The Latest: Sanders lands in Rome for Vatican conference

[brooklynite]

Source: Newsday

9:05 a.m.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has landed in Rome to attend a Vatican conference steeped in his lifelong passions of economic and social justice.

The Vermont senator is making the trip even while he faces a crucial New York primary against rival Hillary Clinton next week.

The self-described democratic socialist is an admirer of Pope Francis and will join several speakers commemorating the 25th anniversary of "Centesimus Annus," a high-level teaching document by Pope John Paul II on the economy and social justice at the end of the Cold War.

The roughly 24-hour break from the campaign comes just five days before the New York primary.

Sanders is joined by his wife, Jane Sanders, and 10 family members, including four grandchildren.

Read more: http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/the-latest-pope-meets-morales-before-vatican-conference-1.11694886

[reddread]

1. interesting stats for NY

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/2004/11/State-By-State-Percentage-Of-White-Evangelicals-Catholics-And-Black-Protestants.aspx

[FreakinDJ]

25. East Coast is a Catholic stronghold

Outside the East Coast, where Catholicism has had a stronghold since the influx of Irish, German, Polish and Italian immigrants in the middle of the 19th century, the church must also be “more evangelical,” said Notre Dame professor Timothy Matovina, author of “Latino Catholicism: Transformation in America’s Largest Church.”


http://www.religionnews.com/2015/09/18/francis-visit-east-coast-bypasses-catholic-growth-centers/

[tomm2thumbs]

38. ** LIVE FEED **

Thanks to media post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017356419

[FreakinDJ]

39. Just watched - Bernie did VERY WELL

That and Bernie is polling within 6% ALREADY

He'll be Dead Even with Shillery by the end of the weekend

[SunSeeker]

52. "Clinton’s lead in New York grows: NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll.+ 17"

Here's my link:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/poll-clinton-s-lead-new-york-grows-n556201


Got a link for your assertion?

[Beacool]

66. No Vatican bump?

And when it comes to religion, Clinton leads among likely New York Democratic primary voters who are Protestant (62 percent to 35 percent), Catholic (61 percent to 36 percent) and Jewish (65 percent to 32 percent).

[onehandle]

2. I hope they enjoy their vacation.

They'll have plenty more time for vacations soon.

[2naSalit]

3. +1!

[reddread]

4. Jesus made water into wine

I wonder what he could have done with sour grapes?

[Old Crow]

16. Sour grapes, indeed.

The funniest quip I've heard regarding all this?

The Vatican would have invited Hillary, but they couldn't afford her speaking fees.

ba-dum-tsss!

[tomm2thumbs]

26. OMG LOLz

[navarth]

28. bewm !

[BlueMTexpat]

36. So Bernie's being paid?

Is that the point that you're trying to make?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

40. No, and that's the whole point.

She is a mercenary when it comes to her pocketbook. The idea of her volunteering her time, except for a photo op, is ludicrous.

[beastie boy]

43. The idea of Bernie volunteering his time exceot for a photo op

is equally ludicrous.

he is getting hours of free air time worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for ten minutes of talking. I wonder how this compares to one of Hillary's paid speeches.

[BlueMTexpat]

49. LOL, have you even bothered to

check speaking fees generally? Hillary is doing and has done nothing wrong in receiving them. In fact, her fees are literally "chump change" compared to those received by Donald Trump and others, including the late President Ronald Reagan. Clinton also donates all or most of her fees to the Clinton Foundation. http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/jun/16/occupy-democrats/liberal-group-claims-all-hillary-clintons-speaking/ If that isn't similar to volunteering, I don't know what is.

This is such a silly charge, a blatant attempt at dividing Democrats, and yet another attempt to smear HRC with the same smears used by RW GOPers and CDSers, which is just one of many reasons why I have become extremely disillusioned with Senator Sanders. Even Kathleen Parker, no friend to Hillary Clinton, defends her speaking fees. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-fight-over-hillary-clintons-speaking-fees-is-ridiculous/2016/02/05/ca4d8952-cc4e-11e5-ae11-57b6aeab993f_story.html

Just wait until Bernie enters the private sector. He certainly won't be giving speeches for "chump change." He'll certainly ask for market rates. But, as always, IOKIBSDI.

[Helen Borg]

56. BWAHAHAH!

[frylock]

45. It's already been turned to whine.

[pandr32]

5. Did they take the Secret Service along?

And if they did who is paying for this "vacation?"
So many rooms to book. Sanders is living the good life.

[reddread]

6. in what world would this be a vacation?

liarland?

[tomm2thumbs]

11. ain't it funny to witness jealousy in its rawest form?

I love it

[Plucketeer]

18. Indeed

It's "Hillary-ous"

[tomm2thumbs]

82. Wait'll they find out he met with the Pope

they're gonna love it

[noiretextatique]

31. It is so ridiculous

And sickening.

[pandr32]

21. He pushed for the trip

And his taking his whole extended family along.

[reddread]

22. what kind of scumbag does something like that?

[navarth]

34. LOL

[noiretextatique]

32. What does "pushed" mean?

He was invited to a conference, and he accepted.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

41. That the Hillarian Ver. 4.7 attack on Bernie based on

nothing.

[reddread]

47. their concern for the poor

[berniepdx420]

76. any facts to back your statement up...??

[karynnj]

14. Hillary and Bill Clinton have SS protection since 1992 -- as is their due

Should we question any of their vacations - together or apart? The SS would have always been with them.

[morningfog]

17. Secret service is there. Paid for by Sanders' campaign.

[SunSeeker]

53. So Sanders is treating this as a campaign event? Got a link? nt

[morningfog]

57. Here is what I read earlier:

The Vermont senator was joined by all four of his children and four grandchildren, as well as his wife Jane. A small group of staff, Secret Service detail, and members of the press were also accompanying him for the trip on a chartered plane.

* * *

The trip was organized and paid for by Sanders’ campaign.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bernie-sanders-brings-family-trip-vatican/story?id=38416805

[SunSeeker]

58. Thanks. Wow. Here comes another letter from the FEC!

[Human101948]

35. Man that sure is a Republican talking point...

I've heard it a thousand times about President Obama.

Report: Price of Obama getaways $70 million so far, and counting
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article50172810.html

[thesquanderer]

68. Someone under Secret Service protection is entitled to it 24/7.

Not just during specified events or duties. You think Obama doesn't have SS around him when he plays golf or vacations?

[Triana]

7. "vacation"

[tomm2thumbs]

9. some people take 24 hours to go raise gobs of dark money from $350,000 per plate dinners

God forbid someone should take their 24 hours to go speak about poverty

[Triana]

46. +1000 n/t

[rpannier]

13. Just mad because the Pope wouldn't attend the Clinton gathering

You know, the one for the gold plate club

[rpannier]

12. Unhappy because the Pope didn't make time for the Clinton gala?

[frylock]

44. See you on 3/2!

[LiberalFighter]

8. Really?

10 family members and four grandchildren too? Who brings all of them to a conference?

[reddread]

15. witnesses to history

a mensch.

[dragonfly301]

20. +1

I'm so excited for Bernie - an opportunity to share his ideas on a topic that he is passionate about and on the world stage - how great that he can share this moment with his family in attendance. I'm sure they are all very proud of him!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

42. a craven, greedy, lying former secstate that transmuted her office into

an ATM for her Foundation.

vs.

A relatively poor socialist jew who truly wants to cure the sick, help the needy, and comfort those who need solace and consideration?

Yeah, I can see why the Vatican would not invite her.

[LiberalFighter]

24. That will be forgotten quickly.

[noiretextatique]

33. Only on your dreams nt

[Plucketeer]

19. Read it again...

Maybe you can get it right the second or third time.

[LiberalFighter]

23. I did read it. You might want to open your eyes.

[Plucketeer]

30. "10 family members AND four grandchildren"

That's not what's written. That would be FOURTEEN family members in total.

What's written is 10 family members INCLUDING four grandchildren

[CBHagman]

10. Aargh, attempts to share this on social media...

...produced a headline and an image not in keeping with the content! Back to the drawing board.

On edit, then again, perhaps my time is best spent elsewhere. The self-congratulation, self-righteousness, and the like on this thread reminded me why I limit my exposure to DU these days.

[tabasco]

27. HOW DID HE GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE VATICAN????

Inquiring minds want to know.

[brooklynite]

29. I usually take the train to Termini Station, where you can get the Metro to the Vatican

[tabasco]

37. SANDERS COULD HAVE WALKED THAT FAR!

Why is he wasting money on LUXURIOUS means of transportation???

[beastie boy]

50. He couldn't fit all his family members and security detail into the Pope's Fiat 500.

But he really wanted to! I know he did, because he was going to see the Pope and he didn't want to upstage his idol! It just didn't turn out the way Bernie intended because of circumstances beyond his control...

[tabasco]

59. OMG!!! WHY DOESN'T THE VATICAN HAVE POVERTY CONFERENCES IN NEW JERSEY???

They make everybody who doesn't live at the Vatican waste BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in travel expenses. Smart people getting together to talk about ways to end poverty is just such a HUGE WASTE! They should just do it on SKYPE or something.

(How much did the Iraq war cost, Sparky?)

[beastie boy]

60. Let me guess, you are trying to be sarcastic, right?

I get it. Any US Senator visiting Rome with his extended family is entitled to lavish limousine service from a chartered plane to a conference on poverty.

Because it costs less than the iraq war.

I must admit, this line of argument didn't cross my mind. My bad.

[tabasco]

63. It's hard to tell with the breathless posts from Clinton supporters,

isn't it?

[beastie boy]

64. Yeah, I couldn't believe what you posted

Left me totally breathless.

[frylock]

48. I heard that he demanded a Ferrari 458.

[Renew Deal]

51. On the backs of angels

[LibDemAlways]

55. The Italian media is certainly paying attention

to Bernie. Imagine how far ahead he'd be if our useless corporate "news" outlets gave him the kind of coverage he's getting in Rome.

[itsrobert]

65. Yup, they kept asking loudly if he was going to meet the Pope.

Sanders ignore their questions.

[tomm2thumbs]

81. he already had met with the Pope

[Helen Borg]

61. So, while Bernie is giving important speeches at the Vatican on key world issues..

Hillary is having a fancy dinner with George Clooney gossiping about nothing? Guess who looks more Presidential!

[SunSeeker]

69. It was not an important speech and it was not at the Vatican.

It was a truncated, 10-minute version of his stump speech that he has already given thousands of times, and it was not at the Vatican, but at an annual academic conference to study a PRIOR Pope's encyclical held in Vatican City, not in the Vatican itself. And the Pope was not there.

But who was there was 10 of Sanders' family members, whose Roman holiday was paid for with campaign dollars. Last I checked that is a felony.

[Helen Borg]

71. Aw. Glad you agree.

☺

[tomm2thumbs]

83. The Pope gives his best SunSeeker

[thesquanderer]

84. re: "10 of Sanders' family members, whose Roman holiday was paid for with campaign dollars"

I don't know which expenses were or weren't covered or what the rules are on it, but the cost of a chartered plane doesn't go up when you take more people along. So the additional expense for the family were probably minimal.

[Gamecock Lefty]

62. Bernie Steps Off the Plane . . .

and the Bros go crazy.

"Oh look, Bernie's going into the terminal!" Applause, applause.

[840high]

70. The Clinton supporters just

can't stand it - so funny. Hillary would never be invited.

[4now]

72. So did he release his hidden tax returns yet?

[FighttheFuture]

73. Waiting for Hillary to release her hidden speeches before the money changers.

[4now]

74. I guess that means no he didn't release his hidden tax returns

I wonder what he is trying to hide?

[FighttheFuture]

75. Yeah! God know what the Sanders, a net worth 4/10ths of a percent of the Clintons, could be there!

Ah, ha ha ha ha ha!!!

[4now]

78. If he has nothing to hide then why not release his tax returns?

Clinton has released 8 years of returns and BS just tries to blame his wife.

[Callmecrazy]

79. He has...

[4now]

80. Great. Do you have a link?

[Firebrand Gary]

77. So the male in the race visit's another country while the female must continue to work.

Typical.

If it were Hillary on that trip, she'd never hear the end of it.