The stated reason for Bernie Sanders' opposition of the Export-Import bank is simplistic and a key theme of his campaign: he would rather hurt the middle class in order to fulfill his vengeance against players in the market he sees as villains than end up doing something beneficial for those villains in the process of helping those who need a hand up.

It's his stated reason for voting against the financial rescue package which also contained the bailout money for the auto industry that saved millions of jobs because it would also help banks. Notably, not only did banks, as Hillary Clinton pointed out, paid the money back with interest, but even more critically, President Obama's financial reform law actually worked in reining in potential financial damage from future catastrophe.

Vengeance over assistance is also his stated reason for opposing the Export-Import Bank, because although 90% of its transactions directly support American small businesses and costs taxpayers nothing, it makes big loans to corporations like Boeing. That Europe massively supports Airbus, Boeing's main competitor, is completely lost on the man who's been peddling European style socialism on the campaign trail (although it turns out a bit different from close examination).

Incidentally, the National Rifle Association has also recently praised Sanders for his defense of unique protections gun manufacturers and sellers enjoy from product liability for crimes committed with their weapons when they fail to include enough safety features and warnings. The NRA also helped launch Bernie's Congressional career.

But Clinton's whipping, coming on the heels of Sanders trying to accuse her of being bought and sold (accusations which TPV has debunked), raised an important question. Is Bernie Sanders just a sadist who doesn't care who gets hurt in his retribution quest, or is he, in fact, bought and paid for the fossil fuel industry and the NRA?

Sanders quickly sought to play down the connection with the Kochs, saying we should look at not how Koch brothers are spending their money for him, but how he has been on the record "taking on" their interests. Clinton pushed back, making Sanders swallow his own words that big money special interests are "sensible" about how and in whose support they spend their money.

Of course, Sanders can expect a full examination of his record rather than simply connecting him to the people spending oodles of money to back his candidacy (and the Koch Brothers aren't the first GOP billionaires doing so). But if he wishes to be given that consideration, he must grant the same respect to Sec. Clinton - who also has a public record and a tough plan to regulate Wall Street - and stop demonizing her and impugning her character on non-campaign money connection alone.

Because otherwise, at best he's living in a glass house, and at worst he is telegraphing his own price.