Those Billionaires (Obama starting to emulate Bernie Sanders's rhetoric)

[UrbScotty]

(snip)

The rhetoric of Sen. Bernard Sanders had found its way into a major address by the president of the United States. Millionaires and billionaires - it rolls off Sanders' lips with the ease of a true blue populist. And now Obama was taking on the millionaires and billionaires, too.

Solving the nation's financial problems will be enormously complex, but as the 2012 election season approaches, the battle lines are being drawn and issues are being reduced to stark choices. Obama's waiting game on the budget has allowed him to frame the issue in a way that should prove favorable to him in the election. It's the people against the millionaires and billionaires. And it's not just Obama saying so. The budget plan unveiled by Republicans in the House makes his case for him.

(snip)

Ordinarily, the American voter has little stomach for populist resentment of millionaires and billionaires. That's why for many years Sanders' socialist-inspired rhetoric was viewed as far out and extreme by many people. Vermonters may have been willing to elect him, but the general view was that Sanders was out there somewhere on the left.

But favoritism for millionaires and billionaires is hard to stomach at a time of high unemployment and Wall Street fraud that has gone largely unpunished. Now the hedge fund managers and corrupt bankers who ruined the nation and threw millions out of work want us to cut their taxes even as we force Grandma to pay thousands of dollars more for her Medicare. That shouldn't be a hard speech for Obama to write.

(snip)

http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=45f040c9-6750-4b09-84ae-baaaecb4683f

The actual article from the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus is only available to paid subscribers. Thanks to Sen. Sanders's office for posting it on their website.

Can't say I agree 100% with their conclusion, but interesting nonetheless.

[phleshdef]

1. President Obama has been using that phrase in that same context since 2007.

Not taking anything away from Bernie here, but you can't take something Barack Obama has been saying repeatedly for 4 years and pretend he is suddenly picking up on some new language.

[BobbyBoring]

3. Using the phrase

and walking the walk are 2 different things. Funny how Obama is now "Taking on the billionaires" a week or so after launching his re election campaign. NOT!

[phleshdef]

6. I'm just responding to the damn OP, which has nothing to do with your bullshit grievances.

He has been saying since 2007 that we shouldn't keep giving tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, in those exact words. The OPs article suggests its some new phraseology he has picked up on recently and thats a complete lie.

[txlibdem]

7. "Your bullshit grievances"

Yeah. What did you expect? President Obama's net worth is over 10 million dollars! Did you honestly think that a multi-millionaire would go against "his own" and enact the policies he promised on the campaign trail???

I can't believe that you would have any grievances with a multi-millionaire who is looking out for millionaires and billionaires while allowing millions to be kicked out of their homes and doing basically nothing to create jobs. Continuing the Bush tax cuts was necessary... for him to be able to pay less taxes! Going full speed ahead with Charter Schools is necessary... for the millionaires to destroy public unions. You shouldn't have any grievances with the multi-millionaire President. Sheesh!

And for the dullards out there: :sarcasm:

[Maven]

5. Indeed, Barack Obama invented the English language.

It was only thanks to his willingness to compromise with the British during the Revolution that our native tongue has its peculiar name.

[mod mom]

2. I would absolutely LOVE for Obama to emulate Sen Sanders!

[2Design]

4. all words we have heard before without the actions to back any of the words = no faith