Sanders' Birmingham Rally throws Homeless out in the cold on coldest night of winter

[CajunBlazer]

The title of this post is a bit misleading, but it got your attention, right? While technically correct, there is more to the story as you will see when you read the articles linked below which appeared in the Birmingham News about Bernies' visit and rally here in Birmingham.

The first article appeared above fold on the front page on the paper copy of the newspaper and was entitled: Homeless Get Cold Shoulder: Bernie Sanders rally, SCLC banquet close Boutwell Auditorium as warming station on coldest night of winter

The second article appeared on Page 7 of the paper edition.

On bitterly cold night, Birmingham's homeless warming station used for Sanders rally

Bernie Sanders in Birmingham: Alabamians should 'stop voting against your best interest

[beam me up scottie]

1. *sniff*

Smells like desperation in here.

[Ed Suspicious]

2. Reeks of it.

[beam me up scottie]

3. BREAKING: BERNIE HATES HOMELESS PEEPLES!!1!

I think the op forgot to check the other forums, this was the poutrage du jour days ago.

Reminded me of this thread:

Aren't you tired of the character assassination against Bernie?

[beam me up scottie]

13. No the op is not sympathetic to Bernie.

He posted a hit piece from a racist website about Bernie a few weeks ago.

And check his journal, he's bragging about baiting us.

[senz]

17. Thanks, bmus.

I thought it was just an amazing level of clumsiness and so threw in a loud disclaimer downthread.

I am so glad that you, with your sharp eyes and good memory, are here.

[beam me up scottie]

20. People should watch what they post in these threads.

The alerts start coming in as soon as we respond.

Hi senz!

[senz]

26. You're right.

When I realized what they did, I was tempted to box somebody's ears in with my little arthritic hands (ouch.) So glad I didn't put it into explicit words.

This stuff is so sickening. Just shows what they are and who they represent.

[CajunBlazer]

9. Just having a bit of fun

Due to money problems the Birmingham has cut back to putting out their printed addition only three days a week - Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. I was just reading the latest printed addition tonight. Sounds like the Bernie people weren't even aware of the SNAFU, but local columnist had a field day. Here is an example:

#FreezerBern: Neglect of Birmingham's homeless exposes the false promise of Bernie Sanders

[beam me up scottie]

10. Sure you are.

I've read your other ops, including the one where you linked to Tomatobubble - a website owned by a Holocaust denier in order to smear Bernie.

[CajunBlazer]

21. Keeping a list are you? I'm honored

Actually I pulled that one article and several others out of a number of articles that came up on Google showing that Bernie had many vulnerabilities that the Koch brothers could attack if he wins the nomination.

I was lazy and didn't read that article thoroughly or note it's origin. Had I done my proper due diligence I would have posted another article instead of that one. The mistake that I made was not following one of my rules when in internet discussion. Never allow the other side an opportunity to complain about fringe issues so they can avoid your main point.

[beam me up scottie]

23. No list, just a good memory.

And you could have edited your op after you found out but you chose not to.

That says it all really.

[CajunBlazer]

32. By the time I figured out what was happening there was like a dozen replies

It the time I figured that it would have looked like I was trying to make those who replied look silly and surely someone would have looked at the edit and called me out on it. So I just left it alone. Live and learn.

[mythology]

55. I didn't see the post in question

but using a Holocaust denier as a source to attack a candidate isn't a fringe issue. Holocaust deniers are pretty much by definition idiots and their opinions should be given roughly speaking no consideration.

[beam me up scottie]

56. It was an anti-Semitic piece from a neo-Nazi site about a Jewish candidate.

This is a direct quote from the article:

Sanders, like almost every other Big Jew in America, is also a rabid Russia basher*

*note to jury: this is a quote from the article, not my words

[notadmblnd]

31. Always has, always will

He's successfully hidden this awful trait for over 40 years only pretending to be a concerned compassionate human being that tries his best to look out for his fellow man. It is only now, when he decides to run for the Democratic nomination for President of these United States- that he has decided to throw of his mask and show the world what a piece of shit human being he really is.

[beam me up scottie]

35. Someone forgot to tell the homeless in Burlington, Vermont:

[notadmblnd]

42. Well it't obvious those people are being coerced.

More

Thanks for posting that.

[beam me up scottie]

45. We Vermontsters love our Bernie!

[notadmblnd]

47. Yeah, well I can see why you all are so fond of him.

I can't claim Vermont, but I love him too!

[senz]

44. Wow, thank you!

MY BFF (and fellow Bernie supporter) has worked with the homeless on a volunteer basis for ages. I'll send him this video.

[sorechasm]

59. "He remembered my name after 25 years"..."I like him"..."I think he's gonna win..."

How do you distrust people who literally (unfortunately) have nothing to hide?

They are lovely. I hope they are warm and well-fed this winter.

[senz]

40. ...

Thanks for the laugh! Needed.

[artislife]

25. It's a "What died inside?" fart smell. nt

[beam me up scottie]

28. LOL!. Yep.

[Tommy2Tone]

50. Desperation?

New polls in today show Hillary up 36 in Florida and 33 in North Carolina.

Desperation is thinking IA and NH are the only primaries.

[Fawke Em]

52. Is it hard moving goal posts?

Because it's become very easy to still kick the ball through them as we get in field goal range.

[Motown_Johnny]

61. True, but IA and NH tend to shape the race.

If the anointed one loses both, her shroud of invincibility will disintegrate and it will become a real race.

That doesn't mean Bernie will win just because of the first two contests. It does mean that he has a real shot if he does win them both.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Obviously, Hillary cannot run on the issues.

[John Poet]

5. These events are planned months in advance...

and Alabama is usually warmer than that, even in winter, isn't it?


"I knew last week that the city used the warming station upstairs, but not downstairs. We had no idea that the warming station would be closed. We were downstairs, they would be upstairs. That's what we knew," said Kelvin Datcher, state director for the Sanders campaign.

"There was never any conversation about the warming station. Not only did the senator not know, I didn't even know. They were relying on me to relay information up the chain. Had that been a concern, we absolutely would've acted on it," Datcher said.

[CajunBlazer]

11. We usually have cold nights like that maybe 4 or 5 times a year (n/t)

Probably less now due to global warming.

[TheBlackAdder]

6. I thought they were chased out of the building into a Soylent Green food processing truck!

.

.

[liberal N proud]

7. Feel the...

Freezer Bern?

[stevenleser]

54. ROFLMAO!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Motown_Johnny]

62. How very sensitive of you.

Typical.

[senz]

12. Just in case this isn't clear enough: THE RALLY WAS OVER BY 8:42 PM.

Plenty of time to set up for the homeless to stay overnight.

[m-lekktor]

14. This is old it was already posted and discussed a few days back! nt

[winter is coming]

15. And in the meantime, there was nothing to keep them from attending the rally to stay warm. n/t

[Mnpaul]

18. But if they did that

the OP would probably be complaining that Bernie is using homeless people to inflate his rally attendance.

[senz]

19. Another good point, thanks.

Plus, how was Bernie to know about it?

But now I understand how utterly sucky this OP is.

[Mike__M]

34. I thought I read about this . . .

Didn't they have them line up so the candidate could personally shove each one out into the cold, laughing and stealing their coats as he did it?

[senz]

46. lol -- another good one

Nice goose, too.

Welcome to DU!

[beam me up scottie]

49. LMAO!

[Ed Suspicious]

30. Most overnight warming centers that I'm familiar with open

around 8.

[notadmblnd]

38. Do they let them stay overnight or do they only let them get warm?

Our homeless shelter here- people are actually given beds to sleep on.

[senz]

53. They set up cots and have blankets available.

But I don't live there there and don't know the details of how it operates. It's not called a shelter, just a warming center.

[99th_Monkey]

16. Funny (not ha-ha) how suddenly Bernie can't seem to do anything right.

Every word and phrase that comes out of his mouth is an "Eeek" gotcha moment.

Good thing most Bernie supporters are hip to how completely owned the corporate
media is by TPTB Billionaire class.

[senz]

22. Hey, don't be doing this.

It's not funny and doesn't do a damn thing to make your candidate look good.

[hootinholler]

24. Birmingham has nothing other than that auditorium that can be used?

This smells of a set up to make the SCLC and Bernie look like they care not for the homeless.

The campaign was clearly sandbagged. Apparently the upstairs was still available, plus Bernie's event didn't last all night. I think it could have opened.

"I knew last week that the city used the warming station upstairs, but not downstairs. We had no idea that the warming station would be closed. We were downstairs, they would be upstairs. That's what we knew," said Kelvin Datcher, state director for the Sanders campaign.

"There was never any conversation about the warming station. Not only did the senator not know, I didn't even know. They were relying on me to relay information up the chain. Had that been a concern, we absolutely would've acted on it," Datcher said.

[senz]

27. BERNIE SUPPORTERS: This OP is intentional FLAME BAIT. Don't give it to them.

[CajunBlazer]

29. Gee, you guys are too serious - lighten up

It's not like I didn't post the link that completely exonerated the Sanders folks.

You have to have a little fun sometimes.

[senz]

33. Yeah, we ARE serious. We, like our candidate, care about the American people.

Much is at stake in this contest.

Open your eyes.

[CajunBlazer]

37. And you seem to be angry like Bernie too

But at lease Bernie finds things to laugh about every once and while. Wards of heart attacks you know.

But you are right, a candidate like Bernie won't come around again in your lifetime and you may not be happy with the results this time around. All the more reason to take the time to enjoy yourself a little now. The future may be sad and hopeless.

[Fawke Em]

57. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention.

In fact, those who aren't angry are either rich or brainwashed.

[CajunBlazer]

58. Yea, being a rich progressive beats being a poor conservative or a...

...Sander's supporter.

[Fawke Em]

60. You should know better.

You live in an area that many - including a lot of DINOs - wanted to see just DIE.

[peacebird]

41. "you have to have a little fun sometimes", like smearing a candidate in your OP title?

Then in a minor follow on comment posting a link that totally exonerates him?
How cute... How 'funny'....

[bvf]

39. Be sure to flush twice.

[peacebird]

43. Not sure that 2 flushes are sufficient to clear this load......

[KingCharlemagne]

48. IGNORED - nt

[Blue_In_AK]

51. And I'm SO sure they did it on purpose.

Good grief, lay this to rest already. It's a nonstarter.

[comradebillyboy]

63. Oh, the irony, it's delicious

[hobbit709]

64. Post crap and then run your protected group and brag about it.

How typical of your little clique.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110735319