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More please.
Sen. Bernie Sanders Says America Needs 'Political Revolution' in 2016
by Ben Siegel via This Week, abcnews.go.com -- May 3, 2015
Newly declared presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders said today he hopes to lead a "political revolution" for working families and against money in politics in his bid for the White House.
"I think I'm the only candidate who's prepared to take on the billionaire class," Sanders, I-Vt., told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "This Week." "We need a political revolution in this country involving millions of people who are prepared to stand up and say, enough is enough, and I want to help lead that effort."
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ThisWeek Transcript, May 3, 2015: [H/T to Adam B for the link.]
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STEPHANOPOULOS: And Senator Bernie Sanders joins us now. Welcome to "This Week." Why are you the best choice for president of the United States?
SANDERS: Because for the last 30 years, I've been standing up for the working families of this country, and I think I'm the only candidate who's prepared to take on the billionaire class, which now controls our economy, and increasingly controls the political life of this country. We need a political revolution in this country involving millions of people who are prepared to stand up and say, enough is enough, and I want to help lead that effort.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So does that mean that Hillary Clinton is part of the billionaire class?
SANDERS: It means that Hillary Clinton has been part of the political establishment for many, many years. I have known Hillary for some 25 years. I respect her and I like her, but I think what the American people are saying, George, is that at a time when 99 percent of all new income is going to the top 1 percent, and when the top 0.1 percent owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent, maybe it's time for a real political shakeup in this country and go beyond establishment politics.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You are asking for a lot of shakeup. Is it really possible for someone who calls himself a socialist to be elected president of the United States?
SANDERS: Well, so long as we know what democratic socialism is. And if we know that in countries, in Scandinavia, like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, they are very democratic countries, obviously. The voter turnout is a lot higher than it is in the United States. In those countries, health care is the right of all people. And in those countries, college education, graduate school is free. In those countries, retirement benefits, childcare are stronger than in the United States of America. And in those countries, by and large, government works for ordinary people and the middle class, rather than, as is the case right now in our country, for the billionaire class.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I can hear the Republican attack ad right now. He wants American to look more like Scandinavia.
SANDERS: That's right. That's right. And what's wrong with that? What's wrong when you have more income and wealth equality? What's wrong when they have a stronger middle class in many ways than we do, higher minimum wage than we do, and they are stronger on the environment than we do? Look, the fact of the matter is, we do a lot in our country, which is good, but we can learn from other countries. We have, George, the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country on earth, at the same time as we are seeing a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires. Frankly, I don't think that is sustainable. I don't think that's what America is about.
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SANDERS: What I am saying is that I get very frightened about the future of American democracy when this become a battle between billionaires.
I believe in one person, one vote; I believe we need a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. And let me say this: on our first day, first day that we were out, we asked people to get involved in our campaign, 100,000 people signed up; 35,000 people made donations to berniesanders.com and we raised on that first day $1.5 million -- and you know what the average contribution was?
STEPHANOPOULOS: What was it?
SANDERS: $43.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And you got that berniesanders.com back out there again. We'll see what comes --
SANDERS: You want to repeat that --
(LAUGHTER)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's talk about a Sanders administration. What would it look like? You voted against both Obama Treasury Secretary nominees, both Jack Lew and Tim Geithner.
Name a couple people you would consider for Treasury Secretary.
SANDERS: Robert Reich is somebody who I have -- who was, in fact, the Secretary of Labor -- you know Robert. I think he has been a strong progressive and understands that what we need are economic policies that benefit working families, not the big money.
You're right. I voted against these guys and I led the effort when I was in the House against the deregulation of Wall Street. I knew then that would be a disaster and it turned out unfortunately that I was right.
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STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask you, the presidential campaigns are famously actually the souls of a candidate, every part of your life is going to get scrutinized. So let's do a shortcut.
What's the most surprising thing people are going to learn about Bernie Sanders over the course of the next year?
SANDERS: I think Bernie Sanders is the proud grandfather of seven beautiful kids, grandchildren, four kids, married for almost 30 years. I grew up in a low-income, low middle class income family in Brooklyn, New York, 3.5-room rent controlled apartment. And growing up without a whole lot of money, George, that has been, I think, the most significant educational factor, if you like, in my life. I know what it's like to live in a family without a lot of money.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Most people don't believe you can actually become President of the United States.
Are you worried at all that your race might weaken Hillary Clinton without helping yourself?
SANDERS: Well, let me just say this about my political career. I think few would argue that it is the most unusual political career in the United States Senate. Nobody thought that I would be elected mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Very few people thought that I would beat an incumbent Republican to become United States congressman from Vermont by 16 points. And people weren't so sure I could beat the richest person in Vermont to become a United States senator.
So I would say don't underestimate me.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Bernie Sanders, thanks very much.
SANDERS: Thank you, George.
Thanks to you Readers for listening. Thanks for acting too.
berniesanders.com
And a "many great thanks" to Senator Bernie Sanders for caring enough ... to take a stand for us ... the Working Families of America.
(Most of us grew up "without a whole lot of money" too. We get it. Thanks for giving us a Voice. And a reason for hope.)