Sanders disavows surrogate's corporate "whore" remark

[Raggaemon]

Source: The Hill

"Medicare-for-all will never happen if we continue to elect corporate Democratic whores who are all beholden to big pharma and the private insurance industry instead of us" - Paul Song.

Read more: Link to source

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I'm puzzled that the Sanders campaign is distancing itself from these comments made by a Bernie Sanders surrogate, but still there has been no response from the campaign regarding Sanders surrogate professor Cornel West calling president Obama, " the first Niggerized president" a comment West made on TV ?

Dr. West also said that president Obama is a "Rockefeller republican in blackface", should it be taken that Bernie Sanders agrees with Cornel West, since they've not taken the same steps of disavowing his vile attacks ?

[Kalidurga]

1. I will take this a lot more seriously when Hillary distances herself from big money.

Until that time she isn't doing anyone in this country any favors except the 1%. Your problem with what was said is you have no actual defense for Hillary. So, you are relegated to only being able to be outraged by a word.

[Human101948]

2. Quick! Turn on the white noise machine...

Drown out all that big money talk!

[Peregrine Took]

29. Oh fer chrissake! The word has several meanings- leave it to the followers of the 100,000,100

million dollar woman to assume the gutteral definition.

[stopbush]

13. Those big donation events being held by Hillary are to fund

down-ticket Dem races, not her presidential campaign.

Sanders has done nothing for down ticket races, even though he agreed to do so when the DNC permitted him to run as a D.

Effing liar.

[Kalidurga]

15. Blady dee blah blah blah

She still changes what she says based on what she gets paid. So I don't care whose race she funds by cozying up to big money. She isn't and hasn't ever kept corporations that harm people in check. Your fracking Queen is in it for the money. I am so sorry it took someone speaking like that for you to get what she looks like to the rest of us, but there it is.

[stopbush]

17. President Hillary Clinton.

Get used to it.

[Kalidurga]

18. Won't happen

See I can predict the future too.

[stopbush]

19. Let's talk in November.

[Kalidurga]

20. Good luck with the BOB's n Indies

[stopbush]

22. The Indies don't really matter in a GE.

Statistically, only 5% of people identifying as Independent are truly independent, ie: they will consider equally both the D and R candidate for president. The other 90% lean strongly - and equally - to either D or R. So they cancel each other out.

75% of Sanders voters say they will vote for Hillary. Of the 25% who may or may not, a subset of zealots definitely won't vote for Hillary, even if Sanders asks them to. So, you're talking maybe, maybe 4-5% of the Democratic side of the electoral populace unwilling to vote for Hillary, or roughly 2% of the voting public. That's a pretty small number, and a number that will be more than offset by Rs - especially women - who will cross over and vote for Hillary if Trump is the R nominee.

Not exactly a voting bloc that Hillary has to waste even a nanosecond recruiting. She will write them off, as she should. They will have no influence on the GE.

[Kalidurga]

27. Your facts are out of date

It's not equal anymore.

[stopbush]

49. Wrong. See here:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/180440/new-record-political-independents.aspx

[navarth]

32. 'Get used to it'

Sounds like what I used to hear about Bu$h, the one you profess to stop.

Conflict.

[LanternWaste]

56. And as Bush breathed oxygen as do you, do we make the same spurious correlation?

"Sounds like what I used to hear about Bu$h..."

And as Bush breathed oxygen as do you, do we make the same spurious correlation? Or (and I find this a wee bit more likely), your statement is little more than a petulant bumper-sticker lacking any real or substantive meaning...

(space provided below to rationalize a distinction lacking a different and validate both your biases and your delicious logical fallacy)

[navarth]

58. Well gosh-a-rootie

I'm just crushed. However I am comforted in the knowledge that you find my logical fallacy delicious!

I felt the same way last night when I heard the crowd in NY chanting Bernie's name. Yummy!

[Sunlei]

52. Be plenty of time for that after the primary is finished and paid for.

[stopbush]

54. Really? Think about it:

if Sanders were to somehow win the nomination, he would be the beneficiary of the $15-million Hillary has already raised for the down-ticket races. Think about that when Sanders rails against Hillary raising huge amounts of $ from large donors. That $ is going to the down-ticket races.

Sanders has raised nothing for the down-ticket. No matter who ends up being the nominee, the down-ticket races would be in better financial shape had both candidates been out there raising $15-million each, rather than one candidate and only one candidate trying to help raise $ to elect a D-dominated Congress.

Such a lame, self-serving excuse for not giving a damn about the other Ds running in the fall.

[Rockyj]

24. Hillary team grasoing @ straws

Hillary has a dozens suit cases full of crap, while Bernie may have a wallet full.

[Thinkingabout]

3. There have been several statements which should not have been said,

Getting to the point of not being surprised at whatever is delivered anymore.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Cut the crap, will ya?

This stuff is getting old.

LBN, my backside. This nonsense has been going on all damned day..........

[scscholar]

7. Using that logic, ...

Bernie's friend's use of "corporate whore" isn't correct either.

[joshcryer]

6. Yet again Sanders rises above his faux supporters.

And they still don't understand the man.

[Plucketeer]

9. Double Standards

One can make a "CP" joke and laugh it off. But let a black person say something along those lines - watch out!

[appalachiablue]

10. Has Hillary publically apologized yet for her participation in "CPT-Colored People Time"

the racially loaded and offensive code term used in the recent NY charity event 'Skit' that was vetted by her campaign? Don't tell me it's ok-that was a crude, coarse, bigoted and unnecessary expression, in very bad taste by any measure in our highly racist, violent and declining country.

[MADem]

11. Full context of that comment (and it doesn't make it better, either)

Now Secretary Clinton has said that Medicare for all will never happen. (boos) Well, I agree with Secretary Clinton that Medicare for all will never happen if we have a president who never aspires for something greater than the status quo. (cheers) Medicare for all will never happen if we continue to elect corporate Democratic whores (cheers] who are beholden to big pharma and the private insurance industry instead of us.”

Irony alert: Dr. Paul Y Song is a minority shareholder of BERG PHARMACEUTICAL CO. He used to have a senior leadership role in the company, he still serves as an advisor.

[JDPriestly]

23. There is no irony in being a minority shareholder in a pharmaceutical company or having a senior

leadership role in that company.

European countries have pharmaceutical companies but they still have universal, single payer insurance. I know that because I lived there and enjoyed the privilege of single payer, universal and AFFORDABLE insurance.

Dr. Song is an outstanding doctor, an oncologist as I understand it.

He did not specifically call Clinton a corporate whore, but politicians who take money from corporations (many of which do not pay their fair share of taxes) to corrupt our tax system, steal from us and our children and make us pay more for healthcare and accept worse results than other countries are corporate whores. Sorry if they hurts someone's feelings.

And remember this, it may hurt Democrats who take that dirty money to be called whores, but all they have to do is to pass reform of campaign finance law including a constitutional amendment that states that corporations are not people entitled to the right of free speech, and their corporate whoredom will end.

Let's change the campaign finance law.

The truth hurts. Those who take money from healthcare insurance companies, etc. who profit from the misery of the disabled and ill in order to get elected to political office are corporate whores.

If the shoe fits, wear it.

[MADem]

34. Dr. Song's WIFE is probably ready to kill him.

Seeing as the woman he called a whore, her HUSBAND rescued his wife's sister from the clutches of North Korea.

What a tool Dr. Song is--he's plainly not the sharpest scalpel on the tray.


If you don't think he meant Clinton when he made that comment, you are naive.

[JDPriestly]

38. We Democrats have a lot of corporate whores in our Party.

The behind the scenes stuff during the negotiation of the ACA was deplorable, cheap and, no, Paul Song was not necessarily talking about Hillary Clinton. He was talking about the Party overall.

[MADem]

39. He was talking about Hillary Clinton and that's why Sanders finally apologized. nt

[JDPriestly]

14. Face it. Corporate whores are what stand between us and a fair tax system, a healthy

banking system, good education, free tuition at state colleges and universities and technical schools, single payer, universal healthcare, a healthy and safe environment and above all peace and steps toward more economic equality.

So I see nothing wrong with the statement made by Paul Song, who is an expert on universal healthcare and an outstanding oncologist.

The Hillary supporters are feeling embarrassed because the truth hurts.

All that Hillary money did not come from little old retired people living on Social Security like me or our kids who struggle and worry about their jobs.

It comes from corporations -- deadbeat corporations who move our jobs overseas and refuse to pay a fair share of the taxes.

And those who take that money are corporate whores.

They sell their souls to get corporate money.

Bernie is the only one who is not doing that.

Go, Bernie.

Feel the Bern!

Let's have a cheer for Paul Song who tells the truth for a change.

[beastie boy]

28. They are also the ones standing between us and a conservative Supreme Court

and everything you mentioned in your post never becoming a reality.


Flag waving and name calling is going to get you bobkes. Your only hope of seeing any of your agenda getting pushed through is Hillary.

[navarth]

33. They are the ones that DELIVER a conservative Supreme Court.

I disagree.

[beastie boy]

35. Elena kagan? Sonia Sotomayor? Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Stephen Breyer?

Do these judges make SCOTUS conservative?

Yeah, sure. Disagree all you want. You are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts.

[navarth]

36. eww

So Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and PBO are corporate whores eh? You are all topsy-turvy.

FWIW Elena Kagan has skeletons in her closet. Go argue with them.

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2010/06/22/kaganaccomplice

[beastie boy]

41. And?...

Does your reply make either of the judges appointed by Clinton and Obama conservative?

[navarth]

42. Are you asking me

if I agree with you that Bill Clinton and PBO are corporate whores?

[beastie boy]

48. It is pretty obvious what I am asking. But in case you still need a clarification...

My question is about how your comments negate the fact that ALL Supreme Court liberal judges were appointed by either Clinton or Obama.

[navarth]

50. sounds like a new question

where did you say that?

I only saw where you said Corporate Whores put these SC Judges in place.

Please proceed.

[beastie boy]

53. You must have missed Post #33 by some dude going by the name of navarth

and my reply to it (# 35)

Curiously, the post you missed is from someone using the same name and avatar as you... Just a coincidence, I suppose.

[navarth]

55. Of course this is possible.

As I remember it, you referred to 3 presidents as Corporate Whores. Maybe somebody else?

Again, please proceed.

[beastie boy]

57. I referred to two Democratic presidents who appointed all of the current Supreme Court justices.

You referred to them as corporate whores.

So to answer your question, yeah, it was someone else. You.

Or maybe some dude calling himself navarth who is so not you.

[navarth]

59. LOL

Shouldn't we be talking racism today? Or was it guns? I can't keep up!! pant pant pant

[beastie boy]

60. You just crossed the line between annoying and batshit ridiculous. Buh bye.

[navarth]

61. trolls don't like getting trolled.

pity.

[corkhead]

16. 3 posts in 90 days, 53 in 4 years, and you save it all up for this?

[beastie boy]

30. Some of us appear to have a life outside of DU. Outrageous, isn't it?

[fbc]

21. "Corporate Whore" sounds sexist. I think "Corporate Tool" is a better description.

[pnwmom]

25. Or sell-out. Or shill. You're right that any term with the word whore is sexist.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

26. HE used the wrong word, should be sorry and is. The focus by liberals, however, should

be on the fact that we need single payer.

[YOHABLO]

31. I'm pissed about MSNBC's coverage on this issue: Andrea Mitchell Greenspan> again

Today I heard her ..... tell complete lies about Song. He did not refer to Clinton specifically when he used the word ''whores'' otherwise he'd have used the word ''whore''. She also said that Lisa Ling, married to Song, was rescued by the Obama administration from N.Korea. NO it was her sister not Lisa. Why doesn't MSNBC get rid of her? I guess that's a rhetorical question. Notice how MSNBC has given all the true liberals who've stood their ground the ax. The kiss asses like Maddow, etc are still around. $$$$ love the money I guess.

[pnwmom]

40. He criticized Hillary in one sentence and in the very next sentence referred to Corporate democratic

whores. The link was clear.

[YOHABLO]

43. clear to you. quite frankly I don't care if others found it offensive. I'm glad he said it.

because that's exactly what these DINOs are (no offense to sex workers)

[pnwmom]

44. Bernie himself tweeted that it was insensitive and inappropriate and was language that had no place

in political discourse.

But he has very little influence on his offensive followers.

[FreedomRain]

37. Do you even have a dictionary?

maybe google

definition surrogate

some day.

[pnwmom]

45. Maybe you should tell the media that they should all check the meaning:

Search results
Story image for bernie surrogate from ABC News

5 Times a Bernie Sanders Surrogate Has Gotten Him in Trouble
ABC News-11 hours ago

The Bernie Sanders campaign has apologized for comments from yet another one its surrogates, tweeting that a "corporate Democratic ...

The Lid: Bernie Sanders' Surrogate Problem
NBCNews.com-6 hours ago

Bernie Sanders Criticizes Surrogate's "Corporate Democratic ...
Opinion-U.S. News & World Report-9 hours ago

Sanders takes heat for surrogate's 'whores' remark
In-Depth-New York Post-13 hours ago

Sanders: 'No room' for language about 'corporate Democratic whores'
Blog-Politico (blog)-14 hours ago

Sanders Denounces Surrogate's 'Corporate Democratic Whores ...
Opinion-NPR-11 hours ago

Media image for bernie surrogate from NBCNews.com
NBCNews.com

Media image for bernie surrogate from Blue Nation Review
Blue Nation Review

Media image for bernie surrogate from U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report

Media image for bernie surrogate from TIME
TIME

Media image for bernie surrogate from New York Daily News
New York Daily News

Media image for bernie surrogate from AlterNet
AlterNet
Explore in depth (3,493 more articles)

Story image for bernie surrogate from Bloomberg
What's Behind Bernie Sanders' Surrogate Problem?
Bloomberg-3 hours ago

[FreedomRain]

46. thanks for that tip

run the same search and put in Hillary Clinton instead of Bernie Sanders.

one case of the same sort of usage

2 cases referring to Bill as a surrogate, in the correct sense of the word

4 cases of referring to "Sanders surrogates"

and 3 cases where the words were used apart and unrelated to each other.

You have just proven beyond a doubt the misuse of the word is a media aberration with regard to Sanders.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

47. West is black, so how can he be racist against his own race?

The niggerized comment was said in June, 2015, before West was ever considered a surrogate for Bernie's campaign. The blackface comment was in 2012.

I don't see why Bernie should get involved in Cornel Wests personal opinions of President Obama. If he said it right in front of Bernie I would expect him to say something, but not now.

And the whore comment is NOW and it looks really bad because of "we continue to elect corporate Democratic whores" could be construed as being directed specifically to Hillary Clinton. Even though the word whore is often meant as someone that takes money in a quid pro quo arrangement, it also has a very negative misogynist meaning to most people.

So yes, I think Bernie is correct to distance himself from that remark. If Cornel West were to say something today as a Bernie surrogate (if he indeed is one) I would expect Bernie to come down hard.

[Sunlei]

51. Good. Sanders doesn't want his 'followers' to call Mrs. Clinton a "corporate whore".