'That's Oligarchy': Sanders Rips Billionaires for Trying to Buy Midterm Victories

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

"It is not just Trump and his allies who are trying to undermine American democracy," Sanders (I-Vt.) told the crowd gathered at Franklin Music Hall Sunday night. "You are living right now under a corrupt political system which allows billionaires to buy elections."

The senator pointed specifically to the AIPAC-founded, billionaire-funded super PAC spending big to defeat Lee in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District. Sanders also noted that billionaire Rick Caruso, a former Republican running to become the next mayor of Los Angeles, has poured $100 million of his own fortune into the California race.

"Billionaires are saying, 'Hey, we own the country, we may as well own the political system, and I'm going to elect you and I'm going to defeat you.' That ain't democracy, that's oligarchy," said Sanders, who argued only a massive surge of voter turnout and transformative legislative action will be enough to counter billionaires' influence.

(snip)

"The American campaign finance system increasingly mirrors American society, with hundreds of thousands of small donors trying to keep pace with a billionaire class whose spending appears nimble and bottomless," the Times continued. "While both parties have their billionaires, Republicans have many more. Of the 25 top donors this cycle, 18 are Republican, according to Open Secrets, and they have outspent Democrats by $200 million."

(snip)

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/11/07/thats-oligarchy-sanders-rips-billionaires-trying-buy-midterm-victories