What was she thinking when she voted to authorize the war in Iraq despite having access to confidential information from the intelligence community that clearly stated that Iraq did not represent an imminent threat to the United States?
What was she thinking when she supported NAFTA? A bad trade deal between the US, Mexico, and Canada that cost American's over 700,000 good manufacturing jobs because it made it easy, inexpensive, and cost effective for manufacturers and big businesses to relocate or outsource their workforce.
Or when she called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) "the gold standard in trade agreements"? The same trade agreement that would force American workers to compete for jobs with South East Asia workers who earn $0.56 per hour?
What was she thinking in 2009 when, as Secretary of State, she went to Switzerland to help UBS -- one of the most powerful banks in the world - and cut a sweetheart deal with the IRS to protect tens of thousands of US customers with secret bank accounts? Following her help, UBS paid Bill Clinton $1.5 million in speaking fees.
And what was she thinking when she retired from public service, walked right through the revolving door to Wall Street (That would be the same guys she bailed out in 2008) and collected six figure speaking fees in addition to the whopping donations that lined her super PAC in preparation for her presidential campaign?
There is no single experience that can prepare a person to be president of the United States. Instead, we should look for a candidate with a proven record of good judgement in face of pressure, adversity, and challenges.
Where was Bernie when Hillary was busy making bad decisions?
For over 30 years, Senator Bernie Sanders has fought against the despicable game of pay-to-play politics that defines Washington where lawmakers sell access and influence to the highest bidder. The same pay-to-play game that Hillary mastered in order to transform her life of public service into a multi-million dollar fortune.
Bernie led the fight against NAFTA and the TPP because they hurt American workers and would kill American jobs by encouraging multi-national corporations to outsource jobs and production.
Bernie led the opposition to the Iraq War citing insufficient evidence of weapons of mass destruction, the unintended consequences of destabilizing the Middle East, and the astronomical cost of war - both in terms of blood and treasure.
And in 2008, after Wall Street lost big on series of bad bets, Bernie led the fight against a Wall Street bailout that used tax payer dollars to float the big banks and even fund golden parachutes for morally bankrupt CEOs -- some to the tune of 18 million dollars.
But let's rewind the clock even further. What was Bernie doing in the 1960's? The same time that Hillary was campaigning for Republican Barry Goldwater? In 1962, Bernie was arrested for protesting segregation in Chicago public schools. The next year, he joined Martin Luther King Jr. and millions of American's in the March on Washington.
We might excuse Hillary for a youthful indiscretion (If ever there was a position she should have walked away from this was it) but incredibly in 1996, in an interview with NPR, Hillary reaffirmed that "I am very proud that I was a Goldwater girl."
We cannot afford to elect a president with a history bad judgement, inconsistent positions, and who has used public service as a vehicle for private gain. In other words, we cannot afford the status-quo.
The only candidate -- and I emphasize only -- that meets the criteria of honesty, consistency, and good judgement is Sen. Bernie Sanders. That's why I support Bernie for president.
Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.com/
Author: Ben Cohen
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