Bernie Sanders: House progressives were wrong on Ukraine

[brooklynite]

Semafor

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday that the Russian invasion of Ukraine "has to be resisted," and that the Congressional Progressive Caucus was right to withdraw a letter that urged President Biden to negotiate an end to the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I don't agree with that, and they don't agree with it, apparently," Sanders told Semafor in a phone interview. "It was withdrawn today, so it becomes a non-issue."

Sanders, who is launching a multi-state midterm campaign swing to help Democrats in tough races, remained committed to supporting Ukraine from “a major power invading and causing mass destruction.” He dismissed the claim from some candidates, and some protesters, who have called progressive members of Congress “war mongers” over their votes to fund Ukraine’s counter-offensive.

“Democrats, war mongers?” said Sanders. “When you have Putin breaking all kinds of international laws, unleashing an incredibly disgusting and horrific level of destruction against the people of Ukraine?”

[Walleye]

1. Thank you, Bernie. Keep up the good work

[ColinC]

2. Catestrophically wrong.

Glad they withdrew it!

(They did, right?)

[Cha]

32. Blamed it on a "Staffer". nt

[Just A Box Of Rain]

3. A "non-issue"?

That's some serious denialism.

This doesn't just go away because of a very weak letter of retraction.

I'm glad Sen Sanders spoke up, but...

[regnaD kciN]

4. Even if the retraction letter had been perfect...

…the problem is, as the old saying goes. “You can’t unring that bell.” Once the letter got issued in the first place, we lost. Nothing can change that.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

8. I'm sorry to agree with you.

Serious damage has been done to our party at the worst possible time.

I have been heart-sick over this since yesterday. Never in my long history as a passionate Democrat have I felt ashamed by the stance of such a significant faction of Representatives in our party.

I feel sick over it.

I will certainly vote--I always do--and way to much is at stake to do otherwise. But goddamn.

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. Just exactly how has the party been damaged?

Do you think this will affect the outcome of the midterms?

I don’t.

It was a boneheaded move, but in the end it will be a nothingburger, outside of possibly affecting intra-party power dynamics.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

19. Hopefully you are right and I am wrong.

I'd strongly prefer it that way.

This is an election that we can't afford to blow.

[Trueblue Texan]

33. Hopefully it will be a non-issue because so few are aware of it.

I wasn't until now.

[TomDaisy]

26. by the right wing media inflating this into a huge weapon against us

[Fiendish Thingy]

27. Are they? I haven't seen any reports of this

Considering the letter was somewhat aligned with RW talking points, not sure what narrative the RW would use to exploit it, other than the usual “Dems in disarray!”.

[Sky Jewels]

34. I'm worried about it affecting the close Ohio Senate race.

Lots of Ukrainians in that state.

[Fiendish Thingy]

49. Were any of the signers of the letter from Ohio?

Ryan didn’t sign it, none of the statewide Dem candidates signed it, so not sure it’s going to affect those races.

[ret5hd]

5. Well, I didn't really expect him to say...

“You know, we’re fucked now. That letter just kicked us in the ass. The sooner we give up the easier the GOP might go on us.”

[Just A Box Of Rain]

9. That sort of response is hardly the only alternative.

The rest of Sen. Sanders' words were fine. Claiming it is now a "non-issue" just doesn't resonate.

[SalviaBlue]

37. What would you suggest?

It can’t be undone. It was a mistake. It was acknowledged as a mistake. How much more of an issue should it be?

[Just A Box Of Rain]

38. I said what I'd have suggested. Quit without saying this is now a "non-issue" because

Jayapal issued a weak retraction (after first blaming an aide).

The "retraction" doesn't square things and it does not render this disastrous blunder a non-issue.

[SalviaBlue]

40. So you just want to criticize.

Got it.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

41. No. Sanders' suggestion that a weak retraction ends this outrageous situation is preposterous.

He ought to have quit while he was ahead.

Instead he asks Democrats to accept something that simply doesn't comport with reality.

[SalviaBlue]

42. I get it... you don't want to end this.

Not surprised.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

43. False insinuations.

One can't just say that a massive problem isn't a problem and expect it will go away without a reckoning.

Reality doesn't work that way.

[SalviaBlue]

44. Reckoning?

What do you suggest.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

45. No leadership positions for Jayapal, at the very minimum.

[SalviaBlue]

46. Absurd.

Right wing would love it though.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

47. Are you kidding???

After what she's done here?

The right-wing loves that. To be sure. Jayapal let people like J.D. Vance off the hook.

And at the worst possible time. I can't believe your are serious here.

[SalviaBlue]

50. Believe it if you need it.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

51. I feel an inextricable need to remain grounded in reality.

I find it difficult to believe you are being serious here.

Thanks anyway.

[SalviaBlue]

52. Your disbelief of my seriousness made me think of your name.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

53. Thinking is a good first step.

Keep it up.

[honest.abe]

6. Yeah, good for Bernie but its still an issue.

[Hekate]

7. Thank you, Bernie

[Meowmee]

10. Woah

Whiplash. I had not heard they withdrew the letter. 😹

[Hortensis]

11. The 100-member House Progressive Caucus did NOT approve, sign,

or issue this letter.

Most of those who did are among the same faction of 30 or so who, lead by Pramila Jayapal, obstructed passage of the giant infrastructure package by the Democratic caucus. She started losing them as the blowback from their colleagues and the nation grew. Most of the last of the 30 abandoned her and ran back to the safety of the Progressive Caucus after she threatened to kill the bill altogether if the Democrats who created it so hopefully didn't cave to her. You'll remember that Speaker Pelosi got the votes needed to pass without her (and without "the squad" who were mounting an independent opposition), and the last of Jayapal's support disappeared.

Btw, on the happy, successful side, many infrastructure projects around the nation are now under way, and many more about to be.

[Me.]

12. Did You Know That The Senator Is A Member Of THat Caucus?

I wss very surprised as I didn't know that Senators joined house caucuses.

https://progressives.house.gov/caucus-members

[Hortensis]

15. Oh, yeah, I had heard that. The Senator can't vote, of course.

I don't remember if Cancun Cruz joined the Republican House Caucus, or if that's doable in the Republican Party, but I remember him once working intensively with RW house renegades to get enough power to shut down the government.

[Celerity]

18. Congressional Progressive Caucus

ie both Chambers can join.

Former Senate members:

Roland Burris (IL) Senate
Russ Feingold (WI) Senate
Paul Wellstone (MN) Senate

plus

Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Sherrod Brown (OH)
Mazie Hirono (HI)
Ed Markey (MA)

Were House members

[Hortensis]

29. Nice to know. Members can belong to more than one caucus too.

I’m not sure everyone here realizes it, but it’s not at all uncommon for house members to belong to both the Progressive Caucus and the New Democrats caucus, for instance. Both are liberal and progressive, but one is more oriented to the needs of business (jobs, inflow of revenue to districts, etc).

One issue might be better served through a more stronger focus on social justice say, while the same member will also need help working to keep an important business in her district solvent. Some reps represent poor districts that can’t fund their campaigns through constituent donations, requiring them to seek donations from well-heeled businesses out of district. Etc.

[Me.]

35. TY

[paleotn]

25. Purists. God how I hate purists of all stripes.

Ugh.

[mcar]

13. ...

[emulatorloo]

14. Good for Sanders.

[emulatorloo]

16. Related article: 'It's a dumpster fire': House Progressives retract Ukraine letter after backlash

https://www.semafor.com/article/10/25/2022/its-a-dumpster-fire-house-progressives-retract-ukraine-letter-after-backlash

Snip

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a statement that the letter “was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting.”

“As Chair of the Caucus, I accept responsibility for this,” she continued. “Because of the timing, our message is being conflated by some as being equivalent to the recent statement by Republican Leader McCarthy threatening an end to aid to Ukraine if Republicans take over.”

She added that “nothing could be further from the truth.”

The original letter had generated intense backlash from some pro-Ukraine Democrats, who saw it as a boost to efforts by some Republicans to curtail military aid.

“The way to end a war? Win it quickly,” Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. tweeted on Monday. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass. called it “an olive branch to a war criminal who’s losing his war.”

At the same time, some conservative Republicans celebrated its release as a sign Democratic resolve was breaking.

Snip

[comradebillyboy]

23. Pramila Jayapal surely torpedoed her House leadership ambitions

with this faux pas. Mediaite says she personally approved of the release of the letter on Monday. Falsely blaming a staffer was also pretty cowardly.

https://www.mediaite.com/politics/progressive-house-leader-personally-approved-now-withdrawn-letter-on-ukraine-which-was-blamed-on-staffer-report/

[Cha]

39. Of course she did.. like the dog ate

my homework..

Staff Side Eye..

[comradebillyboy]

48. Cute pup.

[paleotn]

24. Blaming staffers. Sounds Repulicanesque to me.

Admit it, Pramila. You and your buds "stepped in it" big time. Don't blame staffers as you scrape the cow shit off your shoes.

[emulatorloo]

28. Yeah was surprised that she blamed a staffer. Does not sound plausible.

[Me.]

36. Great, JUst Great

"some conservative Republicans celebrated its release as a sign Democratic resolve was breaking"

[myohmy2]

20. that's...

...my Bernie...

...

...

[paleotn]

22. Warmongers? Then I guess FDR, Churchill

Ike, Nimitz and all the rest including my father were warmongers. And those calling our efforts to assist Ukraine warmongering would have supported Nazi Germany. That's not hyperbole. I firmly believe that. If alive at the time, they would have loved them some German American Bund.

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-american-bund

As my dad said many times, never, ever forget.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

30. Unfortunately there were America Firsters on both extremes of the political spectrum

who did attack FDR as a war-monger. This shit is nothing new.

[wnylib]

31. Glad to see that Sanders has spoken up about this.

[betsuni]

54. Good!

The author mentions Tulsi Gabbard who has been calling Democrats warmongers for years, and it would be nice if Bernie made a public break with her. I know she was quietly removed as Fellow on the Sanders Institute website, but his supporters should know that she's not progressive and it's ridiculous to call Democrats warmongers and they shouldn't listen to her, they should listen to Bernie.