This qualifies as earned media. Yes, it's a compromise in terms of schedule. On the bright side, he needs to bolster his foreign policy chops. An audience with His Holiness will be beneficial.

Unless Hillary can get a meeting with Yahweh himself

Any of these foreign trips by candidates never generate much press unless like Romney, you say something stupid. It's a two minute blip with platitudes.

And there are a few days left for this, plus the Panama papers and all the other shite to build into a TSUNAMI!

I disagree. Obama's trip to Berlin was a grand slam.

Bernie speaking at the Vatican on a moral economy can only help his campaign.

between him and Hillary.

The night he's speaking at the Vatican on a moral economy, Hillary will be at a $300k/person fundraiser with George Clooney...

it will earn him national press but not that much local press.

Nobody in NY will hear about him that day.

They'll just hear about Hillary in CA at a $300k/person fundraiser with George Clooney instead!

The night of the Vatican visit she is at a fundraiser with one of the architects of the deregulation that led to the crash of 2008. Gary Gensler.

Gensler, Clooney. .. gee, they're all starting to blend aren't they...

... all in the 1%.

I was there, and it was so cool. There was one lonely man with and umbrella with McCain signs hanging off it...McCain signs that he printed off his computer...but anyways...good time had by all.

knowing the math isn't there for the win

Papal protocol for a guest to negotiate scheduling conflicts when offered an audience.

Just guessing though.

Even one day away this close to the primary (I think he can manage that with overnight flights) is not something a campaign that feels it can pull of a win does.

You are embarrassing yourself. Think of the time gap btwn Wisconson and NY - Nada - except those small little states that don't matter - they've both got the time to do what they think is important. Pope - Clooney - Pope - Clooney - I dunno - whaddya think?

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/hillary-clinton-george-clooney-fundraiser-221207

I'd guess neither will lose much time on the campaign trail

it seems pretty obvious that if he was neck and neck with Clinton, with a chance to pull of an upset win here, he'd be doing everything he can to squeeze every last vote out here.

this move will be great for spreading message and augmenting national profile long term, but won't help in NY

They'll get both spend roughly the same # of hours at their respective events.

They're both gone off the NY campaign trail the same imo.

Meanwhile Bernie takes the moral high road while Clinton will be contrasted schmoozing with the 1% so even if we're talking a few extra hours off for Bernie the press from this will be priceless and I'm dead cert ALL of NY will see it.

LMFAO!

Between the Pope's implicit endorsement and the bird's visit ... he has the spirtual world's attention.

Snippy, entitled sort of Catholic. I was raised a Catholic so I'm familiar with the type. Her remarks are exceedingly impolite and inappropriate.

As I wrote in another thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1280&pid=168860

It doesn't matter how he got the invitation. The Vatican AGREED to it.

The way things work among public people--elected officials, candidates, celebrities--your contact person contacts people at events and venues that you deem desirable, and lets them know that you are available. Those running those events or venues don't have to invite you. They make a judgement as to whether you would enhance the event or would be an appropriate guest in one way or another. Then the invitation is issued.

So, whether or not this is how it happened, there is absolutely NO QUESTION that Sanders has been vetted by Pope Francis, who either thought of Sanders and invited him, or was told that he was available and invited him.

The absolutely stupid 'talking point' that Clinton bots are circulating that this wasn't an invitation from Pope Francis is for the ignorant--a group they often play to.

(Note: And this may NOT be a rejection of Clinton. She may not have thought of notifying them that she was available. Since she's the Goldman Sachs candidate, probably she wouldn't consider it. She might get criticized there. But she's a spinning top, so who knows? I doubt very much that the Vatican would have rejected her, if she'd told them she was available. Instead she's doing a Fat Cat fundraiser. Oh well.)

Sanders earlier on Friday said, “this is an invitation from the Vatican, from a pope that I have enormous respect for in term of the level of consciousness that he’s raising on the need to have morality in our economy."

The office of the pope moved quickly to distance the pontiff from Sanders’s visit. Father Federico Lombardi, the Pope’s spokesman, said Sanders had been invited “not by the pope but by the pontifical academy of social sciences.” Lombardi told the Italian news agency Ansa: “For the moment there is no expectation that there will also be a meeting with the pope.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-04-08/sanders-accused-of-discourtesy-in-seeking-vatican-invitation

I don't care how he got the invitation either except for getting the fact straight that the Pope did not invite him.

anything to do with this is just made up b.s.

Doesn't sound like Sorondo is her boss, he is on the Council, she is the President.

http://www.pass.va/content/scienzesociali/en/about/council.html

The Council of the Academy consists of the President and five Academicians appointed by the Supreme Pontiff, on the proposal of the President, after consultation with the Academicians. Their term of office lasts five years. They may be reappointed.

In addition the following are members of the Council durante munere:

- the Chancellor appointed by the Supreme Pontiff,
- the Delegate of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace;
- the President of the Foundation for the Promotion of the Social Sciences.

These three members attend the sessions of the Academy with the right to vote. The Council assists the President in everything concerning the direction of the Academy, especially in planning the work and preparing the meetings; it receives the reports on the financial resources.

The Council meets at least twice a year at the Academy's headquarters.

The deliberations of the Academy and its Council are valid when a majority of the members are present and when they are approved by a majority of those present. In the case of parity the vote of the President prevails.

He just stated publicly that HE invited Sanders and that it is NOT TRUE that Sanders invited himself. He says that Margaret Archer, who is president of one of the two Vatican academies (he is her boss, as chancellor of both academies) misrepresented the situation. "That's not what happened," he told Reuters. He made public his letter of invitation to Sanders, which includes Archer's name and his own as those inviting Sanders! He basically publicly chastised her, as well he might. What she said was not only completely untrue, it was rude and extremely undiplomatic.

It's as if President Obama had invited Sanders to the White House and Sec of State John Kerry stated publicly, "Sanders invited himself and I hope he behaves himself and doesn't ask the White House staff for their votes." It was THAT rude and inappropriate! A second in command NEVER does that to their boss! They get fired for that! It puts the whole institution in a very bad light.

Anyway, it's inconceivable to me that the Chancellor would invite a U.S. presidential candidate to a Vatican academy event on income inequality WITHOUT consulting Pope Francis. I mean, that's ANOTHER thing a subordinate does NOT do--issue big, important, politically "hot" invitations without telling his boss!

That's nuts. I think we can be sure that Pope Francis okayed the invitation.

Has been looking a bit tired and haggard. Campaigning is brutal. Don't think taking a quick round trip flight to Europe is the best use of his time. He is 74 and not made of steel. Bad decision. PS. I'm a contemporary and fear for his long term health.

and come back rejuvenated...

I will say though, that I think the "tired and haggard" is much more apparent on Clinton...

I'm sure they'll splurge to ensure he has maximum time to stretch out.

I'd say he'll probably get more rest on the flights to and from Rome (an 8 hour trip one way), than he might have gotten here on the campaign trail.

His stamina is unbelievable though. Its amazing.

What a crock.


And BTW,I am also in my 70s.. The guy is fine.. depends on one's life style, genes, mental and emotional state..... Sounds like your's may be.. a little different from Bernie's and mine in these regards...

will notice. I think it's a worthwhile gamble.

33% of all US Catholics are in NY.

I think this is a great event for Bernie and will pay dividends in the primary and the GE.

There are a greater % of Catholics in NY than there are Evangelicals in Little Rock, or Mormons in Salt Lake City, and her goons just called the Pope a liar

What I find pretty amazing is that Bernie sat on this till just now, that must have taken great willpower!

Campaigning like a Brooklynite, indeed!