Sanders on 60 Minutes couldn't say what his programs will cost, how they'll be paid for

[highplainsdem]

And he was clearly impatient with Anderson Cooper's questions, brushing them aside by saying he "can't rattle off every nickel and dime."

Right, Bernie.

Tens of trillions of dollars of additional debt are just "nickels and dimes."

Acting as if he's dealing with play money isn't likely to impress any of the swing voters we'll need to win, though it might sound okay to the very gullible.

[apcalc]

1. I don't think he knows honestly.

[empedocles]

10. Don't think BS cares. BS is all about shakey IA, NH, NV hype.

November voters will be educated to care about real dollars.

[Perseus]

75. Listen, Biden has not provided specifics either besides saying "we will improve Obamacare"

But he has not said how he will "improve" it. If you go to Klubachar's website is even worst, the comment by Warren of the "sticky note" is true, Klubachar's website is pitiful.

The best and more detail documentation on how things will be done are provide by Elizabeth Warren, but Bernie's is not as bad as the rest either.

[apcalc]

92. Betcha Warren has a plan .

[wisteria]

103. Improvements to the ACA, can be done through legislation.

All Sanders had to do was explain in a broad way, how he was going to obtain the funds he needed to implement his plans.

[questionseverything]

128. so why didnt biden improve the aca when he was in power?

[Stallion]

77. Its Irrelevant Anyway Because There Aren't 60 Votes in the Senate

we've seen this before in the Obama healthcare vote. The votes aren't there and you've got to be objective and realize that his platform will never be passed. Our chances of getting to 50 in Senate though will be diminished-Bernie will insure that Mitch McConnell is still the majority leader

[Happy Hoosier]

113. Of course he doesn't know.

He’s in the business of making promises that appeal to his followers, not developing actual policies. He knows NONE of this will pass, so why worry about paying for it?

[liberal N proud]

2. Been saying this all along

But all I get in response is don't you want health care for all.

There is no reality based thinking

[musette_sf]

3. Yep

[Cha]

4. Of course he didn't

[guillaumeb]

5. FDR could not have said how much his programs would have cost either.

Hoe much will it cost if we do nothing about climate change, as just one example?

How much more will Americans suffer if we do not replace the current, for profit, healthcare system with MFA?

[TwilightZone]

9. Sanders isn't FDR.

And we have the Congressional Budget Office now in part because we had no idea how much programs would cost.

[HarlanPepper]

31. The FDR fantasies

Get more bizarre all the time. I sometimes wonder if there is cosplay involved.

[Chellee]

102. Well, now you've gone and done it.

Now I desperately want to go to a convention and see someone dressed as Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. OMG, People should do that! Cosplay the nominating convention! This should be a thing.

[Perseus]

80. guillaumeb didn't say Sanders is FDR, so what is your point?

What guillaumeb said is that FDR didn't say it either, and neither has Biden, or Klubachar, or Mayor Pete, the only one who has that kind of detail is Warren, although Sanders HAS said how he intends to do it, by raising taxes on the 1% and making changes to the tax system to make it fair to everyone. By taxing corporations who now pay almost $0.00 in taxes...Please tell me that you have heard Bernie Sanders say it, because he says it all the time, if you haven't then I have no idea why you are making those comments. He has also mentioned that he will cut the exorbitant military spending, and be very concerned about all the money trump is giving the military, he is trying to buy them.

Anyway, if you have not listened to what Bernie has been saying how he intends to do it then please do, after that you should comment anything you want, but not having listened to what he has been saying since 2014 then there is very little discussion.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. Not really

FDR was actually very aware of the cost of the New Deal because he thought fiscal responsibility was vital to his re-election. In fact the New Deal was paid for pretty well with higher taxes on business in exchange for relaxation of monopoly rules, tariff protection on raw material (which led to firmer commodity prices to halt the meltdown) and business' promise to hire as many workers as practicable.

By 1937 FDR was raising taxes to balance the budget which led to the famous "Roosevelt Recession".

So history cannot be rewritten to support your own theses, there are things called facts to deal with.

[guillaumeb]

15. And of course it would be impossible to raise taxes on the wealthy.

Ask Sanders and Warren about that.

[betsuni]

39. The Obama administration raised taxes on the wealthy.

"Thanks to Obama, the rich paid more in taxes in 2013 than they did in 1980"

http://www.vox.com/2016/6/9/11894794/obama-tax-increase-rich-one-percent

[Buzz cook]

106. He didn't raise taxes

so much as let some of the Bush tax cut lapse.

[lapucelle]

67. Isn't every Democratic candidate calling for raising taxes on the wealthy?

[Blue_true]

89. Rolling back the republican tax giveaway and closing tax loopholes

will be massive. Bloomberg and Biden are calling for those actions.

[lapucelle]

108. Bloomberg's tax plan goes even further.

Under Bloomberg’s tax plan, several changes made by TCJA would be reversed: the top individual income tax rate would be increased from 37 percent to 39.6 percent and the corporate income tax rate would rise from 21 percent to 28 percent.

Bloomberg would tax income from capital gains , which is currently subjected to lower tax rates when gains are held for more than one year, to ordinary income tax rates for taxpayers with $1 million or more in income. His plan would also end step-up in basis for capital gains.

On top of this, Bloomberg proposes a new 5 percent surtax on income (both from capital and labor) above $5 million. He would also end like-kind exchanges and tax carried interest as ordinary income.

https://taxfoundation.org/michael-bloomberg-tax-plan/

[Blue_true]

126. Sometimes to get to the money, you need someone who know where it is hidden. nt

[mitch96]

99. I think that's what he was eluding to when he was talking about corporate socialism

Take the money from the corporate subsidies and put it towards social reform.. The oil companies et al make billions.. they don't need subsidies..
Tax the top 1%.. Buffet says it will work.
m

[guillaumeb]

123. Agreed.

The rich can afford to be taxed much more heavily, and still remain far too rich.

[Blue_true]

88. Don't waste your breath with factual summations of reality.

Some people have simply checked out and are just chasing a fantasy, while doable, concrete things will have to wait a few more decades, or after republicans cause another near or real depression.

[sheshe2]

17. Build on what we have.

Build on ACA that can grow and flourish. Build up, do not tear everything down.

Fact is trump has left us in trillions of dollars in debt and BS wants to add a few more trillion? That is not the way to grow our economy or help we the people.

BS is going to have his hands full if he comes into office. I don't think he has what it takes to correct it and he can't move forward until he does.

[guillaumeb]

21. In my view, MFA will not pass unless Congress passes it.

But, a huge but, opening the discussion will widen the terms of the debate, and push the debate back from the right and more to the center.

In Canada, no serious conservatives suggest abolishing single payer, because they know that it works.

We both know that tax cuts for the rich never grow a healthy economy, so we need to propose broad solutions like MFA, and a Green New Deal, and many more programs to deal with the many serious issues that affect our economy.

[sheshe2]

25. Of course it won't.

[guillaumeb]

26. The GOP controls the terms and limits of the debate.

We must change that, or nothing can pass unless the GOP approves of it.

[sheshe2]

104. Mitch is sitting on over 400 bills.

Many passed by congress with bipartisan vote.

He refuses to bring them to the floor, including ones to protect OUR ELECTIONS!

He is not called Moscow Mitch without a reason. We don't have a Senate then we will see nothing. Nothing will ever get passed. Nothing.

[guillaumeb]

124. Right on point, she.

The GOP is the problem.

[George II]

46. But FDR didn't have the ACA to build on or Medicare that's working. FDR didn't propose....

....scrapping an entire industry and replacing it with a new government program that may or may not work.

2020 is NOT 1930.

[guillaumeb]

122. FDR made bold proposals, that the GOP opposed.

And that has not changed. The rich will always oppose what might decrease their wealth.

Hint: We outnumber them.

[Kurt V.]

6. true swing voters are about 8% of the electorate.

[TwilightZone]

12. 2016 came down to fractions of one percent in three states.

[Kurt V.]

20. i don't think this is an accurate analysis of *what it came down to*. It's superficial

without delving into turnout, comey , Russia and her emails.

[TwilightZone]

23. It's the only measurable data we have.

My point was that 8% is a huge number in relation to what allowed Trump to win via EC in 2016. Very little "swing" the other direction and we're all working on Clinton's reelection campaign.

[Kurt V.]

28. it isn't the only measurably data. there are things like voter rolls or state population dynamics

but i will concede 8% was huge in 2016 bc of where it happened.

[58Sunliner]

56. What? Look at the numbers.

Irrespective of turnout etc.., the margin of deciding votes was very slim. Much less than 8%.

[Kurt V.]

57. I'm pointing out national numbers. that it happened in a concentrated area should make

one go hmmm.

[58Sunliner]

62. The whole election should make us go hmmm.

And if you think it was manipulated, why wouldn't they do it a second time with Bernie? For Bernie. And then for DT.

[Kurt V.]

68. I'm pretty sure you're right.

[58Sunliner]

118. IMO it's all about plausible deniability-PD.

Bernie won't win swing states, Bernie didn't think we would have a blue wave in 2018 because in his view, the candidates weren't progressive enough. His viewpoint is faulty because he sees only himself as a solution. That is like DT. That is dangerous. We had a blue wave with many moderate candidates, many in repuke areas. Jill Stein was a red herring IMO to allow PD in hacking vote totals. Bernie will serve as the same foil. And the down ballot matters so much. We have a chance with Biden to take the Senate. Won't happen, IMO with Bernie. In Nevada only a small percentage of registered Dems voted. The big Bernie victory didn't really happen on the scale we are being led to think it was. That is another issue.

[TexasBushwhacker]

71. But swing voters in swing states matter n/t

[George II]

7. He did similar with Norah O'Donnell. When asked if he knew how much it would cost...

....he said no, then turned it around to "you don't know!"

They're not Norah O'Donnell's proposals, they're HIS!

[Cha]

16. SMH

[TwilightZone]

8. Someone posted a theory that everyone knows that this stuff won't pass...

but Sanders simply bringing attention to the issues and making the (untenable) proposals makes him unique and the best candidate.

When I stopped laughing, I realized that my status as a, shall we say, committed realist might be part of why I don't support him.

[George II]

49. It won't pass. And he's not bringing attention to issues, most Americans are well aware....

....of those issues.

Members of Congress from Michigan have been bringing attention to universal health care coverage (John Sr, John Jr, and Debbie Dingell) since the mid-1940s.

We HAVE done something about that issue - Congress created Medicare and Medicaid and improved upon it. Congress passed the ACA.

[TwilightZone]

54. Oh, I agree.

I've had many an argument with a Sanders supporter who seems to believe that political history started in 2015 when Sanders announced his candidacy.

I've had to explain that calls for universal health care travel through (in addition to those you mentioned) FDR, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton and even Richard Nixon. They probably start with Teddy Roosevelt's support of the concept of health insurance more than 100 years ago.

The lack of knowledge of political history, even recent political history, among some of his supporters is kind of astonishing. And depressing.

[TCJ70]

13. It doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter.

It's a silly question to ask any candidate what their plans will cost. There are so many variables that come into play when talking about things like M4A that it isn't possible to answer that question about it. So, from my perspective, I just don't care about the answer to that question. I think some form of M4A is the right way to go, the fine details will be ironed out later.

I, and I think many others, are choosing a candidate based on the vision they have for the future. What will it cost? What does it matter if it's the right thing to do?

[highplainsdem]

22. Oh, good. We'll just pay for the programs with magic visions and fairy dust.

As long as we're doing that, why doesn't magical mystical Sanders just forgive everyone's mortgages, medical bills, credit card debts, gambling debts (as long as we're being magically generous), throw in a $600,000 vacation home for everyone, just like Bernie's, and then follow whatever invisible leprechaun is giving him advice to whatever pot of gold at the end of whatever rainbow he thinks he'll find the necessary revenue at?

Most of us have to live in the real world.

[emmaverybo]

66. +100000

[Stallion]

83. Mmm Kinda Makes Me Feel the BURNNNN

[TCJ70]

86. Such disdain for the idea of guaranteed healthcare for others. A goal I thought we all had in...

...common. Your response is so full of spiteful idiocy that it mostly isn't worth responding to. I will respond to the last line, though:

The real world is full of countries who figured it out with far less resources than we have at our disposal. We don't even have to reinvent the wheel here. The real world that we do all live in suggests that universal healthcare is not only possible, but that it happens everyday for a huge number of people all over the very real world.

It almost sounds like you should reevaluate if you do actually live in the real world...

[highplainsdem]

95. I don't disdain the idea of guaranteed healthcare. I disdain unrealistic promises. Biden's

plan is much more realistic and affordable. It would also minimize disruptions as people switched gradually to the government plan, if they wanted it.

And Sanders is promising much more than MFA. Such as a student debt forgiveness plan that will not only cost $1.6 trillion but will also be horribly regressive, giving most of the money to people who don't really need it.

[Moderateguy]

24. You think Trump won't ask I'm what it costs in the general?

[TCJ70]

81. I'm sure he will. Because he's dumb. It won't matter then, either. n/t

[HarlanPepper]

32. Yeah, well, a lot of people will.

So there’s that.

[druidity33]

35. Yes! At least 1 person agrees with you...

The cost can be worked out! Senator Professor Warren has a plan for that! I am using exclamation points! But really everyone knows this will be a huge transition but for the benefit of all. If Bernie is the next Prez I bet SPW helps from the Senate to get his agenda passed. And vice versa...



K&R

[58Sunliner]

60. And given Bernie's most excellent list of accomplishments-

two post offices, an interstate trans bill, wording in a bill, I know this guy does not have the vision or the experience to pull this off. I have a vision too, but it involves someone who actually is able to formulate a plan and execute it.

[SCantiGOP]

14. I watched it

I was impressed with Bernie.
I will have no problem giving him my enthusiastic support if he gets the nomination.

[dalton99a]

18. Trivial detail.

"Just run the presses - print money"

[Moderateguy]

19. The problem here is when he's evades the interviewer back off

[still_one]

27. I can tell you who can. Elizabeth Warren

[highplainsdem]

29. Yes. And the fact Sanders is doing better than she is shows just how fundamentally unrealistic

many in the left wing of the Democratic Party (and to the left of the party) are.

[rzemanfl]

30. Was he asked about Russian "help?" n/t

[AlexSFCA]

33. ACA may be effectively overturned before November

that would make MFA immensely popular. The most important goal for dem president will be increasing SC justices to 12.

[Celerity]

48. I think we will know the ACA's fate by the end of summer or before

Also the SCOTUS needs to be an odd number, or else you can have ties on most votes.

[HarlanPepper]

34. He won't say because part of the cost will come from payroll and income tax increases

For the working class and middle class which seems like a tough sell l in a general Election.

[wisteria]

40. Lol. You are going to be alerted on, I think.

Some people don’t like to read the truth.

[SunSeeker]

42. Yup, that's why Vermont never implemented their M4A law. The taxes needed horrified everyone.

Even Bernie went AWOL when it came to implementing the taxes. Every politician knew it would be toxic to their careers. Meanwhile, long time M4A activists who had worked hard to pass the M4A law were left twisting in the wind.

[HarlanPepper]

43. The real tragedy

Will be losing an election over an issue that’ll never get 60 votes in the senate anyway. Minor little details like that also get left out.

[mitch96]

111. Off set that with not having to pay for health care and you have a savings...yes? nt

[HarlanPepper]

119. Yeah that'll be an easy sell.

Americans just love nuanced concepts.



Good luck!

[SunSeeker]

36. Fucking great.

[Skittles]

37. so fucking irritating and predicitible

although I do wonder why we never see repukes getting grilled about where the money for their wars will come from

[SunSeeker]

45. Or where money for billionaire tax cuts come from.

Magical thinking is fine when it comes to tax cuts for the rich ("it'll pay for itself!" ).

[Skittles]

55. yes

it seems only Dems and opportunist Dems are grilled regarding financial accountability

[wisteria]

38. He doesn't know how they will be paid for?

[Skittles]

41. feeds the narrative that he just wants FREE STUFF

details are always lacking

[democratisphere]

44. KNOW nothing.

NO nothing.

After all these years of running for President this guy will never be ready on DAY #1 OR DAY EVER.
Wake Up America! Before it is too late!

[subana]

47. that's typical!

He seems to love telling people they're getting free healthcare but no plans to actually accomplish it! He's not much different than the old snake oil salesmen who would come to towns promising that his product would make all their dreams come true!

even his own state declined to adopt that system!!

The Vermont plan was done in by high taxes, distrust of government and lack of political support. Any effort by a Sanders administration to enact a single-payer system at a national level would probably be doomed by similar problems.

https://reason.com/2019/10/09/why-the-failure-of-vermonts-single-payer-plan-is-the-best-argument-against-medicare-for-all/

[mitch96]

112. My libertarian buddy keeps sending Stossel's stuff from web site... nt

[betsuni]

50. Typical. He doesn't have the details in his pocket right now, doesn't know.

He always expects the benefit of the doubt while never giving it to Democrats. In the case of Democrats, corruption and evil intentions are assumed.

[NurseJackie]

51. Rainbows, lollipops, unicorns, cotton candy, apple pie in the sky.

And kittens.

[redstateblues]

64. I need a new car

[TheCowsCameHome]

74. They're free, so it's only a matter of what color.

Hurry, make up your mind while supplies last.

[Stallion]

87. Some Guy Earlier in the Thread was Offering a $600,000 Vacation Home

...no Thanks-I'm looking for a Bigger Better Deal

[58Sunliner]

52. He doesn't know and does not care.

This isn't about us, it's about him. If his plans were so important he'd have one.

[shadowmayor]

53. How much was the war in Iraq going to cost?

Rumsfeld told us nothing more than $30 billion. That's how much we were spending per month when I was there.

Folks, how much will Medicare for all cost? $30 trillion over 10 years is a number everybody pukes up on the idiot box.

But what they never say is - how much will it cost under our current health care system? $50 billion by some estimates.

The real costs of our endless wars are in the several trillions and they've been put on our children's credit card. The bailouts for the fat cats? Much the same.

Why is it when we allocate funding for wars and helping rich people, there seems to be much less outrage than having a progressive fight for a sane medical system like they have in the rest of the world?

[Orrex]

59. Are you sure about those numbers?

Folks, how much will Medicare for all cost? $30 trillion over 10 years is a number everybody pukes up on the idiot box.

But what they never say is - how much will it cost under our current health care system? $50 billion by some estimates.

$30T versus $50B? Good luck getting anyone to sign onto that money pit, no matter how beneficial the projected outcome.

[shadowmayor]

76. Of course not

That was my point! But to mention how costly Medicare for All would be without the context of what our current system will cost is just as ridiculous. As for the wars and bailouts - yeah my numbers are definitely on the low side when the final tally is computed.

[subterranean]

94. I think you meant $50 trillion under the current system

Not $50 billion.

[shadowmayor]

121. Yeppers

[Duppers]

107. +100

[yaesu]

58. who pays attention to MSM or gets advise from MSM? I know I don't. nt

[Orrex]

61. Sanders often appears "impatient" in interviews

And that's a charitable description.

In the aftermath of an unflattering press encounter, Sanders and his supporters will often claim that the establishment is hostile to him, which is a slightly more sophisticated claim than bellowing "fake news!"

[Sloumeau]

63. Big promises without real numbers.

That is not very reassuring.

[cstanleytech]

65. Atleast he did not claim Mexico would pay for it like someone else claimed would happen over

something they wanted to do.

[peggysue2]

69. Of course, he doesn't have the numbers

Why go to the trouble of doing the math when it's all empty promises anyway. Even AOC admitted that M4A was most likely a stretch too far. Public option, anyone?

As far as the Senator from Vermont getting testy with Anderson Cooper? This is what happens when pie-in-the-sky meets the wrecking ball of reality.

Nickels and dimes??????

Hahahhaha. Perfect.

[keithbvadu2]

70. Just keep saying your plan is almost finished. It worked for Trump.

Just keep saying your plan is almost finished.

It worked for Trump.

[Blue_true]

96. You know, why not? Trump did that on lots of stuff, Hillary provided numbers and plans.

A lot of people are basically morons, they will believe anything. What you have to do is give those that don't something to grab onto on your side. Trump harnessed hate and paranoia. Bernie can harness "you have believed in the system you have now, are you better off?"

[VarryOn]

72. He didnt provide concrete answers on his plans...

Then he did a grand job.

[Perseus]

73. Here you go, this is a Yale study, you want answers? You can get some from this video

[link:

|

[Laffy Kat]

78. I didn't see it. Why didn't he say we'd take it out of out bloated military?

My god, we could get healthcare, education and end world hunger with a mere percentage of the military budget!

[oldsoftie]

98. No, we couldnt. And its silly to assume thats the case.

And yes, i know you had to be kidding about the world hunger part

[Laffy Kat]

100. Exaggerating, not kidding.

But I do believe we could take a huge bite out for healthcare and education.

[The empressof all]

79. The better question is Where is the money coming from now to pay our system now

What people need to communicate better is that this is not "new" money. Dollars are currently being doled out to insurance companies and providers via our employers, co-pays, deductibles and taxes. I sometimes think people forget they are already paying one way or another Now. That existing money will be funneled into our new system via corporate and individual taxes but you out of pocket costs will go away.

Someone needs to figure out a way to communicate this in a simple and easy to understand way so that folks don't stay confused. There is no new debt as I see it....There are cost savings.

[democrattotheend]

116. I think Bernie's done a decent job of communicating this

He usually pivots to the cost of the current system when asked about the cost of his plan.

[W T F]

82. Mexico will pay for it.

[NoMoreRepugs]

84. I'm reply #79 and still not 1 Sanders supporter has

posted - anyone else find that interesting?? I sure do. The very idea of our potential candidate not being able to explain what a huge part of his proposed “plan” would cost just reinforces my opinion he is not our best option.

[OliverQ]

85. Since when does debt matter?

If we can waste billions of dollars on welfare for farmers, billions on Trump's stupid wall, hundreds of millions on Trump's golf trips, trillions on tax cuts for the rich, and a trillion on the military, we can fund things that actually matter.

It's absolutely absurd that the wealthiest country in human history can't fund basic quality of life programs that the rest of the civilized world has had for decades.

[Nitram]

90. Specifics regarding funding have always been a problem for Bernie, but not for his supporters.

[dlk]

91. Pie in the sky promises...

[ALBliberal]

93. Sadly our next (hopefully responsible) president

Will have to clean up this economic mess (trillion $ deficit) much like Obama did. We can’t have this evasiveness imo.
Dang I’m back to Biden. He was there in the Obama years when our Dems had to wipe up W’s mess.
Sick with worry.

[creeksneakers2]

97. Bernie isn't just asking for free healthcare.

He's asking for other stuff too. I don't think the rich could pay for it all even if you took all their money.

[bitterross]

101. I'm all for spending in the name of care for others.

[Buzz cook]

105. Only Warren can do that.

No other candidate can come close.

Biden certainly can't He gets confused between total spending in millions and individual costs in thousands. At least when asked about ad buys by Steyer.

[Fresh_Start]

109. on FB, bernie supporters characterize press asking him about the cost and how to pay

for this plans...as the press attacking him.

They reject the concept that it is not a plan until there is some concrete details to how to execute it.

[Gothmog]

110. This is scary

Link to tweet

[NurseJackie]

114. That's irresponsible. That's not leadership. He'll never be POTUS.

That type of impatience is not a good look. I do not believe that Bernie has the temperament and demeanor and patience for the job.

The questions were honest, legitimate and necessary... Bernie was evasive and dismissive. Those are the qualities that I look for in a leader.

[Blue_Tires]

115. kick

[Vivienne235729]

117. No plan. No real path to getting it done. But they're leading a revolution, don't you know?

But in the mean time, let's talk crap about the establishment dems and the party that's supposed to work with him to get all this done. Total scam. #AnyoneButBernie

[dalton99a]

120. Mexico may have to foot the bill

if the GOP Congress refuses to cooperate

[Scurrilous]

125. ...

[mgcgulfcoast]

127. Please name the candidate who has provided cost details

for all thier proposals?