April 30, 2015

The internet never forgets. Remember back in 2010 when Bernie Sanders did a one-day filibuster on the tax bill? We all turned on C-Span because someone, a United States Senator for gawdsake, was actually talking about economic inequality and the failure of this government to help the middle class survive. This filibuster was published as a readable, eloquent book on economics, while subsequent filibusters by Republicans included reading aloud Green Eggs and Ham.

That Friday Barack Obama held a press conference that was clearly designed to get House Democrats on board with his tax bill. And he brought out the Big Dog, Bill Clinton, in an unprecedented move, to explain that the perfect should not be the enemy of the good.

Bill Clinton sucked all the air out of the news cycle that weekend, in large part because people like Chuck Todd and Mark Halperin were all too happy to forget anything Bernie Sanders said about the middle class.

Here's the transcript, emphasis added:

HALPERIN: ... We‘re all obsessed with this incredible political theater. Why I think it mattered was it was a bit of circuit-breaker. It sent everybody into the weekend, the Sunday shows, and the framing of the issue for those House Democrats, not about Nancy Pelosi and other House Democrats digging in, but about the fact that Bill Clinton had blessed this in a way that led to the Senate vote, and I think will eventually lead to a House vote that will be successful.

That circuit-breaker, I think, was vital. The weekend would have been a lot different had it not occurred.

TODD: Well, let‘s remember—and you bring up a good point, Mark, because let‘s remember what the picture—and I joked with a White House staffer earlier that day, I‘m like, hey, are you going to give us anything on this Clinton-Obama meeting because other than that, I‘ve got about eight hours of Bernie Sanders tape to start running on-air, you know, sort of half kidding, half joking. And then, you know, they bring out the Big Dog, Elvis comes into the building, and guess what, Bernie Sanders, his show ended up getting put on page four.

MATTHEWS: Yes, Elvis trumps Ben & Jerry‘s.

When you're watching coverage of the Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign, never forget the derision and scorn held for Sanders and his populism, by the Blackberry Class/ Washington Life Magazine Power 100/Georgetown Cocktail Party Circuit villagers.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon