Bernie Clarifies: That Is Not Hillary Clinton's Position

Sunday morning Bernie was on CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper. Right from the beginning of the interview Tapper tried getting Bernie to attack Hillary, which he has refused to do. His standard answer is usually that he knows her, likes her and respects her, even if they differ on several issues that are crucial to America's working families. 

Tapper did manage to get Bernie to lay out some key examples of policy positions where there is a clear contrast with Clinton's neo-liberal-- if not corporatist and Wall Street-inspired-- agenda. Bernie:

I think that the business model of Wall Street is fraud. And I think these guys drove us into the worst economic downturn in the modern history of America. I think they're at it again. I believe that when you have so few banks with so much power you have to not only re-establish Glass-Steagall, but you've got to break them up. That is not Hillary Clinton's position.

I believe that our trade policies-- NAFTA, CAFTA, PNTR with China have been a disaster. I'm helping to lead the effort against the TransPacific Partnership. That is not Hillary Clinton's position.

I believe, along with Pope Francis and almost all scientists, that Climate Change is threatening this planet in horrendous ways and that we have to be aggressive in transforming out energy system away from fossil fuels-- and defeat-- and defeat-- the Keystone Pipeline. That is not Hillary Clinton's position.

I believe that-- as opposed to my Republican colleagues who want to cut Social Security-- I believe we should expand Social Security by lifting the cap on taxable income. That is not Hillary Clinton's position.

I believe that we've got it raise the minimum wage over a period of several years to 15 bucks an hour. That is not Hillary Clinton's position.

I voted against the war in Iraq. Hillary Clinton voted for it.

The Hillary machine responded to the growing Bernie threat by having a spokesperson go out and tell the media he's pro-gun or some such nonsense. He has a lifetime NRA rating of D-minus. The irony is that Hillary spent part of the weekend in Ohio campaigning for conservaDem fossil Ted Strickland, who has been endorsed by the NRA over Republican John Kasich. Strickland, whom Hillary endorsed, rather than the progressive Democrat running for the seat, PG Sittenfeld, has an A+ from the NRA, a higher rating than most Republicans.

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