Chuck Schumer Is All In On Bernie Sanders Democratic Party

[think]

Chuck Schumer Is All In On Bernie Sanders’ Democratic Party

By Michael McAuliff - 11/19/2016 12:10 pm ET | Updated 7 hours ago

The Vermont senator lost to Hillary Clinton, but the new Senate minority leader thinks his message is a winner.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) lost the Democratic nomination and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is the new leader of the Senate Democrats. But the Vermont senator’s vision and ideas will dominate the Democratic Party’s attempt to recover from Hillary Clinton’s ruinous White House run.

Schumer will be the person who crafts and leads the strategy, but in sitting down to explain it to The Huffington Post on Friday, he revealed how much of it comes from Sanders, as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

“When you lose an election the way we did, you don’t flinch, you don’t look away. You look it in the eye and say ‘What did we do wrong?’” said Schumer, who also had a significant role in Democrats’ 2016 calculations. “To me, overwhelmingly, we did not have a strong economic message. What we need is a sharper, bolder, stronger, more progressive economic message.”

Schumer explained that includes staples from the Sanders and Warren wing of the party ― debt-free college, at least some of the free college that was so mocked by the Clinton campaign, a higher minimum wage, a “bolder” stance on trade, a tougher stance the “rigged” system of lobbyists and special interests, and major investments in infrastructure, among other ideas....

Read more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chuck-schumer-is-all-in-on-bernie-sanders-democratic-party_us_58307a38e4b030997bbfc3cc

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. Like most intellegent Dems, Schumer knows Bernie is the key to victory over Donald Chump in 2020.

Last edited Sun Nov 20, 2016, 12:28 PM - Edit history (2)

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!

[elleng]

3. GOT IT!

[leftofcool]

19. Do you think they will start talking soon about important issues?

You know, election fraud, hate crimes, voter suppression, Russian hackers etc..............

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

24. I don't see why not. But mostly, Senate Dem leaders need to focus on stopping, at all cost, the anti-progressive agenda of Repuke Enemy #1, the tRumpster fire himself.

[elleng]

2. Hope he does it.

[think]

4. As the minority leader in the Senate I'll take his word on it. Must say it's a surprising

turn of events. Looking forward to learning more on Schumer's thoughts & plans. It'll be very interesting seeing how things progress moving forward.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

25. Me too! There's no question Bernie has the winning message... it's high time we take it to heart and, yes, go "all in."

[OnDoutside]

32. There's a line though that Schumer needs to be careful not to cross with Bernie and that is

to open the door which will allow the next wave of Republican attacks that says there has been a Socialist takeover of the Democratic Party (ironically). We've already seen from this election that the US is still heavily populated with racists, I would venture to suggest that the notion of "Reds under the bed" hasn't gone too far away either.

[Thinkingabout]

5. Especially asking for the minimum wage to be increased to 10, well

Below what Sanders insisted on having in the DNC platform.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

26. I don't see the harm in 1st taking what we can get, then demanding more, makin it a campaign issue should minimum wage workers be denied a decent living wage.

[OnDoutside]

33. There's loads of harm in it, because what if Trump (and the Repubs) agree to 10 ? They will be able

to claim the ground on this.

If Bernie Sanders was able to say $12 an hour wasn't enough for people to live on, to Hillary, and he is now willing to accept $10 an hour from Trump, the optics will look terrible.

[justhanginon]

34. The optics already look terrible! But that's okay, it's Bernie.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

39. I see your point... completely valid. I'm just sayin Bernie, being the incredible communicator that he is...

Last edited Sun Nov 20, 2016, 02:08 PM - Edit history (2)

will make it absolutely clear, by espousing the EXACT, perfectly CONSISTENT positions he brilliantly did throughout the campaign... that $10 per hour is NO WHERE NEAR ENOUGH to live on, even though CLEARLY better than the curren $7.25 an hour minimum wage.

I mean, why penalize hard working people with NO RAISE AT ALL, when you can at least get them a TEMPORARY 38% wage hike? People aren't stupid and will understand Bernie's explanation that this is only a PARTIAL MEASURE to getting minimum-wage laborers to 15 bucks an hour.

You just have to believe in Bernie... he'll NEVER give up advocating for what's fair and will get us where we need to be, count on it!... Count on Bernie!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!

[think]

41. Great points. Thank you /nt

[hueymahl]

78. Well put!! NT

[think]

36. It was Donald Trump who said he would raise the minimum wage to 10. Bernie is just holding Trump

to that.

Donald Trump says he'd support $10 minimum wage

By Tom Kludt, CNN
Updated 1:30 PM ET, Wed July 27, 2016

Donald Trump said Tuesday he would support raising the federal minimum wage to $10 an hour, a departure from his previous assertion that wages are "too high."

The Republican presidential nominee was pressed to provide a specific number by Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly, who said, "there has to be a federal minimum wage."

Trump initially dismissed that suggestion.

"There doesn't have to be," Trump said. "I would leave it and raise it somewhat. You need to help people. I know it's not very Republican to say....

Read more:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/27/politics/donald-trump-minimum-wage/

Bernie still believes we need a living wage which is a $15 minimum wage by 2020. Here is the actual quote which some here are taking out of context:

I happen to believe that the federal minimum wage … is a starvation wage, and that it should be raised to $15 dollars an hour, a living wage. Mr. Trump did not say that, but what he did say is we should raise the minimum wage to 10 bucks an hour. Not enough, but a start, and we will hold him to those words.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/bernie-sanders-donald-trump/508007/

[TexasBushwhacker]

47. By 2020 might be too steep of a curve

California is shooting for $15 by 2022. That's about an 8% hike per year. I think that's something a lot of people could live with. Labor is only part of the cost of running a business. In the case of fast food and retail, they would likely see more business as more folks have more disposable income.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

49. Yes, an excellent, and simpler way of looking at it. And why I absolutely LOVE Bernie!

The guy always says what he means and means what he says... without having to take a poll!

[Thinkingabout]

48. Hum, this was Hillary's position, thought going from 7.25 to 15 an hour was a bridge too far

but Sanders did not see her point then, what changed him?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

62. Read what I said... Bernie hasn't changed his position ONE IOTA... that's what makes him so great!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!

[Thinkingabout]

81. What is with the nasty remark? Sanders said he is willing to work with Trump on

$10 minimum wages, I do read newspapers, go tell Sanders to read what you said.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

82. My remark wasn't meant to be the least bit nasty... sorry if something I said made you take it that way...

Just obviously disagree for the reasons I stated. Is it something about Bernie that's bothering you?

[Demsrule86]

57. There is great harm in giving Trump any reason to declare victory...and Bernie should know this.

We need to stand firm against the Republicans...or we will lose everything.

[think]

37. Bernie is holding Donald Trump to his own words. Trump said he would consider a 10 minimum wage

Bernie is still fighting for a living wage. He still wants to see a $15 minimum wage.

It's sad that this is being taken out of context and Bernie's actual statement is being ignored:

I happen to believe that the federal minimum wage … is a starvation wage, and that it should be raised to $15 dollars an hour, a living wage. Mr. Trump did not say that, but what he did say is we should raise the minimum wage to 10 bucks an hour. Not enough, but a start, and we will hold him to those words.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/bernie-sanders-donald-trump/508007/

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

40. HAHA! EXACTLY RIGHT!!!... precisely what I was saying in my response above. Bernie's brilliant statement - I hadn't seen it yet - demonstrates why he is the one we've been waitin for!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!

[ancianita]

6. Hope you're right. I have a wait-and-see attitude toward him. I want pattern, consistency.

[think]

7. I'm not completely sold but it seems that if he's bringing it up he must understand

that it's what the people want and how the Democrats need to address things if they want to win. Undoubtedly it will be a hybrid mix that includes aspects of Bernie's issues and philosophy. Hopefully it won't get watered down to the point where voters are still on the fence in trusting the Democrats to follow through.

Bernie came out of nowhere and really showed that people were into his issues and message. They were also willing to donate allowing Bernie to run without taking corporate money. Hopefully more Democratic candidates will follow Bernie's lead in utilizing this style of funding for their campaigns.

Amazing the influence Bernie has had in this election. Hopefully his involvement will help the party regain momentum in the years to come.

[ancianita]

8. Bernie? Out of nowhere? You do realize that Schumer and he have been in that chamber for decades.

Bernie only came out of nowhere to the American public.

If you're right about Bernie's influence, he did a big effing thing by eschewing corporate money for his campaign. He wanted to teach the Democrats a lesson. Let's hope they've learned, because people will be watching them for the next four years. There's a reason 49% of eligible voters didn't vote.

If you're right, Schumer owes him big time for helping get a corporatist, DLC-driven party back in touch with its past and future constituents. I want to see how long Schumer shows that gratitude and change of strategy.

I want to see how long Bernie's influence lasts. It had better be solidly respected and acted upon for the next four years now that we don't have Hillary in the White House.

[think]

10. Yes. I meant in regards to the general public he pretty much came out of nowhere

Sorry I didn't make that clear.

In the spring of 2015 I think it was only about 6% of the American people had any idea who Sanders was. Now he's one of the most popular politicians if not the most popular politician in either party.

Like you I hope his popularity will continue and his issues promoted and embraced by the party as a whole. Having the Senate Minority leader claiming he plans to embrace Bernie's ideas goes along way to accomplishing that goal.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. I think Bernie has shown all fair-minded folks in our party the way forward and owe him a debt of gratitude that will pay dividends in 2020.

[SHRED]

9. Yeah right.

Let's give this a little time to develop...if it ever does.

First cave to Repubs and I'll call bullshit.

[think]

11. Skepticism is certainly reasonable. Still nice to see Schumer appearing to embrace

the progressive issues and policies Bernie championed in the election.

I hope Democrats have come to the conclusion that sticking to progressive values is necessary and will benefit the party greatly in the long run.

Guess we'll see how it goes....

[SHRED]

12. Better than not...Yes.

[Feeling the Bern]

13. But Bernie isn't a Democrat and needs to leave the Democratic Party alone and go away

This is what a lot of people here say! Party over principles.

At least Schumer believes in principles over party. It's a nice start to fixing the problem and getting the shitgibbon out of office in 2020.

[elleng]

14. That's a foolish 'argument,'

and belongs nowhere among Democrats/progressives/independents. Gets us NOWHERE but where we are.

Glad to see Schumer's newly enunciated principle; hope he sticks with it.

[Feeling the Bern]

16. It's been said even this week by DUers!

Bernie is irrelevant! Bernie and his Bernie Bros cost us the election by intimidating HRC supporters into not voting, staying home, or supporting Trump.

It's been said so much. I called it our earlier as saying it is a circular firing squad and if it doesn't stop, 2018 will be a bloodbath.

[elleng]

17. I know it has been. I haven't commented (until now.)

Thanks for calling it out. I don't want to 'fight,' but the cost of silence is, clearly, too high.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

28. The misguided in our party who have maligned Bernie will soon get over the petty politics that divide us, so we can all, once again, promote the progressive principles that unite us.

Last edited Sun Nov 20, 2016, 02:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

42. Bernie is an independent who votes Democrat... that makes him a DEMOCRAT! ... while appealing to Independents...

That makes Bernie THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS. Certainly you can see that... even (just a little bit?) without necessarily conceding the point.

[Feeling the Bern]

45. Apparently, my sarcasm is not being picked up

I support Bernie 100%

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

46. HAHA! Sorry! I shuda known from your name... didn't notice it. I know you of course... hope you've been doin well...

though you're prolly in mourning like me. What could have been!! .... Bernie would have shredded that useless pile of pig vomit tRump!!

[Lithos]

80. There is something called "duck-typing"

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck = it's a duck. Bernie is a Democrat.

L-

[DFW]

15. With all the stench of electoral fraud in this last election

Not even a peep about electoral reform?

Voting machine manipulation? Voting rights suppression? ZIP? NADA?

[leftofcool]

18. Or Russian hackers, or Hate crimes or anything else.

[DFW]

20. Exactly, but hey, free college !

Who cares if minority kids are beaten up by white fraternities thinking it's their constitutional right to do it? At least they didn't have to pay for it.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

29. I do believe these important issues, and a lot more, will be on the table and the subject of discussion. We just have to prioritize...

and stopping the Orange Orangutan from implementing his racist sexist xenophobic agenda should be job #1.

[DFW]

43. We do not have a whole lot to throw against Mr. Tangerine Man

But what we have, we should make full use of. They certainly didn't show any inhibition about doing it to Obama, and Obama was actually someone with benevolent intentions.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

44. That's a fair point... I see where you're comin' from.

[TreasonousBastard]

21. For as long as Schumer has been my Senator...

he's been a pandering weasel.

But, he is one very smart pandering weasel and sees just how well Bernie's message took. And it looks like he sees it as a way back for Democrats in two years.

Trump's support may have been a mile wide, but it's still a millimeter thin and he's just something new and shiny for some to cling on to.
Give us a party leader like Dean again, who is a little more interested in the party winning than his own part in it, and we've got it made.

We need to create excitement for the future of the nation. Trump thinks he's doing that, but it's all hot air.

[Lucinda]

22. The article title is clickbait. Schumer has assembled a team that covers all Dem factions

which is wise....and Hillary's run was hardly ruinous.

[Chakab]

23. Hardly ruinous? We've lost the Supreme Court for a generation.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

30. Sounds pretty ruinous to me too... but, where there is Bernie, there is hope!

[Demsrule86]

58. And to all these feel the bern posters, I have but one thing to say

Had he not run in the primary, we would have President Clinton and would have saved the courts.

[LostOne4Ever]

60. If you believe that then You'd believe I have ocean front property in Arizona for sale. Nt

[Demsrule86]

61. I believe that because it is true.

And his willingness to work with the GOP thus giving cover to Republicans and normalizing Herr Trump who is truly evil is appalling.

[LostOne4Ever]

63. Yes, that is what the exit polls showed

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=#009999]When asked "What was the reason you voted for?" the people unanimously said:

"Bernie Sanders!"

Not because the people wanted change, not because people were tired of dynasties and typical politicians, not because of any economic concern, or because of Hillary's emails (which Bernie never attacked her on) or any of the reasons people actually gave.

They voted for Trump because of Bernie Sanders. The guy who said this:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-candidate
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton_us_563f6c93e4b0b24aee4aa19a
http://www.americanews.com/story/politics/2016/02/05/bernie-sanders-our-worst-days-we-are-100-times-better-any-republican

" on her worst day, Hillary Clinton will be an infinitely better candidate and President than the Republican candidate on his best day."

Yes, definitely Bernie.

[/font]

[Demsrule86]

65. It was a close election and those that said what you describe

were influenced by Bernie Sanders...who also railed against the Democratic Party. He brought down her numbers and did not deliver his followers after a bitter, divisive primary where he refused to concede. Now, he won't even join the Democratic Party...what does that say to voters and more particularly his 'followers'?

[LostOne4Ever]

68. The people who thought that way weren't influenced by Bernie

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=#009999]They felt that way before anyone declared their candidacy.

On dynasties and money in politics:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/03/25/why-the-dynasty-attack-on-jeb-bush-and-hillary-clinton-doesnt-matter-as-much-as-you-think/

This is dated March 25, 2015.

Bernie didn't declare his candidacy until May 26. Hillary announced April 12, 2015.

Here is another one from march 9th

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/poll-americans-want-change-not-another-clinton-or-bush

Not to mention that her favorability rating dropped a long long time before Bernie entered the race:

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-29151779
http://www.gallup.com/poll/182351/clinton-favorable-rating-dems.aspx
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/nbcwsj-poll-hillary-takes-hit-still-bests-gop-competition


People have been saying they were dissatisfied with the direction of the Country and Politicians for years now. And, Hillary's numbers were on a downward slide for years.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1669/general-mood-country.aspx

Bernie didn't influence those people, rather the expressed what they were already feeling.

And he did concede:

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bernie-sanders-finally-concedes-that-hillary-clinton-is-the-presumptive-nominee/

and 85% of us voted for Clinton:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/12/sanders-supporters-clinton-vote-survey

And of course he isn't going to join the Democratic party. If he is going to lead a revolt against Trump he needs to retain his outsider status. Joining the Democratic party would weaken his position.

He is still caucusing with Dems, and supporting them on the issues. That is what tells people what they need to know.[/font]

[Demsrule86]

77. You can show me all the cut and paste stuff you want.

But I lived through it. I watched Bernie bash Hillary and the Democratic party everyday...he refused to concede until the convention...he should have gotten out way before...by the time he did it was too late...Bernie Sanders cost us the election. He has been a disaster for Democrats.

[hueymahl]

79. Translation - you can show me all the evidence you want

But I prefer to stay in my echo chamber. I feel safer in here because I don't have to face the fact I backed the wrong candidate.

[Demsrule86]

92. You have no 'evidence'.

[Demsrule86]

93. If Bernie had not run and we had a bitter divisive primary...still not healed,

we would have won...I see people all the time pointing out 'evidence' about how Nader did not cost us the election in 2000 ...but he did. Had he not been on the ballot in FL, we would have won. The situations are similar. And I am bitter. I will admit it. We will lose the courts for thirty years. Progressive policy going back to Roosevelt will be lost. Bernie should never have run...too much to lose.

[Amaril]

91. Yes, we know

Clinton was supposed to run unopposed because it was "her turn," and you're all still beside yourselves that some nobody Senator dared to challenge her.

Sorry, we don't do coronations here..........we do elections, and pointing out why you're the better candidate than your opponent is, you know, kinda the point.

Sanders was nowhere near as nasty to Clinton as she was to Obama, and Obama still managed to win the GE, sooooo...........

[think]

67. Schumer is wise enough to see what was lacking from the Democratic philosophy & message

and is willing to adopt it so Democrats start winning.

Schumer is being very pragmatic. He's not trying to blame anyone or make excuses for the Democrats loss. He's owning up to short comings and taking the steps necessary to fix the problem.

For what it's worth I am very surprised to see Schumer, as the new Senate Minority Leader, taking the direction he has but congratulate him for doing it. If sincere which I tend to believe he is, Schumer is looking forward and making sure the Democratic party is seen as representing the American people rather than corporate interests by addressing important issues that concern them.

[Demsrule86]

76. Yeah...so exciting ...we have no power,

do you understand that? The only thing we can do is not agree to anything...Obstruction is all we have...any deal will be bad for progressives ...count on it. We can't work with a guy who is registering Muslims and has just announced a purge in the military and in the federal workforce. No one should work with Trump...and if Schumer does then he is normalizing a monster.

[Chakab]

69. You can say that, but deep down you know that it's bullshit. The fact is that she was a deeply

flawed candidate who reeked of insincerity and the majority of the general public (including a good portion of the Democratic base) had negative preconceptions of about her. We're in this position now because "it was her turn" and the Democratic establishment decided to foist on the party a person who would be the most unpopular candidate in history if Trump didn't exist.

There's a reason that the Clinton machine got upended by a black political upstart with a Muslim name in '08, ended up having a competitive primary battle with a no name Jewish socialist senator from Vermont and eventually lost to an orange buffoon. (BTW that reason isn't sexism.)

You can blame the last thirty years of triangulation and willingness to sell out liberal positions for convenience. She to Obama primarily due to that idiotic vote for the Iraq war, which gave him early support among the left wing of the party before black voters realized that he was a viable candidate and abandoned her. She lost the Rust Belt to Trump because of NAFTA and because of the hubris of believing that she didn't have to campaign in any of those even after all those people showed up in droves in the Michigan open primary to vote against her.

I'm not even going to address the absurd insinuation that it was somehow inappropriate for Sanders to run against her or for people in the base who are opposed to her (and Bill's) track record on policy to organize against her. However, even if people on the Democratic side had just rolled over and let her be handed the nomination, it wouldn't have stopped any of things, which long predated Bernie, that she was attacked for by Trump and the GOP in the general, and it wouldn't have stopped her idiotic strategy of targeting suburban Republicans while deliberately ignoring blue collar Dems in the firewall states.

Are all of the negative beliefs that people have about Hillary Clinton rooted in reality? Of course not. Was she treated very unfairly by the right? Absolutely, that can't be denied. However, this is real world, and politics aren't fair. It was absolute idiocy to nominate a person who's negatives go through the roof every time that she runs a political campaign.

[Demsrule86]

75. Oh no I am conviced of it.

A few votes and we win...Sanders cost us those votes. And he cost the Democratic Party those votes...don't know if they will come back either.

[Chakab]

86. How did he cost them? By espousing progressive ideals? It's not Bernie's fault that Hillary and the

Democratic establishment are more interested in taking corporate money then actually representing the interests of Democratic voters.

You Hillary fans amaze me. Nobody is owed a goddamn thing in politics. If people were disgruntled with decades of corporate shilling and triangulation, that's on Hillary and the Democratic leadership and their failure to deliver.

[Demsrule86]

87. Bernie attacked not just Hillary but the Democratic Party

during the primary everyday for months...Trump repeated Bernies words in many rallies. Bernie created divisions in the Democratic Party that have not healed even now ...and many stayed home, voted third party, write in or even for Trump. In fact today. Kellyann Conway quoted Bernie Sanders about the identity comment.

[Ligyron]

35. We haven't yet seen just how ruinous it was.

Just wait, you ain't seen nothing yet.

[Demsrule86]

88. I do not ever recall a time when I feared more for this country.

I don't think it is hyperbole...and honestly...all the political talk just seems to me rearranging chairs on the Titanic.

[Ligyron]

90. Me either and I'm 62.

Even at the height of the Vietnam War Protests and Nixon embroiled in scandal and firing his DOJ for not doing his will. Even WW2 doesn't come close.

This could be bad on a scale we've not seen since the Civil War. Who friggin' knows, we may even have another one soon.

[SMC22307]

53. Talk to North Carolinians who witnessed the NC GOP slash and burn...

its way through DECADES of progress in a matter of weeks and months when it took over the legislature and executive mansion. When Rs seize power, they know what to do with it. There aren't enough Moral Mondays in the world to stave off the damage Trump, Pence, et al. are about to wreak on this nation. Absolutely ruinous.

[ericson00]

31. not if Ellison is actually DNC chair;

so hopefully, he's playing for time to please the Sanders wing before reality sets in, and takes Ellison out of the running. He would be the ruination of the party. I'm sad Schumer has caved to Ellison.

[Demsrule86]

59. I agree. Ellison is a good guy but not who we need at the DNC.

We need Howard Dean who can win.

[mtnsnake]

38. I'll miss Harry, but Chuck will be an awesome fighter for us. Nancy Pelosi needs to go, though, ASAP

[JudyM]

50. Why would you miss Harry? I view him as a large part of our problem.

[mtnsnake]

55. He's tough against republicans. I wish we had a dozen or more just like him

I honestly think if the rest of our senators were half as tough as Harry we might not be in the position we're in today. When our other senators are critical of the repukes, it's like "Ohh, it's unfortunate that the republicans are doing that" and they leave it at that. Not Harry. He didn't mince his words. He blasted those assholes. His messages resonated.

[JudyM]

70. How about his actions? We had both houses and the presidency in obamas first term. Squandered

under Reid's leadership, as I read it. He famously did not believe McConnell's assertion that the Repukes top priority was making Obama a one term president. Talking means nothing if you don't actually fight them back and gain ground.

[liquid diamond]

51. Democrats

rejected Bernie and his unrealistic ideas by 4 million votes. He lost the primaries early in the campaign, but stubbornly persisted which hurt our party. Why would the outcome change in 2020? We are the democratic party, not the socialist party. And some of you Bernie supporters say we "forced" Hillary down your throats? It appears it's the other way around considering you are a minority who tried to impose on the majority. Now that's forcing.

[rwheeler31]

52. They just want to keep us divided and

Bernie is helping them, so tired of him getting everything he wants and continuing to cause trouble.

[mfcorey1]

54. I am shocked that Bernie is ready to drink the kool aid and will not register

as a democrat. There others who will begin to feel overlooked. The division will continue. Hurried decisions are never good.

[mtnsnake]

64. Whatever koolaid Bernie has been drinking should be served to every Democrat in Congress. n/t

[Demsrule86]

66. No thank you.

I don't want koolaide from Bernie...had he not run in a divisive primary and refused to concede in a timely manner,we would not have lost the courts. President Clinton would be selecting her cabinet. Instead, we have real threats against women, LGBTQ,minorities, Muslims and the undocumented. No one should cooperate. We must fight them. One of the reasons I did not support Bernie although I agree with much of what he said is his lack of attention to important social issues.

[ThirdEye]

71. One trick pony

If you think Bernie and Bernie alone is the reason why we have President-elect Trump, you're kidding yourself and simply trying to deflect responsibility from the many other aspects of this campaign.

Don't forget:

Trump won with fewer votes than Romney got.
Hillary won (the popular vote).
Bernie campaigned hard for Hillary. If his supporters were really his puppets to the point where he could make them dislike Hillary, they would have (and did) support her in the GE.
Hillary has legitimate flaws that people were turned off by, that were relevant and talked about before even the primaries. (nothing close to Trump of course)

Don't be on a one trick pony.

[Demsrule86]

74. Yes Bernie is why we lost.

The primary ended our chances...it was too bitter there was not bringing the party back together again...bad year to do such a thing with the courts at stake. My kid is gay...so while this may be all fun and games to you...Trump- being elected is a disaster for my family.

[Demsrule86]

56. What Schumer wants is cover from Bernie

to cooperate for social security 'reform', ending medicare through vouchers,privatizing roads and utilities with a fake 'infrastructure' package. The carrot is the $10 minimum wage which was completely unacceptable before but is now somehow acceptable. No one should work with the Republicans period for any reason.

[ThirdEye]

72. You're just making this up as you go...

So here's the thing, Bernie has a record. A long, consistent record. Good or bad.

You on the other hand just have wild accusations that you came up with because he didn't like your candidate of choice, who failed to win the election.

Edit: it's also fair to say Bernie lost the election to. Both in the primaries and in terms of helping get Hillary elected.

[Demsrule86]

73. Bernie has a record of railing aginst this or the other thing on TV

I don't ever recall him doing anything substantial in the Senate...and I don't think he should work with Trump... I don't trust Schumer either...I could see deals that are not good for progressive being made and Bernie would give Schumer cover...hardly a wild accusation.

[Lil Missy]

83. The Democratic Party does not belong to Bernie. in addition to that, he's not even a Democrat!

[think]

84. Okay. What do think about the Senate Minority Leader's plan going forward? Are the issues Bernie

supported and campaigned for wrong to be included in the focus for the Democratic party as Schumer seems to think they should be?

What do you think about Democrats having a tougher stance on the “rigged” system of lobbyists and special interests? Is this bad to be more of a focus for the Democratic party?

Are there any of the issues that Schumer mentions that you disagree with?

[Lil Missy]

85. They can be ALL Bernie's idea's, (or repeat of someone elses over the years), but that does not make

it BERNIE'S PARTY.

[Cobalt Violet]

89. K & R!

[jack_krass]

94. Good. Bernie (and philosophical successors) are the future of t party. RIP third way, DLC, Clintons

[VulgarPoet]

95. If it happens, that's where I'll be. This whole status quo, suckling at Wall Street's teat thing

is getting older than Betty White.