Biden-Sanders task forces unveil joint goals for party unity

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By WILL WEISSERT and BILL BARROW

WASHINGTON (AP) — Political task forces Joe Biden formed with onetime rival Bernie Sanders to solidify support among the Democratic Party’s progressive wing recommended Wednesday that the former vice president embrace major proposals to combat climate change and institutional racism while expanding health care coverage and rebuilding a coronavirus-ravaged economy.

But they stopped short of urging Biden’s full endorsement of policies that could prove too divisive for some swing voters in November, like universal health coverage under “Medicare for All” or the sweeping Green New Deal environmental plan.

The groups, formed in May to tackle health care, immigration, education, criminal justice reform, climate change and the economy, sought to hammer out a policy road map to best defeat President Donald Trump. Their 110 pages of recommendations should help shape the policy platform Democrats will adopt during their national convention next month — even though the entire party platform adopted in 2016 ran only about 50 pages.

The task forces sought to help Biden, a center-left establishment candidate, engage skeptical progressives who’d backed other 2020 candidates, especially Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is under consideration for Biden’s running mate. Biden hoped the groups would promote party unity and help him avoid a repeat of 2016, when many Sanders supporters remained disillusioned enough that they stayed home rather than support Hillary Clinton against Trump.



FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2020 file photo, Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and former Vice President Joe Biden, talk before a Democratic presidential primary debate in Charleston, S.C. Political task forces Biden formed with Sanders to solidify support among the Democratic Party's progressive wing recommended Wednesday, July 8, that the former vice president embrace proposals to combat climate change and institutional racism while expanding health care coverage and rebuilding a coronavirus-ravaged economy. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/2fcfa5dda00956b44ffa6dd19564bc36

[flibbitygiblets]

1. I'm really glad to see this

Smart!

[AllaN01Bear]

2. eggscllent. anything to defeat the thing in the white house in november .!!!

[calclar]

3. Biden is not nor has ever been a "center-left" politician!

Biden is the establishment corporate center and has been for 4 decades.

Sanders' wing has negotiated him to the true center of the country (not just dems) where all the polling shows the country actually is.

Don't buy into the "common wisdom" narrative framing us in the MSM or it will be our downfall once again - and the country will shift further right than it already has following this same, false narrative.

[questionseverything]

8. sanders wing negotiated him as far as he will go ,i guess

https://democraticunderground.com/100213720713

2/3 of the country wants mj to be legal but not our nominee

[GulfCoast66]

10. We are in a pandemic. The economy is crashing.

We are pretty much allied with Russia. Europe is starting to see us as an enemy.

But, more importantly our candidate won’t let us have our legal pot!?!

Priorities.

[GulfCoast66]

9. Welcome to DU.

Enjoy.

[awesomerwb1]

13. So.......

So the "establishment corporate" center is not really "a" center?

And only St Bernie knows where the true center of the country, NOT the other center, but the true center is. Weird St Bernie got destroyed by Biden.

Maybe free weed for everyone is not really what motivates the true center which is not really the real center because it's not the center St Bernie says it is.

*This post is part sarcasm only when it's not mostly sarcasm.

[betsuni]

14. LOL.

[Tom Rinaldo]

17. I stand with Sanders, who stands with Biden. We all stand together. n/t

[Red Mountain]

4. If they agree....

that should be good enough for their supporters.

Let's get Trump out of office and have a debate more suitable for people who already agree.

[ancianita]

5. Progressives will be pleasantly surprised with the new Biden presidency. The man can adapt.

[macwriter]

6. The Knives on the Other Side Are Already Out

So, I get a text from a friend, low political information person, who is BTW still undecided, and she is clutching her pearls saying she is frightened that Biden is a socialist or being strong-armed by socialists to destroy democracy. Isn't democracy what our forefathers fought and died for? Please, she says, vote wisely this November. I fear for our country. I will rot in jail before I let anyone take away my freedom, tell me when I can and can't see a doctor, or school or have a job I want. They can't keep us under house arrest hoping to kill the economy. WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM? I love my friend -- granted she is not a rocket scientist -- but for God's sake I expected more from her. It is alarming to hear this from somone I've known for years.

Sorry for the rant. I am just really disgusted and upset.

[qwlauren35]

7. I am sorry

It must be hard when it is a friend. Say what you can politically, but try to let the friendship blossom in other ways. If she trusts you, you may be able to show her where you stand.

[macwriter]

11. Thanks, I needed that

I was fuming, but your comment calmed me down. Good advice. I'll take it!

[ouija]

12. No matter

What the Dem platform is, Repubs will call it socialism so we might as well go for it. I’m for single payer healthcare

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. That is the Trump playbook this year: Democrat equals Socialist beholden to Anarchist looter mobs

All Democrats are Marxists or at least their willing puppets. Sanders is the former and Biden is the latter according to their play book. This is the crap Trump keeps pumping out.

[lagomorph777]

15. Really good. This will help a LOT.