"You don't have the standing to invent a 'race problem' for Bernie" Warning: NSFW

[sabrina 1]

You Don't Have the Standing to Invent a 'Race Problem' for Bernie

Some background on this Daily Kos diarist and this post.

OPOL (One Pissed Off Liberal) is a longtime Liberal member of DK who survived many of the purges of Liberals on that site, due to his huge popularity BECAUSE of his lifelong support of ISSUES that are basic to most Democrats.

He is, iow, one of the most popular Diarists on DK and has been for many years.

THIS OP is a response to an all out attack by the owner of the blog, on Liberals, very common there btw, AND on Bernie Sanders and his supporters. It contained the usual Third Way despicable talking points never aimed at the Right, but ALWAYS at the Left.

This is OPOL's justifiably angry response to that Third Way diatribe.

And as always with OPOL's Diaries, it received the online equivalent of a standing ovation. He and a few other Liberal survivors on the blog, are one of the only reasons to even read that blog anymore.

And now, back to the diary:

No one does. No lying politician. No dishonest hack. No bloggers and no owners of blogs.

How disgusting is it to see all these supposed progressives using racial strife to divide people and win points for their side? They should all be ashamed of themselves. As I said before, racism is too important of a problem to be used as a game piece. It's the ugliest and lowest possible tactic – and if you genuinely care about this most serious issue of racism in America, you should take notice of who is using it for cheap political advantage.

No one who really cares about fighting racism would dare stoop so low.

Bernie's been passionately fighting racism and injustice in America for fifty fucking years. His record is plain as day and rock solid. No one can take that away from him.

This video from the night before the Black Lives Matter protest at Netroots Nation, as well as his fifty-year record of fighting passionately for racial justice and equality, shows what a bunch of liars these people who claim 'Bernie's got a problem with race' really are:

........

You don't have the standing to invent a gay rights problem for him either. Bernie's been a passionate supporter of gay rights for over forty years. He was way out ahead of damned near everybody on that issue – and still is.

The following is about a letter he wrote 40 years ago (available for your viewing pleasure here):

Notice that not only did Sanders call for gay equality and an end to the drug war, he also talked about the need to tax corporations, end unjust overseas wars, heal the environment, and empower working people. If nothing else, Sanders has been extremely consistent.

Think about that. Bernie stood up to a homophobic nation when almost no one else would. HRC's record is pathetic compared to that. She's only recently been dragged into supporting gay marriage. Yet her supporters want to attack Bernie on this issue. It just shows they've got nothing. They're just making shit up.
'Full gay rights' is unambiguous.

They sure don't want to go comparing Bernie's record to Hillary's. They'll never win that way. And they sure as fuck don't want to compare donor lists. Because that right there would tell the ugly truth about their Wall Street candidate.

Here he appears to be quoting kos:

"The reasons to be skeptical of Hillary Clinton are legion." ~ kos

"The reasons to be skeptical of Bernie are few." ~ OPOL

Speaking directly to kos and to all those who have engaged in this smear campaign:

Stop telling all these fucked up lies. It just shows how little you've got to fight with and how little you are restrained by ethical considerations or any sense of fairness. If you don't mind cheating to win, you don't deserve to.

There are very many damned good reasons why Bernie is so widely regarded as a progressive icon, a liberal firebrand and a fierce activist. He fucking earned it. Any dishonest asshole who tries to take that away from him is...well, a dishonest asshole.

And Bernie earned his reputation the hard way – on the streets with flesh and shoe leather, where you never would have found virtually any of his detractors. Deceitful people who lack the courage of their convictions do not take to the streets to fight for justice. Only brave people do that. It takes guts to put yourself on the line for your beliefs. And no one who lacks the vision and commitment to ever leave their own comfort zone while spreading scurrilous empty-headed lies about real heroes can change that reality. Bernie's integrity is unassailable.

Bernie Sanders is:

The one candidate not drunk on wealth and power.
The one candidate not irrevocably tied to the 1%.
The one candidate not beholden to Wall Street and corporate America.
The one candidate not tied to the Military Industrial Complex.
The one candidate who marched with Dr. King.
The one candidate who worked to elect Jesse Jackson president.
The one candidate with a solid record of fighting racism and inequality.
The one candidate who voted against the invasion of Iraq.
The one candidate who voted against the the first Gulf war.
The one candidate who voted against NAFTA and CAFTA.
The one candidate who voted against the USA Patriot Act.
The one candidate who wants to overturn Citizens United.
The one candidate who wants to rein in the NSA.
The one candidate who fights for the working class.
The one candidate with the guts to stand up to the 1%.
The one candidate who never sold us out.
The one candidate who never lied to us.
The only candidate who deserves our support.

That won't stop all the dishonest assholes with hidden agendas and nary an ounce of integrity from trying to shit on Bernie's head. He's the only candidate on either side with an ounce of integrity or the guts to stand up against the powers that be. The only one. When you shit on the one guy with any fucking integrity at all, you are committing a grave offense.

And HRC sure as hell does not want to debate Bernie. Her side knows he'll wipe the floor with her. DWS and the DNC should be ashamed for their stalling tactics. They need to do the right thing and schedule the debates. They cannot skip straight to the coronation of Ms. Inevitability. They've got to go through Bernie, and Bernie's going to kick their ass.

Bring on the debates!

So support who you like, vote for who you want, promote your candidate any way you see fit, but those who stoop to sliming Bernie with underhanded lies deserve to be called out for it.

Apparently, deceitful backdoor attacks on Bernie are all the rage at Daily Kos: damning with faint praise, expressing 'loving' concern, claiming to be a Bernie supporter while shaming Bernie supporters, making up stories about how he can't possibly win and just outright lying. Not surprising I guess, since it's all they've got. I'm just astonished and appalled at the depths to which some people are stooping. It speaks of panicked desperation. Good. That's exactly what they and their 1% Wall Street candidate deserve.

Unless you are an enthusiastic supporter of the status quo, unless you're pining for a big stinking pile of more of the same, you should step up and vote for the political revolution you've been crying for, praying for and waiting for all these years.

Yes, Liberals are sick and tired of being ATTACKED and SMEARED by their own party.

They ARE ANGRY and the more their own party represented by the Third Way continues to use these tactics AGAINST DEMOCRATS, instead of Republicans, the more that anger is going to build.

We saw the Third Way Founders go after Elizabeth Warren also.

Every time the Left of the party, which of course IS the party, find a great representative like Elizabeth Warren and Sanders among others, you can be sure to see the attacks from the Third Way and the lies and ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Sick of the hypocrisy, sick of the smear campaigns and talking points and SICK of the cynical use of important issues as political footballs during campaigns ONLY TO BE FORGOTTEN once the campaigns are over.

And OPOL speaks for the Left whose votes are needed by the very people who are responsible for these attacks, should their candidate win. The continued campaign against the Left within this party will ensure a Republican win if it does not stop.

Thank you OPOL for expressing the anger these smear campaigns are engendering within this party so passionately, as always.

Anyone who uses the race card who was not engaged over the decades in the serious issues facing AAs for DECADES in this country has no credibility. Talking points don't die, no matter how clearly an issue is resolved, that's how you know they are expensive talking points.

Note to hosts:

© Kos Media, LLC
Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified

[winter is coming]

1. Thanks for posting this. I haven't been to dailykos on a regular basis in years. n/t

[sabrina 1]

2. No problem, I go there to look for the remaining Liberals, like OPOL, as

Last edited Mon Aug 10, 2015, 05:25 PM - Edit history (1)

there is no doubt the forum is run by and for the Third Way. However, despite all the thousands of bannings of good Democrats over the years, and open hostility towards them from the owner of the site, without those liberals, the site would no longer function.

I do give credit to those remaining and I guess it's frustrating for the owner that his site is overwhelmingly for Bernie. So I guess he gets some credit for not shutting it down altogether because the ONLY reason Dems even read it anymore, is because of the great liberal authors who still post there.

[roguevalley]

70. I am an FDR dem ... radical leftie all my life. This guy speaks for me. GO, BERNIE!

You have nothing to apologize for and no one deserves to be on our side who would smear a dem this way, especially a dem with his record.

[roguevalley]

73. read the comments there. Kos is getting his sorry ass handed to him.

[sabrina 1]

81. I should go look for kos's anti-liberal/bernie diatribe but to be honest

it's the same old rightwing attack on liberals we are so used to.

I haven't read the comments yet, but I know many of them are going to be great. He deserves to have his rear end handed to him. Liberals are not what Rush Limbaugh taught him when he was a Repub working against gay rights etc, weak and silly.

Too bad he can't get that out of head, he seems to think he can brow beat liberals on his site, but he has NEVER been able to do it, even with his band of bullies who roam the site doing the dirty work for him.

He's still a repub at heart.

[Mnpaul]

153. Well, that one didn't go over well at all

Why is Daily Kos DIssing Bernie Sanders?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/04/1408804/-Why-is-Daily-Kos-DIssing-Bernie-Sanders

Kos, Do You Really Think I am One of THOSE White Males?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/01/1407856/-Kos-Do-You-Really-Think-I-am-One-of-THOSE-White-Males

A reply to Kos: Bernie IS crashing the gate.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/31/1407444/-A-reply-to-Kos-Bernie-IS-crashing-the-gate

Kos is wrong, because…
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/31/1407627/-Kos-is-wrong-because

kos to dailykos: drop dead!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/31/1407475/-kos-to-dailykos-drop-dead

A point-by-point response to Kos, re: your post on Bernie and Conspiracy Theories
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/31/1407452/-A-point-by-point-response-to-Kos

A question for Kos: Isn't Bernie Crashing the Gate?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/30/1407302/-A-question-for-Kos-Isn-t-Bernie-Crashing-the-Gate

About Kos' "Hit Piece" On Sanders
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/29/1406900/-About-Kos-Hit-Piece-On-Sanders

[sabrina 1]

191. Wow, thank you, great to see people standing up to these Third Wayers so firmly.

What on EARTH is wrong with our party? Do they think that when all this is over IF their candidate wins, their nasty, smears and outright attacks on Bernie AND his supporters is going result in all this being forgotten?

I firmly believe that great harm is being done to their chosen candidate and that this time, people will NOT suck it up as they have in the past, and Dems will then 'blame the voters' AGAIN.

The leadership of the party has already lost us the House and Senate. Are they trying to lose the next election also?

If Bernie doesn't win the nomination, all those who will sign up to vote for him, will leave or write him in in protest. And many will just vote for Congressional candidates as a result of the nastiness so early in the election season.

Kos is a fool to pull this stunt, but then I am not surprised.

[staggerleem]

203. "What on EARTH is wrong with our party?"

Fear - that's the problem. Just like Bush, Cheney & their little league of frightened men, the folks at the top of the Democratic Party actually seem to be buying the BS that Murdoch & Co. are selling, and it makes them afraid to appear "too liberal". That's why most of "our" Congressional candidates ran AWAY from a reasonably successful president in 2014, thus giving us a Republican-controlled House. In general, the few Democratic candidates that embraced Obama & his policies in the 2014 election won (see Franken, Al), while those who ran as "Republican- Lite" lost, because given a choice between a "real" Republican and a phony one, most Americans will opt for the guy who's being "real".

What this party needs is a new set of "political experts", because, (to quote the Donald) the ones we have now are just a bunch of losers.

[azureblue]

79. no doubt, eh?

Please. Do yourself a favor and stop making a fool of yourself and trying to attack DK as if Kos was the sole arbiter of every post on the site. DK gets its share, of instigators and trolls, just like DU does, and it doesn't take long before they are refuted and / or exposed. I've done some of that, myself.

The question I have to ask is why, on such half ass reasoning, you attack DK? Could it be you are an instigator, too? I believe so. Your post is full of buzz phrases that are tailored for an emotional response and you support your contention with zero facts.

You Got Nothin'.

[sabrina 1]

115. Please read before you post. Kos is responsible for what HE WRITES.

Last edited Tue Aug 11, 2015, 11:56 AM - Edit history (1)

Now show me where I said he is responsible for what everyone else writes.

I didn't link to his despicable attack on Liberals, but anyone claiming to be a Democrat who writes such right wing diatribe AGAINST democrats, deserves the reaction he is getting. Unless of course YOU agree with him.

Either prove that personal attack, typical of what liberals get from kos third wayers, that I am an 'infiltrator' who is well known in PERSON here on this forum btw, for years, or it's worth the effort it took you to make it up, zero.

Thanks for the example of what OPOL is talking about btw. Lash out at those who decide who they think, not kos, is best for this country then post outright lies about them. I hope everyone who knows me here reads your post.

[Enthusiast]

185. +100%!

[senz]

106. Same thing with the NYTimes.

They pretty much refuse to publish articles about Bernie's presidential run, and on the rare occasion when they have, they've depicted him as fringe and his followers as old and out of touch.

HOWEVER, the NYTimes commenters love Bernie. A good example is Mo Dowd's Sunday column about Trump at the Repub debate. The most recommended comment to her column was all about Bernie.

Here's the column: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/opinion/sunday/maureen-dowd-trump-the-disrupter.html

The first few paragraphs of the comment:

Ms. Dowd--any chance you will ever write a column or two about the candidate who is actually discussing specific policies that actually affect Americans? A candidate who draws huge crowds not because he is a jerk, or might say something off the wall, but because he speaks the truth.

There is a candidate out there who supports a woman's right to choose--you know--it's called the law of the land. A candidate who supported Gay marriage before any other candidate. A candidate who wants to expand family leave policies, so people who want to have children don't go broke doing so and can be involved in their children's lives.

A candidate who believes in a living wage, expanded social security and affordable healthcare for every American. A candidate who does not need to be a scientist, to realize Global Warming is man made and if not addressed, will destroy the planet.

and the final one:

Give Bernie a call and chat him up. You may not come up with any huge bloopers, but you will hear from a candidate who loves America.

Read the entire comment here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/opinion/sunday/maureen-dowd-trump-the-disrupter.html#permid=15731902

[sabrina 1]

162. Unbelievable, isn't it? They are all on the same page. But the PEOPLE

are increasingly going their way, not influenced at all by our Corporate media OR by the dirty tricksters.

The more they go after Bernie, the more people he seems to be drawing to his campaign.

Shame on all of them. This is about this country and so many of them are fighting so hard to stop a great candidate who would be the best thing for this country right now.

Thanks for the link, great comments about Bernie.

It must be so frustrating for those who are working so hard to ignore him, only to find their own 'space' is being filled with questions, NOT about what THEY are pushing, but about Sanders.

Maybe they should respect the people's wishes and start thinking about this country for a change.

[Enthusiast]

186. +100%!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

143. Do they know Bernie even got arrested for protesting for civil rights?

Have any of the other candidates put themselves on the line?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026741056

.as a college student he organized sit-ins against segregation, worked for a union, protested police brutality and attended the 1963 March on Washington. Throughout that time, the central theme of his life has never wavered.

...By his 23rd birthday, Sanders had worked for a meatpackers union, marched for civil rights in Washington D.C., joined the university socialists and been arrested at a civil rights demonstration.

...The civil rights movement also became a home for him. He became leaders of an NAACP ally called the Congress of Racial Equality at a time when most civil rights activists were black. He was arrested while demonstrating for desegregated public schools in Chicago.

...On a frigid Tuesday afternoon in January, 1962 the 20-year-old from Brooklyn stood on the steps of University of Chicago administration building and railed in the wind against the college’s housing segregation policy. “We feel it is an intolerable situation, when Negro and white students of the university cannot live together in university owned apartments,” the young bespectacled student told the few-dozen classmates gathered there. Then he led them into the building in protest, and camped the night outside the president’s office. It was Chicago’s first civil rights sit-in.
http://time.com/3896500/bernie-sanders-vermont-campaign-radical/#3896500/bernie-sanders-vermont-campaign-radical/

[winter is coming]

144. If they know, they don't care.

And its either whitesplaining or condescending to mention it to them. Or possibly both.

[Qutzupalotl]

189. Funny how that line of attack blunts his strengths.

The attack that says, we're too young to know your history of fighting for civil rights, but if you try to tell us about it you're being condescending. They might as well say, "we're proud of our ignorance on this subject so shut up."

This means Bernie can't talk about his record on civil rights. I call bullshit.

[sabrina 1]

160. Yes, and once they were told of his incredible record, their response was

'that was 50 years ago, it's not relevant'. So they completely dismissed ALL those who participated in forcing this country to finally pass the Civil Rights legislation. And at great risk to themselves many times.

THAT told ME a whole lot about who these people are.

And I realized, you cannot talk to a dirty trick. It will just keep on playing right past any facts that are presented.

And now my decision is that when I see it again, and unbelievably they are still trying, I will simply post 'talking point' and move on to the ISSUES they are trying so desperately to prevent us from discussin.

[laserhaas]

176. DK has some very bad trolls deeply embedded

And they campaign...hard...to bojo real Progressives

[magical thyme]

3. k&r nt

[haikugal]

4. Wow sabrina1..OPAL is powerful and has a dead eye..

Thank you so much for posting this!

K&R!!

[sabrina 1]

6. Yes, he is an amazing poster. I've been longtime reader of his work. Very interesting

person whose work is worth reading all the way back to when he first became a member and almost instantly one of the most popular diarists there.

A huge effort to get him off the site was attempted several years ago, too much truth and a great delivery were a bit inconvenient considering the purpose of the site. It failed though there were days of 'rebellion' from a majority of members there, even including some who didnt' always agree with him.

[haikugal]

17. That sounds familiar...

I'll go read his diary, thanks again!

[kath]

5. Wow. What a great piece! Thanks for posting it here.

Love OPOL's handle - stands for One Pissed Off Liberal! ( hey, so am I! WAY pissed off.)

Who else, beside OPOL, are the good liberals left on Kos, if you don't mind pointing some out? Can you search for posts(diaries?) by username over there?

[sabrina 1]

7. You can search for a member's page, and it's worth doing so re OPAL as his work

there is incredible over the years.

I will try to remember those who are still there, off the top of my head I can't think of too many right now, as many have moved on to other venues. I recognize them when I see them and make sure to read their work.

As for me, I left the site along with thousands of other liberals several years ago and only go back to find people like OPAL.

[sabrina 1]

12. Here is OPAL'S profile page

http://www.dailykos.com/user/One%20Pissed%20Off%20Liberal

Don't know why he didn't branch out on his own as he is an amazing writer and probably draws more views to that site than all the FPers together.

His comment sections are generally filled with hundreds of responses and are also worth reading if anyone has the time.

Didn't read the over 1,000 comments attached to this diary but will scan them later.

[Mnpaul]

107. Look who recc'ed OPOL'S post

xxdr zombiexx - he is busy all over the internets. I see him on alternet all the time
LieparDestin - has good Bernie diaries
gooder service
JVolvo
bobswern - always calling out the corporate Dems
Betty Pinson - really good comments
Colorado is the Shiznit - a real fighter
DeadHead
lunachickie

are some of my favorites.

[snort]

118. I'm one.

Good luck guessing which one cuz I aint tellin! Hah!

[Zorra]

8. Can't think of anything more that needs to be added to that one except K&R.

Thanks for the OP, sabina1.

[sabrina 1]

18. No problem, Zorra, OPOL has a way of slamming down the facts

Last edited Mon Aug 10, 2015, 04:08 PM - Edit history (2)

and exposing the phony 'liberals'. He is clearly angry here, I probably should go find Kos's anti liberal diatribe, but to be honest, I could probably write it without looking. He seriously can't stand Liberals, which he doesn't hide.

OPOL knows this, but when he went after Bernie with all the Third Way talking points, which we've seen here too, that was just too much for OPOL and for the thousands of liberals who read that site.

[zeemike]

50. What makes people like that great is they don't give up.

Are not intimidated, shamed by ridicule, and cannot be manipulated by emotional attacks.

We have a few like that here and I stick around for that reason alown...no need to name names, we know who they are...OPEL is someone I would like.

[sabrina 1]

57. You would love him, he took so much flack on that site, but prevailed because

people WANT the TRUTH, and is one of the most popular diarists there so he has the creds to speak this way to the owner who should be ashamed to post some of the stuff he posts on a so-called 'liberal blog'.

It's at the point now where many members there pay no attention to what the owner has to say. He has lost so much credibility. OPOL otoh, has huge credibility.

[appalachiablue]

114. K & R. Way cool guy & amazing post, thanks. Pls. link the Kos piece that generated this

if you ever have the inclination, it must have been serious!
I read your OP about DK and Net Roots, not good.

- Summer of Sanders Rocks!

[sabrina 1]

198. Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I will look for it, someone near the top of the thread has

linked to some more Diaries responding to Kos' diary also and to some of what he said.

However, apparently all of this started when kos wrote a Bernie hit piece for the Hill and Bernie supporters were outraged, because it was filled with false statements etc and then he wrote his Diary in response.

What surprised me when I read some of the comments that some of the members there were surprised by this. Maybe they weren't around very long, but this is exactly what I and many others, including I'm sure, OPOL who was the target of some vicious attacks directly from Kos who used to go into his diaries on occasion to let him know what he though of him.

Anyhow, I will try to find it and the Hill 'Bernie Hit Piece' by kos.

[FlatBaroque]

9. claiming to be a Bernie supporter while shaming Bernie supporters

That made me LOL. A diet rich in Minerals is good for you.

[Zorra]

11. ...

[sabrina 1]

14. Lol, well, at least it's good to see a few people who never even

knew about the struggle of AAs over the decades, finally 'discover' the issue even if it has sent them in the wrong direction. Lol, it's amusing I suppose.

OPAL, the author if this diary, is a true Liberal who did not have to discover suddenly that Black lives matter. A true voice from the Left with the history to prove it.

[FlatBaroque]

24. Thanks for linking that asset to this forum. It was a very good post

It pulled together a lot of the observations made here, and set them within the context of the other camp's hypocricy.

[arcane1]

32. Indeed.

[abelenkpe]

53. :) nt

[malokvale77]

105. Hah (nt)

[dgibby]

113. You are soooo bad!

One of your more endearing qualities, I might add!

[FlatBaroque]

119. :)

[sabrina 1]

158. Lol, just read that again. You are so right!

[Supersedeas]

209. it doesn't have to make white sense

[ibegurpard]

10. Well this speaks to me.

But the only people who can determine whether Bernie speaks to people of color are people of color. I would hope so.

[Agschmid]

13. +1

But the only people who can determine whether Bernie speaks to people of color are people of color.

[1StrongBlackMan]

48. And the effort spent to find, and promote, voices of PoC, holding ...

what is clearly the outlier view should speak volumes ... as no one seems to have a problem recognizing that Ben Carson is far from representative of Black thought, in the main.

[ibegurpard]

58. And what will be your explanation

When more and more African American voices speak out in favor of Bernie Sanders? Because you know it's coming despite your efforts.

[1StrongBlackMan]

63. As a member of the African-American community ...

I don't see that happening on any large scale basis.

ETA: I am politically and socially engaged and have a fairly wide circle of associates and am an hold an office in a predominately African-American Fraternity, which extends my circle even farther ... I have yet to meet, in real life, an African-American Bernie supporter ... though I have met several "I'll never vote for HRC" folks.

So, I don't suspect I will need an explanation.

[sabrina 1]

112. Well I have and I also move in a wide circle which includes people

all ethnic and political backgrounds and I have yet to meet a single minority who KNOWS about Bernie Sanders who doesn't support him.

Maybe since you don't, that is who you gravitate towards. Maybe because I do that is who I meet.

He is every day attracting more and more minorities as soon as they learn who he is and what his record is.

And one of those Bernie supporters who watched in horror as she saw the attempts to derail his campaign was Symone Sanders. SHE reached out to his campaign.

I haven't seen much respect for HER as an AA from those who CLAIM to be so 'concerned' about Bernie attracting minorities.

And she is far from alone, because unlike the image of minorities shamefully portrayed on this site, they will and are making up their own minds, as she did, about who best represents them and who always has.

[senz]

128. Check this out.

[1StrongBlackMan]

134. Okay ...

I still haven't met a Black Bernie supporter in real life.

[senz]

136. Hmm. Maybe if you were one you would...

[1StrongBlackMan]

151. One what?

[senz]

164. Exactly what you said ...

a Black Bernie supporter. People tend to hang with like-minded people.

[1StrongBlackMan]

181. True ... Some people tend to hang with like minded-people ...

But Fraternities membership and social/community service are big places, and not politically self-selecting partisan associations.

These activities that take up a majority of my non-work time and have NOT afforded me that rare experience of meeting a Black Bernie supporter in real life.

[sabrina 1]

188. That's very strange. As I said, unless they haven't heard of him yet, I haven't met

any minority individuals who are NOT Bernie supporters and working hard to get him elected, once they learn about him.

Same with whites actually, he had zero name recognition with ANYONE just a couple of months ago.

I'm happy to see so many AAs and Latinos so excited about him because clearly these dirty tricks and smear campaigns aimed at minorities are DESIGNED to keep them from learning about him and to paint a false impression of him before they do.

[1StrongBlackMan]

190. LOL ... Always the conspiracy, huh? ...

I'm happy to see so many AAs and Latinos so excited about him because clearly these dirty tricks and smear campaigns aimed at minorities are DESIGNED to keep them from learning about him and to paint a false impression of him before they do.

News flash: Black people are as sophisticated consumers of information as anyone else ... able to acquire and discern information, just as well white folks. (And I suspect that the Hispanic public is similarly equipped ... I suspect because I am not particularly attuned to Hispanic sentiment, as I am not a member of that community.)

[sabrina 1]

194. I wasn't talking about Black People. I was talking the Right Wing fundies

who have proclaimed themselves to be ready to destroy the Dem Party.

In their own words, so maybe they're just kidding no?

Black people are also as capable of being Right Wingers who hate liberals as anyone else also. Thanks for the lecture, I didn't need it actually.

And I don't care who or what they are but if they are Right Wing fundies who were 'groomed' though not enough apparently, yet, by Republicans, I have no time for them, Black or White.

What is amazing to me is that we are supposed to accept Sarah Palin supporters, Right Wing anti Dem Party Fundamentalists all of a sudden, and look the other way from what they themselves have stated. because the are Black? Really? No thanks, a right wing extremist is rw extremist period.

And we are to ignore the hateful bigoted rhetoric against a Jewish Senator, using one of the most vile accusations they could have thought of to accuse him of, 'a White Supremicist'. Again, really? Just because they are Black?

Since when do people get a pass for that reason? Using racist rhetoric, far right anti liberal, Rush Limbaugh nonsense, why? To get a 'fellowship' at the Rove school of training for young Republicans? An audition that certainly will appeal to the Rove wing of the Repub Party.

The only CT I see around here is that we are suddenly supportive of Right Wing Fundamentalist hate speech. Because to my knowledge that is STILL not acceptable on our side of the aisle. Or maybe anything goes now? No one told me that. So I'll go with 'no', hate speech is never acceptable especially when it claims to be in the name of ending racism.

Ymmd, mine is consistent. And will remain so.

[1StrongBlackMan]

195. Okay ... LOL; but, Okay. n/t

[ibegurpard]

155. I sure hope you're not implying what I think you are...

[senz]

165. Wasn't "implying" anything, ibegurpard.

[1StrongBlackMan]

197. You must have missed the ...

"Oh sh!t ... did I say that out loud ... MUST ... SAVE ... MY ... FACE, revising post.

[grahamhgreen]

192. Well, that's weired, EVERY black person I know supports him, save one.

[1StrongBlackMan]

193. I suspect that says more about your circles than anything else. n/t

[sabrina 1]

100. Ben Carson is a corporate tool, what do you mean no one has a problem

with him? Oh wait, maybe the disrupters of Bernie's event don't, in fact no they do not, but I sure do.

[1StrongBlackMan]

104. That's not what I wrote. n/t

[cui bono]

177. What speaks volumes to me is that you use the term 'outlier' to describe any PoC who doesn't

agree with you.

[1StrongBlackMan]

182. So I should just ignore the polling? ...

That you would suggest that it is about me; rather than, the empirical data, also, speaks volumes.

[sabrina 1]

19. And the only people who are trying so hard to deprive them of the right

to decide that, are the same old dirty tricksters we see every time someone comes along who puts them all to shame.

Bernie never had a problem with AAs, over the NOISE here of all the Third Way talking points, I have attempt to show the growing support for him among AAs only to be attacked, which demonstrates to ME that all this 'concern' is as fake as it appears to be.

Eg, where is the support from all the 'concerned' for Symone Sanders? Not one of the 'concerned' have supported her so far.

She is typical of all the AAs I've seen joining Bernie's campaign, silenced and ignored by the 'concerned'

Only THEY appear to be 'concerned', AAs are speaking for themselves as they always have and I am following all the new groups for Bernie they are forming every day.

[arcane1]

34. Proven by the fact that people are still saying things like "his silence" or "refusal to mention"

And they're going down swinging with these talking points, despite their being proven wrong more and more each day.

[rhett o rick]

87. They have nothing. They can't fight him on his stands on issues, his stands are

more Democratic than Clinton. Their only hope is to attack the man.

[ozone_man]

139. Ad hominems are all they got.

When you speak truth to power, that is their only recourse.

[sabrina 1]

142. That's because it's a talking point. Maybe the best way to deal with

with that is to just write 'talking point' every time we see them. No point arguing against an very expensive talking point, it will just keep on going.

[arcane1]

152. That works! I've learned that calling a lie a lie tends to get one's posts hidden

An irony, for certain, but nevertheless I am choosing euphemisms from now on

[sabrina 1]

196. Yes, truth can be very disturbing for those who don't want to hear it.

It can be painful too, I know, I had to face some truths about politicians I was so 'in love' with, or so I was told but it's better in the end to just accept the facts, because trying to defend the indefensible, which I did for a while, is just plain exhausting and impossible.

[senz]

133. Symone Sanders kicks ass. She's perfect.

A natural born leader. And Bernie recognized it as soon as he met her.

[whatchamacallit]

15. TRUTH

Best thing I've read since this bullshit began. Thanks Sabrina, and thanks OPOL!

[passiveporcupine]

16. Can't rec this enough

you should take notice of who is using it for cheap political advantage

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

20. "making up stories about how he can't possibly win"

His detractors are so afraid they are mainly trying to convince THEMSELVES that Bernie has no chance.

That, ladies, and gentlemen, is classic cognitive dissonance!

[GoneOffShore]

22. And can we have a drum roll, please!!!

[sabrina 1]

23. This diary is from a legitimate FDR Democrat who has the creds to say

what he says and I've never seen a diary from him on the ISSUES that wasn't a tour de force on LIBERAL VALUES.

[L0oniX]

27. "he can't possibly win" - The Oligarchy

[GoneOffShore]

21. Kicking and Rec'ing this and waiting for the naysayers - who are legion - to appear (n/t)

[sabrina 1]

26. They're not legiion, on this forum they are about 10%. On DK about the same.

Repeating talking points loudly, passive aggressively or any other way, doesn't make them legion, just busy!

THIS Diarist is a true FDR Dem with the creds to show it.

[L0oniX]

25. The oligarchy loves their useful fools.

[dorkzilla]

28. Good stuff, Sabrina - thank you for sharing it!

I’m perplexed by the attacks levied against this man. I don’t think we could invent a more perfect candidate, and he’s being downplayed and/or lambasted at every turn. Too bad for his detractors that his popularity is growing in spite of it all.

[dgibby]

110. He is the most feared person in Washington

because he can't be bought. Anyone able to threaten the PTB can't be tolerated and has to be destroyed. Since he doesn't have any weaknesses, they have to attack his strengths. The Swiftboaters are out in force, but since they can't really denigrate him, they're going after his supporters. They are pathetic on a grade A scale.

[dorkzilla]

120. Aint that the truth!

I love this man like no other politician I’ve ever come across. We’re fortunate he is one of us, and I have every expectation of his upsetting the apple cart - he will get the nomination as our candidate for President of the United States (and ultimately win)!

[dgibby]

122. From your lips to gawd's ears!

I honestly think he's our last hope for saving whatever's left of this country.

[dorkzilla]

126. I agree 100% - that’s why this election is so critical

It’s do or die for our democracy. I know I’ve said this before but the only thing that makes me slightly less despondent about what’s happening here now is that I have dual citizenship and can, if needs be, leave. I have my citizenship from my immigrant mother, but my dad’s family has been here since a little ship came into Plymouth...so its sad for me. But I’d rather leave and go somewhere the Evangelical Nutters are ignored and/or given a little padded room then have to coexist with people who have NO intention of coexisting, just suppressing anyone who looks/feels/thinks differently. Especially as someone who doesn’t believe in god whatsoever...and has a big mouth. Oh boy, have I got a big mouth.

[dgibby]

138. If I wasn't almost 70, I'd

probably do the same thing. Unfortunately, my latest immigrant relative was a gg grandmother from Canada, so don't think I qualify. One of my earliest immigrant ancestors was the first Puritan minister in Milford,Ct. Poor thing, he must be rolling over in his grave about me. LOL! I have a big mouth, too, have to bite my tongue on a daily basis!

What's really sad for me is that I spent 22 years in the Navy Nurse Corps. Went in during 'Nam, retired after Desert Storm. Can't believe how much things have changed since then. Breaks my heart.

[senz]

147. "Can't believe how much things have changed since then. Breaks my heart."

Same here. Had no idea that what was so normal back then would turn out to be the high point for our nation and perhaps the world. One "good" thing about being older means we may not be here when the shit hits the fan. But oh do I feel for what younger people are facing. Not fair, shouldn't have happened. When things start to go really bad, I might put up a bumper sticker that reads, "Thanks, Republicans!"

[dorkzilla]

150. I have an ancestor who was a circuit preacher in Litchfield, and several Methodist ministers

How heads would have exploded if they knew (gasp) their offspring would someday marry papists and they would have an atheist in their ranks! Also have a great grandfather many generations back that fought at Lexington/Concord. I often wonder what grampy Lazarus Bowker would think of the nation he helped form. Betcha he wouldn't care a damn for it.

[grasswire]

154. you and I might be cousins

PM me your Puritan ancestor's surname, if you wish. I'll check it against my database.

[senz]

135. + 1 That's how it looks to me.

[sabrina 1]

175. Maybe growing BECAUSE of it. People are sick to death of how these dirty tricksters interfere

every election to try to destroy OUR choices of candidates and they are no longer willing to tolerate it. When they did it Kerry no one really fought back. That is not going to be case this time, there is an army of supporters all over the internet getting the message out, looking into who the tricksters are and finding out, and then spreading the info fast before what happened to Kerry happens to anyone else.

Kerry was depending on the MSM who did nothing but encourage the Swift Boaters.

I think people have learned from that. All they accomplished after all their efforts was to get even more attention for BERNIE. And now more people know who he is and what he is about and they are disgusted by the interference with their right to make choices based on honest campaigns.

And we can point to this when the next smear campaign begins as a warning that no one should be fooled, there are powerful forces who are not happy that the people are choosing a candidate this time.

[Maedhros]

29. Hey look!

Apparently, deceitful backdoor attacks on Bernie are all the rage at Daily Kos: damning with faint praise, expressing 'loving' concern, claiming to be a Bernie supporter while shaming Bernie supporters, making up stories about how he can't possibly win and just outright lying. Not surprising I guess, since it's all they've got. I'm just astonished and appalled at the depths to which some people are stooping. It speaks of panicked desperation. Good. That's exactly what they and their 1% Wall Street candidate deserve.

Posters on DU and Kos are getting their talking points from the same source!

[sabrina 1]

33. That was obvious from day one. But they are failing miserably, see Bernie's

growing support, because this is not the old days where most of us were a lot more naive and left wondering what was going on when a so-called Liberal blog was joining the right attacking Liberals.

We KNOW where they are coming from now, and OPAL, the author of that diary knows better than anyone. He like me, WITNESSED the exposure of that blog as it was happening and he became a target of the same operatives Bernie is being, feebly I might add, targeted by now.

[ibegurpard]

36. Oh most definitely

"I love Bernie but..."

[arcane1]

41. My favorites are the "I was going to vote for Sanders but mean DUers changed my mind" posts

[JackInGreen]

74. I want to hear that argument at the Caucases.

I'm sure it'll go over like a turd in a space helmet.

[sabrina 1]

76. Lol, that IS the funniest one of all. Imagine, you have a candidate, and even if

some of the supporters are MEAN, who are they being MEAN TO? Lol

Bernie's supporters are the very best, smart, tough and won't take any BS talking points purchased with Corporate money without exposing them for what they are.

I guess it's mean to expose the dirty tricksters which is amazing really, because I always though all Dems despised that deceptive way of undermining good Dem candidates.

[merrily]

96. Choosing the person who can ask Congress to declare war based on what

anonymous posters at DU say makes all the sense in the world.

Probably.

[jeff47]

127. Nah, the President can start the war first, then ask Congress later.

And if Congress says "no", they aren't supporting our troops in harm's way!!!

(I forget how long the lag time between the war and the ask is....3 days? A week?)

[merrily]

141. I realize a statute says that, but that statute may or may not be unconstitutional.

But, I digress. Point is, reasonable people don't choose a Chief Executive and Commander in Chief of the United States of America based on what happens on a message board.

[A Simple Game]

91. Not to mention supposedly Bernie supporters praising BLM for interrupting his speech.

And to top it off implying Dr. King was little more than a common criminal.

[sabrina 1]

97. Yes, it has become pretty ludicrous, but not very effective. They are getting the liberal base

pretty fired up to go support Bernie, which I doubt was the goal.

Liberals have learned a lot over the past decade. No more playing nice with those who would hijack this democracy.

[dgibby]

116. So it would appear.

Kinda transparent, aren't they?

[CharlotteVale]

30. K&R

[Armstead]

31. F'n A Tweety! If only that video had surfaced earlier much of this crap would have been a moot point

Bernie put it in the strongest terms possible exactly what the BLM movement claims to be wanting him to address.

Like most of the times misleading information enters the zeitgeist via media and the Internut, the correction will, alas be noticed far less that the mistakes (lies) that prompted the error.

[sabrina 1]

37. It was available, and was posted. It won't make a bit of difference to those with

an agenda. A lot of money is spent on these smear campaigns and no amount of FACTS will stop the talking points from continuing, which is why WE have to do what they do, continue to spread the FACTS far and wide, retweet them when you see them, overcome the dirty tricksters by sheer volume, and that is what is happening.

That is why kos became so frustrated that he once again revealed his disdain for Democrats who refuse to cave to the Third Way right on his own blog.

[Armstead]

46. I shoud've said more widely distributed and visible

I know certain people would repeat the false claims regardless, but i think a lot of people who were duped by the falsehoods might have have a different reaction.

[arcane1]

39. That video would have been ignored just like everything else he's said and done.

Facts are invisible these days.

[sabrina 1]

51. Only to those with an agenda. To the vast majority of Americans, facts are

very important and we will have to be the media that gets them out there OVER the expensive smear campaigns. And so far, they are having a hard time overcoming the massive numbers of ordinary people who are sick to death of their deceptions and negative campaign dirty tricks, the facts ARE getting out.

[arcane1]

55. Exactly! That hard work we're signing up for involves more than registering voters and holding signs

We are definitely part of the "new media" and there are waaaaaay more of us than there are of them!

[whatchamacallit]

35. Minor correction - it's OPOL acronym for One Pissed Off Liberal

[sabrina 1]

42. Thanks, I can't believe I made that error, will edit and thank you for

pointing it out. I've been a longtime admirer of his work too!

[whatchamacallit]

54. :)

[Bubzer]

38. Wow...

I didn't know there was an issue with the owner of the Daily KOS blog. Always thought it was a liberal bastion. Guess that just goes to show how little I visit the page. Thanks for sharing! I learned quite a bit today.

[sabrina 1]

45. Always was a problem with the owner of the blog. However it is a good

place for Liberal Dems like OPOL eg, to get their work read, IF they survive, as OPOL did, the purges that occur of Liberals, from time to time.

[navarth]

109. came as a surprise to me too.

...but I hardly ever go there. I just assumed Kos was a liberal like me based on what I'd seen him say on the tv machine back when I used to watch it more...you know, like the days KO was on M$NBC.

Sad to think the guy's trying to hurt Bernie...pretty fucked up, actually.

[sabrina 1]

169. Kos was a Republican who worked for Henry Hyde, he was never a liberal sorry to

say since somehow he ended up being the spokes person for the MSM for all liberals, which was odd since there were so many real liberals around at the time. Many believe he was assigned to the job because he would not rock the boat Sometimes he does talk like a liberal. But every once in a while he goes on a tirade against the 'left' and this time he attacked liberals who support Bernie. That is the reason for the diary.

[navarth]

187. good to know, thanks.

BTW Sabrina, you are one of the best here. Sorry to embarrass you.

[Skwmom]

40. This one fantastic post and sums it up quite nicely. n/t

[Kelvin Mace]

43. I post there on occasion and consider myself an unapologetic

bare-knuckled liberal. I am getting annoyed at the constant attacks on anyone who dares question the liberal bona fides of HRC or Obama.

The evidence is pretty damned clear they are both center right politically. Yes, it seems Obama may be turning a bit more to the Left now that he doesn't have any elections to worry about, but this in no way erases the free pass he gave Wall Street and war criminals.

[sabrina 1]

60. It was always that way there, but there are some good diarists

who haven't moved on to other venues so I still check it out from time to time. It is a center right blog run by a former aide to Henry Hyde so I don't expect much from the FP, and go directly to the side column where the liberals tend to reside.

[Kelvin Mace]

62. Yep!

Shaun King is one of the few regulars I find informative. He has been on top of things since Ferguson blew up last year.

[sabrina 1]

65. Yes, I like his posts. It's been hard to get any interest in Ferguson here

well, until the election cycle started. We had one great poster who was keeping the topic going last year, but he left sadly, citing the lack of interest in Black Lives. It's odd to see the sudden discovery of this issue, though not much actual dialogue, since the election cycle began from people I don't recall being overly supportive of our efforts back then to keep it in the news, at least on liberal blogs.

Which is what so disgusted OPOL in this diary, the sheer hypocrisy of the smear campaign against the one candidate in the race who has the best record on this issue starting decades ago and continuing to his refusal to vote for the Welfare Bill, and all the 'Tough on Crime' legislation.

It needs to constantly pointed out that there is a smear machine at work, distorting the facts and it's up to us to make sure they fail.

I posted OPOL's diary because he said it better than I would have but he speakd for me and many others, and he does it so well.

[Snotcicles]

44. I had to quit listening to "Make It Plain" because of Markos Moulitsas. Mark Thompson

is losing his fan base. I would listen daily. Now it's a few minutes here and there just to check in.

[Snotcicles]

49. And thank you for posting. sabrina 1 nt.

[sabrina 1]

199. You're very welcome Snotcicles!

[Phlem]

47. K&R! K&R! K&R! K&R!

[V0ltairesGh0st]

52. spot on .... OPOL/Sabrina1 Thank you

[libodem]

56. .And then there is this little gem:

[img][/img]

[bvf]

67. I haven't seen or heard any yet,

but I wouldn't be surprised to see outrage from certain quarters along the lines of "They're comparing Sanders to Jesus!"

[arcane1]

78. He's been mockingly referred to as "savior" here, by his opponents

But, as expected, it's treated as the lame remark that it is

[bvf]

83. Yeah, I've seen a few of those posts.

They strike me as about effective as Limbaugh (remember him?) dragging out "Barack, the Magic Negro."

[senz]

123. There are definitely resemblances, but I'm hoping they don't extend all the way.

I don't remember Jesus, but I do remember JFK, RFK, MLK, and Paul Wellstone. May Bernie be safe.

[True Blue Door]

59. I haven't paid attention to Daily Koch (sic) since I was purged

and will never read anything posted there again. But it sounds (based on the description here) like OPOL has a very strong point.

The tiny fringe faction that disrupted the Sanders event does not represent anyone but itself, and certainly not the BLM movement.

This is why we can't have nice things on the left. These selfish assholes who hate everyone but themselves and will eat their own friends for attention.

[sabrina 1]

66. Lol, nice 'slip'. I wasn't purged, I just left years ago when I saw what was going on

A 'liberal blog' lol, it is not, though there are some good liberals who survived the purges and there were many, like OPOL.

Consider it a badge of honor. I believe someone even made a badge for Liberals who were purged from that Third Way site.

[True Blue Door]

92. I chose to play it out to the end, even though I saw it coming.

And that was two years ago, so I get a little bit of schadenfreude imagining how bad it must have gotten since then.

To be honest, it wasn't all the right-wing types though - some of the people making that place intolerable were like the assholes who shouted down Sanders. People who insisted they were progressives while basically just hating everyone and everything.

Liberals were squeezed out between those two sets of useless pricks. You really had to think very hard before saying anything by the end over there, like in an authoritarian police state. Just stating the simple truth up-front with no ulterior agenda would get you randomly mobbed by some psycho faction, for reasons you could often never anticipate.

[sabrina 1]

200. I was there around 2006 and left in 2008 after watching what was to me

worse bullying than I ever saw on many of the right wing sites I ventured on to. I stayed only to stand up for diarists like OPOL who was under constant attack with efforts to get him banned.

I couldn't believe it to be honest. In fact, it got so bad, for Liberals, that someone who used to work on the tech for the site and was well known there, started his own blog and invited us to go there where we were able to call them all out finally and they couldn't do anything about it.

That blog got so popular people were getting more recs for their OPs there than on DK.

And that really scared them, the more it grew, and since he had created kos's software, the software there was very similar, people loved it.

But one day he just shut the whole thing down. We were shocked, but we knew he was getting attacked and someone got in touch with him to ask if that was the reason. He didn't say yes or no.

DK is reknowned for what you describe, but it will continue roping in good liberals who think, as we all did, that it is a liberal site.

It was my awakening re 'our party' to be honest.

[True Blue Door]

205. And the fucked up thing is that for a while, DK was the best thing available.

Then diaries equating the Obama administration with the Holocaust and linking to Alex Jones articles started making the front page, and the writing was on the wall.

[SoapBox]

61. K & R!

[merrily]

64. Third Way is challenging Sanders on GLBT?

I have an app OP for that: http://www.democraticunderground.com/128033139

I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.

Transcendentalist Minister Theodore Parker, abolitionist

That arc doesn't bend of its own force. Always, always, people have had to lean on it. And Bernie has been one of those people for all of his adult life, if not longer. Sanders is almost always on the correct side of history, straight up, no triangulation and no leading from behind.

[Betty Karlson]

172. Please understand the following ground rule for this campaign: it's not about what has been done.

It's about what is yet to be done.

Sanders showed he gets that, because he shares his stage with BLM rather than trying to suppress an "interrupting message". He includes the concerns of PoC when they feel their problems are not just economic ones.

So if the Third Way fabricates a problem for Mr. Sanders with LGBT, what he could do is go to Philadelphia, share his stage with a LGBT homeless youth, or go to Kansas and share it with a gay guy fired over his marriage announcement. Because THAT would be a better message to LGBT concerns than touting a 40 year old record (impressive as the record may be).

Or he can just go to San Fransisco and get a kiss or two. That's not a concern to anyone, but it would make a great photo.

And while we are talking about problems that are partially non-economic: how many LGBT has he already pledged to help THIS YEAR, by addressing the racial harassment they experience on top of harassment over their sexual orientation? - on top of the financial harassment of the bottom 90%?

[merrily]

184. I get that. The pundits on MSNBC explained that Hillary does not want people to look at anything

in her past, not even her 2008 primary campaign. She just wants us to focus on what her hundreds of campaign consultants decide she should be saying now.

Bernie, however, is fine running on his actual record, as well as on his plans for the future. With Bernie, those two things are congruent and consistent. Then, now and next year. No surprises. That's my preference. I've never even liked surprise parties.

[bvf]

68. K&R!

Excellent OP, Sabrina! Thanks!

[MisterP]

69. it's always reeked of suspicion that SANDERS is the one supposed to "have a race problem"

it entirely ignores everything he's actually done, and does so so openly that it becomes noticeable

[bvf]

137. Attack your enemy

on his/her strengths.

Often attributed to Rove, but I imagine the principle predates him.

[Babel_17]

71. That was a very moving piece

It worked on both the emotional level, and that of the intellect.
I hope that piece is distributed far and wide, maybe it will sway some minds.

[JackInGreen]

72. OnePissedOffLiberal

Is one of the primary voices that keep me going back to KOS. We could use em here.

[KoKo]

75. Thank You, Sabrina 1! I've bookmarked the OPOL link at Kos...

Thanks for posting his latest here. Good to have that reference and not to have to wade through KOS Front Page or whatever it is these days to read OPOL's post. I haven't been over there in years..

Great Post!

[sabrina 1]

77. Same here. He's a great Leftie Dem with the creds to do what he does, a long

record of activism unlike some of our newly minted 'spokespersons' who have nothing of the kind. As OPOL says, 'you have don't have the standing' and they don't, so good for him for telling them straight to their faces.

While he and Bernie were actively fighting for Civil Rights, or voting, in Bernie's case AGAINST legislation that harmed AAs, Kos was working for Henry Hyde.

Sick of the 'former republicans' and former other types, lecturing real Dems, lifelong Dems on issues they have no standing on.

Kos had a huge minority issue on DK also, and isn't exactly known for his tolerance for minority issues which he called 'ponies' and 'pet issues' 'preventing us from winning'.

[merrily]

80. Think I'll join kos to try to support this poster, though I fear

a ban is imminent.

[sabrina 1]

95. They've tried before to ban him and the entire blog rose up

against them. He has survived with enough support there that he can now write the truth like this and know he has the support of a majority of the membership. I don't think it would be smart to ban him especially after the shameful display by Kos himself, once again.

His posts probably bring more people to DK than all the FPers combined. And kos was reminded of the fact that his ratings are up ONLY because of Bernie supporters.

[merrily]

98. I will not make any comparisons between

DK and any other message board.





Nope, I won't.

[malokvale77]

117. ha ha

Nor will I.

[Spirochete]

82. Great OP!

Sanders/OPOL 2016

[Dont call me Shirley]

84. The riech-wing of both parties are petrified of Bernie! He is the new FDR and that terrifies them!

[Indepatriot]

85. Sabrina, YOU ROCK!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

86. At a debate in '08 a young woman asked Hillary, "Diamonds or pearls?"....

Her answer was, "I want BOTH."

[rhett o rick]

88. Thanks once again for posting. The Liberals need to take back their Party from the Conservatives.nm

[sabrina 1]

108. Liberals have been intimidated for too long by the Rovian tactics of

playing the Race Card, I don't care one whit about their lies, or their labels. I KNOW who I am, and now we know why they are.

They have bullied and intimidated good people and I despise bullies. Now people are finally standing up.

Calling liberals racist? Really? Laugh at them , that's all the attention those tactics deserve. NEVER try to defend against lies, go on the offensive.

THEY taught me. It took a while, but these are not nice people and we cannot be nice. Shocking for them to see their 'victims' show just how wrong they were thinking they could USE this AGAIN, and getting their rear ends kicked in return.

Goiing to find some new tactics.

The TRUTH is that Sanders is the best candidate on Civil Rights in this race, and lying about that is so low I can't find the words to say what I feel about it.

So I posted OPOL's words who said a lot better than I would. Pushback HARD against these lies and deceivers.

[passiveporcupine]

89. And to reiterate this most important point

July 17
Iowa Democratic Hall of Fame Dinner

Bernie speaks:

And like everbody in this room
I want to see an America where when young black men walk down the street, they will not be harrassed by police officers. They will not be killed. They will not be shot.

July 18
Netroot Nations event disrupted by BLM.

[Maedhros]

94. BLM seems more interested in generating publicity for BLM (and harassing Sanders)

than it does in finding actual solutions to the problem.

[hootinholler]

103. July 25

A fiery speech to SCLC on racial problems which form the backbone of his racial justice plan.

Aug 8
The day he is to announce hiring Symone Sanders as a press secretary, an event where he is an invited speaker (not a rally) is disrupted by BLM who claim he has never addressed BLM issues.

[MuseRider]

90. Thank you for this.

I will not go to Kos. I see things that friends of mine post and I will occasionally click one but I will not willingly go there, have never been a member.

I appreciate this and will read it all later.

[bbgrunt]

93. most excellent!! +1000

[colsohlibgal]

99. Appalled

It just all smells funny. Bernie Sanders is an ally of all the 99%, white/black/Whatever.

The two ladies who caused the last disruption were just way out of bounds. Black lives surely do matter but.....that was as rude as anything I've seen. First off it was not Bernie's event to begin with.

Why isn't this happening with Hillary, with any of the 15-20 republican candidates?

I could not be more suspicious about all of this. Thom Hartmann, after this, recalled the smear campaign on Ed Muskie in 1972, about him having problems with French Canadians or something, supposedly started by comment from one of them. Only it was from Tricky Dick's dirty tricksters.

[sabrina 1]

101. Yes, and now it doesn't just smell bad, we know what it is.

What's shameful is that anyone on a progressive forum actually supported them, supported the anti-semitic right wing garbage they spewed, just because of their own agenda.

It sure revealed a lot about people who claim to be on the side of justice.

And even funnier is to see people who never lifted a hand to support the Ferguson protesters, I remember who was trying to help them here, SUDDENLY discover the movement after a full year of ignoring it AND defending this Government for it's failure to protect Black Lives.

Hypocrisy beyond belief has been exposed.

[dgibby]

121. It isn't happening to Hillary

because she holds her events in gated communities with invited guests who can afford her. Even if she does eventually come out in public, the SS wouldn't let those protesters into the audience, much less onto the stage. They'd be hauled off in cuffs if they even thought about pulling that stunt at one of her events.

[sabrina 1]

125. We know what it's all about now. Many of us suspected it

when it started. But they won't be doing it to Republicans or to Hillary with or without the SS and that is for sure.

Just fyi, Hillary has been heckled and interrupted. She was heckled by people who object to the money in politics, they were next to her. So no, that doesn't explain why this small group hasn't gone after her.

I went to their online sites and asked them when they would be disrupting Republicans and Hillary, and was told I was a 'troll'. Not surprising at all.

The Ferguson protesters are being undermined by these right wingers, I only hope it doesn't harm their courageous efforts over the past year.

[senz]

145. Haven't noticed any "Hillary's a racist" memes floating about online, either.

Aw but we're not supposed to notice these things, now are we?

[senz]

140. Thom Hartmann's 1st two hours today are on the BLM disruption.

I haven't listened to the podcast yet but am looking forward to it. Thom does not want to hurt Hillary's chances should Bernie not get the nom, but he has hosted Bernie every week for years, and it is obvious how much he loves and respects the man. So today's podcast should be interesting.

[senz]

102. K&R Says it all. Should be posted in Hillary Groups.

Might wake a few up -- or maybe H's powerful magnetic pull on their souls is more than they can muster the strength to resist.

[WillyT]

111. K & R !!!

[dgibby]

124. Nailed it!

Great post! Thanks, Sabrina. K&R! This should be required reading.

[sabrina 1]

130. Thanks goes to the diarist who is a superb writer and has

the liberal creds to speak about these issues. Unlke a few we are seeing who came late to the issue of AAs and the injustices over the decades they have endured, as late as this election cycle actually.

Sick to death of the deceptions.

[Scuba]

129. K and effing R

[PatrickforO]

131. Awesome, Sabrina! K&R X 1,000

[Purveyor]

132. Thanks for posting this. K&R eom

[MoveIt]

146. Kick

[Fawke Em]

148. I'd reccommend this but since 212 people already have,

I'll just tell you how great I think this post is "in person."

[sabrina 1]

159. Credit goes to One Pissed Off Liberal. He's one incredible

writer. He spoke for me better than I could have, so I just copied and pasted and let him do the talking!

Looks like he spoke for an awful lot of people!

[I hate liars]

149. Thank you for expressing our frustration so forcefully

The most important point in this post is that the left IS the Democratic party. Party leadership and most elected Democrats have betrayed the majority of voters who put them in office. And Marcos has been shoring up their faux legitimacy for years.

We need to keep pushing back on third way, triangulating BS politicians, political consultants, and bloggers until the media has no choice but to recognize the sea change - and truth - that Bernie is bringing to presidential politics.

[99th_Monkey]

156. It's hella beautiful how a crystal-clear dose of truth clears the air & defogs the windows.

thanks Sabrina1. And to OPOL as well.

[Uncle Joe]

157. And the one candidate that wants to restore Glass-Steagall.

Thanks for the thread, sabrina.

[sabrina 1]

166. Yes, thank you Uncle Joe. It's hard to list all the good things Bernie has worked for

there are so many. Thanks for reminding us of that most important issue.

[Uncle Joe]

167. Thanks for the thanks, sabrina

Peace to you.

[cui bono]

161. Totally agree. And the problem with saying all this now is that some PoC think we are lecturing them

by bringing up his record constantly. Of course we wouldn't have to do it if there weren't a concerted effort by whites and PoC to bring him down on racial issues. If his racial cred wasn't being challenged, it wouldn't have to be defended constantly.

[sabrina 1]

174. It doesn't have to be defended. It was a made up dirty trick from the beginning and it is

despicable, and from the moment it began, many people KNEW what it was. I'm glad it was exposed early for what it was. But they won't stop so people will have to be ready to expose them each time they try. All this is backfiring as they actually seemed to believe their own lies.

The fact is that Bernie had no problem with AAs or other minorities. The ONLY problem was the same one he had ALL AMERICANS, they have never heard of him. And as soon as they did, they were impressed.

I was following for a long time, because of Ferguson last year, many of the members of the Ferguson protests. I saw NO sign of any animosity at all towards Sanders. And I have always followed minority blogs where there is a lot of good information in general and lots of real activism.

I saw groups of minorities forming FOR Bernie, same as everyone else as his campaign moved forward. I posted it about it here.

So I knew this was a planned smear campaign to try to paint a picture of him BEFORE minorities got to know him.

They are shameful, these dirty tricksters, and we have to never allow them to intimidate people by using issues, such as race, as they used veterans against Kerry, but call it what it is the minute it starts.

Unfortunately for them, they forgot that this isn't the 'nineties or early 2,000s and Bernie has an army of volunteers ready to fight back each time these lies surface.

BLM opened Bernie's event in LA and more people, like Symone Sanders who was a supporter and reached out to him BECAUSE of what was going on and she wanted to help, are going to be joining his campaign.

So as far as this dirty trick, it has backfired spectacularly and it is shameful that anyone here was so willing to join the dirty tricksters in the first plan and push the deception and use it. We learned a lot about people who CLAIM to be FOR AAs though.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

163. "Purges of Liberals" on "that site" -- dailykos.com ?!?

So you're saying that dailykos.com purges people for being liberal? Seriously?

The delusion is absolutely unreal at this point. I guess you have to be to think Senator Sanders is going to win.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[sabrina 1]

168. If it was worth my while, I would post hundreds of links to the history of that site

but it isn't, I know the facts and so do all those who know that history. Thankfully they failed to ban OPOL with all the others, because there was an outright revolt on his behalf and I guess with the following he has/had there they decided it would be a bad business decision.

They were right, the only reason people go there since then is because of Liberals like OPOL.

You are as usual so very wrong. I would hate to be wrong that often, once in while is okay, but there is a limit before one loses all credibility.

Love that quote from Rove you use as a sigline. Nothing like a 'Dem Conservative sporting a Rove quote on a Dem forum. There is something beautifully ironic about it.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

173. Alright, see back in reality, www.dailykos.com is an incredibly liberal site

And the only people they ban are outright disrupters who say they're going to vote for the GOP if they don't get exactly what they want - hold their breath and turn blue.

But I'll let you go on, Sabrina, and keep believing your made-up bullshit. It's ever so amusing to watch you flail about as a few BLM protesters do to your beloved Bernie, what you do to Democrats all the time. Almost as amusing as seeing you still getting "Proud Member of the Reality Based Community" wrong, even after other people here have written veritable essays explaining to you the true origination of the phrase.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[sabrina 1]

179. Another personal attack from you. I take as much pride in those

who hate that I tell the truth as I do in the huge numbers of people who appreciate the truth.

You are known as much by your enemies as you are by your friends. I am proud of both. You give me huge creds every time you launch into one of your personal attacks, so thanks, again.

The short lived smear campaign has been exposed, BLM opened for Bernie in LA tonight, he will be working with the REAL activists as he always has, starting even before he entered politics, and throughout his long political career.

Dirty tricksters get exposed much faster now than when Kerry was running. Thankfully honest people despise such tactics and those who support them.

It's over, you may as well drop it before someone thinks you approve of such despicable tactics.

[sabrina 1]

202. You forgot to mention the Bashing of Bernie Sanders that has driven so many away

from this site.

But thanks to those who support him, more people are coming back and DU getting so many new members signing up just to read about his campaign.

As for the rest of your diatribe, I'll let others read these exchanges and judge for themselves.

[LiberalElite]

208. No Bernie Bashing here - and you're a member of the Reality Based Community?

[Paka]

170. K&R

Thanks so much for the post. Wasn't aware of OPOL as I rarely go to Kos. I love the nice succinct list on Bernie's positives. I can make good use of that.

[emsimon33]

171. 1000 K&R

[BeanMusical]

178. Awesome!

[dreamnightwind]

180. Thanks Sabrina, and OPOL

it is time to fight back against these smears. Great job in the OP and down through the thread.

I pretty much crossed a line yesterday, it greatly angers me to see such a good man attacked so wrongly. He has a difficult struggle against huge odds to get elected, and he needs help in that task, not wrongful accusation and disruption.

If I didn't care so much about his candidacy and what it represents, I wouldn't be bothered so much by the false attacks.

The progressive left has, for as long as I can remember, been without representation or power, and our Democratic Party has consistently punched down against us while taking the money and the policies of the wealthy, as our country descends into a distopian hell where the wealthy get wealthier, policies don't represent the people, a police state is erected to keep a lid on it all, and a corrupt and bought-out two party system is only too hapy to ignore every real problem, including climate change and the most people in prison on the planet.

To attack Sanders in this context is not to attack the powerful or the people who can make a difference, it is to attack an eternally disempowered faction of this country whose policies have been systematically denied and ignored my entire lifetime. Sanders is doing great but still faces a huge uphill battle to get elected. I hope these people protesting him will get on board and join us. If not, we must fight back, it's going to take all the effort we can muster to win the primary.

[Enthusiast]

183. Wow! K&R! This post has hundreds of recommendations! Thank you, sabrina!

Go, Bernie!

[Farmbrook]

204. Mystified! Thank you Bernie as a Black supporter

The issue is not that BS has not being a fierce advocate for minorities over the years, rather as black people we look up to him because of his proven track record on the issue. In a way he is the only one that can better advocate our issues and that is why BLM sought him out. Not out of malice or otherwise. For one thing I am glad they did because black people are dying unnecessarily. We are dying! We have been waiting 400 years for a savior and he/she is not coming. If we don't we might not live to see his fantastic reforms implemented. Am sure most of you would do the same thing if your lives were in danger.

However, I am saddened to see how his so called supporters are acting like the republican tea party fringe. I am scared that these same rabid supporters will derail his campaign. On the other hand am happy that he has not entertained their so called feign outrage on BLM interrupting his speech. Rather he rose to the challenge by putting out a statement on the issue and purposefully hiring an African American person to better address the issues. Sir, please stay true to yourself and do not entertain the mouth frothing so called supporters and their righteous indignation. You have my vote and I thank you.

[d_legendary1]

206. Welcome to DU! Glad to have you here!

Bernie isn't and hasn't been about small talk. He's always been fighting for the commoner all his life. If our political system had men like him the 1%ers would be reduced to 30 or 40 %ers and none of this bullspit we're experiencing now. Nutbags would be disarmed and our hand gun murder rate would decrease. I'm willing to bet his DOJ AG would have put some killer cops behind bars and assure us that we are a nation of laws and no one is above it.

In short the man gets it!