Sanders to Bachus: Prove red scare

[cal04]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21212.html

Sen. Bernie Sanders wants Rep. Spencer Bachus to start naming names.

Bachus, the usually soft-spoken ranking Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, surprised a Birmingham News reporter last week by claiming there are 17 “socialists” in Congress.

When asked for specifics, Bachus named only one legislator — Sanders, a self-described “democratic socialist,” whose vision of a socialist safety net is more Stockholm than Stalingrad.

Bachus’ spokesman hasn’t responded to numerous requests from POLITICO to name the other 16 lawmakers.

(snip)
“Has Spencer released his list yet? Everybody’s waiting with bated breath,” asked Sanders, an independent from Vermont who has enjoyed a friendly relationship with the Alabama conservative since their days in the House in the 1990s.

“I think at the very least he has to tell people what his definition of socialism is — and I think, yeah, he should tell us who he was referring to, who’s on the list,” he added.

[YOY]

1. They don't HAVE a good definition.

They never had. They think it's some system that gives magical presents to people who "don't deserve it" policy and that those magical presents are taken away from the good little boys and girls.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Good for Bernie

I've half a mind to write Bachus and ask for the list, telling him I need to know so I can send them contributions.

[navarth]

3. K & R Keep after him, Bernie!!!

[bahrbearian]

4. I want to see the list of Fascist

[ThomWV]

5. Here's a link to a list complete with phone numbers and web sites.

http://www.gop.gov/contact/members/name

Enjoy.

[Dr.Phool]

12. Good one.

Maybe you should add the Blue Dog Caucus, The DLC, and New Democrats to that.

:rofl: :hide:

[KharmaTrain]

6. Keep This Story Alive...Or Else It Become "Fact"

At first glance it sounds like Bachus was puffing up his balls in front of a group of partisans and came up with this McCarthy gem to get applause, donations and his ego stroked. But then, here's a guy in "leadership" whose party is highly regimented on talking points and astroturfing. Methinks this was a trial balloon to see how well this new turn of an old trick could work with "the base". As we've seen over and over, truth and reality need not apply, just throw the red meat and wait for the donations to start flowing in.

The other game here is to create the suspicion without having to prove a damn thing. Say the lie long enough and with enough "outrage", get a couple corporate media stenographers to pass the "some say" chatter and soon the "suspicion" become a "fact"...that there are "socialists" or whatever strawmen the GOOP needs to create to create a new media distraction or diversion.

Kudos to Bernie...who IS a Socialist...to call them on their bullshit, and let's hope others will join him. Yep, Spencer, put up or shut up. Let's see the list, "out" the socialists and then let's examine who came up with that list.

[hvn_nbr_2]

7. Their definition of socialist is the same as their definition for fascist, commie, satanic,...

anti-American, evil, evil-doer, and every other pejorative that they use.

This is the definition: "not us".

[hootinholler]

8. RW definition of Socialism:

Whatever I don't think I like.

-Hoot

[Overseas]

9. K&R -- yes please tell us the other 16, Senator Bacchus !

Tell us who those horrible legislators are that want more government spending to put the millions of Americans that lost their jobs in the Bush Depression back to work.

Who are those horrible legislators who want to extend social safety nets in this Bush Depression?

Who are those horrible legislators that don't understand that we can do the same things that brought about the Bush Depression and get completely different results?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. Socialists in Congress?

I'm really quaking in my boots right now!!!! :scared: I want them to keep their ideas and plans to help other people to themselves!!!!! I want everything privately run- now and forever!!!!
:sarcasm:

I have to admit that I was more genuinely concerned with the right wing quasi-dictatorship we lived under with Bush and Darth "so?" Cheney from 2001-2009

[mod mom]

11. Bernie Sanders is a gem!

[PHIMG]

13. Call Sanders and thank him for introducing the Single Payer Bill

S. 703 - Would set up 50 State Level Single Payer systems.

This is much better than what the conservadems in Congress want -- more private insurance, which means more waste, more abuse, more co-payments, more deductibles more claim denials, more doctors who have to spend time battling insurers than healing.

Single Payer makes these problems go away. The American people want it. Sold-out Conservadems in Congress (like Max Baucus) are going to give us Mandate and Subsidize Reform, or "Pay To Player" healthcare reform. It will be illegal not to buy the private insurers defective product and we'll pile tens to hundreds of billions of dollars into the for-profit health insurance industry.

This is not reform we can believe in.

It's time for the PEOPLE to demand non-profit National Health Insurance.