When you board a plane, you go through T.S.A. screening. When you run for president, you go through vetting. I am going to ignore Ted Cruz and John Kasich in this mix, if you can forgive that. Of the remaining candidates, Hillary Clinton has released documents as follows and posted links to all of them on her website.
Hillary Clinton 2013 speech income
In contrast, Bernie Sanders has released one year of tax returns. There is this.
Bernie Sanders’s false claim that he has released his full federal tax returns
Donald Trump, for example, has consistently refused to release his tax returns, saying it would be unwise to do so while his tax filings are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service. Trump released a letter from his tax attorneys saying the IRS is examining his tax filings since 2009, while filings between 2002 through 2008 “have been closed administratively by agreement without assessment or payment, on a net basis, of any deficiency.” There is no prohibition against making public tax returns under IRS review and the letter did not explain why at least Trump’s 2002-2008 filings have not been released.
SNIP
There is one entry from 2014 available for Sanders on the Tax History Project website: a Form 1040 (a summary of his federal income tax return) and a one-page Vermont state income tax return. The campaign referred to this entry when we inquired about Sanders’s claim.
As for Hillary Clinton’s resumé, I cannot think of anyone with more pubic a record. Neither does any candidate running have a public service record so broad, so deep, and so successful both on the domestic side and on the foreign policy side.
Bernie Sanders did say this last night in the City of Brotherly Love.
Sanders: Clinton’s not qualified to be president
‘Bernie Sanders, take back your words about Hillary Clinton,’ her spokesman shot back.
“Now the other day, I think, Secretary Clinton appeared to be getting a little bit nervous,” he began. “We have won, we have won seven out of eight of the recent primaries and caucuses. And she has been saying lately that she thinks that I am, quote unquote, not qualified to be president.
“Well let me, let me just say in response to Secretary Clinton: I don’t believe that she is qualified if she is, if she is, through her super PAC, taking tens of millions of dollars in special interest funds,” he said. “I don’t think you are qualified if you get $15 million from Wall Street through your super PAC.”
First of all, Super PACs are not a disqualifying factor even if many wish that were not the case. Second, there are many more aspects to qualification aside from the derivation of funds. Finally, beyond being qualified, presidential candidates must pass the aforementioned vetting.
Hillary Clinton continually tells audiences that she will not make wild promises she cannot keep. She will not overpromise. Bernie Sanders makes broad, sweeping promises and cannot cite the mechanisms by which these promises become policy. In other words, he overpromises. Much of what he plans to do – well – has no plan that he can explain. So there’s that.
Hillary Clinton has been overvetted over 40 years in the public lens. Bernie Sanders has not been vetted at all and is hardly the party to call out Secretary Clinton on her qualifications. For that matter, neither has Donald Trump been vetted, and Sanders has said nothing about his qualifications.
This morning at Yankee Stadium, Hillary sought to douse the flames a bit.
Bernie Sanders: Hillary Clinton is not ‘qualified’ to be president
Theodore Schleifer, CNN
Clinton herself has never said Sanders isn’t qualified to be president. When asked Wednesday on MSNBC if she thought Sanders was “ready to be president,” she said: “I think he hadn’t done his homework and he’d been talking for more than a year about doing things that he obviously hadn’t really studied or understood, and that does raise a lot of questions.”
“Really what that goes to is for voters to ask themselves can he deliver what he’s talking about,” she had said, referring to an extensive interview Sanders had given with the New York Daily News during which he struggled to answer policy questions related to his signature issue — reforming Wall Street — and other topics such as gun control and foreign policy.
“It’s kind of a silly thing to say,” she told reporters in New York. “But I’m going to trust the voters of New York who know me and have voted for me three times.”
Hillary brought everything back into focus in two sentences. Yes, it is up to the voters, and it is not Bernie’s call!
This is from an email this morning from the campaign.
Last night, Bernie Sanders crossed a line and said: “[Hillary] thinks I’m not quote-unquote qualified to be president. Let me just say in response, I don’t believe she is qualified.”
Two things:
1. I don’t know why he said “quote-unquote” — she’s never said that.
2. This is a ridiculous and irresponsible attack for someone to make — not just against the person who is almost certainly going to be the nominee of their party this November, but against someone who is one of the most qualified people to run for the presidency in the HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.Show Bernie Sanders there are consequences for this kind of attack. Chip in $5 and let’s go win this nomination.
So, if you can spare a few dollars (it can be $1 or $2 – everything helps), this is one way we can show Bernie that we know Hillary is the BEST candidate, is super-qualified and super-vetted, and that the judgment is not up to him but up to the voters.
I’ve donated three times in the past 24 hours. This lie has infuriated me more than anything else Sanders has said or done. And that’s saying a whole lot. I’ve been muting him just to fend off disliking him so much that I end up being someone I don’t like. He is so icky, I just want him to go away. Please, Sanders. Go away.
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Bernie Sanders picks a dangerous New York fight with Hillary Clinton — by By Jonathan Capehart, April 7 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/04/07/bernie-sanders-picks-a-dangerous-new-york-fight-with-hillary-clinton/
To me, the fact that he went there, and did so to such an extent makes it near impossible for him to unravel this. How in the world will he pivot in Fall? He does not seem to care. Such as selfish and self-centered man!
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I think this lie has infuriated a lot of people. You can say what you want about Hillary Clinton but stating she’s unqualified is beyond the pale. She is one of the most qualified candidates the Democratic Party has ever had. Earlier, I read that Sanders is now blaming the Washington Post for its misleading headline.
Maybe you should have read the text, Bernie. It’s called doing your homework before flapping your mouth.
If this was designed as a distraction from the disastrous interview St Bernard gave on Monday, it isn’t working. It merely makes the man look like a cranky whiner.
His words. From his own mouth. Unprepared. Period, full stop.
Enough already!
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to justify bernie’s comments, his campaign sent out a link to a wapo piece that had a misleading headline but nothing in the story where she called him unqualified. my god, didn’t they read past the headline or bother to check the transcript of what she said before throwing that grenade? it’s scary how dysfunctional that campaign is.
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peggysue, i wrote that comment above before reading yours, lol. the blaming the media thing is ridiculous. there are misleading headlines all the time, bernie – the point of that is to get people to click on a story.
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Great article and links. Thank you!
I donated again today.between the unqualified smear and Sanders campaign mgr Jeff Weaver saying Hillary helped lead to the rise of ISIS….I just couldn’t take it.
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/04/jeff-weaver-not-done
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Btw, speaking of tax returns, I’m waiting for someone, anyone in the media–cable news in particular to ask why he won’t release them. I heard on the radio he said something to the effect that of: His wife Jane does their taxes and also that they are quite busy at the moment running for Pres. 🙄
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PYW: That’s fine. The Bernie news has been nonstop this week.
However, the question might be posed about someone running for president who only scans headlines, thereby completely missing the facts on complex issues like . . . nuclear security, energy issues, etc., etc., etc. Does anyone think that Hillary Clinton would get away with this nonsense?? No, she’d be strung up on the nearest lamp post.
The man has not been vetted thoroughly. The first time he’s asked pointed questions, requiring detail and understanding, he flubs it. Then he whines, becomes indignant and proceeds to point fingers.
How very Trump-like!
On the tax returns, the “we don’t have time” is not a good answer. Does he think he’ll have the luxury of time in the WH??
Btw, did St Bernard ever release his medical records? Or is that also too time consuming? He has a failing campaign to attend to, after all.
I am so-o-o over this primary. I actually liked Bernie Sanders in the past. Now, I can’t stand to look at the man or hear his voice. Quite an accomplishment.
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Likewise. I used to like him; in fact I was subscribed to his emails from his Senate website at one time… but I unsubscribed even BEFORE he became a candidate, because I noticed that he had a narrow approach. His dented tin cans bought by poor people as a support for his arguments took it only thus far. Mind you, we are BIG supporters of homing the homeless, and the food bank – as I write, my hubby is at a Food Bank fundraising event. We are big donors on social justice causes… But I developed a dislike for Sanders before he even became a candidate.
But he totally lost my respect this week. In fact, if he sides with a cause, i am likely to double check why. He is more selfish than I ever imagined.
Exactly the opposite of Hillary in many ways. What he criticizes for are the intermediate policy positions that her husband had to take to develop compromises enroute to the social justice that she and Bill wanted. She was adamant on many of her positions, and yet saw that her husband was trying very hard to move the needle closer to the goals we wanted. She recognized that several of the positions did not get to where she wanted the country to be, yet she supported as a spouse would, and as a good politician who knows how to get things done does. She is the achiever.
He is merely a lot of bs, no pun intended.
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Interesting perspective. I knew of Bernie before he started running but not much. Once he entered the race, I thought he made some good points about income inequality but it was also very clear early on that there was more bluster than policy bite. Now, like Ms. Becky, I mute Sanders and his surrogates most of the time. I am honestly sickened by them, harsh as that may sound.
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I watch C-Span quite a bit especially during key policy discussions – when proposed laws are being argued/disputed, so to speak. Bernie is notorious in taking hours and hours on the floor, filibustering. But even there, it’s very repetitious. I follow a lot of senators, (I also write to senators, call them, etc.) – including one who has endorsed him, Marcia Kaptur, and I know that she admires his arguments from the time of financial reform, but both of their arguments were ideology focused and without specific solution. That’s exactly the problem I saw early on in Bernie… lot of hot air, not enough specifics in his proposal. He serves well as an Independent in arguing against Republican agendas, and helps refine Dem agendas to progress further towards ideologies, but he is sorely lacking in specific platforms and actionable goals… precisely what comes through when you see that he has little in the form of originating bills.. Yes, he does tweak what’s proposed by others… but that’s precisely why he does not have depth in his current platform “proposals”. NYDaily News interview simply reveals the truth. When he gives speeches, he has more substance – which means others wrote them probably because he certainly had not internalized enough to speak on the topics for NYDN.
Yes, like you, I am sick of him… and his ‘anger’. I cannot tolerate his bs.. nor that of dt or tc.
Our TV is off most of the time now, but it records several key channels on a rolling basis and several shows too, so if needed, I go back and review if there is something interesting I hear of. I have some good writers that I follow on both sides. It’s the way I keep my head together right now..
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He does nothing for fundraising for Democrats, not even for himself beyond mentioning his websites.. criticizes Hillary for doing the tough work of fundraising for herself and other Dems… while he himself has grandly benefited from DEM funds in the past.
This is a week old article.
Here’s why a Bernie Sanders victory for the nomination would make him a hypocrite — by Jonathan Capehart – March 31, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/03/31/heres-why-a-bernie-sanders-victory-for-the-nomination-would-make-him-a-hypocrite/
Excerpt:
Now, here’s where the Sanders hustle comes in. While most people still assume that Clinton will win the Democratic nomination, all that money she is raising for the DNC and state parties will go to helping said nominee in the general election — even if that ends up being Sanders. The master fundraiser who hasn’t lifted a finger to help his adopted party. The fiery campaigner who has hammered his opponent for raising the money to fortify the DNC for the general election. The person who stands to benefit enormously from Clinton’s big-money prowess without sullying his carefully crafted aura of campaign-finance purity.
Hypocrite. User.
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Yes, I read that too but aside from Capehart and a few other brief mentions in other media, no one ever mentions this fundraising issue! Well, good luck wooing those elected officials and party folks (i.e. super delegates) that you haven’t lifted a freakin’ finger to help. Like the Daily News said to Ted Cruz, take the F and U trains right outta here.
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exactly! I loved that front pager from Daily News. They sure know how to make the precise point for the people of NY.
btw, their Sandy Hook family asking Bernie for apology.. that came from them, not from Hillary.. but Bernie conveniently turned that into asking for apology from Hillary for a list of things.. his favorite dishout.
Bernie, NYDN heard ya! And now your turn to hear them say it for all of us.. Get outta here! lol
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Yep, be gone.
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I never liked Sanders. But now, in honor of my life in NYC, all I want to say to him is – GTF Outta Here.
She is over qualified.
Vermont should be embarrassed.
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Yep.. VT has reason to be embarrassed. They claim to be the adults, standard-bearers, etc.. well, this one just IS NOT.
Is Bernie Sanders your stoner college roommate? After he fumbles his way through a Daily News interview, there seems to be far less to the socialist populist than meets the eye — BY JAMES KIRCHICK 4/6/2016
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/james-kirchick-bernie-stoner-college-roommate-article-1.2591052
Excerpt:
Bernie Sanders is not the “conscience” of the Left. He’s more like the Sarah Palin of the Left: clueless, but embodying its cultural preferences and giving voice to its prejudices. Whereas Palin was the godfearin’, plainspeakin’ “hockey mom,” Bernie is a righteously angry agitator.
——————
BS speaks like college kids, and when asked for depth, for specifics…, it just is NOT there.
But is he more like students, and commoners.. like the ordinary people… Does he deserve a break for… innocence (for lack of a better word)??? When asked about subway in NY, he doesn’t know how the turnstyle operates. Not only did MTA discontinue tokens (about 13 years ago), most subways do not have tokens anymore.. Not in DC, not in Atlanta.. so I wonder when he was last in any subway. Just not even like a student… Not a common man.. he is a man of means…
He is NO champion of the common man. He is a self-righteous snob with a grandfatherly look.
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I just saw on Twitter that Sanders said in an interview with Charlie Rose that he will certainly support Hillary if she’s the nominee. That’s a relief, except how is he going to reconcile an endorsement of someone he said isn’t qualified? I’ll let Bernie figure that one out.
BTW, has anyone seen Sanders’ campaign guru Tad Devine in the past few days? The execrable Jeff Weaver is the one who keeps popping up on TV. I wonder what’s going on there.
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That’s very interesting. I wonder when the Charlie Rose show was recorded. Is that today’s recording?
Yeah, I wonder how anyone can pivot to ‘supporting’ after saying ‘not qualified’. What a bad mistake he has made!!!!
No, not seen Tad Devine yesterday/today, but seen Jeff both days. Um.. I wonder… And, yes, Jeff grates me the wrong way..
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sam, It’s the Charlie Rose show airing tonight. I should’ve said that. Sorry!
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ok will try to watch. Thank you
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I see that Jane Sanders came on TRMS to defend BS. May be they know Jeff and Tad arent cutting it.
Jane is saying Bernie has moved on from all this “not qualified” stuff.. well, it is very convenient for him to do his big fart and move on from the stink he is leaving behind.
We expect a true apology from Bernie. And may be even a statement that Hillary IS qualified. But Bernie, you dont qualify Hillary. We voters do.
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I don’t think Bernie really believes Hillary is unqualified. He was responding to what he thought she said about him (which, of course, she never said) and made the comments in a snit. And now he doesn’t know how to extricate himself from the fallout, since he never admits he’s wrong about anything.
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See, his supporters firmly believe him when he spews this nonsense.. and his ego is so big that he cannot undo this… That’s the trouble. he is going to have to undo it one of these days, for the good of the DEM party.
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I watch Rachel M. every day but literally could not today, knowing Jane Sanders was scheduled. Did not want to see even the non JS segments b/c I didn’t want to see even 2 secs of Rachel touting, “Coming up…JS.” That’s how utterly revolted I am with that whole campaign.
I saw Tad Devine a couple of times today on tv. Smarmy as ever but couldn’t tell you more b/c of course I muted/turned away.
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and then…
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Those are the lamest excuses ever. And if Bernie didn’t mean what he said, let him say it.
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PRECISELY! And this time, he sends… not his campaign appointed spokespeople.. but his surrogate, his wife, to “interpret”.. rather than to convey what he meant. Nice try, but I ain’t born yesterday.
He had to throw “not qualified” at the most qualified female candidate ever possible.. who was already in line of succession behind current POTUS for 4 years… What the hell was he thinking? I think he dug himself into a hole. Very sexist thing for him to do.
I hope Super Delegates show who is the true DEM who is entirely qualified here.
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Goodnight my good friends. I’m really gonna try and relax a bit tonight.. with David Hicken.. this one. Enjoy!
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On the positive news side..
The number of UNinsured has gone down further. From 18% in mid 2013 to now at 11%
http://www.gallup.com/poll/190484/uninsured-rate-lowest-eight-year-trend.aspx
NO WAY we will let ACA be dismantled. Improve, for sure Dismantle, hell no.
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Bernie Sanders’s PUMA Moment: Hillary Clinton ‘Not Qualified’
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/07/bernie-sanders-puma-moment-hillary-clinton-not-qualified.html
Wow, Tomasky nails it.
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Questioning Hillary Clinton’s Qualifications Doesn’t Sit Well With Women Backing Her
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-qualified_us_57066159e4b053766188cb85
Glad to see some of the tweets.. especially Sen.Claire McCaskill.
I hope more Super Delegates speak up on this.
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So,
Tad Devine, Sanders’ top adviser and a Democratic Party veteran of more than three decades, helped craft the superdelegate process.
yet, BS has been critical of super delegate process.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_BERNIE_KEEPS_WINNING
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Oh my goodness.
A woman… cannot have ambition..
http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/04/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-tries-too-hard-ambitious.html
She is a woman, dammit! She SHOULDNT TRY TOO HARD!! Trying hard… That’s not … umm.. what… ummm sexist???????????
BS campaign has certainly stepped into it this tie.
Bernie, now we KNOW why you are not a real DEM.
BTW, Bernie, if you cannot take the heat, get out of the kitchen!!
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True, he needs to worry more about delegates.
But… Oh sheesh.. He has not joined the DEM party.. Someone please tell the author from AP!
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Bernie vows a divisive platform fight at Philly confab – by WIll Bunch – Philly.com
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/Bernie-vows-a-divisive-platform-fight-at-Philly-confab.html
Excerpt:
Sanders’ response was clear. “The answer to your question is yes, we will engage in a platform fight,” he told me, adding: “I don’t know if it’s quite gotten going yet, obviously, we’ve reached out to people.”
—-
And some details on what he what platform positions he would insist on/ask for.
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On CBS/Charlie Rose — Posted April 7, 2016, 7:52 PM (probably for airing tomorrow morning on CBS This Morning)
Bernie Sanders: I attacked Hillary Clinton because she attacked me
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-i-attacked-hillary-clinton-because-she-attacked-me/
He is STILL attacking Hillary. This is very disappointing.
And yes, he does say he will support Hillary in Fall.
I dont know if I will be able to watch without throwing my fork at the tv. lol
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Thank you @_livingbarb and @connieschultz. Let’s make it in-thing for women to be ambitious! 🙂 #AmbitiousWoman
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The Clinton campaign needs to hit back hard now! They are not the underdog and they should stop acting like it. Sanders and his gang are bullies who believe they are right for the country and have no problem taking anyone down with them. Sanders is like a little kid who ran out of marbles and refuses to go home. My fears are coming to light as sanders will never leave with grace or class like secretary Clinton did in 2008. The media loves sanders and that is a problem for the secretary. Sanders is nothing more than a washed up politician from long ago. The 60’s and 70’s were not that great! He still acts like a woman need help to cross the street!
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Dakota, I think her campaign is handling the “unqualified” crap the right way. Let Hillary take the high road while Sanders keeps acting like a spoiled child.
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I agree with Hillary taking the high road. HRC is savvy enough to know that alienating young voters who dote on St Bernard at the moment is (in the long-term) counterproductive. In my heart of hearts, I’d like to see her crush him like a bug but in my head, I know her strategy is ultimately the prudent one for the grueling General.
That being said, I’ll be a very happy camper when this primary is done, done, done. Dealing with the St Bernard Brigade and their infantile reactions is wearisome and aggravating. Frankly, too many ardent Bernistas sound like Republicans, dragging around Clinton Derangement memes, many arguments/accusations going back to the 90s.
Enough already!
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