I noted that when this was pointed out to me, on the phone a second ago, by someone with NBC News.
Paul's allowed to express any opinion he wants. We've called him out for his remarks on War Resisters. We also called out Amy Goodman who sat there --as a guest on a CNN program -- and didn't bother to counter Paul's comments -- even though she was supposed to be on as the alternative voice.
But he's allowed to say whatever he wants and, as long as he's not attacking someone in need, I don't feel the need to note, "I disagree!" He's entitled to his opinion. (And the opinions he expressed on the program last night are out there in the veterans community.)
That a friend at NBC News can't grasp that is rather puzzling. But he's giving me the summary of Rachel's show, and calling to ask for this link (NBC News has posted a brief video report on Iraq), when he gets to informing me about Bernie Sanders appearing on Rachel's show last night.
Okay, now I'm interested. Bernie Sanders is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
On the program last night, Bernie made a claim.
Did Rachel challenge it?
No.
Well that's why she's so useless.
Bernie Sanders (I agree with Paul on Bernie being an apologist for the VA) insisted that Republicans blocked his bill last February!
Oh, the horror.
Poor Bernie.
This is the kind of nonsense, I can't tolerate.
Bernie was elected to the Senate in the 2006 mid-terms. He was sworn in January 2007.
Do you know how many laws Bernie has gotten passed?
Seven years in the Senate.
And he came from the House.
Bernie got one law passed.
One law.
He introduces a ton.
Bernie's bill that didn't pass in February?
It's among the many, many bills he's offered that couldn't pass a Republican Senate or a Democratic Senate.
(From December 2009 to the present, he's proposed over 100 bills. I lack the time to count back to 2007.)
I don't know that Republicans are the problem when Bernie's only passed one law his entire Senate career.
I believe he only passed one under Bully Boy Bush.
His things that pass? Naming a post office under Bully Boy Bush. Barack signed his Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 in May of last year. That's his only bill as Senator that became a law.
I don't think the problem is others. I think Bernie Sanders needs to take a good hard look at himself.
And a real host would have pointed that out when Bernie laid it on thick about how Republicans derailed his bill.
In 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, the Senate was controlled by Democrats.
In 2011, 2012, 2013 and this year, it's been controlled by Republicans.
No matter who's in control, Bernie can't get his bills passed.
That's a Bernie problem.
You can serve in Congress and never have your bill(s) passed.
That doesn't make you a bad member of Congress. Your bills can, for example, be absorbed into other bills and authorizations. Or they can make an impact over time (you can blaze a trail).
But if you're going to publicly claim that it's the fault of Republicans who didn't support your bill and you've only passed one bill the whole seven years you've been in the Senate? You need to be sure people know that -- because it doesn't look like the problem is 'the other side' (unless you're including all 99 members of the Senate who are not Socialists as 'the other side').
For those who want to check my work, click here for GovTrak's list of Bernie's bills, when you reach the bottom of the page, give it a second and it will load the next set. Also, prior to Jan. 2007, Bernie is a House Rep but the list notes him as "Sen. Bernie Sanders" even when it's covering his bills introduced when he was in the House.
And, by the way, this 'talking point' has been going on for days now and is among the things that I was nice and pulled from yesterday's snapshot:
Where's Socialist Bernie Sanders who thinks his ass stands a chance in a Democratic Party presidential primary?
We're not noting his ridiculous statement.
He issued one.
[Deleted before this posted because I'm trying to be kind. But piss me off much more on this and I'll out the little cabal pimping Bernie.]
. . .
And he's going to be a joke to the country as he tries to pretend he has the character to run for president when he doesn't even have the spine to stand up on any issue. He's failed veterans. It's time Democrats replaced him with a real Democrat.
There's so much spin, there is so little honesty.
Dealing with this means we'll wait to cover Iraq for the snapshot today. This is my third entry, I was in a House Veterans Affairs Subcomittee hearing this morning and I have other things to do include speak to two groups, the first in a little less than 30 minutes.
The following community sites -- plus the ACLU, the Guardian, FPIF, Susan's On the Edge, Jody Watley, Jake Tapper, Pacifica Evening News, Ms. magazine's blog, Antiwar.com and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs -- updated:
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
veterans
