The Predictable Pontificator

by Chris Campion

Our esteemed Senator from NY has trotted out his favorite whipping boy again, after some slaps to the head of Congress have apparently elicited some level of guilt.  Sanders has written an amendment to the defense appropriations bill stating:

The measure calls on the Defense Department to develop recommendations "regarding how to penalize contractors repeatedly involved in fraud in connection with contracts or other transactions entered into with the federal government."

There are already regulations and laws in place for this - fraud didn't just happen to emerge as a crime in the last year.  (There's a Justice Department somewhere, I'm pretty sure of that.)  Secondly, this is from a Senator who has voted for hundreds of billions in bailout dollars that apparently were fine to throw down the rabbit hole without performing any kind of risk assessment.  That spending just happened to provide more political capital for Sanders to spend later after bailout funds were found to pay existing CEO contracts - and gave him something new to rail against, even though he actually helped cause the issue.  Congressional responsibility takes a holiday - again.

I thought all federal spending was stimulative, anyway?  Isn't that what we are repeatedly being sold, er, told by our fiscally responsible leadership?  If everything the government does is for our own good, and all spending is stimulative, why bother with oversight? 

Not that I expect a rational explanation from an avowed socialist, one who has never run his own business or had to consider costs and revenues and how that will impact the lives of his employees.  Instead, we get the same old tired dogma from someone who's spent almost 30 years in public office - and you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Comments

[GreggB]

VT loves him. Hint if you don't like Bernie's politics perhaps you'd be better suited to living elsewhere. Stop whining about the guy and move.

[RFC]

Who is this person, Bernie Sanders, and why is it that we hear and read so much about him here in Vermont? Doesn't he have something to do with Brooklyn, NY and doesn't he live in the District of Columbia?

[Jerry Coleman]

Gregg B:
Why is it you libs always say move somewhere else!!! We've been here as conservatives for 218 years and we got along without you socialists just fine. Why don't YOU GO SOMEWHERE ELSE like Venezula where they really appreciate you.!!!!

[Jack Harding]

I believe the purpose of the Tiger is to, among offering clarity and leadrship, call out those people and policies that subordinate the individual to the state (and nation); particularly when they are pinko narcisists like our own Comrade Sanders.

The tine for cerebral, polite and PC debate is over. The guy is a 1950's freak and we should just call it that way.

Stay the course, Chris.

[GreggB]

Jerry I'm a Conservative. The majority of VT currently isn't despite VT's historic voting record. Conservatives aren't going to win anything in VT. It's best to leave the place to the looters and let them live in the paradise they have created. I moved out of VT as have many of my friends. Join us and let VT's failure be a warning to other states.

[Bill]

ACORN is "repeatedly involved" in fraud and stunning corruption. Bernie responds to this genuine outrage by voting them more taxpayer money. Just how does ACORN benefit Vermont? Not at all. ACORN benefits Sander's radical running dogs: those who collect salaries to further corrupt communities already demoralized by leftists as well as elected radicals who benefit from ACORN's voter registration fraud.

[G.Cross]

Vermonters of all stripes elected Sanders to office. While he may not represent the majority of readers of this site, he does a good job of representing those who voted for him. The only conclusion I can draw from the constant complaints about his actions on this site is that the posters are arrogant elitists who think that the majority of Vermont voters are just plain stupid. Keep thinking that way as it plays well for the majority of us who vote for Senator Sanders.

[GreggB]

George is right. Vermont has Bernie because Vermont wants Bernie. I don't want Bernie so I moved out of Vermont. I agree with most of what the Tiger publishes but the majority of Vermont doesn't. Are they all stupid? Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't matter they are voting adults that choose overwhelmingly to be represented by Bernie. Let them have him. Visit on weekends if you must Vermont really is quite pleasant experienced only on weekends.