edition

[Renew Deal]

Bernie Sanders says one thing and often does another.

The latest example is him "apologizing" for the inappropriate data access by his campaign and then calling the senior staffer in that role a “plant”, "taking the fight to the DNC to the next level", and planting stories about the trustworthiness of the investigator.

Bernie shouldn't have made a show of apologizing if he didn't mean it.

[dlwickham]

1. K&R

[Sheepshank]

2. Throwing out every tactic possible to avoid responsibility

Nice leadership skills....not.

[murielm99]

3. Earlier, there were posts about

the notification of VAN that there were firewall problems back in October. Then, there were claims that it was "another data company."

Who was that other data company? Why has there been nothing further said about this data company?

Does anyone have any knowledge that another company, someone other than VAN, has been, or is being used for voter data? Why the silence? Where is the proof that Bernie's campaign notified VAN, or any other company, that there was a problem?

I still wonder if this will turn into Bernie's Watergate.

[Renew Deal]

6. I don't know of another "data company" being involved.

There are other companies that provide these services, but I've never heard about another one.

I think there is some confusion about the roles of NGP-VAN and the DNC.

I don't think it's really a Watergate situation unless someone proves that there is a grand conspiracy of some sort (which I doubt).

[murielm99]

30. Do you really think there is confusion?

I have used VAN. I was trained to use it years ago, before they merged with NGP. There are other data companies, but these are the two that help Democrats. VAN concentrated on fieldwork, reaching out to voters, on GOTV efforts. That is why I used it. NGP concentrated on the fundraising. Now they are one company.

I was a Watergate junkie. I don't think Watergate was a grand conspiracy at first. It became one only when they tried to cover it up.

Bernie's campaign is obfuscating, which I think is a mistake. No one would care, if they apologized and moved on.

[seabeyond]

33. No one would care if they apologized and moved on. Exactly. That is what is so stupid about their

Move

[BlueMTexpat]

41. +1000! eom

[pnwmom]

97. VAN says on its website that it wasn't involved in the October incident.

http://blog.ngpvan.com/data-security-and-privacy

[pnwmom]

98. This is the statement on VAN's website:

http://blog.ngpvan.com/data-security-and-privacy

For clarification, NGP VAN played no part in the October data issue that has been mentioned.

SNIP

Second, there has been independent confirmation that NGP VAN has not received previous notice of a data breach regarding NGP VAN. Josh Uretsky, the former National Data Director for the Sanders campaign confirmed on MSNBC (at 5:47), and also on CNN, regarding the previous incident: “it wasn’t actually within the VAN VoteBuilder system, it was another system.”

[seabeyond]

4. Kinda like being supportive of the whole email bullshit at debate, but was really him trying to

attack. It was just a fail, Clinton ended up making him look like he was being stand up, or something.

Kinda like the apology to blm, then him saying he was not the one to apologize and it was a mistake. Some staffer did it without telling him.

Ya. I have noticed.

[Renew Deal]

7. So have I

And there are more examples

[JunkyardAngel83]

44. Damn, I didn't know about your second example.

Very uncool.

[slipslidingaway]

5. How many orphans did "this mistake" produce in contrast to the Iraqi orphans ...

and potential recruits for radical groups?

Not a good road to go down IMHO, but I'll rec your thread to distinguish a 'potential premature apology' for a rather late apology to invade another country which helped throw millions into chaos and unsettle an entire country and region.

Better in foreign policy, that is to be debated, if you want to create enemies then maybe so. We have to look at what we have done to other people and not just give them lip service, how many orphans did we help create. Some can say it was just a mistake, those mistakes are coming back to haunt us no doubt, as they should. And you want to criticize a potentially premature mistake that killed not one person?

I think one candidate FEELS for other people and weighs the consequences of our actions, some candidates are less passionate and do not realize the consequences of their actions. That is not good policy.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_crises_of_the_Iraq_War

"...On December 15, 2007 a conference dedicated to orphans in Iraq was held in Baghdad. Moussa Faraj, chief of Iraq's anti-corruption board reported that official government statistics revealed that there were five million orphans in Iraq. During the same conference, Wijdan Salem Mikhail, the Iraqi Minister of Human Rights, stated that the phenomenon of orphans in Iraq "is one of the most passive things that grew immensely during the past few years due to destructive wars and unbridled violence in the country." The Iraqi parliament's women and family committee have proposed a draft law to set up a fund for the orphans.[10]..."

[beam me up scottie]

8. Good point.

Some people get outraged about the little things, the rest of us have different priorities.

The op keeps posting about this non-issue like it's the new Benghazi or something.

[slipslidingaway]

11. We need to keep our eyes on the big picture and the enemies we are helping/helped to create ...

nobody outside of a small circle is paying attention to this apology in the debate.

We have not even watched the whole debate, been too busy with family and friends right before the holiday, but we do know that the US helped to create enemies by invading another country and displacing millions of people.

Some politicians got it right and some got it drastically wrong, that is what some people remember.

[beam me up scottie]

12. When you support a candidate whose poor decisions cost so much you have to manufacture scandals.

That's why they keep beating this dead horse, it's a distraction.

[slipslidingaway]

19. Exactly this apology cost not one life and was the courteous think to do to another candidate

but well it is a scandal.

[beam me up scottie]

20. ZOMG! It's BERNGHAZI!!!

[slipslidingaway]

22. And the number of dead or radical recruits = ZERO! n/t

[yeoman6987]

14. I am not outraged at all

His support wavers at 20 something. He has a nice nitch of supporter who will vote for him no matter what. Good for him. I just think he is very all over the place on this. But he's the one that will have to live with his campaign.

[beam me up scottie]

15. Was I talking to you?

After reading your posts over the years I realize we're clearly not outraged about the same things.

The war on Christmas for example...

[yeoman6987]

16. Oh funny. You think you pick and chose who replies to you?

If you don't think it's great for me to answer you, put me on ignore. I'd hate to have a difference of opinion from you and cause you to be outraged over it. Life's to short for that.

[beam me up scottie]

18. You took offense at something that wasn't directed at you.

Honestly I save my outrage for issues that warrant it, and this doesn't.

If you look for reasons to be offended you'll usually find them.

[yeoman6987]

23. You think I look at who I am responding to?

I don't especially on an IPhone. I suppose I could go back and look at the thread to see what happened but I'll have to do it tomorrow since I literally have to get to bed.

[beam me up scottie]

24. You responded to me, not the other way around.

I'm posting from my mobile and I know who I'm responding to, this is what it shows above the subject line:

Response to:

yeoman6987 (Reply #23)

Maybe Android is different but I thought DU's software would be the same on both.

[slipslidingaway]

21. Did you gloss over the millions in Iraq that are orphans, displaced or dead because some memebers of

Congress did not do their due diligence, were duped or voted with the Bush majority and the war machine?

[HoneychildMooseMoss]

10. But Iraq is a business opportunity now!

Get in on the ground floor!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/9/30/1426522/-Hillary-Clinton-Pitched-Iraq-as-a-Business-Opportunity-For-US-Corporations

[slipslidingaway]

13. I remember when she said that and literally felt sick to my stomach with pictures of maimed children

flashing before my eyes.

[HoneychildMooseMoss]

60. I felt the same way

I'd like to have someone whose foreign policy is more in line with this

[seabeyond]

61. Good luck with that. Sanders would use drones, just like Obama. He voted for every funding and

action along with everyone else, but one measly vote. How does that make Sanders equate to your picture? Facts matter.

[HoneychildMooseMoss]

62. You should educate yourself about Bernie

and his stands on war and peace

http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Bernie_Sanders_War_+_Peace.htm

[seabeyond]

63. I have educated myself on Sanders and his votes and positions. Hence, my ability to make the

statement I did.

[slipslidingaway]

75. We can strive for a better world, first issue is to stop making enemies and Sanders understands ...

that better than Hillary IMHO.

[NanceGreggs]

27. There is nothing more pitiful ...

... than the "but, but, but what about HER" defense.

[slipslidingaway]

31. Pretend you are a parent and take a look at your child or a niece whose legs have been cut off ...

and some damned politician says "sorry that was a mistake."

Do you really think they have the best foreign experience? I would say that knocks them down a few notches, have to get it right the first time! There are no do overs to the Shock and Awe campaign. Some mistakes are not so easily erased, we are witnessing the backlash over a decade later. Oh why do they hate us, Bush said because of freedom, many others have drawn their conclusions.

So I agree there is nothing more pitiful than a politician who does not do her homework and later says "sorry" it was all a mistake while millions have been displaced, injured, orphaned and many radicalized.

Sorry is too convenient a word at times, there was clear evidence this invasion would not end well for the Iraqi people or those who volunteered to serve our country and the politicians who, without real thought, sent them into a mission that would destabilize the region. And then to declare, as Hillary did, Iraq is open for business. That makes my stomach churn.

I could care less about HER defense, I do care about what we do to other people.

Pitiful, I agree and so do many others who recognized this horrible mistake.

[NanceGreggs]

36. Your defense seems to be ...

... that no matter what BS does, it should not be scrutinized nor discussed simply because you can point to something HRC did that you think is worse.

I can understand why you would go that route - it is obviously an oft-used diversion utilized by BS supporters here.

Your reply had absolutely zero to do with the OP.

The OP is about Bernie's ineptitude - and possible outright dishonesty - in handling a situation that affects a Democratic primary that is going on RIGHT NOW, not over a decade ago.

BS's reputation as the "always-honest, above-reproach candidate" is very much at stake here. It is unfortunate that your only concern is trying to divert attention away from that fact by raising a topic that is, in the political world, ancient history.

I would hate to think when confronted with any questions as to his own integrity or that of his campaign team - which he will be, as this investigation plays out - Bernie's response to every query will be, "But what Hillary did was so much worse than anything we might have done, so can't we just leave it at that?"

BTW, I think it's safe to say that there isn't a single poster on DU who doesn't already know Hillary's record. So why some people keep bringing it up as though it's LBN to anyone here is beyond me.

[slipslidingaway]

39. Wrong, wrong, wrong and SO VERY WRONG ....

the fact that you were orphaned and might have seen your family killed is NOT ancient history to THEM. They are now young adults living with the horror, how you can even mutter those words is hard to comprehend, it is as if people in other countries have no feelings or rights.

Ultimately this is about our security and future, what we do elsewhere affects us, we do not live in a vacuum and do not have the right to kill and displace millions of other people. You want to speak of ineptitude, then look at those who followed Bush in his rush to invade Iraq! it is not just about a candidate in our country, it is about what we inflict on other people and eventually our well being. These are people, not some pawn on a chessboard.

You want me to scrutinize Sanders, I think he should have foreseen what a wacky world we might have become and been tougher on gun laws. But hands down, he thought invading Iraq was a massive blunder and would lead to the destabilization of the region.

HE has the better foreign policy record because he was able to study the material and come to the correct conclusion, Hillary said years later it was a mistake. Sorry we do not need those kind of 'leaders.'

Bernie apologized, maybe too soon, but how many people did he kill and how many enemies did he create? We need to put thing into perspective here, Bernie apologized in a debate that almost no one saw compared to millions of orphans and displaced people.

People around the world are not paying attention to an apology during a debate the Saturday before Christmas. Some that I know think our system is a joke, our elections never end and we spend billions while too many people go hungry and die from not having access to health care.

[NanceGreggs]

40. So you're sticking with ...

... but, but, but what about HER?"

Fine. Got it.

That goes a long way in explaining why Bernie and his camp keep changing their story as to what happened re the data breach.

But if that's all ya got, that's all ya got!

[slipslidingaway]

76. The world does not revolve around HER. n/t

[NanceGreggs]

79. No, it doesn't.

But this discussion thread was about Bernie - you're the one who brought up HER.

[slipslidingaway]

87. In case you failed to read ...

"How many orphans did "this mistake" produce in contrast to the Iraqi orphans and potential recruits for radical groups?

The OP spoke of an apology by Sanders and his mistake. Nothing wrong with comparing Clinton's disastrous miscalculation on foreign policy which has led to destabilization in the region and creating enemies.

And you are the one who quickly dismissed her Major mistake and said this was ancient history. It is not ancient history to millions of people who suffered from Hillary's mistakes.

[NanceGreggs]

88. The OP is about Sanders.

You turned it into a discussion about Hillary.

Given the subject matter of the OP, I understand why you wanted to change the subject.

[slipslidingaway]

90. Sorry you fail to understand comparisons. n/t

[NanceGreggs]

91. Sorry you fail to understand ...

... that the comparison is a ridiculous one, and the OP is about Bernie's integrity being called into question due to recent events.

And instead of defending BS, your first thought was to deflect attention away from those events by talking about Hillary - and using the ever-popular "but what about HER"? meme.

If you know of nothing positive to say about your candidate, you can just admit that - because your diatribes about HRC are not changing anyone's mind, and are therefore rather pointless.

[slipslidingaway]

92. You dismiss millions of people who have been affected by her mistake ...

while defending an OP about a candidate who might have said 'sorry too soon.'

This supposed data breach killed nobody!

The comparison is not ridiculous to those who are suffering, both abroad and here at home, but you seem to dismiss that. According to you an OP Must stay on the path and one cannot bring up other "mistakes." Sorry to not play by your rules, this is a discussion zone and comparisons will be made. Invading Iraq was a MAJOR mistake and millions have suffered, and it was that "mistake" as Hillary has said was a HUGE blunder that continues to haunt our country. And it does not speak well for her foreign policy expertise, just the opposite.

Sanders may have said sorry too soon, but not one terrorist was created. Hillary said I made a mistake in voting to give authorization to invade another country and which helped create hatred towards our country.

You decide which is the larger mistake, I think thousands and maybe tens of thousands have already decided which mistake is more important.

This is not just about a candidate, it is about the best person to get along with others across the globe.

We do not need more enemies.

[NanceGreggs]

93. Don't tell me what I dismiss or don't dismiss.

You are not in a position to know what I think or feel about anything.

The OP is about BS and his campaign being involved in some very unethical and possibly illegal behaviour.

It is NOT about larger or small mistakes made by anyone, anywhere, at any time. It is not a contest to determine who did what, and when, and what the consequences are or were.

It is about BERNIE SANDERS and the recent events involving his campaign workers. If you don't want to discuss the topic-at-hand, why are you in this thread? If you want to discuss Hillary's evil ways, start an OP of your own on THAT topic - which would no doubt get you lots of kicks and recs.

[slipslidingaway]

94. Almost LOL at your your reply, your responses make no mention of the millions who suffered, which is

NOT a trivial matter and it is NOT ancient history!!! Since you glossed over the millions, it appears you have little concern except for your candidate. I am not telling you what to write or feel, that choice is yours alone, but it becomes apparent to me when you make no mention of the millions who are suffering and focus only on one candidate.

That is not the laughing matter, it is your assumption that you can set the rules.

You go on to tell me what YOU believe I should and should not discuss in this OP, as if I should obey your rules. Again you fail to comprehend comparisons on a discussion board for which you do not set the rules.

Last time I looked you are not an owner of this site.

[NanceGreggs]

95. It has nothing to do with "rules" ...

... or the "owner of this site".

It has to do with someone on a message board starting a discussion - and someone else insisting that the discussion be about something else entirely.

I think you can recognize who is who in the above scenario.

[daybranch]

52. Yes, it would be hypocritical if Bernie was running as part of the democratic establishment

The party has steadily moved to the left and now at grassroots level supports his ideology. It is definitely great to have a real progressive to vote for. That is why we love him. He believes what we believe and he has believed those things for decades and expressed those views consistently.

[murielm99]

99. Bernie IS running as part of the democratic establishment.

He is running for the Democratic nomination. He is using, and misusing, the resources of the party. If he is so pure, he should be running as an independent. If he is so pure, he would have apologized for this incident, instead of pointing fingers at everyone else.

I used to think his supporters did him a disservice. Now, I think he deserves them. Many of them are divisive and dishonest, just like the recent actions of campaign and his own statements.

[enid602]

82. BS

Assuming that your logic is correct, does that mean that BS is personally responsible for all children orphaned by gun violence since BS's voting against holding gun manufacturers responsible?

PS: I would think that if another Dem senator who voted for the Authorization of Force in Iraq were to come out and endorse BS, he/she would be heralded in the Bernie Bunker as a saint.

[slipslidingaway]

89. When we invade another country and kids watch their families destroyed we create enemies ...

some of which we are fighting today. Some mistakes are worse than others, unless you are a fan of perpetual war.

[bobbobbins01]

9. He apologized to Hillary Clinton.

He's fighting the DNC. How is it that you're conflating the two?

[Maedhros]

25. Because they will say anything, no matter how untrue, in service of their candidate.

They are mercenaries.

[slipslidingaway]

26. Sure is a mixed up world when an apology gets demonized and a speech and vote to an invade ...

another country is dismissed seemingly without consequence.

That apology from Sanders sure killed, maimed and displaced millions and radicalized many others.

[draa]

29. Ignore them.

They grasp at straws on an hourly basis.

[slipslidingaway]

34. Thx, I do most of the time :) n/t

[oasis]

17. Please Bernie. Do the right thing. The presidency isn't the

only thing at stake.

[draa]

28. Lol...

You're right, it's the country that's at stake and that's why he's running.

[Kalidurga]

32. I don't think he is taking the apology back

But he should. It would be fun watching the hair on fire crowd react to that.

[Cha]

35. Who doesn't take responsibiltity for their actions?! Apologized and Fired people and now

squirming?!

WTHH!

[Scootaloo]

37. Literally nothing you have just claimed is true.

1) No one on sanders' campaign has called the guy a "plant,"

2) Sanders is seeking a full audit of the situation. Seems the opposite of deceitful.

3) Adam Klasfield is not a member of the Sanders campaign.

Seems an interesting bunch of lies for someone calling someone else two-faced.

[BlueMTexpat]

42. Check this out ...

http://www.mediaite.com/online/sanders-adviser-suggests-staffer-that-breached-voter-data-may-have-been-dnc-plant/

From the link ...

A Bernie Sanders campaign adviser made some pretty strong insinuations that the staffer who they had to fire for breaching Hillary Clinton‘s voter data was a DNC plant.

You’ll recall that last week, the Sanders campaign got in trouble over this breach of data. The DNC cut off their access to the database, but gave it back after the Sanders camp filed a lawsuit.

The unnamed Sanders adviser spoke with Yahoo News’ Hunter Walker and said that the staffer they fired, Josh Uretsky, came recommended by people not just close to the DNC, but to NGP VAN, the firm the DNC contracted to run the voter file. The adviser said, “It’s not as if we conjured this guy Josh from thin air.”

He was reportedly recommended by the DNC’s National Data Director, an individual closely involved in the voter file program, and someone who had worked as the COO of NGP VAN up until a few months ago.

[GeorgeGist]

68. Extremely weak sauce if one possesses critical thinking skills.

[BlueMTexpat]

69. I was merely pointing out

that there was indeed a url that stated that a Bernie campaign adviser insinuated that the person in question was a DNC plant. The post I responded to said there was none.

No actual "critical thinking skills" were required.

?w=450

[AgingAmerican]

38. Show where Bernie said those things, with exact quotes from him

Then we can talk.

[Renew Deal]

57. The links are there

And you don't need exact quotes from him. It's his campaign. the campaign represents him. He could always come out and apologize again, but most people wouldn't believe it.

[AgingAmerican]

59. I read the links

Anonymous sources from his campaign don't mean much. Your OP is a smear.

[stonecutter357]

43. K&R!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

45. Bernie is power mad

And his campaign staff is both ruthless and careless. But what worries me most are the diatribes against Hillary hourly from so-called progressives here on DU.

A majority of Americans hate the minority of Americans, and will not vote to pay higher taxes in order to spread democracy via socialist policies. It won't happen. Especially when the super PACs start truly villifying Sanders for a myriad of truths and halftruths.

Getting Hillary out of the way is clearly the goal for the entire con establishment. Some of whom I'm positive are "Sock Puppets for Bernie" here.

This is just for starters:

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/ted-cruz-responsible-wapo-cartoon-incident

[Betty Karlson]

46. *yawn* - more camp Clinton efforts to pretend that the DNC didn't

f*ck up when they went all in for Hillary and overreacted to the tenth degree to disadvantage Sanders.

[leftofcool]

49. More Camp Bernie pretending that his thieving staffers didn't do anything wrong

[Betty Karlson]

50. Oh look: it's a a strawman! eom

[NCTraveler]

47. Who is the real Sanders?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=952173

K&R

[Renew Deal]

54. Great post.

It should become an OP.

[Gloria]

85. This can't be posted on its own because

it would unleash the alerters and result in NCT being banned from the planet....

[djean111]

48. Let me know when you think he has as many faces as Hillary does.

Yawn.

[GoneFishin]

51. The desperation is oozing off of you. You would do just as well to admit you got nothing.

[Vattel]

53. He didn't call "the senior staffer in that role a plant." You are lying.

[Renew Deal]

55. His campaign did.

He could shut down all of this if he chose to.

"A Bernie Sanders campaign adviser made some pretty strong insinuations that the staffer who they had to fire for breaching Hillary Clinton‘s voter data was a DNC plant."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251951744#post42

[Vattel]

58. I see no evidence that the claim in quotes is true.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251948736

[99Forever]

64. Another Hillarian that doesn't understand...

...the use of quotation marks.

Bernie NEVER said what you claim and you KNOW ir.



That makes it a deliberate LIE.

[closeupready]

65. Ha! Two-faced is "it depends on what the meaning of 'is' is." You know,

Bill Clinton.

[Matariki]

66. OP Post FAIL

[ljm2002]

67. Well, see, the thing is...

...(a) neither he nor his staff ever called the staffer a "plant" (that was spin from the author of the article in question); (b) the Sanders campaign is keeping the civil suit alive due to the fact they were denied access to data that hampered their campaign, and also due to the fact that any investigation really should include the earlier data breach (regardless of which database was involved, it was the same basic situation and nothing was done about it nor was it made public with screaming headlines); and (c) no need to "plant stories" about Kroll, they are a well known "fixer" outfit.

I want a strong leader, not someone who will take attacks lying down. So none of this makes him or his campaign look bad to me.

[Armstead]

70. I'll anxiously await Part 2 with fear and trepidation

Not...


Yawn. I guess you can find a few more dead horses to throttle

[Renew Deal]

71. lol

I know we have a difference in the primary, but you are a great DUer.

[Armstead]

72. hopefully, despite differences...

We can all keep.our senses of humor and balance the disagreements with some DU comraderie

[seabeyond]

73. See? I agree. I said that only this morning about two other Duers I respect and appreciate.

[MohRokTah]

74. This guy reminds me of John Edwards more and more every day that passes. eom

[Gloria]

86. Nah, Edwards was more sincere...at least he came from

a dead mill town background, so he had some cred when he talked about "two Americas."

[Armstead]

96. Yeah and Bernie grew up priviledged in a Manhatten penthouse

Maybe you ought to inform yourself before you spout such nonsense.

[Gloria]

100. His father was a paint salesman and he grew up in Brooklyn

"struggling" middle class, but not from a decimated industry town.

[Armstead]

102. Vote for Edwards then

I'm sure he'd appreciate your support

[Walk away]

103. He's more like Ralph Nader...

He used to be a functioning liberal and now he's just a spoiler controlled by a bunch of Libertarian jerks.

[Gloria]

77. I'm beginning to think his campaign has morphed

from being a sincere effort to being more like Trump's. Trump supporters, according to Luntz, are out for vengeance....perhaps there is an element of that with Sanders, his supporters seem to be ratcheting up the hostility to Clinton and Democrats...I could go on more about the surface similarities, and maybe the deeper motivations, but I'll stick to that for now...

Ironic that he wants Trump voters now.

[redstateblues]

80. They are an angry bunch.

anger fuels Bernies campaign. It's no surprise that he wants to tap into the Trump follower's anger. Too bad they are racists and homphobes

[MrWendel]

81. Exactly.

[Dawson Leery]

84. Anger will cost both Trump and Bernie.

[Cha]

78. Really.

[Gloria]

83. Here's another fakeout...return of the "audit the Fed" bullshit...

A few months ago a I did research and posted about how Sanders had betrayed Ron Paul on an audit the fed bill they were working on in their respective houses..

Well, Sanders is out there again...but is being called out on the history he has left behind with the Paul incident...

He is a piece of work, Saint Sanders....he bailed on a strong version, now is saying he added some language about an audit to the 2010 Dodd-Frank bill and NOW it needs to be stronger....

http://truthinmedia.com/bernie-sanders-calls-full-independent-audit-federal-reserve/


Bernie Sanders Calls for Full Independent Audit of Federal Reserve

2016 Democratic presidential candidate and Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders said in an op-ed on Wednesday that a full independent audit of the Federal Reserve is necessary "to reign in Wall Street."
By Barry Donegan -
Dec 23, 2015

2016 Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders wrote an op-ed for The New York Times on Wednesday calling for the Federal Reserve to be audited independently by the Government Accountability Office on an annual basis.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has scheduled a historic Jan. 12 vote on a bill, colloquially referred to as “Audit the Fed,” which was introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The bill would authorize the GAO to perform full audits of the Federal Reserve System.

snip

Sanders argued that the Federal Reserve suffers from a lack of transparency. “In 2010, I inserted an amendment in Dodd-Frank to audit the emergency lending by the Fed during the financial crisis. We need to go further and require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a full and independent audit of the Fed each and every year,” he said.

snip

Audit the Fed legislation first became a hot political topic as a result of the sudden, meteoric 2008 rise to popularity of libertarian icon and former Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas), who made the push for Fed transparency a central focus of his entire political career.

The Dodd-Frank amendment that Sen. Sanders is referring to that provided for a limited audit of the Federal Reserve drew strong criticism from Congressman Paul back in 2010, as Paul felt that Sanders had hijacked his momentum for a full audit and replaced it with a more limited, watered-down version. Congressman Paul’s full Audit the Fed legislation had already passed the House prior to Sanders’ push for a tamer audit in the Senate.

video

In the above-embedded video from 2010, an irate Ron Paul can be seen saying, “I had expected Bernie Sanders to offer S. 604 which is the same as H.R. 1207, which is Audit the Fed bill, and at the last minute he switched it and watered it down and, really, it adds nothing. It’s a possibility that it even makes the current conditions worse… We need to get as many messages as possible to any senator you can think of — especially to Bernie Sanders’ office — that we don’t want this version. We want a true audit of the Fed. We need to know what the Open Market Committee does and we need to know what they’re doing overseas with the agreements with central banks and financial institutions and other governments.”

[Phlem]

101. OMFG.

It's about the apologizing now!?!?