Twitter Sensation in the Senate, Despite Using Slightly More Than 140 Characters

[sasha031]

Source:

BOSTON — “I’m not here to set any great records, or to make a spectacle,” Senator Bernard Sanders, independent of Vermont, said Friday, about a minute into his speech on the Senate floor. By the time he stopped talking, nearly nine hours later, Mr. Sanders was an ascendant, if unlikely, Internet star.
Mr. Sanders’s monologue, a marathon riff against the Obama administration’s plan to continue the tax policies of George W. Bush, stirred Twitter users to a roar over the course of eight-plus hours, putting his name atop the social network’s “trending topics” by Friday night. It garnered even more attention than when he was elected to the Senate in 2006 and was considered the first senator ever to identify himself as a socialist.
“I was a little bit nervous having never done this before,” Mr. Sanders, 69, said Saturday in a telephone interview from Burlington, Vt. “I was afraid that after two or three hours I’d have nothing more to say or I’d be tired or have to go to the bathroom. But I was pleased. It was very strange walking on there when the longest speech you’ve ever given in your life is an hour and a half.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/us/12sanders.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimespolitics

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His legs were cramping during the speech, he said, so he jumped up and down for relief. His voice grew raspier by the hour. Toward the end, he was clutching the lectern with both hands, and it looked as if he might fall if he let go. His son Levi Sanders, watching from Boston and certain his father was hungry, considered having pizza delivered to the Senate floor.

more at link/ I love this man

[aquart]

1. Any sane sperm bank would be making him offers.

[DJ13]

2. ewwwwwww

:blush:

[pam4water]

4. Seconds the ewwwwww

[MindandSoul]

3. I was worried about him having a heart attack or something!

We don't want to loose him! We need people like him in politics, I don't care if he is an Independent. . .actually I like it! He might bring more Independent to think like him, and that would be a GREAT thing!

I hope he brought a lot of Democrats to think like him too!
He is absolutely right. . .whether this bill passes or not, Sanders should be made to feel that his opinion is important and that he does have our attention!

[molly77]

12. I was fearful too and prayed.

[No Elephants]

16. He self -identifies as a "Democratic Socialist."

[defendandprotect]

5. Cheers to Bernie Sanders ... and a big "thank you!" --

[myrna minx]

6. Thank you Senator Sanders.

:patriot:

[Lucinda]

7. Great article. ty!

[Ghost Dog]

8. Thank you very much, sir. And thank you, Vt voters.

There are still some 'good Americans' left, after all, to inspire us all.

[Bette Noir]

9. He didn't sound raspy to me.

He missed a word or two after 8 hours, but he looked and sounded fine. I was damn proud of him. I wish our 49-year-old President had his perseverance and guts.

[Major Hogwash]

10. The Republicans weren't listening -- so it was a complete and utter waste of time.

Bernie didn't sway 1 Republican Senator from changing his vote on renewing the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% of Americans, so it accomplished nothing.
Zero.
Zilch.
Nada.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. Don't be so sure that it was aimed solely at Republicans.

[No Elephants]

17. Strongly disagree.

[SemperEadem]

19. it was by no means a waste of time--not by any stretch of the imagination

HE WENT ON THE RECORD WITH HIS VIEWS. That is a far cry from what the thugs will do.

We say all the time: make them filibuster!!!Make them go on the record and expose their corrupt souls, corrupt ideas and corrupt intent.

IF the thugs make the fatal mistake of ignoring what Sanders has put on the record in front of all of the American people, then it is the millstone that will sink them in the next election. They have been charged with restoring the economy and the first and only idea they have is to sink it further into quagmire with no hope of recovery with a tax cut to the wealthiest 2%.

[jwirr]

20. I don't think he was talking to repugs. He was telling Democratic

politicians what we want to tell them but they do not listen. Also we the people cannot hold an 8+ hour session to explain it all. I don't know if the dems were listening but this was all taped. We can refer them to it every damn time we do have their attention.

[Smashcut]

21. While Obama made sure the richest got their cuts

Yes, what a "failure" Bernie is. :puke:

[SemperEadem]

11. I tweeted a recipe for a tea to soothe his voice

hot water, lemon, honey and a dash of cayenne pepper. Works wonders on vocal chords.

I was totally in the tweet-dom on Friday, watching from 11 am to 6:59 pm. Had to stand an applaud loudly for both him.

[sirthomas66]

14. A song for Bernie Sanders. Hope this is allowed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zWRdqmSbVc

[FailureToCommunicate]

15. Go Bernie Go! Reminded me of the gripping West Wing episode: The Stackhouse

Filibuster"

http://www.amazon.com/The-Stackhouse-Filibuster/dp/B000KZKWGC/ref=pd_vodsm_B000KZKWGC

Also LOVE the idea of his son having a pizza DELIVERED to the Well of the Senate!!

[No Elephants]

18. Mmmmm. PIzza.

Love pizza (plain) and Sanders. Guess I must be a purist.

Wonder when and why that supposedly became a bad thing. Well, I guess "why" is obvious.

[truedelphi]

22. Well, in my humble opinion,

BERNIE SANDERS, YOU DA MAN!

[Little Star]

23. The rest of them need to take lessons from Bernie on how to

be a real statesman. They are bought and paid for tools. Bernie is the real deal.

[stillrockin]

24. I love Bernie AND Sam Seder!