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| Source:U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders- CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, interviewing Senator Bernie Sanders (Democratic Socialist, Socialist Republic of Vermont) about the debt ceiling agreement. |
"Senator Sanders explains why he voted "No" on the deficit reduction deal, as well as the deal's consequences, with CNN's Wolf Blitzer."
From Bernie Sanders
This will be the fourth time I'll say this in two days, but this is not a good deal that no one likes, that both the Far-Right and Far-Left dislike. But both sides got some things that they like.
This will be the fourth time I'll say this in two days, but this is not a good deal that no one likes, that both the Far-Right and Far-Left dislike. But both sides got some things that they like.
Here's the list, for Democrats and Liberals ( the real Liberals) An eighteen month extension in the debt ceiling, but there's still a possibility of a government shutdown in November and December, because the Federal budget of course is still not done, that can be blamed on both the White House and Congress. Democrats and Liberals also cut about a trillion over ten years in defense cuts, something we've been fighting for, for over four years now or since the start of the Bush Administration. And Democrats and Liberals were able to protect entitlement programs from drastic cuts.
What did Republicans and conservatives get - 2T$ in budget cuts and cutting more than the Federal Government will be allowed to borrow with the debt ceiling. And they were able to keep tax hikes out of the debt deal including cutting tax loopholes and corporate welfare.
Both sides get to be able to negotiate tax and entitlement reform in round two of deficit reduction, which both sides want, that includes cutting expensive tax loopholes and cutting corporate welfare, they'll be on the table.
What the Socialist-Left in the Democratic Party America as well as Senator Bernie Sanders, is that they got an inside seat and look at what divided government looks like. You don't want to compromise with Republicans, take the time out to vote in the next election, as well as elect more of your own ideological members. You don't want to compromise even with Center-Left Democrats, then knock them out of office and win those seats with your own people, instead of Republicans winning solid Democratic seats.
What the Socialist-Left in the Democratic Party America as well as Senator Bernie Sanders, is that they got an inside seat and look at what divided government looks like. You don't want to compromise with Republicans, take the time out to vote in the next election, as well as elect more of your own ideological members. You don't want to compromise even with Center-Left Democrats, then knock them out of office and win those seats with your own people, instead of Republicans winning solid Democratic seats.
This is what happens when you put the Far Right in America in charged of the House Representatives, where the Speaker who's generally a responsible, adult but is now scared as hell of the Far-Right, because he doesn't want to lose his job, which means he's willing to go to the mat for them, even if that means risk sending the United States Government in default. Which is what happened here.
The President and the Senate Leader had to give the Senate Minority Leader and the House Speaker a lot of what they were asking. Or the House would've never passed anything that would pass the House or get signed by the President. And the Senate Minority Leader with his 47 votes would've blocked anything that Senate Democrats would've tried to pass on their own that the President would've wanted.
If Democratic Socialists in America want more of their policy's in place and get to sit with the adults at dinner time (instead of sitting at the kiddy table) then they are going to have to get more members elected to Congress, including in the Senate where they only have a few out of 100 Senators. And get more members elected statewide. This is something the Far-Right has already done with people in the Tea Party (now Theocratic Tea Party) with Representative Michele Bachmann and others.
If Democratic Socialists in America want more of their policy's in place and get to sit with the adults at dinner time (instead of sitting at the kiddy table) then they are going to have to get more members elected to Congress, including in the Senate where they only have a few out of 100 Senators. And get more members elected statewide. This is something the Far-Right has already done with people in the Tea Party (now Theocratic Tea Party) with Representative Michele Bachmann and others.
Otherwise the Democratic Leadership is going to continue to take the attitude: "What can we pass without the Progressive Caucus if we need to." Thats how real Liberals (the adults on the room) treat the so-called Progressive Caucus (Democratic Socialists, in actuality) today and for a long time.
