I am growing increasingly tired of hearing people talk about Sen. Bernie Sanders being too idealistic to be president.
Many are claiming his ambitious policy goals, such as affordable college tuition, single-payer healthcare and a $15 per hour minimum wage, are far too progressive to make it through a Republican-controlled Congress.
They make this claim as if Republicans are going to be any more likely to work with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
We’re talking about a Congress that’s launched eight investigative committees into Benghazi and two into Clinton’s email scandal, none of which were able to definitively conclude that Clinton was guilty of negligence in some capacity.
Yet I’m supposed to believe this is the Congress that’s going to work with Clinton — the progressive who likes to “get things done.”
A Congress that so desperately wants to indict Clinton on almost anything at this point, but has failed to do so more than once, is going to magically become cooperative when she becomes the leader of the free world. I don’t need to be a fortune teller to say that it’s not going to happen.
It’s worth noting, though Republicans may disagree with Sanders’ socialistic ideology, they don’t actually have a personal vendetta against him that would hinder bipartisan cooperation.
Sanders’ landmark Veterans’ Affairs bill is a perfect example of his ability to work with those on the other side of the aisle in order to make a better life for our nation’s citizens.
Co-sponsored with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the bill overhauling veterans’ health care passed unanimously in both houses of Congress, according to MSNBC.
The urgency of the issue — the wait times veterans were facing at medical facilities — inspired Sanders to make certain concessions to McCain in order to get the bill passed quickly and pragmatically.
Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said of the bipartisan nature of the bill, “When you become chairman, you can’t just say, ‘This is the way I want it.’”
I don’t see why he wouldn’t treat the presidency the same way.
This quote shows Sanders knows what it means to be a leader. He has no intention of being a dictator. He won’t stomp his feet like a petulant child until he gets his way.
It shows that when the people of the United States need his help, he will do what it takes to make their lives better, even if it’s just one small step at a time.
Right now, Sanders is telling us what he believes in and what his goals are. He’s not naïve enough to believe he won’t have to compromise.
And his record in the Senate is a testament to that skill.
The sentiments of the current Congress toward each candidate and the bipartisanship of each candidates’ congressional records sufficiently demonstrate Clinton is not the one who will be most effective in the Oval Office.
Sanders is the way to go.
