Bernie Sanders attacks Planned Parenthood and Human Rights Campaign after they endorse Hillary

[Alfresco]

http://www.dailynewsbin.com/opinion/bernie-sanders-attacks-planned-parenthood-and-human-rights-campaign-after-they-fail-to-endorse-him/23614/
By Bill Palmer | January 19, 2016

Now that they’ve both endorsed his opponent, Bernie Sanders is openly attacking two of the most widely respected groups fighting for the liberal causes he claims to believe in. Earlier this month leading women’s health group Planned Parenthood endorsed Hillary Clinton for President, and this week leading LGBT rights group the Human Rights Campaign did the same. In response, Sanders went on national television and accused both groups of being part of the “establishment” that his campaign is fighting against.

It’s an almost inexplicable turn of events for candidate who insisted all along that he didn’t engage in “personal attacks” and was only interested in focusing on the issues. But in the past week Bernie Sanders has referred to Bill Clinton as “deplorable” while comparing Hillary Clinton to Dick Cheney, thus abandoning the high road in favor of the lowest personal attacks he can think of. And now, he’s not merely attacking his opponent or his opponent’s spouse. He appears to have concluded that anyone who doesn’t endorse his campaign it the enemy and must be destroyed, issues be damned. What on earth happened?

The exact full quote given by Bernie Sanders on the Rachel Maddow show is the following: “We’re taking on the political establishment. I have friends and supporters in the Human Rights Fund and Planned Parenthood. But you know what? Hillary Clinton has been around here for a very, very long time. Some of these groups are, in fact, part of the establishment.” At a time when women’s rights and gay rights are hanging in the balance, and at a time when Planned Parenthood in particular is being defunded even as it’s being shot at by gunmen, for Sanders to attack these two groups by name is nothing short of stupefying.

It would be stunning coming from any candidate. Coming from the guy who has spent his entire campaign painting himself as the issue-based integrity guy, it’s enough to make you fall out of your chair. No one expects Bernie Sanders to be thrilled that Planned Parenthood or the Human Rights Campaign failed to endorse him. But his public attack on their integrity, out of nothing more than a desire for personal revenge, should disqualify him from running for President. It’s time for Sanders to drop out of the race before he makes things even worse for the liberal causes he claims to be fighting for.

[DURHAM D]

1. Disgusting

[workinclasszero]

2. Under the Bernie bus...

Planned Parenthood and Human Rights Campaign!

Such is the fate of all that don't back The Dear Candidate!

“I am not now, nor have I ever been, a liberal Democrat.” Bernie Sanders

[Treant]

3. The Human Rights Campaign

has been under the bus in the gay community for quite some time. They do sort of deserve it for a number of reasons.

In this case, however, unless they're supporting the Republican or any candidate who opposes gay rights issues, I'd definitely say these particular attacks are unfounded.

And in the case of Planned Parenthood, it's very difficult to criticize them for too much in any case. Certainly not for supporting a candidate who's a woman, works for women, and supports women's rights.

[lunamagica]

4. Sour Grapes. eom

[Cha]

15. Really .. the worst kind.

[Gothmog]

5. I stand with Planned Parenthood and the Human Rights Campaign

[shenmue]

6. Me too

[GusBob]

7. enemies list

"exile all apostates and dissidents"

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. Because he's not a Democrat. He's learned all the wrong lessons from the Trump/Palin campaign.

[riversedge]

9. fundraising is his goal. And the hell with the Democratic Party-and women and gays....

I saw this ugly tweet:


Pam Rosales
?@PamDMON

#LGBT Unite! DONATE 2 @BernieSanders in Protest of @HRC Endorsement of #HillaryClinton #FeelTheBern 🔥 #ImWithHer No!

[Tarheel_Dem]

10. I'm not at all surprised. Remember, in the beginning when BS was gonna run a positive campaign?

He's already showing that he doesn't keep promises. I have absolutely no use for him or his supporters. Much like Trump/Palin, the objective with BS & crew seems to be to burn the whole thing down. Anytime I hear the word "establishment" from Trump, Palin, or BS, I know it's code for "send me money". They are flipsides of the same coin.

[Bryan]

11. I was infuriated by this

..but then I had a moment of reflection. In 2008, when Obama was speaking at rallies and he happened to mention the Republicans, he would often be interrupted by a chorus of boos. At those times, he would say something like "No, no, we don't need to do that. We just need to vote!" and then the boos would be swamped by cheers.

On March 1, I'm going to vote for Hillary Clinton.

[romana]

12. Well

I've been on DU for years, but don't post a lot. I actually haven't checked the site in months, and recently returned just to get a sense of where things were with the various campaigns. I didn't really have a horse in the race (my state votes fairly late in the process). I supported Hillary last time, but wasn't too sure about either her or Bernie this time around.

Sanders comments about PP in particular have helped me make up my mind. I cannot support a candidate who won't support PP's mission for women, particularly poor and minority women. They didn't endorse him, and therefore they now have to be cast as the enemy? No, that's wrong, and no Democrat should be doing that. And nobody on the left should be supporting that, either.

It makes me very sad.

[vorgan24]

13. And two more go under the bus...

I've lost count at just how many people and organizations Camp Sanders have thrown under the bus so far.

Republicans are having a field day with this shit that his supporters are pulling.

[Hortensis]

14. Standard deep-seated reaction for Bernie to

those who aren't with him. Little to no tolerance for nonsupporters, who are problems to get out of the way of his progress.

Remember this story from long ago, Mother Jones reporting,

"Guma recalled meeting Sanders for the first time at a campaign information session and asking why the candidate for Senate should get his vote. Sanders, in effect, told Guma that if he even needed to ask, Liberty Union wasn't for him. "Do you know what the movement is? Have you read the books?" he recalled Sanders responding. "If you didn't come to work for the movement, you came for the wrong reasons—I don't care who you are, I don't need you."

Or this one, Politico reporting,

"Said Rep. Barney Frank, in ’91: “Bernie alienates his natural allies. His holier-than-thou attitude—saying in a very loud voice he is smarter than everyone else and purer than everyone else—really undercuts his effectiveness.”

Dismissing these organizations as "establishment" after they endorsed another candidate strikes me as Bernie being Bernie casting them out of his way after he failed to win their endorsements. And after all, there's probably a facet of truth to his pettishness. These organizations have been around a long time, and the natural evolution of such things is to become too self-serving, and no doubt some of the people he speaks of are.

[Hekate]

16. KnR