2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Sanders 'saddened' by on-air shooting, but does not call for action on gun violence [View all]BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)away that doesn't neatly fit in their dreams of a perfect liberal, no-nonsense, unapologetic socialist candidate. The kicker is, Bernie Sanders is anything but, based on his votes on crucial bills in the past - and as a President Obama supporter and a sympathizer and supporter of #BlackLivesMatter and immigrants, I'm not buying his snake oil now.
Everyone and their uncle knows that Bernie Sanders voted consistently against any measure of sensible gun control, just like Latinos know that he voted against the 2007 comprehensive immigration reform bill when Dems controlled both chambers of Congress and even had G.W. Bush on their side, willing to push that bill to get passed.
Sure, he voted for the immigration bill in 2013 but then he knew it was going nowhere since, by then, Republicans took control of Congress. He knew it didn't have a snowball's chance in Hades to pass a Republican-controlled Congress, but it sure does make him appear Latino-friendly as he eyed the 2016 presidential election, doesn't it? I.O.W., it was politically expedient for him to do so.
But that's not the shame. The shame in this is, he bills himself as an unapologetic socialist liberal and his supporters propagate that myth, yet he voted like a Republican on sensible gun laws, immigration reform, the Import/Export bill (as the only Senator who isn't a Republican) - a bill that would help American businesses create jobs here at home and sell their products around the world all at no cost to taxpayers.
In 2012, he also called to have President Obama primaried.
His excuse for voting against the 2007 immigration bill was because it included guest worker language he disagreed with. Guess what? So did the 2013 immigration bill - and yet he voted for it. His 2007 vote against against comprehensive immigration reform had the best chance to pass in Congress and signed into law by G.W. Bush.
His call to primary President Obama is equally reprehensible.
The more I learn about Bernie Sanders, the least attractive as a Democratic presidential candidate he is to me.