Opponents of the Green New Deal have rightly slammed the proposal as nothing more than an attempt to implement pedal-to-the-metal socialism in the U.S., and obviously Dem. Sen. Brian Schatz doesn’t like the “s-word” applied to the plan that all declared Democrat candidates for president say they support:

I’m not a socialist. But I believe that every American deserves health care. I also believe that college should be debt free, and that America must lead boldly on climate change. That doesn’t mean I want America to be Venezuela. It means I want America to be America. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) February 8, 2019

What’s that even mean?

Word. Salad. Translation: I don’t want America to be Venezuela with their starvation and plight but I also want unsustainable free shit and hope you’re too stupid to recognize what I’m calling for would turn the US into Venezuela. https://t.co/xnq8qZ5ZDs — hey baby it’s woke outside (@MatlockFletcher) February 8, 2019

"I'm not a socialist. But I openly advocate socialist policies." https://t.co/zAi7y7fiXq — Currently between fraudulent suspensions (@jtLOL) February 8, 2019

Schatz tried to explain himself to some people:

OK, but we want you to have the courage to stop running from the S word. — Gnarden Gome (@knox_jt) February 8, 2019

It’s not a matter of me worrying about the word. It’s about the word not accurately describing my views. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) February 8, 2019

That sort of makes you a socialist. Sorry. — Estarianne ??? (@estarianne) February 8, 2019

I mean. You can call me whatever you want, but I like entrepreneurship and free markets. And I don’t mean casino capitalism, I mean people starting businesses and providing real goods and services and building a better life. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) February 8, 2019

Senator… become a socialist! — philippe (@Philippeflap) February 8, 2019

No thanks. I like business too! I just believe in appropriate regulation, government spending, a strong social safety net, protecting the vulnerable. As a start. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) February 8, 2019

In other words:

I'm not a socialist, I just believe in taking wealth from some people, to redistribute it to others in the form of government programs. https://t.co/xJTlgVxrvm — Scooter Schaefer (@ScooterSchaefer) February 8, 2019

Yeah, good luck with that spin, Dems.

But Sen. Chris Murphy has Schatz’s back:

Serious questions – according to the right’s definition of “socialism”: Is public education socialism?

How about the police?

Road building?

Don’t we socialize fighting fires? https://t.co/ZEHBZFWW7I — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 8, 2019

Ah, the old “you’re socialist too because you use government services” comeback from a congressional Dem. Tried and true.