Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 12:36 am
Bernie Sanders has a message for the Republican Party, ‘the American people do not want a government pushing right-wing extremist policies.’
In a statement, Sen. Sanders discussed last night’s election results,
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My sincere hope is that the Republican Party now understands that the American people do not want a government pushing right-wing extremist policies. They want a government that addresses the needs of working families, the elderly, the children and the sick, and not just the wealthiest people in this country.
Poll after poll shows that the American people do not want to see cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. As part of deficit reduction, they want the wealthiest people and largest corporations in this country to start paying their fair share of taxes. They want to end an absurd tax policy that enables the wealthy and large corporations to stash trillions in tax havens in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere, costing the U.S. Treasury more than $100 billion a year.
Poll after poll shows that the American people are increasingly concerned about the growing income and wealth inequality in America. At a time when the top 1 percent owns 42 percent of the wealth of the country, while the bottom sixty percent owns 2.3 percent, the American people want that enormously important issue addressed.
Poll after poll shows that the American people do not believe, as Republican leaders do, that global warming is a ‘hoax.’ On the contrary, they want this country’s energy system to move aggressively toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy.
Poll after poll shows that the American people believe that we must invest in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and, by doing that, create millions of good paying jobs.
Poll after poll shows that the American people strongly disagree with those Republicans who want to cut spending on education. Quite the contrary! The American people want to make college more affordable for struggling working families and their kids.
My strong hope is that, on behalf of the American people, President Obama forcefully challenges the right-wing extremist agenda. My hope is that he visits states around the country where House and Senate members are defending the interests of billionaires at the expense of working families, and asks those Americans to demand that their members of Congress represent them – and not powerful special interests.
After last night’s results, it is difficult to disagree with Sen. Sanders. Beyond the presidential race, the one striking take away from the 2012 election is the rejection of right wing extremism. In the House, high profile tea partiers like Joe Walsh and (possibly) Allen West have been shown the door. In the Senate, the Republican extremists lost every single contest.
This election was not only a validation of Obama’s bipartisanship message. It was also rejection of the rightward slide of the legislative branch of the federal government. President Obama has been handing the House Republicans their lunch since they provoked a showdown just before last Christmas and lost.
Obama has embraced the bully pulpit a great deal more over the past year, and he seems much better equipped to handle the Republican obstruction and extremism. The Senate took a step to the left last night, and the resounding rejection of the far right agenda should only serve to embolden Obama as he begins his second term.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
