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International Big Business, the Oil Industry, serial polluters… they’ve been trying to end Bernie Sanders’ political career for many years. But, until now, weak, lax campaign rules have held them back, at least to some extent. This year, America’s preeminent tribune for working families, may not– at least according to Public Policy Polling — have a strong potential Republican opponent. But what he does have is a Citizens United empowered plutocracy who hate him more than anyone in Washington. Bernie Sanders is the Senator up for reelection endorsed by Blue America this year… the one even running for Senate at all we’ve endorsed so far. That’s because Bernie is clear and consistent and driven by values and principles to fight for the legitimate aspirations of regular American families. He doesn’t belong to any special interests. He belongs to us. Just listen to what he has to say about the Koch Brothers in the clip above. And, better, join us in the C&L comments section below at 2pm (ET) and meet Bernie for yourself. And, please do think about contributing what you can to help him stave off the attack we know is coming courtesy of a deranged and reactionary Supreme Court ruling in favor of plutocracy and against democracy.
This week Bernie gave a keynote address to the delegates of the United Steelworkers of America at their convention in Las Vegas. He told us he wants to talk with us today about the same stuff he discussed with the 3,000 steelworkers Thursday and the same stuff that he’ll be talking about with the New Hampshire Democrats at the Merrimack County annual picnic on Sunday. His message, he says, is “simple, straight-forward and appears to be resonating.”
Yes, deficit reduction is important, but it is not the most important issue we face. We are in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and if the middle-class is to be saved we need to create millions of good paying jobs in the very near future. And we can do it. Here are three approaches that I will be working on to create the jobs we desperately need when Congress reconvenes after Labor Day.
He’s been hammering three overarching themes. First is the need to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, pointing out that “when we do that we not only create millions of good paying jobs, but we also make the entire country more productive and competitive in the global economy.” After that he points to the need to move our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy breaking our dependence on Middle East oil, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, decreasing air pollution and putting “millions of Americans to work building American made solar panels, building American made wind turbines, building American made heat pumps and weatherizing millions of American homes with energy efficient products and technologies– all made in America.”
And his third theme is how “we have got to fundamentally rewrite our trade policy laws so that American products, not jobs are our number one export.” If his rhetoric on this scares you, you’ve been brainwashed by the plutocratic overlords “Simply stated,” he explains, “our current trade policy of unfettered free trade has been a disaster for American workers and must be reformed. Over the past thirty years, we have been told by the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Barack Obama that unfettered free trade will increase jobs in America. They have been proven wrong. NAFTA has led to the loss of over one million American jobs. Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China has led to the loss of over 2 million American jobs.” He worries that if George W. Bush’s unfettered free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama are signed into law by this President, even more American jobs will be lost. I will be doing my best to fight against these job-killing free trade agreements and come up with a trade approach which is based on the principles of fair trade, not unfettered free trade.”
“Despair is not an option,” he says. We need to “make sure that government represents all the people, not just the wealthy and powerful… This fight is not just about what happens to our lives. More importantly, it’s what happens to our kids and grandchildren. For their sakes, we cannot give up the struggle.” You can see why so many people consider him a national treasure and you can see why Blue America is so determined to help him keep his seat in the U.S. Senate. It’s The People’s seat amidst so many seats that belong to every sort of wealthy, powerful, selfish special interest. If you can help, please give what you can afford.
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