Bernie Sanders says Bill Clinton should apologise for'defending the indefensible'

[Karmadillo]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/bernie-sanders-says-bill-clinton-should-apologise-fordefending-the-indefensible-a6977006.html

Bernie Sanders has called on former President Bill Clinton to apologise over comments he made defending a controversial crime bill that had a dramatic and devastating impact on African Americans.

Earlier this week, Mr Clinton was confronted by Black Lives Matter protesters as he campaigned for his wife in New York. The activists held banners that read “Clinton Crime Bill Destroyed Our Communities”.

Mr Clinton pointed at the protesters and said: “I don’t know how you would characterise gang leaders who got 13-year-old kids hopped up on crack and sent them out on the street to murder other African-American children.”

Referring to his wife’s stance, he added: “Maybe you thought they were good citizens. She didn’t.”

Throughout the Democratic primary process, activists have sought to raise Ms Clinton’s role in the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which passed through the Senate with the help of Joe Biden, now the Vice President but who then served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Ms Clinton spoke in support of the bill in 1996, saying that the young people being jailed were “not just gangs of kids anymore”.

more...

[RandySF]

1. When Bernie apologizes for protecting the gun industry

[revbones]

13. Oooh Oooh! I'll play. When Hillary apologizes for her Iraq War vote.

[JimDandy]

24. It is beholden on each of them to do what's right regardless of what others may do.

The Black community, who were most affected by Clinton's Crime Bill and Hillary's remarks made in support of it ('super predators' & 'bring them to heel') has condemned both his bill and her remarks. Offensive acts deserve corrective action, independent of anyone else's action/inaction on an unrelated issue.

The Clinton Crime Bill is still in effect, today.

[enid602]

25. bern

When Bernie apologizes for voting for the legislation for which he thinks Bill should apologize.

[amborin]

2. what WJC said about BLM was unconscionable

[NuclearDem]

3. Didn't Sanders vote for that bill?

[NWCorona]

5. But he didn't use demonizing language to push it through

And he didn't just defend it in the worst way possible this week.

[NWCorona]

7. Please provide qoute

[NuclearDem]

17. ...

Daily News: There's a case currently waiting to be ruled on in Connecticut. The victims of the Sandy Hook massacre are looking to have the right to sue for damages the manufacturers of the weapons. Do you think that that is something that should be expanded?

Sanders: Do I think the victims of a crime with a gun should be able to sue the manufacturer, is that your question?

Daily News: Correct.

Sanders: No, I don't.

Apparently Remington needs protection from grieving parents.

[NWCorona]

20. That is fare from what you said earlier

And Bernie is right anyway

[morningfog]

9. In his time machine? This is just dumb.

[NuclearDem]

15. That point was made in the context of Bill Clinton's comments just this week.

Please, do try to keep up.

[morningfog]

21. .

[jfern]

11. Annie Oakley supporters are obnoxious

[jfern]

8. He voted against the worst parts in amendments and spoke against them

If he had voted against the bill he'd have been a sexist who is a pawn of the NRA for voting against both the Violence Against Women Act and the assault weapons ban.

[sadoldgirl]

10. He did sign it because it contained the law

against violence against women, and another important
item. However, he gave a speech on the floor against
just that part of the bill.

Of course, you know that, but you seem to be oblivious
to the fact of who signed it. And you also seem to
agree then with WJC's defense of it now.

[NuclearDem]

12. You can read minds, apparently.

[beam me up scottie]

28. Actually we can watch the video:

[CentralCoaster]

14. Listen up...

I'm pretty sure a sharp kid like you knows this already, but Sanders fought against this type of legislation and warned about the consequences.

I'm pretty sure that you know that he ended up voting for the bill along with scores of other congress critters, largely because of some of the provisions designed to protect women, such as "Safe Streets for Women" grants, etc.

Read up: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c103:1:./temp/~c103X5SQUc:e337698:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511342812

[timlot]

16. Yes he did. Hillary had no vote in it, but...

that doesn't matter to Bernie BLM supporters. Its just another issue to pin on Hillary by association like NAFTA.

[CentralCoaster]

4. “I know those young people yesterday were just trying to get good television,”

“I know those young people yesterday were just trying to get good television,” Mr Clinton said on Friday. “But that doesn’t mean that I was most effective in answering it.”

Bill, step the fuck off, you sicken me.

[XemaSab]

23. What's a television?

[beam me up scottie]

18. Bernie opposed the parts of the bill that unfairly targeted AAs but voted for it because of the VAWA

Because of course HCS will try to say he supported the parts of it that Bill and Hillary pushed.

[ViseGrip]

27. This thread is regarding what Bill Clinton said they other day, not about Bernie's vote.

However Bernie voted, it has NOTHING TO DO WITH WTF BILL CLINTON SAID! Bernie was chained to a black woman and arrested while protesting. To even SUGGEST that Bernie Sanders owes anyone anywhere an apology for his impeccable service, is just stupid.

The Clinton campaign is utterly ridiculous!

[beam me up scottie]

30. But they try to bring it up because they think we're too stupid to know any better.

Nothing wrong with trying to head off the meme before it gets here.

[jfern]

19. I think Bill Clinton has too big an ego for that

[tirebiter]

22. BLM needs to reexamine history

Any apologies need to come from the Republicans. The introduction of crack cocaine into the US was planned and operated by the Reagan Administration to get money to bypass the Boland amendment. That had the effect of changing the dynamic of drug dealing because the hierarchy of the gangsters were protected as a matter of National Security. The murder rate did go up. The Reagan admin effectively legalized it to fund the Contras. Kerrey led the investigations that uncovered this. Sort of. Gary Webb's articles in the San Jose Mercury spelled out exactly what happened. It was not Bill Clinton who chose Freeway Rick Ross to peddle crack. And Rick Ross did have free will. The shit spread like a wildfire. One of the issues that got Bill Clinton elected was his promise to do something about it. The 1994 Crime Bill was the result because Black lives matter. Bernie Sanders voted for it. It wasn't illiberal to do so or defend having supported it in the present.

[MattP]

26. Bernie said what?

[beam me up scottie]

29. Very good! Thanks for posting that! He opposed it for the same reasons the Clintons supported it!

Here's why he signed it: