Advertisements

Sen. Bernie Sanders brought the reality hammer down on Republicans who are trying to sabotage the economy ahead of the 2012 election.

Video via MSNBC:

Advertisements

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

After explaining why he voted against the JOBS Act, Sen. Sanders said, “Our Republicans friends have a very short memory and they forget that when Obama took office we were losing 700,000 jobs a month. That in the last quarter of the Bush administration GDP declined by over six percent, and that we lost during the Bush era thousands and thousands of factories, and millions of good paying manufacturing jobs. So my view is, yeah we are making progress under Obama. No question about that, and Republicans have no right be critical when virtually every day in the United States Senate they’re busy obstructing any effort that we want to make to create jobs.”

Sanders gave the example of the House Republicans obstructing a job creating transportation bill, and later discussed the Republicans’ willingness to torpedo the economy, “Well, I think if you’re asking me are the Republicans prepared to do anything they can to torpedo the economy in order to defeat Obama. I think the answer is pretty clear. They have shown that time and time again.” Sen. Sanders closed by pointing out that 93% of the new income created in 2010 went to the 1%, but Republicans refuse to raise taxes on the wealthy or end some corporate tax breaks.

Sen. Sanders had it right. Republicans must be suffering from some serious memory loss if they don’t recall what it was like in this country during the final stages of the Bush administration, but Republicans do remember. What they are hoping is that the voters are the ones who have forgotten. How else can you explain their illogical decision to nominate a presidential candidate who claims that he can get the economy going by doing more of the exact same things that killed it?

It doesn’t make sense, but the only hope that Republicans have for victory in 2012 is that voters don’t catch on to their plan to repeat their previous failures. It is clear to everyone that Republicans can and will do anything to drive this economy down before the election. Sen. Sanders showed his frustration through his transportation bill example, with the fact that he has to come to work every day fully aware that the people on other side of the aisle are going to do everything in their power to make sure that nothing is accomplished.

The Republican obstruction strategy has not only made it impossible to pass any meaningful legislation, but it has also poisoned the well in the Senate. A body that was at one point in our history the role model for bipartisan compromise has become a better dressed version of the House. The 60 vote rule has gummed up the Senate works, and it is a testament to the character of Bernie Sanders and the other members of the Senate who continue to fight every single day to do what’s best for the American people.

In order to be successful this fall, Democrats need to do exactly what the Independent Sen. Sanders did in this interview. They need to adopt the battle cry, remember W, educate their friends and neighbors about President Obama’s record, and most importantly, get out and vote.