bernie-hillary

Earlier this week, Hillary Clinton’s SuperPAC, Correct The Record, sent out an email that tried to smear Bernie Sanders as a terrorist loving “commie”-esque socialist with a radical agenda.

The email tried to use guilt by descriptive association, that is, Sanders being a socialist makes him identical to and responsible for all things that have ever been said by Jeremy Corbyn, the UK’s new socialist Labour Party leader.

Corbyn has espoused some very provocative things along the way. These include calling the killing of Bin Laden a tragedy because the U.S. didn’t try to capture him alive, referring to Hezbollah as friends that he would like to meet with to discuss Middle East policies and putting blame on NATO’s growth for provoking Russia into becoming more aggressive and invading Ukraine.

Also, after Hurricane Katrina caused oil prices to skyrocket in 2005, Venezuela’s leader Hugo Chavez began a program through the national oil company, CITGO, that provided low cost heating oil to the poor in a number of U.S. states.

Sanders responded to Chavez with gratitude on behalf of Vermonters who were benefiting from this program but Correct The Record wants people to believe that this was actually the socialist Sanders cuddling up with his fellow evil socialist Chavez…because socialists are all alike.

For the record, according to CITGO, this continuing program that’s been running for nine years has so far helped more than 1.8 million poor Americans in various states receive badly needed discounted heating oil. In other words, “Damn commies!”

Correct The Record also tried to spin different positions and votes of Sanders to distort them into appearing anti-American.

The person running the Hillary Clinton SuperPAC, Correct the Record is David Brock. He also heads up the watchdog group, Media Matters and another SuperPAC, American Bridge. Years ago he was a staunch critic of Hillary’s but transformed along the way to become a fervent supporter.

What may be surprising is that instead of the Republicans trying to push the envelope on post-Citizens United limitations on SuperPACS, it is in fact Brock and Correct The Record that are admittedly testing the boundaries by coordinating with Hillary Clinton directly through areas they see as loopholes. So, since CTR coordinates its actions with her,  Hillary Clinton’s fingerprints are indeed on this email (hasn’t she had enough trouble with emails?).

Bernie Sanders vowed not to campaign negatively against Hillary Clinton and his other Democratic opponents, instead to focus only on policies and issues.

Up until this email, Hillary has acted similarly towards Sanders but with the drumbeat of reports about Hillary sinking in the polls, being untrusted by many in the public and losing in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire against an ascending Sanders, apparently she and Brock determined it was time to test the waters on smearing Sanders (in a way that she could have plausible deniability).

Consider that this SuperPAC, ironically named Correct The Record, intentionally has tried to distort and mischaracterize “the record” when it comes to Sanders. Despite their allegedly heroic dedication to exploding lies about Hillary and revealing the truth, they have now proven themselves to use the same tactics as their propagandist foes.

Correct The Record has obliviously painted themselves as Swiftboaters who can’t be trusted to provide the truth and that boomerangs back on them when it comes to their legitimate defenses of Hillary. They have disqualified their critical position in Hillary’s campaign, seemingly out of their and Hillary’s panic and desperation over her decline and Sanders’ ascent and foolishly have done so with the people they most need to believe in them…fellow Democrats.

And in this era of Trumperfection, where politicians and their operatives no longer see any profit in apologizing for saying the wrong thing, Brock became very slippery when pressed on the dishonesty of his email (and other Hillary-defensive comments):

Again, this is a SuperPAC run by one of Hillary’s strongest allies and supporters, who coordinates with Hillary and her campaign, which sent out a dishonest smear against Sanders who hasn’t criticized Hillary once.

It is kind of astounding that Hillary and Brock could be so tone deaf at this point in time. First, Hillary is having to fight the impression that many voters have of her as being dishonest. Secondly, what voters on both sides of the aisle are clearly revolting against right now is politics as usual including devious negative ads and campaigns. Voters are yearning for authenticity and honesty (even if that is terribly misplaced in Republicans supporting Donald Trump).

The energized supporters of Sanders rally around him because they believe that he is addressing truths about the inequities of our society, they place a high value on truth and honesty. They are not going to be attracted to someone who uses dishonest attacks against their current candidate of choice.

Up until now, though there has been a degree of polarization between Hillary and Bernie supporters, a majority of Bernie supporters appear to be fine with voting for Hillary if she is the eventual nominee.

However, just as Hillary alienated many Obama supporters in the 2008 primary by trying to smear him with Reverend Wright/unAmericanism and other falsehoods (like not strongly affirming that she believed Obama was an American citizen when the Birther crap first whipped up), Hillary’s and her SuperPAC’s attempts to improve her polling in this way may have the opposite effect.

One need only review Correct The Record’s Facebook page to see that this email attack has stoked a great deal of animosity from Bernie supporters towards Hillary and Correct The Record. How counterproductive might this and future attempts to dishonestly smear Sanders be? Consider that most of the recent posts on Facebook by CTR to “correct the record” or attack Republican candidates have only been met with replies by Sanders supporters about how unethical, disrespectful and dishonest CTR and Hillary are.

An argument against both Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush is that they are outdated legacy candidates, each feeling an entitlement to their party’s nomination due to the Presidencies previously held by their families, each using the same campaigning tactics of the past of massive fundraising from big corporate donors and pandering to the base in their primaries with plans to move to the middle in the General Election.

If this truly is an era of a more enlightened public that recognizes the way the game of politics has been played for decades and is turned off by the dishonesty and corruption that is typically personified by establishment politicians, then affirming that she is indeed this same type of politician who is playing the same dishonest games the public is tired of, can only hurt Hillary Clinton.

So far, it appears that Hillary’s toolkit for politics is the same old one that has been turning off  voters. It’s not one that works well in this cycle but they may be the only tools she knows how to use. The inauthentic way she presents herself, alternately now as a Progressive then a Moderate, her dancing around the email server issue that has harmed her image far worse than just saying, “My bad!” at the outset and now this CTR email (which could be the start of an ongoing smear campaign against Sanders) are all suggesting that Hillary may be a far more self-destructive candidate than her campaign understands.

In 2008, it was Hillary’s dishonesty about herself (remember her fabrication about being shot at on the tarmac in Bosnia) and Obama, her anti-democratic attempt to rig the primary so she could win it through Superdelegates despite losing more caucuses and elections to Obama and her sense of entitlement to the nomination and Presidency (and outrage at those like Obama who challenged it) that helped her grab defeat from the jaws of victory back then.

In this cycle, she has shown only superficial changes to the way she campaigns, there are many reminders this year of the way she campaigned unsuccessfully last time. Yes, she might have learned to be more tactical in scooping up many Superdelegates early this time and not be caught as unaware of being beaten in the small states and caucuses as Obama successfully planned but behind-the-scenes tactics aside, she is presenting herself to Democratic voters once again in a questionable ethical light at a time when they most want an honest and ethical candidate that is genuinely concerned about the issues they care most about.

It would be ironic if the SuperPACs that Citizens United created, that represent such a huge threat to maintaining a democracy over a plutocracy, were the cause of politicians losing the votes they thought their SuperPACs would buy. If Hillary Clinton continues to use David Brock and Correct The Record as a beard to smear Sanders, pretending not to be campaigning negatively against him while doing so, she may not only disqualify herself with a huge swath of Democratic voters not currently supporting her but also see history repeat itself when the winner of the 2016 Democratic Primaries is determined.

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Nirek
Member

Bernie was on CBS this morning. It was excellent. Nora tried to say that Bernie wants the rich to pay 90% income taxes. Bernie said that it doesn’t have to be that high. He said that the rich and corporations need to pay their fair share of taxes.

Under Ike the tax rate for the super rich was 90%! But , today they pay less than us middle class folks percentage wise. Bernie wants the tax rates to be progressive. What is wrong with people paying more when they can afford to? Why do they need to stash money off shore? Why do corporations like GE get refunds when they pay zero income taxes? There are many of the BIG corporations paying zero income taxes. This has to change, and Bernie is the man to change it!

monicaangela
Member

Good Morning Nirek!

Did you see Bernie on the Rachel Maddow show last night? He was terrific there also. It appears the MSM is beginning to take him seriously. It’s about time. His track record of integrity goes back a long way. I am working as hard as I can in minority communities to wake people up to the fact that he would be a much better President IMHO than any of the other candidates running. I have convinced some but not nearly enough. It is a fact that without the overwhelming vote of the minority communities in the upcoming primary elections and then in the general, Bernie probably won’t win. I noticed he has gained the endorsement of Cornell West, that is a good thing. I am writing to many of the other notable characters in the Latino, African American and Asian communities (activist) to beg them to please take a closer look at Bernie and hopefully decide to help improve his numbers in their communities. Wish me luck!

Nirek
Member

Monica, thanks for all the help you are giving Bernie. I did see the clip of Bernie with Rachel and he was great there as well as where ever he goes. Bernie sticks to the issues. I like that! He refuses to be dragged into personal attacks on hair or looks. I am a member of Vets4Bernie and post a lot on that site. I use my real name there and have no problem giving it here so folks who see what I post is me. I’m (***) aka Nirek which is Kerin spelled backward.

I love that Cornell West has endorsed Bernie. Also some Rappers have endorsed Bernie. I’m afraid I don’t know them but I welcome all comers to the Bernie campaign. Bernie has a history of being a civil rights protester that is unblemished!

I’ very proud that you are on board and helping because I feel you and I are kindered spirits. As are so many here at PlanetPOV.

Peace, my friend.

monicaangela
Member

I may have to join facebook, just to check out what other veterans are saying and doing in the fight to help get Bernie elected. Thanks for letting me know who to look for on the Vets4Bernie thread. Is it vets4bernie or vetsforbernie?

Nirek
Member

Monica, both #Vets4Bernie and #VetsForBernie will get you to our group. I don’t understand #’s but that will get you to the group.

Many people join FB using fake names, so it is possible for you to be anomonous if you want to.

Nirek
Member

Monica, if you don’t want to join FB try BernieBlog.org

Kalima
Admin

Hello Monicaangela.

Just wanted you to know that I have removed the comment with your real name in it. I’m in a position to see how many bad people visit our site each day, so for your own protection, we don’t encourage giving out personal details. Just want to keep you safe. Hope you understand our position on this?

Thank you.

monicaangela
Member

Thank you so much. I had thought about asking for a request for deletion after I remembered that not everyone is as nice as Nirek and many of the folks who participate here. You don’t know how happy I was to receive your reply to my comment in my email this morning. Can’t thank you enough for all you do here. Question, I noticed Nirek gave his name in the comment above your comment. Should that also be removed? I wouldn’t want anyone to cause him any problems either. 🙂

Kalima
Admin

I’m so glad you understand, and that’s why we are here.

There are people who come to read. Then there are those just waiting for a chance to steal information and email addresses, so we take protecting our members seriously. Thanks for letting me know.

Before I leave for the night, here is a very funny cartoon about Bernie Sanders at the Liberty Uni. Enjoy. It made me laugh out loud. 😆

Goodnight from Tokyo.

—-

New cartoon: @BernieSanders message on economic inequality for Rev. Jerry Falwell’s @LibertyU

https://mobile.twitter.com/AndyMarlette/status/643471639724879872

monicaangela
Member

Kalima!!!!! What a great cartoon, I hope you didn’t place that here and vanish laughing out loud at what I’m sure you knew would be my response. I have got to use that one, GREAT!! Thanks for the laugh. 🙂 Sweet Dreams! 🙂

monicaangela
Member

Nirek
Member

AdLib, I have seen some people and petitions to pledge to “write in” Bernie Sanders if he doesn’t get the nomination. So far I have resisted signing on. I honestly believe Bernie will win the primary and then go on to a landslide victory!

I keep telling folks that what we need to do is elect some new younger folks, willing to do the work, to Congress. That will help Bernie get his agenda passed!

KillgoreTrout
Member

That won’t work, Nirek, and it will just give the right a better chance of winning. I sincerely hope Bernie gets the nomination, but if he doesn’t, it is best to vote for the candidate that does win the nomination.

Splitting the vote is a bad idea.

Nirek
Member

KT, that is why I resisted signing. I want Bernie , but the Dem nom is the better choice no matter who it is. I just think Bernie will win the nom.

RSGmusic
Member
RSGmusic

Ya your correct Nirek!

KillgoreTrout
Member

Hey Nirek! Tell those folks it’s not a good idea, and may very well lead to a republican victory in November.

As much as I like Bernie, i hate every GOP candidate running. I’m not a big Hillary fan, but I know she’d be better than any of those wack-a-doodles.

RSGmusic
Member
RSGmusic

Agreed KillgoreTrout!!

KillgoreTrout
Member

Hey RSG, how are ya? Long time no see. 😉

RSGmusic
Member
RSGmusic

YA it has KT. I moved and have been very sick for a long while. Also lighting hit the house and fried my music studio! SO i have been busy finding parts and some synthesizers and mixing board just can not be replaced! Waiting on Money to get New equipment!

Fergie1
Member
Fergie1

Agree 100% KT!

monicaangela
Member

Maybe the ideas of this Super Pac speaks more to their distaste for or lack of respect for the electorate than it does to Bernie Sanders being a “DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST,” something if I might add is far different than a Communist Socialist or many other kinds of socialist you might want to think of, not identical to the type of socialist that Jeremy Corbyn has become. I personally think this Super Pac, and Hillary Clinton if she approves their tactics are under a false impression that leads them to believe those that would be voting are stupid.

And, also regarding Citgo, Chavez, and Bernie Sanders. Chavez did something that should have been an eye opener for the citizens of this nation. In an effort to help the elderly, the poor, and those struggling with high energy bills, he set up a program to bring some relief to those that were suffering, this for citizens of one of the richest nations in the world. Not only should Bernie Sanders have congratulated Chavez, but when I think about it, I feel the entire government including the President should have shown their appreciation for this effort on the part of Hugo Chavez (may he rest in peace) and the government of Venezuela. He did something that none of our allies were willing to do, he actually showed us how unequal and how depraved some of the most wealthy in this nation and around the world are.

When I speak with likely voters, many are under the same impression as you are AdLib, they feel Hillary Clinton and her Super Pac are to say the least using out of date tactics. Many of us feel that it is time to do as Bernie Sanders is doing, stick to the issues, debate policy, describe how you will tackle some of the problems concerning the citizens of this nation and how you will deal with the misguided U.S. policies that are having an effect on citizens of this nation and around the world, some of those policies I might add can be contributed to the Presidency of none other than Bill Clinton, the husband of the candidate. Mud slinging politics should hopefully become a thing of the past. I for one have no respect for candidates that try to gain approval by tearing down their opponent with personal attacks that are skewed to appear true when the Super Pac and the candidate know the attacks are false/misleading.

Hillary and Jeb are both wrong on many of the issues, both are War Hawks, and both are what I consider to be establishment candidates who feel because of their pedigree they are undoubtedly what is best for this nation. The days of Kings and Queens and serfs have never been in this nation, and if the electorate is smart those days will never ever be.

Thank you for yet another thoughtful inspiring article, it has given me an opportunity to engage in many wonderful conversations with friends regarding the issue of the tactics of this super Pac while at the same time allowing me the opportunity to express my sincere approval of Bernie Sanders and his attempt to bring our electoral process back to civility. 🙂

RSGmusic
Member
RSGmusic

Good analysis MA I agree Bernie can out debate her Hillary!! I will vote for the dem winner either way!!

choicelady
Member

One question – I read the article and cannot see how it ‘smeared’ Bernie at all. Maybe I just don’t get the insider stuff, but even reading the post, I don’t see it.

KillgoreTrout
Member

Hey cl. I think it was very subtle. The implication that Sanders is somehow tied to Hugo Chavez and Hezbolah. It’s a subtle smear on Sanders’ socialist label.

It wasn’t a direct smear, but a very subtle attempt to paint Bernie as some sort of dangerous socialist.

That’s my take on it, anyway.

monicaangela
Member

Exactly KT, Spot on. 🙂

RSGmusic
Member
RSGmusic

Agreed MA good to see your post again!! Have been very sick!! Need to catch up on politics!! we moved also’ Also lighting hit the house and fried my music studio! SO i have been busy finding parts and some synthesizers and mixing board just can not be replaced! Waiting on Money to get New equipment!

monicaangela
Member

I’m really sorry to hear how you have been suffering RSGmusic. I hope you are feeling better. Sounds as if you have been having lots of misfortune…sorry to hear about your loss of your music studio and your home. I sincerely hope you get things under control soon, and are able to get back to doing what you appear to love doing and do very well I might add…making music. 🙂

KillgoreTrout
Member

KillgoreTrout
Member

Well done Ad. Some very astute observations. I don’t have a real good grasp of how SPs really work. Does this particular pac work for Hillary, at her discretion? If so, this certainly doesn’t bode well for Hillary.

As far a David Brock goes, he’s got all the habits and mannerisms of a political sleeze. In the interview you provided in this article, he did nothing but bob and weave when asked some pretty obvious questions.

Why did he even mention Chavez? Why even mention Hezbolah? He says this wasn’t dirty work, but simply the normal “process?” Isn’t that what most progressives DON’T want, as you pointed out? Brock uses the word facts, but I didn’t see very many, just sleezey, sideways insinuations.

I will not be very happy about having to vote for Hillary, but I will if she is the nominee. I don’t see her as all bad, or even being close to as bad for America as anybody in the GOP field. But, I’ll definitely be holding my nose in the voting booth.

I hope this wasn’t an attempt, by Brock and his stooges at CTR, to make Bernie break his word about running a clean camapaign. If it was/is, I don’t think it will work.

People can say what they will about Sanders, but the man has shown, time and again, that he does have integrity.

sillylittleme
Member

One, Brock is obviously jealous of how Bernie shed his curls for a lovely pate. Two, that commie Joe Kennedy has been working with CITGO for that same period. You see, our benevolent American oil companies could give two shits if New Englanders freeze to death. How dare they be poor!!!

I see he’s already wrote his posthumous autobiography. Meh.

TresL
Member
TresL

“Bernie Sanders vowed not to campaign negatively against Hillary Clinton and his other Democratic opponents, instead to focus only on policies and issues.”

Given this quote, I’d be interested to know why you think Bernie is campaigning negatively against PBO instead of the GOP and why he thinks Dems will select a Socialist as their nominee?

TheHandyman
Member
TheHandyman

The answer is very simple, if you actually think about it, which you clearly didn’t. Bernie isn’t running against the GOP, he’s running for the nomination so his opponents are the other members of the Democratic Party who want to be nominated. And the answer to your second question is equally simple. Bernie a Democratic Socialist and he is actually is a reflection of what the Democratic Party used to be during the late 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s until Bill, a closet Ronnie Reagan Republican, was elected. Hillary too is nothing more than what we used to call a Wall Street Democrat. As we see by Bernie’s rise in the polls to pass Hillary in Iowa and New Hampshire he appeals to Democrats who are finally tired of being lied to just as Obysmal did. Where ever Bernie goes he not only draws the die hard Democrats but those who gave up on the party years ago but many Independents and Republicans as well. Bernie knows what the people want while Hillary only cares about what the filthy rich and their corporations want. See how easy that was to figure out when you actually are willing to put some thought into an issue?

KillgoreTrout
Member

TresL, how is Bernie campaigning negatively against a man who cannot run for a third term and consequently, has no campaign himself? Is he telling lies about our president?

Nirek
Member
S-Man
Member
S-Man

Thanks Ad, this is exactly what sunk her campaign last time. Some people never learn, I expected more from her.

TheHandyman
Member
TheHandyman

Why would you expect her to change her methods any more than a leopard would change its spots? Hillary is a true believer in her own destiny, which is to bee the first woman President. That is why she has stayed with her lying, serial adulterer husband. It is about the thirst for power. She will continue to make the same mistakes that she always has. It is called hubris. Obysmal was smart enough to not define himself. Liberals claimed he was one of them….he wasn’t. Progressives claimed he was one of them…he wasn’t. And moderates also claimed him…but he wasn’t. Like Clinton Obama was a Ronnie Reagan Republican, or what we used to call a Wall Street Democrat. If the GOTPers weren’t standing on the edge of their flat Earth staring down into the abyss they would have embraced him. Obamacare is a great govt giveaway to the rich. His willingness to sell out Medicare and SS is something they have orgasms over. But they only saw him as being Black and a Democrat. And Hillary stupidly the other day admitted that she was unapologetically a “Moderate.” She has now lost support from Liberals and Progressives. What Hillary is, and the term sounds strange because we don’t think of this in these terms, but she is an Extreme Moderate. That means she believes in helping the People a little but helping the Filthy Rich and the Corporatocracy far more. She is unashamedly for Wars that help the American Weapons of Mass Destruction Industry keep on rolling sacrificing education, infrastructure, jobs, and education for political power.

After all her lies about coming under fire in Bosnia, knowing anything about TPP/TPA, demanding that all State Department employees act as spies, as well as poor decisions she made over her servers I expect her to continue on in the same way Bill O’Rielly does!