If Bernie's own colleagues will not vouch for him, why should the American people vote for him?

[Cali_Democrat]

Any future President will need to work with members of Congress to get things done. Bernie has an ambitious agenda, but he won't be king and he will need to work with the legislative branch of government to get laws passed.

Minimum wage hike? You need Congress. Increasing taxes on millionaires and billionaires? You need Congress. Single payer healthcare? You need Congress.

There are 535 voting members of Congress and right now Bernie Sanders has zero Congressional endorsements while Hillary has 115. Some folks may dismiss this as unimportant, but I can assure you that it's not.

If those members of Congress don't believe in your agenda, it will be impossible to get anything done. Congressional endorsements are an indication that they believe in your agenda.

Bernie has been in Congress for a VERY LONG time. These are his colleagues...these are the people he has worked with for years. Some of them need to step forward and vouch for him.

If his colleagues don't believe in him, how can he convince the American people to believe in him?

Also, dozens of members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus have endorsed Hillary. If anybody in Congress should endorse Bernie, it should be members of the CPC, yet none of them have stepped forward to endorse him.

Think of Bernie Sanders as interviewing for the job of President of the United States.

He needs references.

[arcane1]

1. " Bernie Sanders Is a Loud, Stubborn Socialist. Republicans Like Him Anyway."

But rather than earning the frustration and ire of his peers in the vein of other Senate hard-liners such as Sen. Ted Cruz, Sanders has managed to be respected—even liked—by much of the chamber, according to members on both sides of the aisle. The Vermont independent actually has much more in common with Sen. Tom Coburn, the now-retired "Dr. No," whose hard-line opposition killed many bills in the Senate but also earned him the respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Sanders also has been able to work well with his colleagues. He's passed bipartisan legislation and forged strong relationships with members of both parties in nearly 25 years on Capitol Hill. But most of all, members say, even when Sanders is ideologically an outlier, he lets others know where he stands. He's not the type to suddenly stab a colleague in the back. And that's earned him respect both on and off the Hill.

"A lot of people here talk about what they believe in, but they don't act on it," Sen. Mark Warner said. "He always acts on what he believes. … We can agree or disagree, but you know where he stands."


http://www.democraticunderground.com/128030707

[Armstead]

19. oops...information. You ruined this cheap shot

[arcane1]

24. I sometimes have that effect n/t

[Sheepshank]

43. Respect by colleagues doesn't translate to endorsement or support

"Works well with others", sounds like an elementary school report card, not necessarily an endorsement for POTUS.

[passiveporcupine]

48. What Bernie is proving now

And if elected will continue to prove, is that he can inspire people to stand up for themselves and work with grassroots movements to push for desperately needed change in this country.

He has already said he need "us" to work these changes, because most of congress are not going against the money that keeps them in office. That is another reason why he says our most important job to tackle first is getting the money out of politics, which cannot be done without an uprising of the people to tell their congress people this is what we want.

Bernie may not have the monied congress people behind him now, but that can be fixed if "WE" get involved. And that is the only way major changes happen in politics.

[Sheepshank]

50. Well, that may be your opinion of how politics in the USA works in the course of less than 1 year.

it's not opinion I share.

[arcane1]

55. "he will need to work with the legislative branch" is what the OP is about

The OP claims he can't do it. I claim he can and does.

[pnwmom]

122. How many bills has he written that have passed? Very few. nt

[arcane1]

138. Just like Obama n/t

[pnwmom]

146. Nothing like Obama. First he was in the House for 16 years, and he was

elected to the Senate in 2006.

Obama only had a term.

[DFL_Wellstone_dems]

74. Easy to clear up

Debbie Wasserman Schultz says "endorse Clinton or run without DNC support".

[emsimon33]

153. Yep, another corporate politician masquerading as a Democrat

If the DNC wants to become obsolete, then so be it. She voted for Fast Track. She is merely another puppet of the oligarchy. She is the very poster child for "democrats" who need to be replaced by real Democrats. Enough said.

[George II]

59. Maybe he should run for the Republican nomination?

[arcane1]

65. Everyone says Hillary is the only choice because she can work w/the republicans

[okasha]

107. Perhaps he should.

His supporters emphasize that conservatives, including the Tea Party, are backing him in significant numbers. There appears to be an affinity, though it's not terribly clear why there should be.

I have sat on a lot of hiring committees. Lack of letters of recommendation from colleagues is a huge red flag.

[pnwmom]

121. In all his years in the Senate, how many bills that he's written have actually passed?

One? Two?

How many?

Yeah, the Rethugs like him. Because they don't view him as any threat. And right now, he's helping to soften up Hillary's support before the General. So the Rethugs love that.

[George II]

130. I think you may have gotten your answer.

[msanthrope]

2. very interesting point. nt

[Mass]

3. Some would vouch for him, but the risk of alienating the Clintons if she was to become president is

too big. I suspect that, if Sanders's numbers go higher, you will see the first endorsements.

[arcane1]

14. And alienating any pro-Clinton Super-PAC funds.

That money could go to their reelection campaign, or to their opponents.

[AtomicKitten]

116. The Clintons got really pissy when support turned to then Candidate Obama.

I expect no less shitty behavior from them when support ultimately turns to Bernie.

[SheilaT]

151. Not to mention all the Hillary supporters

who got beyond pissy.

[HooptieWagon]

4. Im guessing there's 115 Congressmen who get paid by Wall St.

[George II]

60. Patrick Leahy? Want to re-think that?

[enlightenment]

5. Bernie is challenging the status quo.

No surprise if the people who embrace it because it benefits them are failing to endorse him.

Personally, I don't think he needs to curry favor.

[RobertEarl]

9. That's it

Don't expect the OP to discuss this as the OP seems to be all up in the status quo.

[cyberswede]

6. He has references: the voters who put him in office

Many of his colleagues aren't particularly brave; if they were, they would have been saying what he's been saying for years.

[cascadiance]

39. And they don't have to depend on the 1% to pay them to vote...

... like these "references" have to depend on the 1% who either give or don't give campaign donations to get them in to office.

Many are probably being told to endorse right now to get extra campaign dollars to ensure that their Democratic candidate can try to shut down Bernie before he gets the momentum of the masses overcoming the campaign spending. And those who don't endorse are probably not wanting to risk putting a target on their back to go after either in the primaries or in the general election if they endorse Bernie at this point.

Ask Ed Schultz, who likely got this sort of treatment for talking about TPP and endorsing Bernie when the rest of the MSNBC staff no matter now liberal they might be have avoiding doing this to keep their jobs. Same equation.

[George II]

132. He's going to have to get a lot more voters than the ~200,000 he got in Vermont

[cyberswede]

135. The hell you say?

[emsimon33]

156. Over 100,000 thousand attended his "house party" last night

from across the nation to learn more about volunteering for Bernie.

He may not win the nomination; but I doubt that if Hillary is the nominee, she will win the presidency. Too many people are just plain tired of voting for corporate puppets just because they happen to have a "D" after their name. Only 3% of her millions has come from small donors. Who do you think she will represent when president? Us or them?????

[artislife]

7. They are gutless? nt

[WDIM]

8. The least trusted and lowest approval rated congress in history.

I dont think the congre$$ members opinion and crony politics will hold much sway on the people's opinion.

Once President Sanders takes office he will have the will of the people on his side. And unlike Obama he will not be afraid to use the bully pulpit and go after the country's cronyism, gridlock, corruption, and do nothing congress.

[Sheepshank]

45. as a whole, Congress is getting dismal marks.

but ratings on an individual basis per congresscritter, the numbers change dramatically.

Go figure.

[Jamaal510]

82. The "Every Congressman Sucks But Mine" Effect in action. eom

[Fawke Em]

97. No. My Congressman sucks.

But, I have little help in ousting him.

[Comrade Grumpy]

10. I don't know how much voters care about endorsements from elected officials.

I suspect the congress critters are betting on who they think will be the winner. Don't want to piss off the Clintons.

[elehhhhna]

77. i care not what they think

[Cosmic Kitten]

11. They won't "VOUCH" for him! OMG, what did Bernie do?????

Unless, you don't understand the definition of "vouch"?

vouch
verb
To assert or confirm as a result of one's own experience
that something is true or accurately so described.
"they say New York is the city that never sleeps,
and I can certainly vouch for that"

So what exactly won't they "vouch" for?

[Cali_Democrat]

68. There is no single definition. In this context, my use of the word is correct

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vouch

verb (used without object)
1.
to support as being true, certain, reliable, etc. (usually followed by for):
Her record in office vouches for her integrity.
2.
to attest; guarantee; certify (usually followed by for):
to vouch for someone in a business transaction.

[Cosmic Kitten]

96. Whatevs, lol

I'm unaware of the tradition of
"vouching" in Congress

But hey, whatev

[LWolf]

12. His colleagues?

You mean, Democrats in Congress?

They're going to cling to the party machine's status quo when it comes to endorsements.

Working with Sanders in Congress, though, is another story.

Sanders also has been able to work well with his colleagues. He's passed bipartisan legislation and forged strong relationships with members of both parties in nearly 25 years on Capitol Hill. But most of all, members say, even when Sanders is ideologically an outlier, he lets others know where he stands. He's not the type to suddenly stab a colleague in the back. And that's earned him respect both on and off the Hill.

Sanders has also passed an amendment to the Dodd-Frank bill that led to the first audit of the Federal Reserve. He and Sen. Robert Menendez secured funding in the 2008 stimulus bill for clean-energy initiatives. And he inserted language into the Affordable Care Act to increase funding for community health centers.

But as with Coburn, Sanders' willingness to stand up and say no has also helped him to score victories on Capitol Hill. Sanders highlights his battles to prevent Republicans from cutting Social Security benefits as well as "the complete decimation of the U.S. Postal Service."

Last year when we had the scandal at the VA, he was incredibly effective, engaged in getting the legislation passed, in getting it funded. Frankly, without him, I don't think we would have gotten it done because there was a lot of name-calling but there wasn't a lot of constructive, 'OK, here's the resources. ...' And he did it," Reed said. "And it was a great testament to his skill as a legislator."

Sanders has a system, said Sen. Sherrod Brown, who served with him in the House before both were elected to the Senate in 2006. "He would call them 'tripartite amendments' because we'd have him and he'd get a Republican, he'd get a Democrat and he'd pass things. He's good at building coalitions," Brown said.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/2016-elections/bernie-sanders-is-a-loud-stubborn-socialist-republicans-like-him-anyway-20150727

[unapatriciated]

16. ^^this^^ nt

[AtomicKitten]

85. !!!!

[Fawke Em]

13. Pish.

That Congress isn't "vouching" for him RAISES his standing in my book.

Most of them are corrupt, bought-and-paid-for butlers for the 1 percent.

If I wanted honest references, I'll ask the PEOPLE of Vermont and not the body of collective idiots that has a lower satisfaction rating than turd sandwiches.

[AOR]

18. +1

[JaneyVee]

22. With that attitude we will end up with...

75 Republican senate seats and 400 repub house seats, and a lame duck President Sanders on day 1.

[cocainecowboy]

25. And if it doesn't?

What happens if the exact reverse happens? Democratic wave takes all of the Republican seats up for grabs in 2016 in the Senate, and 3/4ths of the House has been retaken by progressive Democrats.... all clinging on the coattails of one Bernard Sanders who's willing to take the job head-on.

Then what?

[DanTex]

28. That would be great. Not remotely plausible, but great to fantasize about.

BTW, is your screenname an allusion to the documentary movie "Cocaine Cowboys"?

[JaneyVee]

35. What?? The House is gerrymandered until at least 2024.

[cocainecowboy]

92. Gerrymandering CAN be defeated..

Just have to get the voters to the polls and vote for Bernie and their progressive representative and Senator.

Clinton doesn't have much of a tail... Sanders has a giant tail that anyone can cling on and ride the progressive wave. You want to miss it, then by all means, go for it.

[JaneyVee]

93. Check the polls.

[cocainecowboy]

94. That's all the Clinton supporters have - polls showing downward trend for Clinton

and an upward trend - and after tonight's organizational meetings (which I will be attending in a few minutes) I think people are going to make Bernie even more visible and more well-known.

I expect a massive jump for Bernie before the first debates, and even a bigger jump after the second debate is complete, with four more to go.... Clinton has high unfavorability than her favorability with nearly 100% name recognition. Tradition tells us that it will not bode well for Clinton as she aggravates her current disease by evading the Keystone question yesterday. I fear the disease will only worsen as she tries to stanch the current trickle....

[Historic NY]

115. Yeah it can if people come out and vote in local elections to the statehouse...

that's how democracy works believe it or not. The majority rules, when in actuality the true majority sits home saying there is nothing to vote for. The representatives in the state capitols decided how to draw lines that favor themselves.

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.
achieve (a result) by manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency.
"a total freedom to gerrymander the results they want"

[okasha]

110. Then get out your umbrella

because there's a flock of bats overhead.

[Fawke Em]

98. Better than hanging your hat on the 1 percenter.

We're not going to change much by continuing to vote in the same people who don't give a shit about us average folks.

[appalachiablue]

114. +1 Tell it!

[beam me up scottie]

150. "If I wanted honest references, I'll ask the PEOPLE of Vermont and not the body of collective idiots

This native Vermonter can tell you that Bernie is very much loved and admired in his home state.

Green Mountaineers don't take kindly to corporate flatlanders.

[hootinholler]

15. Willie Nelson!

Could it possibly be that there's no strategic advantage for them? They know Bernie will choose the best person for the job. So if they endorse him, first it gives them no career break and second it earns the ire of the inevitable one who has demonstrated they hold a grudge forever.

Of course camp weathervane wouldn't see anything wrong with that. I get how you would think it odd. As to references, it's pretty obvious to anyone paying attention that Bernie is guided by a set of core principles. Every time those principles have come into play the direction taken is predictable. That says way more about a candidate than a collection of autographs or spuriously attacking your candidate's opposition in hope of getting an atta-boy to cash in later.

Besides, Willie Nelson is worth all of congress.

[Downwinder]

17. If I did not vote for any of his colleagues,

why should I care what they do?

[George II]

61. You don't vote?

[Downwinder]

69. The people i vote for don't win.

[RoccoR5955]

20. Mrs Clinton may have 115, but what of the other 420?

She still has very few endorsements. Many people in Congress don't endorse anyone until the general election any way.

[Sheepshank]

46. and more than half of them will be endorsing a Republican

Since more than 50% of Congress is Republican, that isn't allowing for a lot of left overs for Bernie

[BlueStateLib]

67. superdelegates

there are 714 democratic superdelegates and without their support bernie can't win. If clinton has 200 more superdelegates then anybody else they would need to win 56% of the caucus and primary delegets.

[George II]

62. Correct, which makes that 115 even MORE impressive!

[dsc]

66. On the order of 300 of that 420 are Republicans

who I hope you are looking to endorse anyone in our primary. We have 232 Democratic members of the House and Senate combined. 144 in the House and 44 in the Senate. She is one shy of half and one has endorsed O'Malley meaning that Sanders who have to get all the rest of them to beat her in endorsements from Congress. Rather unlikely.

[RoccoR5955]

95. And what if the other half endorse Sanders?

It IS possible.

[dsc]

106. and it is possible that I will win the lottery too

but I am not purchasing a mansion just yet.

[RoccoR5955]

129. You have a better chance of getting struck

by lightning twice in the same day than winning the lottery, so I don't believe that you are aware of anything having to do with odds of any sort.

[dsc]

131. and the odds against Bernie getting the endorsement of every single other Congress person is larger

than that. BTW I teach stats and other math for a living, so i might, just might know a little bit of what I am talking about. If you want the exact odds of winning the power ball, I can give that to you. BTW lets assume, against all evidence, that Bernie has a 9 in 10 change of winning the endorsement of any particular remaining Democratic Congressperson and that each one is independent of the other. His probability of getting all the rest would be 0.000004921. If he has a .5 change of getting any one remaining Democratic Congressperson (still likely better than his real chance of doing so) his chances become 0.00000000000000000000000000000000001203706. BTW the chance of winning powerball from one play is 1 in 292 million which is 0.00000000343246. Link for powerball http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/new-powerball-odds-could-give-america-its-first-billion-dollar-jackpot/

the others are .9^116 and .5^116

Next time you decide to insult a poster, you might, just might, want to be god damned sure the poster is as stupid as you thought I was.

BTW using the powerball odds. Here is what his chance would have to be to win an individual endorsement from a single Congressperson for my statement to be wrong. 0.8453228. I got that by solving the equation x^116 = (1/292 million). One gets that solution by talking the log of both sides, dividing by 116 to get log x by itself, and then raising 10 to the result to get x. Again, you might, just might, want to do your homework next time you decide to call a poster stupid.

[RoccoR5955]

136. Excellent work!

I didn't know that you were a mathematician. Your post didn't make it seem so.
What do you do for an encore?

[dsc]

147. I have to say this has become sadly typical of some supporters of Bernie

I say something that is true. You call me stupid and wrong. I prove that what I said is true. You pretend it didn't happen. The words you should be typing is gee I'm sorry I called you stupid when I was flat out wrong. But, typical of some people who are supporting Bernie you just can't be bothered.

[RoccoR5955]

157. Okay,

I apologize, I thought that by saying that it was excellent work, it was just that. I hear from a lot of people making presumptions here, be them a supporter of ANY candidate. Most of them behave as you describe.
I am sorry, I was having a bad day any way yesterday. Perhaps today it will be better, perhaps I will die, and not be a problem to you any more, because no matter what I do, it just never seems to be right. It's the story of my life.
Again sorry, but I am nothing more than a stupid shithead. You are the boss.

[dsc]

161. yea poor miss understood you

your post was just dripping with sincerity. Well there was one sincere moment in it. The crack you made about how the quality of my posts would suggest I wasn't a mathematician. I am pretty sure you meant that.

[RoccoR5955]

162. Okay

So kill me now, please.
Thank you.

[okasha]

111. See post 110.

[JaneyVee]

21. Wasn't he rated one of the least effective senators at...

Getting legislation passed? And you can't blame Dems for not wanting to endorse a candidate who called for a 2012 primary challenge to Obama.

That being said, it would be interesting to see DU reaction to President Sanders having to cut food stamps as a compromise to the equally tragic scenario of keeping the govt open, being Repubs will still most likely control the House.

[mwooldri]

23. Democratic Party vs Independent.

Officially, Bernie is not a Democratic Party member when it comes to his position in the US Senate. He may caucus with the Democrats but as far as the Senate (and Congress) goes he isn't a Democrat.

Therefore we can say that 50% of US Senators who have the same political party affiliation as Bernie Sanders supports Bernie Sanders. I know it's a meaningless number but my point is that at this stage of the game we'll have rank and file Democrats supporting Democratic Party candidates who at that moment in time are actually members of the Democratic Party. That Sanders has an I after his name in the US Senate and not a D is for some people a big deal.

[Triana]

26. Half of congress are millionaires. They support whoever protects THEIR wealth . . .

. . . and the wealth of those like them. That's who they primarily work for, in fact. Studies have shown that.

More than half of congress are millionaires:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/us/politics/more-than-half-the-members-of-congress-are-millionaires-analysis-finds.html?_r=0

Congress Is Now Mostly A Millionaires’ Club:
http://time.com/373/congress-is-now-mostly-a-millionaires-club/

Given that, is the fact that they support Hillary but not Bernie really a good thing? Who will Hillary be working for?

Who would Bernie be working for? Not the millionaires, for sure. Whether they're in congress or not. In fact, he has said that point blank.

Here's the problem: 20 years of data reveals that Congress doesn't care what us non-millionaires and billionaires think:
http://www.upworthy.com/20-years-of-data-reveals-that-congress-doesnt-care-what-you-think

The way I see it, Hillary would be part of the problem, whereas Bernie would be part of the solution.

Bernie said we need a political revolution. I believe this is what he meant.

True, it's a choice. And congress, like any stinky, shit-filled diaper, should be changed. And it can be, if people get their asses out and VOTE and refuse to let GOP voter suppression (which also serves the millionaires and billionaires) - stop them from doing it.

[CharlotteVale]

83. ^^THIS^^

[appalachiablue]

117. +5 House of Lords, USA. Esp. the Senate.

Mega points for "The Diaper Theory", aka Operation Diaper: Rescue Mission.

[Bluenorthwest]

27. O'Malley also has no Congressional endorsements and according to members of the Progressive

Caucus they have yet to be asked by either of them for any such endorsement. The majority of that caucus has not endorsed anyone, just as the vast bulk of the Democratic delegation has not endorsed anyone. Actual elections, in which a Rep's endorsement has a local impact, are months and months away.
And take for example, Claire McCaskill. To me, that's a negative, a reminder of what I don't like about Hillary. Is that a good thing, that endorsement? I don't think so.

[Thinkingabout]

29. He has one now, Hillary 115, O'Malley one, Bernie 0.

But his is backed by Ben and Jerry's.

[lunamagica]

41. O'Malley is not in congress. Apples and Oranges

[Scootaloo]

30. You made me think of an image, Cali_Democrat

[ladjf]

31. My guess is that Bernie's Presidency might pose a threat to the members of the CPC

who are feathering their nests with Corporate largesse. Bernie is not was and is not "one of boys" on the dole from Corporations.
That's one of the reasons many of us admire him.

[Gothmog]

32. The lack of support from his fellow Democrats in the congress is telling

[cascadiance]

40. Yep, it's a likely telling statistic how badly corrupt this institution is now!

That so many of them (even the good ones) are being paid to keep their mouths shut now!

[Sheepshank]

49. Are there no other "I" congresspersons who could start the ball rolling and endorse Bernie?

I understand that more than 50% of Congress is Republican, and they will never stray from their loyalty oaths. I also understand why Dems would like to vote for a Dem...BUT, there should be an Independent or two that would start the ball rolling?

[George II]

148. Senator Angus King of Maine is the only other independent in either house.

[Sheepshank]

149. And he hasn't endorsed Bernie? That's unfortunate. N/t

[Motown_Johnny]

33. this is the difference between Hillary and Bernie supporters.

You see endorsements from the Democratic political machine as a plus. I see it as a minus.

Bernie's constituents are his references and if that isn't good enough for you then your priorities need serious examination.

[mythology]

158. By that logic, should we take the support Ted Cruz gets

As a viable reference? By definition, most elected officials have the endorsement of their constituents.

[Motown_Johnny]

159. Yes

Or would you rather have the power brokers within the GOP pick their nominee?


That is the choice we are talking about no matter the party. Are the people choosing the candidates or are the people in the smoke filled rooms?

[Thinkingabout]

34. Have your say, smear Hillary, bash Hillary, it still does not change the fact the members of

Congress in which Bernie has been a member since 1991 has not endorsed him. Hillary has 115 to date endorsements from congressional members, what is the problem with Bernie. This is probably a telling response to what he would be able to accomplish in the position as president. Hillary knows how to work with other members, it has already been proven.

[Agnosticsherbet]

36. According to the Green Papers, there are 747 Super delegates (link below) elected democrats are super

delegates.

The Green Papers

So, technically, Hillary Clinton could already have as many as 115 delegates.

[djean111]

37. As a matter of fact, a little while back, someone wondered if Liz Warren would endorse Hillary, and

a Hillary supporter snapped back that of course she would, she is a Dem. This made me laugh, because it kinda negated any thought that a Dem endorsement meant jack shit, just understandable party falling in line stuff, and also made me realize that I can't imagine supporting someone just because of who endorsed them. That would, IMO, be pathetic.

If Liz Warren appeared on national TV and announced she was supporting Hillary - all I would think is Nope. Sorry. You do what you have to do, I do what I feel is the right thing to do.

When would a GOP Congress work with Hillary? In between Benghazi and emailgate hearings?

[Big Vincenz]

38. OK, Hillarite.

I can't wait to feast on your tears when Her Royal Clintonness has to slink away in utter defeat.

[zappaman]

42. "Hillarite"

Welcome to DU.
Again.

[Sheepshank]

56. *Sigh*

why are some so obvious

[winter is coming]

71. Can we lose the term Hillarite? Is it really that much effort to type "Hillary supporter"?

Something karmic to consider for your next incarnation.

[cyberswede]

118. "next incarnation" *snerk*

[Cali_Democrat]

73. LOL

I like your spunk.

[okasha]

113. Hi, Bobo!

[Big Vincenz]

119. Who or what is a Bobo?

[ibegurpard]

44. Yes it's very "telling"...

I love the way that word is overused here. Is that the poli-sci term du jour?

[Vinca]

47. An awful lot of his colleagues are bought and paid for . . . even the Democrats.

If they don't back Bernie, maybe it's because they love their campaign contributions from Wall Street or big oil and don't want to put them on the line. And, of course, there are the 6 and 7 figure jobs after the political career.

[LiberalAndProud]

51. Just impossible to get anything done.

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/06/11/bernie-sanders-delivers-big-vets-senate-passes-veterans-healthcare-bill.html


If your argument is that Hillary is the preferred candidate of the established politicos, I'm afraid I have no argument there.


Go Bernie!

[Enrique]

52. this is a dumb reason, imo

you should be on TV with this stuff. I could hear Tweety saying something like this.

[Politicalboi]

53. Because they don't want to rock the boat

Their lobbyist won't allow it.

[daleanime]

54. Considering how little constructive work the Congress gets done...

not getting their endorsement is probably a good thing for Bernie.

[Jim Lane]

57. Most of "Bernie's own colleagues" are part of the problem. (n/t)

[Koinos]

63. So, who will he work with to get things done?

I don't think DU is presently a branch of the US government.

A loner as president won't solve our problems.

It sounds exciting for about fifteen minutes.

Any executive understands that you work with the legislators you have.

[Jim Lane]

100. What executives and legislators understand.

You write: "Any executive understands that you work with the legislators you have." Quite true.

Also true is that any legislator understands that you work with the executive you have. In fact, in the federal government, what the President can do without Congress is much broader than what Congress (failing a 2/3 in each house) can do without the President.

The fact is that President Sanders and many Congressmembers would each give some ground. Those who have an interest in getting things done would go beyond posturing.

Of course, the House is a problem. Even a solid Sanders win in the presidential election would probably not bring a Democratic House, just as Obama's 2012 win helped give Democrats the plurality of the votes in House races but Republicans kept their majority in seats.

But that will be an issue for any Democratic President. The Republicans in the House aren't going to fall all over themselves to help Hillary Clinton rack up accomplishments, either.

I feel some attraction toward O'Malley. Republicans could go along with at least some of his initiatives without being open to the charge of working with a Socialist (horrors!) or of helping one of their most hated people of the last 20 years (horrors!). Nevertheless, I think President O'Malley's advantage over either Sanders or Clinton, while real, would be small. The Republican Party will decide, as of January 20, 2017, that their principal goal is to make the new Democratic President a one-termer.

[Koinos]

123. I agree with you that the republicans will try to shipwreck any of our candidates.

They want nothing short of total control.

[George II]

58. He isn't even endorsed by his fellow Vermont Senator, Patrick Leahy, or the Vermont governor...

....both of them have already endorsed Hillary Clinton.

[Koinos]

64. They like Sanders, but they don't regard him as a "real" insider democrat.

[mikehiggins]

70. without doubt, IMHO, the lamest poke at Sanders yet.

Congresscritters don't like Bernie?

Point one: Getting endorsed by a congresscritter isn't worth the air its spoken with.

Point two; no one in Congress has attacked Bernie except for a couple of well known HRC partisans.

Ya just gotta do better than that...

[winter is coming]

72. Because they don't need Congressional endorsements to figure out how to vote?

Really, if I'm looking for advice about who will best support my interests, pretty much the last thing I'd do is consult someone living in the Beltway Bubble.

[CanadaexPat]

75. People have an overwhelmingly negative view of Congress.

Many Congressmembers have endorsed Clinton. And the end of the syllogism is...

[AllFieldsRequired]

76. If Bernie were to get the Democratic nomination, dont you think the entire democratic party

at that point would endorse him?

Isnt it just a matter of course that as Bernie just joined the party and Hillary is a god damn CLINTON that anyone with a D after their name almost must endorse her at this stage of the game?

Isnt this just basic politics 101 and has little to nothing to do with Bernie's favorability?

[misterhighwasted]

79. "a god damn Clinton" That's a lot of hate in those few words.

The R W would applaud that statement.
Congratulations.

[AllFieldsRequired]

140. Wrong , I dont hate her. Will vote for her if she is the nominee.

All politicians are "god damn" to me.

[misterhighwasted]

141. even god damn bernie?

UGH!
UGLY

[AllFieldsRequired]

142. All of em. Doesnt mean I dont prefer one over the other.

The system was bought and sold many years ago, other than a few very important social issues (which is why i still vote), most of the economic and system wide processes are here to stay until there is a revolution of some sorts.

The system is broken, badly, and every single part of the system has some blame.

As independent and positive as Bernie is on many issues, and he is, he still must exist within a very corrupt and broken system that exists solely to maintain both white privilege and the wealthy.

As politicians go, Bernie, the late Paul Wellstone and a few others present and past are pretty good, sure.

And as much as I abhor the idea of any person on the right winning, and will do everything in my power to prevent it, I also am not thrilled with either Hillary who i think is too indebted to Wall Street or Bernie who has the best of intentions but would get very little support in the House and Senate.

Nope, the system is so broken and so corrupt, nothing good can come from it other than some social stuff, which is very important and a good reason to still vote.

[misterhighwasted]

143. Bernie has his own set of questionable issues.

Guns, military contracts. He plays just like the rest of them.
You didn't say "god damn Politicians, everyone of them", you said "god damn Clintons, however.

Walk that back like the NYTimes, but not by much.
Bye.

[AllFieldsRequired]

144. I cant believe how badly we all seem to be numbed into believing what is essentially

nonsense.

That any mainstream politician gives a god damn about the average person while taking money from the powers to be, it just doesnt make any sense to believe that.

Has NOTHING to do with The Clintons.



Dont make that terrible mistake, dont throw me or others like me in with what the NY Times is doing, by the way.

That is an insult.

For a person to be able to distinguish what is clear about how badly our system is broken, to then say that person is part of some attempt to attack Hillary, is a huge mistake to make. Especially when folks like me wont only vote for her if she is the nominee but we will work for her and contribute to her, WHILE acknowledging in our minds and openly that we are still mired in a very badly broken system.

[misterhighwasted]

78. That's a very fair question. Why should anyone support him.

I find him just creepy. Not trustworthy nor forthcoming.

Why does he have No congressional endorsements?
Maybe he could give us an honest answer as he yells & pounds the podium.
He needs to come clean because this issue is becoming obvious & is looking like the elephant in the room that no one wants to address.
Fair question.

[LWolf]

80. It's a disingenuous question, and

it was answered in response # 12.

[misterhighwasted]

84. when will sanders himself answer this simple question?

Not a word.

[LWolf]

89. When will he answer

the question about his colleagues?

Read the link in # 12 again.

[brentspeak]

103. Your post demonstrates such intelligence, such intellect, such power of persuasion

[misterhighwasted]

120. Well thank you!!

[Bobbie Jo]

137. Meow

[restorefreedom]

81. it is not april

and yet this feels like an april fools joke

seriously?

this man is running on a platform of overturning citizens united, breaking up the oligarchic control over elections and politicians, and changing the status quo.

and you wonder why the establishment congress, most of whom are owned by someone, is not supporting him??



the very act of asking this question makes his case beautifully. thank you.

[misterhighwasted]

86. So Sanders' avoiding this question is beautiful? ?

Why are his own fellow Senators endorsing Hillary & not one feels strong enough about Sanders to endorse him?

It is a very big deal. His ignoring it won't make it go away.
He needs to come clean. What is it about Sanders that drives all Senate endorsements in the opposite direction.

DU fans may brush it off as a non issue, but as people begin to choose their primary candidate, this problem only grows bigger, louder & deserves a straight answer from Sanders himself.

It gives a reason for doubt in a very big way.

[restorefreedom]

87. it would seem to me

that his congressional fellows (male and female) are interested in supporting the status quo (ie, hillary).

he is fighting the status quo. many centrist establishment dems stand to lose their jobs if his supporters decide they are dead weight in congress.

i guess like most people, they don't want to become unemployed.

[George II]

88. A President NEEDS congressional support in order to get her agenda passed.

If Sanders were to somehow get elected, he might as well move the White House to a deserted island somewhere. He'd wind up being the most ineffective president in history.

[misterhighwasted]

90. That about sums it up. Ineffective without the support to put thru all those

..beautiful campaign promises.
Politics 101.

[restorefreedom]

105. supporting a candidacy

and supporting specific bills and actions once in office are very different.

[George II]

108. Say what?

[restorefreedom]

109. endorsing or not endorsing someone

has many motivations, as many here have discussed.

that is not necessarily the same as endorsing or voting for (or not) specific policies under a specific president.

i know you know the difference.

[CanadaexPat]

112. Hillary was so effective getting healthcare

Through a Democratic Congress, eh?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

91. Congress has something like a 10% approval rating, maybe 15. Dog shit polls higher.

But you're absolutly right. Since members of this this nationally despised body haven't endorsed him yet, we should follow their lead off the cliff.

Please do continue to impress me with this brilliance.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

99. Congress' approval rating is a whopping 19%.

You might want to try another angle.

And this?

Congressional endorsements are an indication that they believe in your agenda.

Um, no. They are an indication that they want to maintain the status quo. And that they do not want to jeopardize the big money that keeps them in office.

I trust the people of Vermont, they've kept Bernie in some sort of public office since 1981. And I trust my own listening and reading comprehension skills. Those are enough references for me.

Seriously, try another angle cuz this one is a big ol' fail.

[Sancho]

101. Govtrack analysis gives Hillary a better rating than Bernie in Congress

On sponsored bills, she is rated higher on Sponsorship analysis.

A leadership score is computed for each Member of Congress by looking at how often other Members of Congress cosponsor their bills — more or less. The analysis is based on PageRank, Google’s algorithm for ranking pages on the web.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/hillary_clinton/300022

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/bernard_sanders/400357

[cantbeserious]

102. Falacious - Straw Man Argument

eom

[TransitJohn]

104. Congress not standing up for him makes me want to vote for him more. eom

n/t

[Koinos]

124. My real concern...

My real concern is whether Sanders will work hard to get more democrats elected to the House and Senate, since that will be equally important as his own election. Will he campaign with them side by side? What is his track record in the past with regard to campaigning actively with democratic candidates? That is where collegiality comes in. Like it or not, the democratic party is a club where members do things for each other.

[dmosh42]

125. This sounds like you believe Congress is run by 'honorable' people? What have they accomplished....

for us lately? It would take a 'bully pulpit' to get anything done plus someone willing to expose the
hacks and crooks that swirl around our government everyday. Electing another corporate 'drone' will
only continue our downward spiral. We do need a political revolution!

[4_TN_TITANS]

126. Just curious how many congressional

endorsements FDR had - or if he had the endorsements of the people who elect the congress?

[BeyondGeography]

127. It's a problem for him, but it also shows how disconnected Congress has become

from the public. Whether they admit it or not, most of Sanders' colleagues in the Senate are stunned by the response he has been getting; more than any of them could probably dream of for themselves. There was an article a couple of weeks back to that effect, with Tim Kaine making a snarky, "Where's Bernie?" comment, that summed it up for me. They didn't see it coming because, well, they don't see a lot coming.

At the same time, they may be insulated but they're not stupid. There was a TPM site poll last week that found that most of its readers backed Sanders, but 78 percent of them still think Hillary will get the nomination. If you polled Democrats in Congress, I'm sure that figure is even higher. Why take a chance, especially on someone who has steadfastly refused to call himself a Democrat all his life?

[azurnoir]

128. Congress has a 16.2% approval rating with the voting public so it could be a plus

and the 'establishment' types back Hillary well color me surprised

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html

[Autumn]

133. Is that supposed to be a bad thing? I doubt I would buy a used car from

most of Bernie's colleagues. The ones that I do have any respect for certainly haven't vouched for the other democratic candidate

[gollygee]

134. They doesn't mean they wouldn't vouch for him

They have to choose whether to officially endorse one candidate or another. It makes sense to me that they would choose to endorse the front runner. They're going to endorse the person most of their consituents will vote for. That does not mean they don't think highly of Sanders or that they wouldn't work with him, or that they wouldn't vouch for him.

[polichick]

139. Most of those assholes are bought and paid for - not people to look up to.

[TSIAS]

145. They think HRC will be the nominee

They don't want to risk alienating the presumptive nominee. You saw it in 2008 when so many were pressured into endorsing her early, but once Obama gained steam they were eager to jump ship.

Just look at how angry they were when Richardson endorsed Obama. Since Pres. Clinton nominated Richardson for his Cabinet, it was considered a betrayal that he would not return the favor.

Also consider the case of Claire McCaskill. HRC was enraged that she was an early supporter of Obama. Now to get back in good graces, or possibly a Cabinet appointment, she's become a hatchet woman who parrots Republican talking points to smear Bernie Sanders.

I also think Sanders isn't courting endorsements at the moment. He's trying to get his message out to the public. It would be contradictory for him to call for a revolution, but then seek the endorsement of some centrist Democrat who is part of the problem.

It is troubling to see how many so-called progressives are all-in for Hillary. I love Al Franken and Howard Dean, and think they're excellent public servants, but it's unfathomable to me that they would be so vociferously in the Clinton camp this early.

[realFedUp]

152. I wish we had Twitter stars

You'd get one

[2pooped2pop]

154. I would be more concerned if our Congress did vouch for him

since most of them are controlled by big business rather than the people. I much prefer a man of the people.

[emsimon33]

155. If Clinton is the nominee, I will be surprised if she wins.

I have been an activist all my life and a political volunteer since the age of 9. So many of my fellow passionate activist Democratic volunteers have said they will not only sit out the 2016 election if Clinton is the nominee but they will not vote for her. They will not vote for the Republican but they will not vote for her.

She is following the same path as Obama: In bed with Monsanto, Trans-Canada, TPP, Goldman Sachs, the prison industry, etc., etc., etc.

At what point do Democrats retake their party and get back to our core values?

Obama disdained the base and his henchman called us retards or something to that effect...in large part because we were holding Obama to his campaign promises. The Hillarys and the Obamas of politics want our votes but then they treat us like gum on the bottom of their shoes once they get elected.

The Democratic power structure does NOT want a grassroots movement of the people and for the people. I was part of Howard Dean's 50 state strategy--which is actually the reason Obama won, although he never acknowledged that and kicked Dean to the curb as soon as he was elected--and I saw the power of the grassroots.

Like Obama, Hillary is the puppet of the oligarchy. Look at where her money is derived. Only 3% is from small donors, so she, like Obama, will feel beholden to the .001%, Wall Street, huge corporations, financial institutions, etc. NOT the people!

They dismiss Bernie at their own peril. Occupy Wall Streeters and those of us who were closely involved in the 50-State Strategy know not only how to win elections but also how to remove impediments, like Wasserman.

Those who criticize Bernie for not getting more of his legislation passed fail to give credit for the reason: Bernie's legislation would have empowered THE PEOPLE and removed power from the oligarchs. Too many of our elected officials like their perks and the special treatments and goodies that they derive from selling out the American people and destroying the middle class.

I agree that the first two years may be tough going for Bernie as president, but by year 3, we will have culled the puppets from office in the mid-term elections and replaced them with men and women who will fight for the people.

Bernie has asked for a political revolution and an army of at least 100,000 people signed on last night. Money won't win this election. Right will!

[Marr]

160. Is he applying for a car loan or something?

Who gives a fuck if they'll 'vouch' for him? What does even mean?

[onehandle]

163. Clearly all of those endorsers are DLCers!