Bernie Sanders Calls For A Mobilization Of Millions Of Americans To Take Down The Kochs

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:40 pm

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reminded MSNBC of what liberalism looks like by calling for a mobilization of millions of Americans to take down the Koch brothers and other conservative billionaires.

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The Morning Joe crew wanted to play up a potential Bernie Sanders vs. Hillary Clinton conflict, but Sen. Sanders had a bigger message.

Sanders called on millions of Americans to stand together to take down the Koch brothers.

Sen. Sanders said:

I think the issue is, frankly, it’s not just Hillary, Elizabeth, or Bernie Sanders, or anybody else. This country faces enormous problems. Our middle-class is disappearing. We more people living in poverty than at any time in the history of America. We’re the only major country without a national health care program guaranteeing health care for all people. What’s it all about? The question is this one basic question. How do take on a billionaire class, which has so much economic power, and with Citizens United, can now buy elections. Where we are moving in many ways towards an oligarchic form of society rather than our traditional democracy.

Who is prepared to do it? So let me just say this, no president, not Hillary, not Bernie Sanders, not anybody, will succeed unless there is a mass mobilization of millions of people who stand up and say, enough is enough. Koch brothers and billionaires can’t have it all.

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The bottom line is we need people to stand up to the billionaire class, and their economic and political power. That is what we need.

Sen. Sanders was correct. Unless the American people mobilize and stand up to billionaires, like the Koch brothers, no Democratic president can succeed with the people behind him/her. President Obama has been able to fight back because his argument about middle-class economics is popular with tens of millions of Americans. Obama has mobilized a coalition that stands by his side every day.

The next Democratic nominee will need an ever bigger coalition because the billionaires are dumping more and more money into our electoral process in an attempt to purchase the most powerful elected office in the world. One of the reasons why Hillary Clinton is putting people first in her campaign because it is going to take an army of people armed with their voices and their votes to beat the billionaires.

The Beltway press will continue to obsess over the horserace elements of 2016, but for 99% of the country what is at stake is their voice and power in our elections.

Jason Easley

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