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Bernie Sanders
Related: About this forumHow a Democrat Killed Welfare
TBF note: When we talk about "third way" and the "new democrats" that make the party nearly indistinguishable from the republicans, this is specifically what we are talking about and what we seek to change --The starkest example of the many racist and anti-poor measures directed at African Americans and passed during his administration was the 1996 welfare reform bill, which transformed welfare from an exclusive and unequal cash assistance system that stigmatized its recipients into one that actually criminalized them.
Bill Clinton gutted welfare and criminalized the poor, all while funneling more money into the carceral state.
by Premilla Nadasen ~ 2/9/16
Bill Clintons 1992 election was meant to be a turning point in American politics. Liberals breathed a sigh of relief, believing him to be a much-needed break from the Reagan-Bush era of small government and social welfare cuts.
But the optimism surrounding Clintons election and favorable assessments of his time in office since ignore the destruction his administration brought to poor and working people, especially African Americans, and mask not only the continuation but intensification of anti-poor policies. Rather than offering a reprieve from punitive austerity, Clinton took the Reagan-Bush agenda a step further. If his administration was a turning point, it turned us in the wrong direction.
In 1994, Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, the largest crime bill in history, which allocated $10 billion for prison construction, expanded the death penalty, and eliminated federal funding for inmate education. The act intensified police surveillance and racial profiling, and locked up millions for nonviolent offenses such as drug possession. It helped usher in the era of mass incarceration that devastated communities of color (for which Clinton himself has recently apologized) ...
Much more here: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/02/welfare-reform-bill-hillary-clinton-tanf-poverty-dlc/
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How a Democrat Killed Welfare (Original Post)
TBF
Feb 2016
OP
I always wondered why he liked to be called the first black president while stabbing PoCi n the back
Dragonfli
Feb 2016
#4
Peregrine Took
(7,417 posts)1. But I thought we "loved" him sooooo much? You know, the "big dawg" ...
who was going to rescue us all from the evil rethugs?
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)2. big dawg is getting old. It's time for that inevitable visit to the vet. nt
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)4. I always wondered why he liked to be called the first black president while stabbing PoCi n the back
Maybe it is some sort of sick inside joke between him and"bring those black superpedator kids to heel" Hilary, who cased in big time from the for profit prison's via cold hard campaign cash the legislation they passed assured such prisons would be filled to capacity.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)3. William Clinton
reformed welfare for the bottom 90% to ensure his own post-Presidential welfare. On so may issues, the billionaires asked and Clinton delivered.
AzDar
(14,023 posts)5. Please Go Away, Clintons...
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)6. Clinton was, is a DINO
He gave away so much from the middle class to the 1%, I call him the best RepubliCON president in a long time.
TBF
(32,088 posts)7. Con is about right -
and he has some nerve lecturing anyone on sexism.
mhatrw
(10,786 posts)8. And replaced it with welfare for corporations who do not pay a living wage to US citizens. nt
TBF
(32,088 posts)9. Well guess who was on the board at Walmart?
Smh.