Bernie Sanders Spits Fire At GOP Senators For Holdup Over Unemployment Benefits

[Uncle Joe]

In a blistering speech, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) went off on Republican lawmakers Wednesday night for attempting to prevent the Senate’s emergency coronavirus relief package from passing because it would include extra relief for the nation’s lowest-wage workers.

“Oh my word, will the universe survive?” he mocked his fellow senators as seen in a now-viral video from the Senate floor. “How absurd and wrong is that? What kind of value system is that?”

The Democratic presidential hopeful tore into objections made by four Republicans to provide laid-off workers with an extra $600 a week over the next four months, on top of what their state unemployment agencies pay.

Link to tweet

Sanders said his Republican colleagues initially wanted to give those making the least amount of money the smallest amount of financial aid. This proposal, made by Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Ben Sasse (Neb.), Rick Scott (Fla.) and Tim Scott (S.C.), was ultimately defeated.

(snip)

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-gop-senators-relief-speech_n_5e7c31bac5b6256a7a24aa07

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. How nice of him to finally show up at his job.

[William769]

2. ...

[Just_Vote_Dem]

3. Spitting fire? A good antacid will help with that.

He should carry a package of Tums with him. Works for me!

[zackymilly]

22. Guess he's feeling his own Bern. n/t

[MontanaMama]

83. That's funny!

[showblue22]

4. Who cares?

[zackymilly]

23. +1

[BlueIdaho]

5. The room is empty dude.

[comradebillyboy]

65. Bernie is the master of the empty gesture so yelling at an

empty room is totally in character.

[BlueIdaho]

66. 👍🏻

[George II]

6. The fact is, they didn't hold up unemployment benefits....

They were included in the bill DAYS before yesterday's vote. The negotiations were ongoing as he was doing his online rock concert Sunday night.

[sheshe2]

7. delayed outrage.

[jorgevlorgan]

8. a reminder we are all on the same team. He did good for us with this.

[William769]

12. He did? How do you figure?

[jorgevlorgan]

67. He threatened to put a hold on the bill if the GOP senators tried to force their corporate welfare

Crap. Crickets from every other senator. He did well.

[William769]

68. You'r not very good at rewriting history.

Sanders wasn't even there when it counted.

Showing up at the last minute does not bode well for him.

[jorgevlorgan]

69. good thing I'm not.

What the gop tried to do was rubbish, and he was there when it mattered. I'm no fan of sanders but I'm not going to pretend he hasn't done his part.

[Aquaria]

79. What did he do that Pelosi and Warren

Hadn’t already taken care of?

Yell at some clouds after the deal was done?

Any two-bit schmuck can do that from deep in the back benches.

[sheshe2]

16. How so?

[Ninsianna]

21. He didn't do anything.

[zackymilly]

24. LOL! Welcome to DU! n/t

[sheshe2]

41. crickets.

[jorgevlorgan]

70. Thanks, you too!!

Almost a whole year!

[zackymilly]

74. Thank you! Sorry I missed your 2-week anniversary a couple days ago!

[jorgevlorgan]

75. "anniversaries" comes from annual

Meaning yearly. No such thing as a 2 week anniversary

[The Magistrate]

81. You've Never Been Young And In Love, Sir, Obviously

"From Bernie’s perspective, dropping out of a race once you have no chance of winning is peculiar behavior that can only be explained by the work of a hidden hand. For most politicians, though, it is actually standard operating procedure. Only Sanders seems to think the normal thing to do once voters have made clear they don’t want to nominate you is to continue campaigning anyway."





"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[jorgevlorgan]

85. I don't quite understand all of this post

But I like it.

[George II]

38. He did nothing, all the details of the bill were already established while he was still in Vermont..

The credit goes to Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Elizabeth Warren, and others - our LEADERS in the House and Senate.

[LizBeth]

9. Sanders needs to back Biden 100%.

[sheshe2]

10. Rules of the Coronavirus:

Cough into your sleeve, cover your sneeze with a Kleenex and do not spit. WASH YOUR HANDS!

Good to see he finally returned to the Senate. Sadly the job was done, negotiations finished, the long hours our Senators put in finally paid off. He came back for the vote after they did the heavy lifting.

[msongs]

11. is there such a word as followership? nt

[sheshe2]

14. Not sure...

However there was a song about it in Sister Act I or II.

[NurseJackie]

13. Others did the hard work and heavy lifting. Bernie shows up at the last minute.

Ugh.

[sheshe2]

15. Not leading.

Signing on after the work is done.

[Squinch]

28. As usual.

[Mr.Bill]

35. And in the future

He will claim "Fighting" for it as one of his accomplishments.

[relayerbob]

17. Sorry, no longer care

He's burned all of his own bridges at this point

[Skya Rhen]

18. Backbencher...

[Evergreen Emerald]

19. Is this a set up? Has he created this "speech"

to an empty house after all have left so that he can send it all over the media suggesting that he has been a part of the process?

[Liberty Belle]

25. No. The Senate is imposing social distancing; only those speaking present,

they will bring them in in small groups to vote. AT least that's what the House said it would do, and probably the Senate is doing the same.

But I doubt many are watching their colleagues on video.

[George II]

32. There have been a number of Senators in the chamber at the same time.....

...other speakers had more in attendance in person.

[jalan48]

20. Well done Senator Sanders.

[George II]

33. All the modifications to the bill were already determined days before his speech on the floor...

In fact, he was one of the last Senators to speak prior to the vote.

[Uncle Joe]

42. ...

[jalan48]

44. You can't keep a good man down.

[Aquaria]

76. You can if he prefers sulking in Vermont

To doing the actual hard work that Pelosi, Schumer and Warren were doing.

Funny how this self-serving back bencher showed up only when the deal was done and then started stealing credit for the work real Democrats did.

[Scurrilous]

62. LOL

[Squinch]

26. .

[sheshe2]

39. Peggy March

[oasis]

71. lol

[sheshe2]

73. hmmm....

[Hoyt]

27. That part was already done before Sanders' photo op in empty room.

[LovingLife]

29. Spits fire indeed. But accomplishes NADA, since...

The HOUSE version of the bill did not include the funds he objected to, had more in help for working people, students, hospitals, local governments, etc, and was already being negotiated into the Senate bill. As usual, Sanders is a flashy PR Empty Suit. Thank goodness he doesn't actually negotiate or work. He just makes speeches that sucker his fans.

[George II]

34. I don't know about fire, but the rest....?

[LovingLife]

30. A side: Top cruise companies don't locate in America and won't get piece of a $500 billion bailout

People who work, and negotiate did a good job making a horrible bill decent. We can't stop all sleaze, and we can't get everything we want as the GOP has the Senate and the Presidency, but our DEMOCRATS made the bill much better.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/26/cruise-line-bailout/?utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert&wpisrc=al_business__alert-politics--alert-economy&wpmk=1

[Mr.Bill]

36. Paywall. n/t

[NCProgressive]

31. Nina Golgowski wrote this piece -- she is a protege of David Sirota

Enough said

[sheshe2]

43. Another Nina.

And Sirota supporter.

[NCProgressive]

47. Berniebro to the core

[The Magistrate]

37. If He Could Actually Spit Fire, Sir

That might put us in a whole new ball-game.

Just imagine the debates, Sanders opens up and hawks a gob of real honest to God sizzling fire at his opponent's podium!

Now that would be something to see....

[mcar]

40. Was there a musical guest?

[Aaron Pereira]

45. Sanders stood up for the people struggling most and it paid off.

Millions of people who needed it most benefited from that principled stand.

[sheshe2]

48. You do know the days of negotiations where already over, correct?

Democrats worked night and day to hammer this out while Bernie sat in his home in VT. He only came back to vote when the work was done.

Why was he not in Washington? It is his job. 174 per year. Repeat 174K per year.

[Aaron Pereira]

49. Yes, Sanders was the only Dem Senator who stood up against the R's attempt to strip that benefit.

[sheshe2]

51. signed seal delivered...

long before he returned from his time off in VT.

[Don1]

52. This is why we need progressives.

Go Democrats!

[The Magistrate]

53. Do You Seriously Think, Sir, That Is What Happened?

The blockage was from four Republican Senators who initially disobeyed orders from McConnell in the matter. McConnell wanted the bill passed as is, and does not tolerate insubordination, at least not insubordination that goes beyond a few short-lived gestures. The grand 'Bernie' speech, stirring as it may have been, can have had no more actual effect than possibly to have given cover for the four Republican dissidents to submit to McConnell's demand for their votes in assent without too much ruffling of feathers all around. Everyone involved, from Speaker Pelosi and Sen Schumer, through McConnell and McCarthy, clear down to Trump itself, wanted the bill passed in the form it was presented, and except when the four Republican dissidents spoke to themselves, they heard nothing from anyone but demands they strike their colors and end their foolishness. Sanders threat, that he would hold up the bill by some manipulation of the rules, was as empty as the gestures of the four Republican dissidents. It would not have been tolerated by leadership of either side, and could not have stood more than a few hours. This is not some Frank Capra movie, grand speeches on the Senate floor nowadays move no one by the time the actual vote looms, and neither side of this showboating kerfuffle had any real threat at their disposal. Without a real threat, there is no leverage, and nothing is moved.





"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[Aaron Pereira]

55. Yes. That is what I believe.

I think McConnell has no bottom and it is my opinion that McConnell allowed the challenge to test for an additional concession before passage.

[The Magistrate]

56. All Right Then, Sir

"Children make the best opponents at Scrabble, as they are both easy to beat and fun to cheat."

[Aaron Pereira]

57. I was hoping for a fact based answer but it seems you've given me another fortune cookie.

All right then.

[The Magistrate]

58. Have Another Then, Sir

"I am a man with principles, and chief among them is flexibility."

[Aaron Pereira]

59. I will contemplate that one.

Very clever response sir.

[The Magistrate]

60. I Could Keep This Up All Night, Sir

But I won't.

Beelzebub's bedtime has arrived.

Be well.

[Aaron Pereira]

61. OK, gave me a much needed laugh there.

[The Magistrate]

64. Happy We Ended On A Friendly Note, Sir

Here is an item which seems to bear on our exchange, just posted up here:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213183689

I freely acknowledge it may serve to strengthen your case, though I remain convinced of my view.





"From Bernie’s perspective, dropping out of a race once you have no chance of winning is peculiar behavior that can only be explained by the work of a hidden hand. For most politicians, though, it is actually standard operating procedure. Only Sanders seems to think the normal thing to do once voters have made clear they don’t want to nominate you is to continue campaigning anyway."





"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[Aquaria]

82. Then offer some of them

So far you’re giving credit for something real Democrats did to someone who had nothing to do with the final bill, but yelling at some clouds after all was settled and done.

4 repukes weren’t putting a dent in anything that 92 others were already on board with. They were doing exactly what BS was doing: Making noise to look good to the peanut gallery while doing zilch in reality.

[Aquaria]

80. Total bullshit.

Pelosi already had it stripped out and an agreement in it while this slackers was navel-gazing in Vermont.

[Don1]

46. Woohoo!

Good job, Sanders!



Good job, Team!

[Aquaria]

77. Empty gesture

After everything was already settled and done by real Democrats while this poser sat in his ass in Vermont.

[Aquaria]

78. Furthermore, Slanders

Has zero concept of what team means, because there’s no I in it. He has no idea how to work with others, only how to yell for credit that he did nothing to earn.

Explains why he has such a pitiful legislative record, despite 30 years in DC.

[BidenBacker]

50. Nothing to say here

Just wanted to be the one who gets this thread a flame on the summary page.

[Gothmog]

54. LOL sanders is taking credit for Senator Bennett's hard work

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Scurrilous]

63. Low Barred Bernie.

Last edited Fri Mar 27, 2020, 04:13 AM - Edit history (1)

Bernie, shrugging off a slew of missed votes, at long last emerges from isolating. He creakily ascends the dais and strikes the usual pose.

'Ahem.' 'Derrrp.' *cack*

Acolytes feign wonderment for all. 'I see fire, spat!'

[Yavin4]

72. Meant absolutely NOTHING

But his cult following will gobble it up.

[MontanaMama]

84. Sigh.

Old man yellow at cloud.