AOC Says President Bernie Sanders May Have to Compromise on Medicare for All

3,2,1 .. before Bernie supporters start yelling at AOC for not having faith in the omnipotent Bernie.

[quote]The worst case scenario? We compromise deeply and we end up getting a public option. Is that a nightmare? I don’t think so.”

So why not just vote for Amy who is offering the same thing? And she’s isn’t 100 years old and about to die in a couple months.

Impure! Impure! Bernie no longer passes my purity test and I can no longer support him!

Anyone who didn’t realize that Sanders is full of shit, and that Medicare for All isn’t going to happen...is a moron.

[quote] 3,2,1 .. before Bernie supporters start yelling at AOC for not having faith in the omnipotent Bernie.

It's already happening all over twitter. And isn't it funny that Bernie and AOC have accused other candidates of not wanting to go far enough when just about all of them are for AT LEAST a public option? Stupid idiots.

[quote]can’t wave a magic wand and pass any legislation they want.

Isn't that exactly what Pelosi told Ocasio-Cortez?

Compromise? Comprise? Really? I thought there was no such word in AOC's Communist/Socialist/Progressive playbook or vocabulary.

Talk about a fucking sell-out.

Wow! AOC turned into a jaded corporate hack in less than year! I knew it, she just oozes corruption.

Well well well, AOC finally watched that old Schoolhouse Rock Video on how a bill beomes law.

In any other country, AOC and I would not be in the same party.

Who THE FUCK cares WHAT THIS BROAD THINKS

I wish Joe Biden was crisp enough for such a retort, R11. He never capitalizes on anything. Big reason why his campaign is in its current state.

I wonder if Ted Cruz still wants to work with her on that bill they were supposedly working on together.

I love her. Politics is the art of the possible. AOC is the future.

Oh please. Nancy Pelosi already made a guest appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race two years ago.

Go back to party city where you belong R16. We like Nancy and AOC too. And Bernie. Why can't you? My guess is that some arteries have gone hard and some never do. Have a nice nap gramps.

Building bridges as usual, aren't "we".

i can't get any of the shit i promised done, but vote for me anyway.

that sounds familiar

Hmmm...

This bitch went rogue and told the truth! Bernie is perfectly happy to keep lying, because he knows his supporters are so stupid they’ll believe anything.

This was always true though. The *worst case* scenario.

Sanders is admitting nothing, and AOC is expressing that if there isn't the political support to push M4A then it can't be simply decreed to be so. That's why, for her and for so many young progressives, filling congress with progressives and flipping the senate is so important on top of electing someone like Sanders.

The first two years of a Sanders presidency won't have quick universal healthcare, though he'd try to enact as much of his agenda as possible and whatever he can do to expand healthcare. Either a 2020 or 2022 Senate flip would probably be an fixation, so by the end of his (first or ever) term M4A is enacted. If the scenario doesn't allow M4A, AOC believes she can temporarily bargain down to a generous public option. Sanders would contract such an approach with a 'public option first, work towards M4A down the line' (aka clearly for a 2nd term if ever) proposal from Warren.

Both Sanders and AOC are likely aware that if M4A isn't enacted in a first term there will be some level of hell to pay from the base, but if it flat-out can't be done, a simple expansion of coverage isn't actually the end of the nation - Sanders himself admits such when he supports basically any plan that expands healthcare to Americans. What progressives resent is the moderate Dem push of the idea that you start from the compromised position and then maybe, some year or decade, when the rest of the world has public healthcare and there's no way to avoid it, USA finally bends to do some form of it. Most progressives save for the most radical - that definitely exist - know that bills have to pass the Senate. They just are much more avid about wanting the left to be fighters that threaten senators' jobs unless they sign onto it.

W & W for R3.

[quote]The first two years of a Sanders presidency won't have quick universal healthcare, though he'd try to enact as much of his agenda as possible and whatever he can do to expand healthcare.

Considering that Sanders has done nothing during his 30 years in the Senate to “try to enact as much of his agenda as possible and whatever he can do to expand healthcare”, it’s safe to assume that he will enact and expand absolutely nothing as President either.

Keep fuckin' that chicken, R22.

"Both Sanders and AOC are likely aware that if M4A isn't enacted in a first term there will be some level of hell to pay from the base,"

I've been here since 1999, and that's the funniest damned thing I've ever seen posted here.

She's talking reality now. Because otherwise, anything else would be dead on arrival in the Senate.

Especially when you have someone like Mitch McConnell running around calling himself the grim reaper.

I'm just saying.

So, what Hillary tried to push through in ‘94, progressive visionaries!

Gee, funny - now that she has a few people trying to primary her, she’s changing her tune.

And while she’s galloping all over the country with Bernie, they’re back at home building support in the congressional district. It will be interesting to see what happens there.

There's no way that Bernie could get M4All passed, even if Democrats win both houses of Congress, because several Democratic senators would never vote for it. It's dead on arrival.

Those democrats should then be primaried and real democrats should be brought in.

Not acceptable to be siding with Republicans at this point on anything.

Bug eyed bitch.

Rosanne is trash.

[quote]then maybe, some year or decade, when the rest of the world has public healthcare and there's no way to avoid it, USA finally bends to do some form of it.

The REST of the world already has public healthcare. Americans are greedy stubborn racist cowards who know nothing. Destined to lose, again.

R2 you say that like it’s a bad thing bernie drops dead vp ends up in charge.

She sure was pretty vicious with Pete Buttigieg for saying the samn thing.

Hopefully she gets cancelled.

[quote]Those democrats should then be primaried and real democrats should be brought in.

No they wouldn't because the majority of voters(especially in purple/red states) don't want M4All. They want to strengthen the ACA.

She's playing a different tune now that she has some competition for her job, lol

R31, “bug-eyed bitch that looks like a realtor” made me laugh.

R37, Those poll numbers cannly be trusted. The pollsters take advantage of the voters' ignorance to get the responses they (and the health care lobby) want.

The health care lobby is the biggest reason we won't see Medicare For All until Bernie's the president. They love to see people suffer for their own profits.

AOC is feeling discouraged, It's a human reaction to have. She's still young and she will toughen with time like Bernie has. I love them both.

So Bernie's henchwoman is testing the waters for the plan originally proposed by Bernie's arch-rival, the woman his cultists hate the most: Hillary Clinton.

Here’s a history lesson for AOC: HillaryCare failed badly, with a Democratic Congress.

R42, That's because Hiarycare was some AFA bullshit that was designed to make the health insurance companies more money, not to help the the uninsured.

R43, if the health insurance companies stood to make more money, it would have passed.

[Quote] The first two years of a Sanders presidency

Lucky if he gets to November...

so basically he's falling back to pete's plan?

maybe we go with the cute gay kid instead of the angry of curmudgeon always yelling at us

Doesn't matter if Bernie or Elizabeth get elected none of this far left legislation will get passed by Congress. All Republicans will be against it and more than enough Democrats in congress will be also, at best only moderate legislation will get passed. No medicare for all, no free college, no basic universal income.

I would love to see medicare for all, but it just doesn't stand a chance in hell of becoming law in the foreseeable future.

President Obama wanted Universal Care, where everyone was covered, he had to settle for the ACA that just covered some people and they have to pay for it.

[Quote] so basically he's falling back to pete's plan?

As I've said waaaaaay back, Pete's positioned himself where all others will gravitate to. He's that smart.

I am for Bernie just the way he is, but I agree with AOC. He will have to compromise. The thing is at least Bernie is starting at the top, not like Obama, starting at the bottom. I will be fine with public option for now and a slow grow to M4A. I think he will have a better chance of being elected if he gives in a little and says that those who want to keep what they think is good insurance can keep it. Soon enough they will see how great Medicare is for those who choose that they will quickly want in. I'll take Bernie any way I can get him. I'll take Warren any way I can get her. I'll settle for Pete or Amy, even that other billionaire guy. The only one I will not vote for is Republican, hater of the poor and of people of color and as good a liar as Trump in every one of his ads, as I've lived in NYC my entire life and know his ads are lies, Bloomberg. It will just be more Trump. I hated Hillary and I still voted for her but I draw the line at Bloomberg. May as well ask me to vote for Giuliani. It's not going to happen.

Pete’s plan was ripped off Biden! Jesus f-ing christ. Why the fuck would I vote for Bernie if he cant get us instant healthcAre for all? I could vote for any of the candidates for that.

You better vote for Bernie in the general, because he's going to win the nomination.

[quote]Doesn't matter if Bernie or Elizabeth get elected none of this far left legislation will get passed by Congress

By voting for Bernie or Elizabeth, you are voting for four years of gridlock and zero legislative accomplishments. Is that what you want?

I’m voting for Amy who has a record of getting things done in Washington.

There’s plenty of things a Democratic president can accomplish that don’t involve passing legislation. Still I wouldn’t say that they’d have zero legislative accomplishments.

#NeverBernie

No more Russian assets in the White House like Trump and Bernie!

Bloomberg is Donald Trump by another name. If he runs on the Democratic ticket, I and millions of other democrats will vote for Trump to save our party from personal wealth Interference in the futire.

R25 How is THAT funny? There isn't a precedent of a leftist president campaigning primarily on medicare for all and not delivering on it. Its like a mega-capitalist president not enacting tax cuts but raises. Yes the base would go nuts.

If Bernie wins the primary, I bet the country keeps the senate republican. And if that happens we will get another conservative on the SC.

We need to give up on Medicare for all. Even if we win both houses of Congress and the presidency, it won’t stand up in court and we have ALREADY lost the courts for a generation or more.

Why not keep Medicaid in place and just add things like prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing, and home care to Medicare and take away the age requirement or having to be disabled and let people do what they want. Keep letting the insurance companies decide their medical care and pay through the nose and be stuck in a job they might hate or join Medicare. I will bet that in two years everyone in the country will join Medicare and the people will have created M4A on their own. Once there is less than 5% of people left on private insurance it will be easy to just end for profit health care.

Oh, and to pay for it, do away with the Trump tax cuts, do a wealth tax, cut the military and take away all tax loopholes for the rich and make people with an income of over 150 thousand a year pay a small extra fee for Medicare above the small amount some already pay for part B I believe it is. This would include well to do people over 65. For people of all ages who's income is 500 thousand a year or higher a considerably larger fee and really sock it to those with income over 2 million a year. If they say they are not going to use Medicare than tax them what the fee would be.

Make sure to tax all income from anyone who is a rich citizen of this country on money they send overseas, at least what the government can find.

R60, none of that will pay for Bernie's plan. And military spending is a barely a dent on healthcare/"entitlements". Bernie's plan will require much larger taxes on the middle and lower classes. His current tax plan only covers about 40% of his proposals. The only way he will cover what is missing is by heavily taxing the people his plan supposedly benefits. Even you taxed American billionaires extreme amounts, it wouldn't cover his plans.

[quote] So why not just vote for Amy who is offering the same thing? And she’s isn’t 100 years old and about to die in a couple months.

Or Elizabeth Warren, who is offering basically the same thing and has even laid out a detailed timeline and payment plan (that incorporates many of your ideas, r59) for implementation, which we will never see from Bernie? But nah, being realistic is only okay when it comes from Saint Bernard and his surrogates. Otherwise, you're a flip-flopper, a neoliberal, a person of no "vision," etc.

It’s ridiculous that 60% of his proposed spending is unaccounted for. The media and the other candidates should be hammering that home every single day.

Democrats should be screaming and hollering about the supreme court to, but their not.

These people do not know how to campaign. You'd think the DNC would give all cand6a list of topics to keep focused on everyday. But I guess not.

Hell, I could run the DNC. Democrats would win a whole lot more.

I'm not saying use Bernie's plan. I said, lol, use my plan. It is different from Bernie. It doesn't take away private insurance right away, actually not at all. I'm betting that people will willingly and happily give up their private insurance once they see how the people that went to Medicare love it. My plan is leave Medicaid as is and only add some things to already existing Medicare. Things like hearing and home care would mostly only be used by older people but anyone of any age can join. Young people most likely won't use it too much unless they're in a serious accident. The poor will still use Medicaid so that cost will stay as it is and only some new things will be added to Medicare so that will mostly stay as it is.

I guess I should add that the Democrat in the WH and that will run the Congress AND the Senate (please God!!!) do something about fucking big pharm and stop them from their outrageous charges. I can't imagine anyone other than big pharm having a problem with that. That would help those on private insurance too.

I think if they did things my way there would be more than enough money just from taking it from the rich and the military.

BTW, I am a Warren supporter and can't understand why she got so fucked up. When she changed her ideas for M4A it was a good thing. She gave the majority what they wanted and was still promising huge change for the better. She also wanted to give people who suffer living only on SS only a couple of hundred more a month and that would be a very good thing. Why did people turn against her? However, I will happily take the next best thing which is Bernie. Actually I will vote for any of them, except Bloomberg, but not happily.

It seems almost all Americans vote against their own best interest, not just Republicans or all Democrats would want this country out of the dangerous and deadly mess that is for profit health care.

[quote] Those democrats should then be primaried and real democrats should be brought in.

Right, because you’re not a “real democrat” unless you blindly obey Bernie Sanders — an “Independent” who expressly repudiates the Democratic Party except when he’s using it like a three-dollar whore to further his own ambitions.

Sure r46, I mean Chasten, can you please point me in the direction of the cute gay kid, cause Mayor Pete ain't it. I swear some of you all grade any white man on a curve.

r55, you'd rather give up on the hard fought minority civil rights, gay rights, woman's rights, consumer rights, voting rights, environmental protections, and the Supreme Court, just to avoid a rich people leading the Democratic Party? Since when has a poor or middle class person ever had the power to lead a political Party in America? You save nothing by voting for Trump. You and your millions of deranged cohorts only help the religious right continue their efforts to stack the courts. When a liberal gets into office, the courts will slap down every one of their reforms because people like you couldn't see the forest form the trees in 2016 or 2020.

Do what you want in the Primary, that's the time to fall in love, but the General is the time to vote Blue and hope for the best. Voting for Trump or not voting for Trump guarantees that 100% of what I assume you don't want in politics will occur. If you thought of anyone besides yourself you wouldn't consider voting for Trump or bucking the nominee.

[quote] Those democrats should then be primaried and real democrats should be brought in.

that's why the berniepeople are insufferable. they are completely clueless about how politics in this country is played

Every fucking candidate for the house that bernie backed in 2018 lost

Bloomberg provided funding to over 20 house candidates who flipped red seats to blue and helped us win back the house and make nancy speaker

these freshman are running as far from sanders as possible cause they know if he's our candidate, they're toast and the house is lost.

how fucking stupid do you have to be to think "real democrats" can just be "brought in"? on special bus?

you only get power if you get more votes than the other guy.

bernie has no history of getting anyone, other than himself elected, and that in the second bluest state in the country ain't a hard slog

Bernie probably means well, but he is very toxic. And hes also dangerous to America as well. People also want growth and not to be taxed into oblivion to fund ideas many believe won't work anyway.

America is a capitalist country, not a socialist country. It's just not gonna work here. Democrats better do something to fix this mess. Because wealth inequality is surely a very real thing. Democrats and Republicans have to fix this. Because if not, a French revolution type situation could absolutely overtake America.

And no one wants that.

Bloomberg will worsen wealth inequality. If he wins the nomination Trump will lose. I will be ok ne of millions of Democrats voting Trump.

r72 so wealth inequality is all you care about? What the heck should we care about wealth inequality when Trump's DOJ supports removing the gays and latinos, along with blacks from voter rolls? What about environmental protections. Trump doesn't believe in climate change. Bloomberg does and has spent millions fighting to support green initiatives.

Some of you are really grasping for straws to find any and every way to fuck the nation with an unnecessary protest vote. Bloomberg is 78, I doubt he is going to even want the stress of a second term and if he does then run a progressive against him in 2024, but for now we need to work with whatever leader comes out of the convention.

[quote]Bloomberg will worsen wealth inequality. If he wins the nomination Trump will lose. I will be ok ne of millions of Democrats voting Trump.

want to try to put this word salad into something comprehensible by intelligent humans?

The brouhaha that erupted forth when Obama put forth his plan won’t compare to what bernie’s plan would receive

Unless the US is being besieged by outer space aliens people won’t embrace such a revolution. (Unless all of bernie’s supporters vote, which they won’t )

[quote]Bloomberg is 78

Good Lord. These fucking ancient people need to retire or die, not run for fucking President.

mike is younger than bernie, the chosen one for the young

When is that asteroid going to hit earth again?

before nov, 3 if we're lucky

Americans have become retards who think it’s a good idea to have old fucks pushing 80 run the country.

i'm good with pete, he can run my country any day he wants

The bullshit about Bernie and Boomberg is just too much.

The lines about vote blue and vote Dem and anyone is better than Trump is true for every candidate, except Bloomberg. He is not blue, not a really a Dem and not better than Trump.

As for Bernie, he is not trying to turn this country into the kind of Socialist country people are yammering about. Business would not be owned by the government. The government would not be our landlords and shit like that. What he and Warren are about is fairness. WTF is so terrible about workers earning a living wage, of everyone having health care, health care for Christ's sake, not their own yachts. What is terrible about free state and city colleges, in NYC that's the way it was until 1976 and the wasn't considered Communism. When unions were strong the entire country was doing well, it wasn't considered Communism either. WTF is wrong with any of that. Please tell me other than some of you might pay a tiny, tiny bit more in taxes. Tell me in some way that you won't be considered a greedy fucking bastard.

R82

[quote]As for Bernie, he is not trying to turn this country into the kind of Socialist country people are yammering about. Business would not be owned by the government.

Power to the people: Bernie calls for federal takeover of electricity production

R82, feel free to use the search function, there have been at least 50 threads in the past few months on how much of an idiot Bernie is. You're welcome.

President Bernie Sanders won't be compromising, since he will never be President!

Everyone needs healthcare and an efficiency apartment.

If this happens they're going to start sterilizing the people they don't want to pay for.

You anti Bernie people are really some sick, stupid fucks if you really believe the shit you're saying or you are just plants. My guess is you feel pretty much the same about Liz or would feel that way about anyone who wants this country to be good for everyone, not just the rich or almost rich.

[quote] You anti Bernie people are really some sick, stupid fucks if you really believe the shit you're saying or you are just plants. My guess is you feel pretty much the same about Liz or would feel that way about anyone who wants this country to be good for everyone, not just the rich or almost rich.

I don't have any problem with what Bernie wants for the country; I have a problem with the fact that he'll never accomplish any of it, if he can get elected in the first place (very unlikely) and if he even lives to see election day (not entirely likely).

Agreed r88. The fear I have with Bernie is that he could potentially be popular in some red states with his populist message, but Americans are idiots and some would vote for Bernie then red down the ticket. I believe a Bernie nomination will mean a Republican Senate with a slimmer majority in the House. Yes, we would have won a battle but lost a war. Still, I'd take any Dem in a WH as a win. I think other candidates can help us take back the senate and WH.

Well, R89, I don't necessarily agree you but you have written the first rational post against a Bernie nomination that I've read here, not just this thread, but all the political threads. I would hope that doesn't happen but I can see what you mean and it does scare me a little. BTW, I'm for Bernie, formally for Liz and would still be if I thought she had a chance, but I'm not a Berniebro, not all his supporters are. Some of us just want the country he wants to give us. I do know if the Senate stays red and god forbid the Congress goes back to being red it won't matter who is in the White House. We will be fucked.

Good post!

[quote]My guess is you feel pretty much the same about Liz

not in the least, Liz is smart as a whip, seems to like people, and tries at least to explain how her policies could work.

bernie is a sanctimonious asshole, emboldened by a loony obnoxious cult with no knowledge of history, electoral politics or basic math, who promises tons of free shit, which he could never possibly deliver to gullible sycophants.

Bernie calls for federal takeover of everything. And who’s running the federal show?

GTFO with that nonsense.

That much easier for Generalissimo Sanders to take whatever he wants and run it however he pleases, R92. Considering his track record of squandering the last thirty years at the workplace and sleeping through Trump's Impeachment trial, I'm absolutely certain every decision he'd make would suck shit.

It's a total lie that Sanders is advocating for a government takeover of everything. This isn't Fox. People won't believe every lie told here.

Bernie has the very opposite of the Midas Touch. Everything he does seems to go to waste. Just look at what happened to the VA. Obama gave him that because he wouldn't shut the fuck up about how Obama wasn't doing enough--he even wanted to have Obama face primary opposition--and he ROYALLY fucked that up. He refuses to accept responsibility over this to this day.