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While campaigning in New Hampshire, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) gave Republicans a lesson in true patriotism.

After marching in a Veteran’s Day parade, Sen. Sanders said:

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Today here in Lebanon and all across the country in big cities and small towns people are saying a profound thank you to the millions of men and women who put their lives on the line to defend our country. Today also is a day to remember the great sacrifices made by the families of those who served,” Sanders said.

If patriotism means anything, it means that we do not turn our backs on those who defended us, on those who were prepared to give their all. It means that we keep our promises. It means that we make certain that veterans in this country get all of the benefits and health care they need and were promised – and that they get them in a timely manner. It means that we say no to those who want to cut benefits for disabled veterans and no to those who would underfund the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Today we say thank you to all who served.

During last night’s Republican debates, there was a great deal of chatter about giving veterans the “choice” to get healthcare in the private sector. When Republicans tell veterans that they should have a choice that is conservative code for taking away their healthcare and pushing them into the private sector.

Republicans have been yearning to privatize veterans health care for decades. The goal often involves some form of capped benefit or voucher to our vets.

Sen. Sanders was correct. We as a nation can’t break our promise to those who serve and sacrifice for their country. A new poll shows that by a margin of 64%-29% veterans oppose privatizing the VA. Over the last two years, Congressional Republicans blocked a bill that would have increased benefits for veterans and have repeatedly targeted disabled vets for cuts in benefits.

Many Republicans view veterans benefits as an expense to be cut, instead of a sacred promise that must be kept.

The right mocks him for being a “socialist,”, but Sen. Bernie Sanders is more of a patriot than any of the fake flag-waving Republicans who thank veterans for their service in public while working to cut their benefits behind closed doors.