Bernie Sanders Did Not Ask For President Obama’s Endorsement In White House Meeting

[ProudToBeLiberal]

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he did not ask President Barack Obama for an endorsement when the two met in the Oval Office Wednesday, just days before the first voting in the 2016 presidential campaign begins next week. Instead, he told reporters they had a "productive and constructive" meeting where they talked about "a number of issues" including foreign policy, domestic concerns and "occasionally a little politics."

...

Obama has not endorsed a candidate in the Democratic primary contest, but he has expressed positive feelings about Clinton, who served as secretary of state after losing the nomination to him in 2008. In an interview with Politico last weekend, Obama also made several comments that suggest he supports Clinton.

Sanders addressed the chatter about the Politico interview Wednesday, denying that the president was trying to turn the race in Clinton's favor. “I don't believe that at all,” he told reporters Wednesday. The Vermont senator emphasized that before Obama became president, he campaigned for Sanders in Vermont and added that he would not forget that. He acknowledged the two disagree on some issues such as taxes and the president's Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, but said this is the case with any politicians.

"I have stood by his side where he has taken on unprecedented Republican obstructionism," Sanders said.

More at http://www.ibtimes.com/bernie-sanders-did-not-ask-president-obamas-endorsement-white-house-meeting-2282339

Bernie Sanders stated that he has stood by President Obama when it came to Republican obstructionism. He just put a hold and blocked Obama's FDA nominee. He's joining Republicans in obstructing President Obama's agenda and nominees. This sounds very hypocritical to me. I am not sure if he will further the work of President Obama. I fear he may destroy it.

[EdwardBernays]

1. You fear

He may destroy WHAT exactly?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

4. The accomplishments of President Obama. nt

[EdwardBernays]

5. Specifically

What

[ProudToBeLiberal]

6. Obamacare. nt

[EdwardBernays]

8. You know

He's repeatedly pledged to not touch it unless he successfully passes Medicare for all...

And since most Clinton supporters say he can't do that... I'm not sure what the big fear is...

On top of that I live in Europe, which basically has Medicare for all for hundreds of millions of people. . . It's much much cheaper than Obamacare and leaves no one behind. Plus it gets better results...

I know change can be scary, but unless you ACTUALLY think Bernie can get single payer passed you have literally nothing to worry about.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

10. Uhh, that basically means he isn't going to give it a 100 effort to scrap Obamacare...

If he is going to make an effort to pass his health care plan, then that means he is undermining Obamacare. nt

[EdwardBernays]

19. What?

You're projecting.

It doesn't mean anything like that.

On top of that - again - he won't Obamacare or let it be touched - unless something better is in place.

But really, you're projecting.

[Kip Humphrey]

44. you cannot conquer fear with logic. Coddle fear, hold it & reassure it that everything will be

alright.

[winter is coming]

24. You need to take the ACA down off that pedestal. Obama sure as hell didn't put it there.

Last edited Wed Jan 27, 2016, 11:49 PM - Edit history (1)

There's a lot of collective amnesia about the ACA. It wasn't sold to us as the ultimate answer. It was marketed as being not perfect, but an important major step toward universal health care.

It's time to take another step, and saying so doesn't diminish the importance of the first one.

[left lowrider]

41. It's interesting to see that somebody bought Chelsea's lie by omission

It seemed like the media even had to admit it was bullshit that Sanders will remove ACA . . . while not noting that he will replace it with something better. But you must have missed that.

Its always this fake half lie by omission. . .

[elana i am]

2. did you miss the part about the fda nominee

being a fucking toady for big pharma?

[SunSeeker]

3. Yes, Bernie claims he is "standing by Obama," while joining the GOP in blocking his nominee.

Bernie's actions betray his words.

[cali]

12. Fucking fail. NO REPUBLICANS HAVE PUT A HOLD ON CALIFF.

Bernie joined Ed Markey in blocking this nomination. Markey endorsed Clinton, btw. Republicans don't have a problem with an appointee's having extensive ties to the pharmaceutical industry. That would be a liberal position.

I'm beginning to wonder about some Hillary supporters here.

[Cheese Sandwich]

16. Lisa Murkowski

Markey isn't the only senator to place a hold on Califf. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she will put a hold on Califf until the FDA answers questions over its labeling of genetically modified salmon.

http://www.bna.com/markey-places-legislative-n57982066569/

[SunSeeker]

51. LOL. Pretty much anything said in all caps on DU these days tends to be wrong.

cali

12. Fucking fail. NO REPUBLICANS HAVE PUT A HOLD ON CALIFF.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski is opposing Michael Califf for reasons having nothing to do with his qualifications, like Sanders is doing. The GOP tend to block Obama appointees just because they're Obama appointees and they want to play to the extremes in their base. Sad to see Bernie doing the same thing.

"Fucking fail" indeed.

http://www.alaskajournal.com/2015-11-24/murkowski-puts-hold-nomiee-over-gm-labeling#.VqkpTNFIjPQ

[winter is coming]

27. "Standing by" doesn't mean "mindless rubber stamp".

[SunSeeker]

45. Didn't say it was. But when you side with the GOP and against Senate Dems....

As Sanders did by blocking that nomination, just whose rubber stamp is he being?

[winter is coming]

46. No one's. He's actually thinking about the issue at hand.

It's a lot more work, but it's worth it.

[SunSeeker]

48. Ug. That is exactly the rationale the GOP use.

The Presisent's nominee should not blocked to make political points.

[winter is coming]

49. Bernie's not doing it to make political points.

He's doing it because it's a bad nominee.

[SunSeeker]

50. So it's better that the FDA go rudderless than have this University researcher appointed?

Anyone doing university research is going to have to get funding. Berniebros don't fund university research. The government and corporate philanthropies do. Those are the "Big Pharma ties" Sanders is talking about. It is bullshit and Bernie is just playing politics with this, trying to make it look like he is standing up for "every day Americans" when all he is really doing is standing with the GOP. What ever day Americans need is a fully functioning FDA, and Sanders is preventing that.

[Arazi]

54. Lol! Acting Director Dr Stephen Ostroff is leaving the FDA "rudderless"?!

In what world?

http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/ucm386097.htm

Stephen Ostroff, M.D., is the Food and Drug Administration's acting commissioner of food and drugs. As the top official of the FDA, Dr. Ostroff is committed to strengthening programs and policies that enable the agency to carry out its mission to protect and promote the public health.

"It’s a singular honor to be given the opportunity to represent the people of the FDA who every day dedicate their work to assure safe and effective medical products, foods, and cosmetics and to mitigate the health consequences of tobacco products," says Dr. Ostroff.

Before being named acting commissioner, Dr. Ostroff served as the FDA’s chief scientist since January 2014. In this capacity, he was responsible for leading and coordinating FDA's cross-cutting scientific and public health efforts. The Office of the Chief Scientist works closely with FDA’s product centers, providing strategic leadership and support for FDA’s regulatory science and innovation initiatives.

Dr. Ostroff joined FDA in 2013 as chief medical officer in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and senior public health advisor to FDA’s Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine.

Prior to that he served as deputy director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he was also acting director of CDC’s Select Agent Program. While at CDC he focused on emerging infectious diseases, food safety, and coordination of complex outbreak response. He retired from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service at the rank of Rear Admiral (Assistant Surgeon General). Dr. Ostroff was also the director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and acting physician general for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has consulted internationally on public health projects in South Asia and Latin America.

Dr. Ostroff graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1981 and completed residencies in internal medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and preventive medicine at CDC.

[SunSeeker]

56. He is not the Director. He can at best just try to keep what is in place going.

If you knew about how agencies work, you would realize how crippling it is not to have a chief, as opposed to an acting chief who already has a full time job.

[Arazi]

65. He is the acting Director and he's not doing any other job but that

Before being named acting commissioner, Dr. Ostroff served as the FDA’s chief scientist since January 2014.

I've got direct experience with a state level government division that had to go through two,years of searching before they named a new Executive Director. The Acting Director did a brilliant job and would have taken the job permanently but was looking to retire. You're really reaching lol

[SunSeeker]

66. That is just not true. I too have direct experience with leadership in state Agencies.

And federal agencies. Anyone who is "Acting" does not have the same authority nor the political clout to steer the direction of policy for the agency. Normally, it is an existing staffer, like this gentleman, who was plucked from a high level job within the agency that now must also be filled. Invariable he or she will continue to be involved in the work of that prior position until a replacement is found and then training that replacement. I doubt they have found a replacement for this gentleman's position since the agency probably assumed he was Acting just for a short time and would return to his prior position. Usually all an Acting chief does is the absolutely necessary duties of the chief, like signing off on budgets, etc.

[Jarqui]

33. Bernie has also uttered words about getting Americans a fair

deal on drugs and keeping Wall Street execs out of the government.

So he lived up to those words. And quite frankly, Obama campaigned with those kinds of words.

[cali]

7. So you believe it is the duty of every dem in Congress to march

in lockstep with the President on all of his appointments?

Allow me to smash your narrative to smithereens, self-designated liberal. Republicans aren't blocking blocking Califf. Not a single one. They are perfectly happy backing a candidate with extensive ties to big pharma. The person that first put a hold on Califf is Senator Ed Markey, who has endorsed Hillary.

You really can't get away with brazenly making stuff up, like your bullshit claim that Bernie is joining republicans in opposing Califf.

Big Fail for you.

[EdwardBernays]

23. The thing that's astonishing

Is that Bernie is actually being loyal to the right people: his constituents.

This is one of those judgement things.

It's also how he's had such a consistent record for decades.

[cali]

42. Really sad to see people who call themselves liberal acting like...

this.

[Z_California]

53. They are not liberals.

That's why they have to be deceptive and dishonest with their talking points. Liberals can just tell the truth.

[Jefferson23]

9. Bernie Sanders Blocks Obama’s FDA Nominee for Big Pharma Ties

Today, Bernie Sanders declared his opposition to President Obama's Food and Drug Administration nominee, Michael Califf, and announced he is formally blocking the pick.

Sanders announced the hold on Califf’s appointment to head the FDA, identifying his close ties to Big Pharma.

“Dr. Califf’s extensive ties to the pharmaceutical industry give me no reason to believe that he would make the FDA work for ordinary Americans, rather than just the CEOs of pharmaceutical companies,” Sanders said in an official statement.

A New York Times story from this past fall identified many of Califf's connections to pharmaecutical industry. The piece explains that, "he has written scientific papers with pharmaceutical company researchers, and his financial disclosure form last year listed seven drug companies and a device maker that paid him for consulting and six others that partly supported his university salary, including Merck, Novartis and Eli Lilly."

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/bernie-sanders-blocks-obamas-fda-nominee-big-pharma-ties

[ProudToBeLiberal]

11. His blocking isn't an attack on the nominee itself. He is attacking the President directly by

criticizing his pick.

[Jefferson23]

13. lol

Yea, Bernie has NO history of going after big Pharma.

You can try and spin this any way you want, but it is clear
Sanders is advocating for the American people.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

17. "I have stood by his side where he has taken on unprecedented Republican obstructionism," -Sanders

He's joining the Republicans obstructionists by blocking Obama's nominee. He's going against the President when he said he stood by the President against Republican obstructionism.

[Jefferson23]

26. Nonsense. Why don't you check out the guy Sanders is blocking? Why are you ignoring

Markey's position too?

I think we all know why you're not doing that.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

29. I like how you conviently ignore Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski hold on the nominee. nt

[Jefferson23]

34. I'm not ignoring anything, Republicans always push back against Obama. When are you

going to tell me the merits of the man Obama wants for the position?

When are you going to explain Markey's opposition?

I know why you can't, but I doubt you'll admit it.

[cali]

28. Fucking stop. NO REPUBLICANS HAVE PUT A HOLD ON THIS NOMINEE. NONE.

ZERO. ZIP.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

31. Uh Cali, I provided proof below. I think you need to calm down...nt

[EdwardBernays]

30. That's not obstructionism

"a person who delays or obstructs the business before a legislative body by parliamentary contrivances or legalistic maneuvers"

Bernie's not an obstructionist he's doing what he always does. Follows his principles.

People first, THEN party.

[cali]

15. When are you going to correct the FALSE claim that he is joining republicans

in blocking Califf? I won't be holding my breath. You seem quite comfortable making things up to fit your narrative. Nevertheless, you are spreading misinformation.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

25. Outraged Republican Senator Vows to Block Appointment of FDA Commissioner

Dr. Robert Califf, the Obama administration’s choice for the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was easily approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Tuesday, but the candidate’s approval by the full Senate faces an unlikely hurdle: fish.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is threatening to block Califf over the FDA’s approval of genetically engineered salmon, or GMO salmon.

http://ecowatch.com/2016/01/14/murkowski-gmo-salmon/

Boom. He's joining with the Alaskan Republican to obstruct President Obama's nominee.

[cali]

39. She has threatened a hold. Markey and Sanders have issued holds

And even if Murkowski joins them, that's still 2 liberal dems to one repuke. You have utterly mischaracterized the situation.

http://fortune.com/2016/01/26/obama-fda-nominee-block/

[ProudToBeLiberal]

43. Glad to see you have calmed down. Thank you for finally seeing my point. nt

[ProudToBeLiberal]

35. Murkowski to place hold on FDA commissioner nominee

A Senate panel on Tuesday approved Dr. Robert Califf to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, but President Barack Obama's nominee may face trouble.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she will hold up a vote on the Senate floor until she has reassurances from the agency that genetically modified salmon will be labeled. The Alaska Republican has said the engineered salmon approved by the agency last year could be harmful to her state's wild salmon industry.

Califf is now the No. 2 official at the agency, which regulates consumer products from medications to seafood to e-cigarettes. He was a prominent cardiologist and medical researcher at Duke University for more than 30 years.

Murkowski is angry that she didn't get more of a warning about the agency's approval of the modified fish, which she has long opposed. The FDA approved the salmon two days after Califf's November confirmation hearing.

http://www.alaskajournal.com/2016-01-12/murkowski-place-hold-fda-commissioner-nominee#.Vqkb9vkrJD8

[ProudToBeLiberal]

38. Sanders, Murkowski vow to block appointment of FDA commissioner over GMO salmon, drug prices

A crucial Senate committee on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve Dr. Robert M. Califf, a cardiologist and clinical trial expert from Duke University, as the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Final approval by the full Senate, however, is unlikely to happen soon, because Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has pledged to block his candidacy over the agency’s controversial approval of genetically engineered salmon.

Ms. Murkowski, a Republican, said she would put a hold on Dr. Califf’s candidacy because the F.D.A. approved a genetically engineered salmon as fit for consumption just days after she questioned him on the topic at his confirmation hearing in November. The senator, whose state is a major salmon producer, had long opposed the genetically engineered fish. . .

Dr. Califf has been a consultant to drug companies and ran a research institute that received a majority of its funding from the industry, and his candidacy was met with skepticism by public health groups and some Democrats, who said those ties raised concerns that he was too close to the industry he was being called on to regulate.

Many medical experts dispute that, saying that the drug industry is a principal funder of research in the United States and that working with companies does not present an inherent conflict.

https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/01/13/sanders-murkowski-vow-to-block-appointment-of-fda-commissioner-over-gmo-salmon-drug-prices/

[cali]

40. Senator Markey places hold on Obama's nominee to lead FDA

Democratic U.S. Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts said on Monday he placed a hold on President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration until the agency agrees to reform its process for approving opioid painkillers.

Markey wants opioid-approval matters to be reviewed by an FDA advisory committee and believes the committee should consider the risk of addiction and abuse during the approval process. He also wants the agency to rescind approval of OxyContin for children and convene an advisory panel to guide that process.

"Last year, the FDA approved a new pediatric use for OxyContin without convening an advisory committee even though its guidelines note that FDA decisions that relate to controversial issues or matters relating to children are particularly well-suited to advisory committee empanelment," Markey said in a statement.

A "hold" is a procedure by which a senator can prevent a measure from being voted on by the full Senate.

The nominee, Dr. Robert Califf, a cardiologist and researcher, is widely expected to be approved when the Senate votes on the nomination later this year, although critics argue his ties to the pharmaceutical industry are too close.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0V32CR

[dana_b]

68. good! He did the right thing and I'm sure that the President

can find SOMEONE who isn't so pro Big pharm.

[NCTraveler]

14. Sanders recently voted for Pauls Tea Party "Audit the Fed" bill.

One of only two senate democrats to do so. Sanders has blocked one of Obama's nominees. Pure obstructionism. Sanders is fighting against the establishment, his supporters are anti-establishment, and he calls PP a part of the establishment. He knew well what he was doing.

These last couple of weeks he has gone into red meat mode. It has been very revealing.

[winter is coming]

36. Perhaps you could explain why the Fed shouldn't be audited?

The habit of putting party before principle is one of the things that's gridlocking Congress. The notion that you can't support X because the guy in a different-colored jersey also supports it is ludicrous and lazy thinking. People support different things for different reasons and it's childish to insist that we must be on the opposite side of everything Republicans propose.

Sometimes (admittedly rarely), Republicans have good ideas. Dems can have bad ones. We should be able to admit that, instead of being so goddamned tribal about every last thing.

[NCTraveler]

47. "Perhaps you could explain why the Fed shouldn't be audited?"

Perhaps you should read Pauls Tea Party legislation. I'm done with this. I have directly shown you where his legislation actually stops the feds audit, in order to audit the fed. I have done so with the exact language of the bill Sanders backed Paul on.

Fuck Paul and his republican buddies attempting to further politicize monetary policy. I have no need to further debate the ills of this right wing extremist legislation. I have broke down the actual language of the bill for you in the past.

[frylock]

58. Ah. The ol' 'if he's for it, than I'm agin it'..

the "thinking man's" strategy.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. Blocking Obama's FDA nominee in this case is a good thing.

This particular nominee has some problematic connections to the pharmaceutical industry and Sanders wants to be sure the FDA gets a director who won't favor drug companies over consumers. What's the problem? He's doing his job.

[cali]

20. The OP makes a blatantly false claim: No Republican is blocking this appointment.

Sanders joined Ed Markey who initiated the hold.

[Arazi]

32. Labelling of GMO salmon

has motivated Lisa Murkowski to also join the hold I believe.

What's unbelievable is this is a GOOD thing and an issue Dems should all be on board with - the disconnect is really unbelievable here on DU.

[SunSeeker]

52. Murkowski wants GMO salmon labeled to protect the Alaska wild salmon industry from competition.

She does not oppose GMO crops and "makes a distinction between labeling laws for animal products and food crops, such as corn and soybeans."

http://gmwatch.org/2016-articles/16650-us-senator-blocks-fda-nominee-over-gmo-salmon

Farm raised GMO salmon is a lot cheaper than wild caught salmon, so it poses a competitive threat to the wild caught salmon industry in Alaska.

[okasha]

59. Now don't you be bringing silly things like facts

into the discussion. This is GDP, where fantasy prevails.

Something just occurred to me. I wonder if there's Bernie fanfic out there. I bet there is.

[SunSeeker]

64. LOL

[Recursion]

61. Murkowski has also placed a hold

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/sanders-3rd-senator-block-obamas-pick-fda-36523636

[Nanjeanne]

21. Blocking Nom

I think this just shows Sanders ability to be bi-partisan . . . he is joining with Dem. Sen. Markey and Rep. Sen. Murkowski. See . . . he can get things done

[Rosa Luxemburg]

22. They were just talking about the fine details re transferring the presidency to Bernie in 2017

for instance did Bernie still want the basketball hoop? Does he he want any of the paintings moved to different rooms etc.

[Jarqui]

37. Excuse the FOX news link ...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/27/obama-to-meet-with-bernie-sanders-at-white-house.html

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Sanders, during a holiday party last month, originally suggested a sit-down meeting, and Obama thought that was a “good idea.”

“This is a meeting that came together in the last week or two,” Earnest said, adding Obama was “pleased” to have the opportunity.

fyi

It had nothing to do with the events of the past few days

[MineralMan]

55. Smart move, Bernie.

It wouldn't be forthcoming.

[beam me up scottie]

57. Well if by "destroy" you mean he won't appoint industry shills to important positions then...good!

Cardiff is a bad choice for FDA director and it has nothing to do with partisan politics.

Bernie opposed him from the start and he's not going to change his mind for any favours.

[Recursion]

60. I'd assume he knows that sitting Presidents don't endorse candidates for nomination? (nt)

[Armstead]

62. RATS. You discovered the Dirty Little Secret that Bernie is secretly a Republican

[ucrdem]

63. He's hoping he can take credit for Obama's many miracles

and I don't doubt that his supporters would like nothing more than to give it to him. And if he flubs it I'm equally sure they'll find new ways to blame Barack. They've had eight years of practice.

[AtomicKitten]

67. Democratic Senator Markey has a hold on the FDA nominee too.

Along with one Republican Senator.

And here's why for all three: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/01/25/another-senator-holds-up-fda-nominee-this-time-over-opioid-crisis/