Hillary Clinton is playing a Dangerous Game: How her Anti-Bernie TP's Could Cost Her & America
Last edited Mon Dec 21, 2015, 01:58 PM - Edit history (1)
Hillary Clinton is playing a dangerous game: How her anti-Bernie talking points could cost her — and America — big time
As her lead in the primary widens, Clinton seems to be moving back toward the center. This could be a huge mistake
Conor Lynch
Hillary Clinton is starting to remind progressives why the name Clinton brings up such a mixed bag of emotions, and why it’s so hard to believe Clinton’s pivot to the left this campaign season. Lately, the “progressive who likes to get things done” has gone after her main competition, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for his advocacy of a single-payer healthcare system, which is a staple of progressive policy, found in many other industrialized states like Canada and Taiwan. Taking a page out of the GOP handbook, Clinton and her campaigners have gone into fear-mongering mode about the fact that such a plan would cause an increase in taxes on the middle class.
“Hardworking, middle-class families need a raise, not a tax increase,” said Clinton during the second Democratic debate, while a senior adviser to a pro-Clinton organization tweeted: “Hillary Clinton was the only one who ruled out raising taxes on the middle class – others talked about raising taxes to 70 and 90 percent.” Of course, this is nonsense. Sanders only stated the fact that the top rate was over 90 percent under Dwight Eisenhower. He was quite clear when he said: “We haven’t come up with an exact number yet, but it will not be as high as the number under Dwight D. Eisenhower, which was 90 percent. I’m not that much of a socialist compared to Eisenhower.” (Plus, people seem to forget that he is talking about a progressive tax, with top rates only on income over a certain level, not all of the income an eligible individual earns.)
Indeed, the Clinton campaign is starting to sound more and more like Republicans. Chris Christie said something similar last month (albeit more crudely): “The socialist says they’re going to pay for everything and give you everything for free, except they don’t tell you they’re going to raise your taxes to 90 percent to do it.”
“Pants on Fire,” ruled PolitiFact, calling it a “grossly misleading characterization.”
Grossly misleading characterizations are expected from GOP candidates, but the Clinton campaign? Nobody mentions the fact that a single-payer plan (which would admittedly be impossible to get through Congress in today’s political climate) would significantly lower the expenses of middle-class families and, with the proper regulations and price controls, lower the outrageously high healthcare costs in the United States.
It is certainly an interesting strategy for the Clinton campaign, which has regained its confidence over the past month or so, as her numbers have jumped more than 10 percentage points since the first debate in October. (Sanders has also gone up about 6 points, but is now more than 25 points behind Clinton.) Things are going well, so why would Clinton attack Sanders with a petty GOP-style tactic?
-------
Sanders has been quite clear from the onset that he will not be a spoiler and that he will vote for the Democratic nomination. But Clinton is making it harder for progressives to support her. With a history of hawkish foreign policy and Wall Street backing, she truly is the lesser to two evils. (A neoliberal is better than a fascist, after all.) But many on the left tend to vote with their conscience, and going after single-payer healthcare and hurling dishonest attacks on Sanders will only alienate progressives further.
http://www.salon.com/2015/11/20/hillary_clinton_is_playing_a_dangerous_game_how_her_anti_bernie_talking_points_could_cost_her_and_america_big_time/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Now we see what we didn't then, so busy defending Bill & Hillary against RW/Limbaugh, Starr Commission and the "Bimbo Eruption" (as it was called way back then) culminating in the revelations of the room off the Oval Office with the Cigar Sex Revelations. So much Drama and Theater with the Clintons. Some of us don't want to see "PART 3." 
I think it was tied together. And frankly, I think it continues to this day. Maybe I shouldn't admit that.
as that Bush Official ...Ari Fleisher, I think, said:"Watch What You Say" ...after 9/11. We all have to be so careful these days. "Tied Together."
....simple math has lead me to this decision. If Walmart hates Unions and Hillary sat on the Walmart Board of Directors(for six long years), then,
1 + 1 = Bernie!!!! There you go, simple math. Have a nice day. 
