2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumSo why can't Bernie get his policies in to law
as a Senator?
Rachel quoted a repub the other night who said if Trump won their nomination he was sure Hillary would be president and she would get the Senate back and possibly the House.
So Bernie gets $15 per hr through that new congress, Hillary would not veto it.
If he got single payer passed Hillary would not veto it.
There is as much chance for these things (maybe better) if Bernie were a Senator and Hillary were President.
merrily
(45,251 posts)Given she tried for a flag desecration bill twice, I am not complaining. However, the only bills or amendments that she wrote that got passed were ceremonial.
Wait: one Republican said she'd get back the House and the Senate--and that means she will?
In particular, the House is not expected to turn Democratic until after 2020, if then.
MeNMyVolt
(1,095 posts)It will be the death of us all.
I agree with, and rec, the rest of your post.
elleng
(131,077 posts)I know that as governor, Martin O'Malley got many, and even controversial policies and plans, into law.
SOME of his accomplishments:
1. Ended death penalty in Maryland
2. Prevented fracking in Maryland and put regulations in the way to prevent next GOP Gov Hogan fom easily allowing fracking.
3. Provided health insurance for 380,000
4. Reduced infant mortality to an all time low.
5. Provided meals to thousands of hungry children and moved toward a goal for eradicating childhood hunger.
6. Enacted a $10.10 living wage and a $11. minimum wage for State workers.
7. Supporter the Dream Act
8. Cut income taxes for 86% of Marylanders (raised taxes on the rich).
9. Reformed Marylands tax code to make it more progressive.
10. Enacted some of the nations most comprehensive reforms to protect homeowners from foreclosure.
Mother Jones magazine called him the best candidate on environmental issues.
Article here:
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/martin-omalley-longshot-presidential-candidate-and-real-climate-hawk
R B Garr
(16,975 posts)Bernie should have been doing but waited until now. It's hard to take a man his age seriously who has been in government for decades but only now wants an instant revolution. MOM is laying a great groundwork for future recognition.
Eric J in MN
(35,619 posts)He would have liked to have become one sooner. He first ran for the US Senate in 1972.
Historic NY
(37,452 posts)BlueMTexpat
(15,372 posts)Tommy2Tone
(1,307 posts)is now going to get single payer and a $15 minimum wage pass? These are items that presidents get passed no senators.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)As if being president would suddenly make him effective after 25 years of not being effective. LOL!
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)I don't know if you noticed but Republicans control both houses of Congress right now. Republicans will not bring Democratic bills up for a vote. Bernie is not the only one who can't get things passed, no Democrat can at this time.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)He didn't even try to advance single payer during the ACA debate when Dems had the majority in both houses. He simply has ZERO effectiveness or political power.
Eric J in MN
(35,619 posts)...he didn't have a high-ranking position in the Senate in 2009-2010.
He did get $11 billion for community health centers in the ACA.
gordyfl
(598 posts)"The Senate has the 50 votes necessary to pass a public health insurance option using the budget reconciliation process", Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Thursday.
Sanders, a self-described "democratic socialist" who supports the government-run plan, urged President Barack Obama to push for the public option even though the possibility of passing it appeared to die this week.
"I think we do have 50 votes in the Senate for a public option and frankly I don't know why the president has not put it in and I hope that we can inject it," Sanders said on MSNBC. "I think it's a very important part of healthcare reform."
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/83641-sanders-senate-has-the-votes-to-pass-public-option-via-reconciliation
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)And he talks out of both sides of his mouth:
"Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reminded the progressive media gathered on Capitol Hill today that single-payer health care reform was dead before it started in the Senate.
"It would have had 8 or 10 votes and that's it," he said, addressing a topic central in the minds of many who the bloggers and left wing talk show hosts gathered for the 4th annual Senate Democratic Progressive Media Summit in Washington reach everyday.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/sanders-single-payer-never-had-a-chance
gordyfl
(598 posts)When Bernie said "8 to 10 votes"....you know what he means? He was referring to the Senate Finance Committee.
"The votes, in the Senate Finance Committee, underscored divisions among Democrats and were a setback for President Obama, who has endorsed the public plan as a way to keep insurance companies honest.
The first proposal, by Senator John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, was rejected 15 to 8, as five Democrats joined all Republicans on the panel in voting no. The second proposal, by Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, was defeated 13 to 10, with three Democrats voting no.
Here's the more detailed link...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/health/policy/30health.html
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)Couldn't even get it out of committee - like almost all his bills. Right?
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Broward
(1,976 posts)and Repubs in Congress.
upaloopa
(11,417 posts)But I would like to know if voting for Bernie and his policies is with the understanding that they wouldn't get through Congress?
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)With Republicans in charge no Democratic bills are going anywhere, but I would rather have a leader who tries and fails than a leader who doesn't even try.
Tommy2Tone
(1,307 posts)Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)Can you name another Democrat in the Senate that is able to get bills passed right now?
Tommy2Tone
(1,307 posts)How's that. It's why we need to take back the house and senate.
Bleacher Creature
(11,257 posts)gordyfl
(598 posts)MaggieD
(7,393 posts)leftofcool
(19,460 posts)All those millions of millennials will drape themselves across the Capitol steps and magically, there will be single payer, $15.00 per hour minimum wage, free college for all, billions of dollars in student debt will suddenly disappear in the the otherworld, pot will be legal in all 50 States and the rich 1% will be happy to pay 90% in taxes. Did I miss anything?
white_wolf
(6,238 posts)Part of Obama's success in 08 was his ability to mobilize the youth vote and I think Sanders is doing the same thing.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)gordyfl
(598 posts)jeff47
(26,549 posts)And the person in the White House will be undermining his push for $15 by saying "$12 is enough".
Also, "possibly the House"
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)That's a fact, right?
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Something the OP (and you) gloss over when you pretend that our government is three completely isolated universes.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)He's just completely ineffective at leadership even within the Dem caucus. That's perfectly obvious. Not sure how you can deny it.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)How come he couldn't get it raised higher?
gordyfl
(598 posts)MaggieD
(7,393 posts)Bernie is completely ineffective and has been for 25 years. That seems perfectly obvious given his lack of significant achievement. He's just not a leader. Ted was a leader.
gordyfl
(598 posts)"Only one senator has voted entirely in sync with Bernie Sanders: Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/04/24/only_17_plenty_of_senators_as_far_left_as_bernie_sanders_96158.html#ixzz3tJFMQAoA
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)And Ted did not sign on to Bernie's pie in the sky stuff. If Bernie had been able to get him to do that then he might have gotten some traction. But he couldn't.
"Bernie is completely ineffective". LOL Funny.
Try to tell that to the people in Vermont.
Time and again he beats both Democrat and Republican candidates who run against him.
In a recent election Bernie received 71% of the vote, leaving a mere 29% for the two major party candidates to fight over.
He's obviously well respected in Vermont. Compare that to Vice President Al Gore who couldn't even carry his home state against George Bush.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)And don't really care if they thinks it's a good idea to elect a guy that hasn't done much of anything in 25 years in congress. But I sure as hell ain't voting for him for president.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)So let me ask.. is this the 'bargaining' stage?
mindwalker_i
(4,407 posts)... to get republicans and half of democrats on board. His policies would help actual people. Can't have none of that!
2pooped2pop
(5,420 posts)Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)Last edited Fri Dec 4, 2015, 01:45 PM - Edit history (1)
Of those two, I think $15 minimum wage would be a slam dunk, but Single Payer would be a stretch even with Democrats controlling Congress.
I think a Democratic Congress would move to make the ACA better, perhaps by creating a public option to provide a low cost provider.
Clinton would not veto a bill passed by Democrats.
gordyfl
(598 posts)I'm almost sure Hillary would not support a Public Option / Medicare Buy-in. No way. Never happen.
Bernie would push for it. If it passed Congress, Bernie would sign it in a New York Minute.
Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)I have my doubts we will see a Democratic Congress before 2021. Hope I am surprised.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)We had a Dem majority in both the house and senate.
gordyfl
(598 posts)Simple. The Dems had merely 50 votes. They couldn't get the Blue Dog Democrats on board. They owned the tie-breaker - 50 plus VP Biden. Bernie and others wanted to push it through with a simple majority. I think they called it the Nuclear Option. Obama stated he did not want it passed that way. Obama insisted on 60 votes. So, the Public Option was dead. Behind the scenes, I'd say it was the insurance companies who killed it.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)So I ask again, why couldn't he get it passed?
gordyfl
(598 posts)A Public Option or a Medicare Buy-In is A LOT more difficult to pass.
In case you haven't been following, the private insurance companies have benefited nicely with the ACA. Everyone must buy their product or pay a fine. If you don't earn enough, the government will help with subsidies. This all spells profits for the insurance companies.
I remember following the stock prices of the health insurance companies. When the Public Option was gaining traction, their stock prices started sinking. All of them. Simultaneously. When it looked like the Public Option was not going to make it, their stock prices began to rise again. There were fears about buying health insurance stocks at that time because of the debate going on in Washington.
A Public Option, or worse yet, Medicare-for-All would hurt the insurance companies profits immensely. We need politicians who are not influenced by the BIG money. That's why we need Bernie Sanders - now more than ever.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)It seems silly to pretend Bernie will pass ANY of his proposals when he couldn't even with a Dem minority.
This place has turned into a complete fantasy land, IMO.
gordyfl
(598 posts)Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)Of the two, a public option would be the easier to pass. It would still be very difficult.
Bleacher Creature
(11,257 posts)Those are the exact things Bernie has been eschewing his entire career. He's a wonderful voice of reason and conscience, but he's not effective at accomplishing much legislatively. His "go it alone" style also has resulted in him not having many allies, which certainly won't help much as President.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)Get money out of politics, and we might just get our country back.
gordyfl
(598 posts)Like I've said before, I "used to like Hillary" back in the 90's. Since she ran for Senator of New York, she became a "bought and paid for" politician like so many in Congress. And then she moved on to become a member of the 1%. Hillary's done quite well, but we don't need her in Washington.
Elizabeth Warren knows what I'm talking about...
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)Well said.
Gothmog
(145,496 posts)gordyfl
(598 posts)Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Bernie Gets It Done: Sanders' Record of Pushing Through Major Reforms Will Surprise You
What kind of experience does Bernie Sanders have? Let's take a look.
The implication was that progressive Bernie Sanders is too far to the left to accomplish anythingall of his ideas are pie-in-the-sky. You have to be able to find the bipartisan, warm, purple space as Clinton said earlier this year, to get anything done. Slate's Jamelle Bouie was super-impressed by this rationale, saying Clinton has skilled use of bureaucratic power.
The problem with this narrative is that it is completely false. Not only has Sanders gotten a lot more things done than Clinton did in her own short legislative career, he's actually one of the most effective members of Congress, passing bills, both big and small, that have reshaped American policy on key issues like poverty, the environment and health care.
snip>
Sanders did something particularly original, which was that he passed amendments that were exclusively progressive, advancing goals such as reducing poverty and helping the environment, and he was able to get bipartisan coalitions of Republicans who wanted to shrink government or hold it accountable and progressives who wanted to use it to empower Americans.
Learn something and dare to see some of the wonderful legislation Bernie has accomplished: http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-gets-it-done-sanders-record-pushing-through-major-reforms-will-surprise-you