“Billionaires by the dozen are contributing to Pete Buttigieg,” Sanders told supporters at a canvassing launch in Dover, N.H. “Now, I like Pete. He’s a smart guy and he’s a nice guy. But if you are serious about political change in America, that change is not going to be coming from somebody who gets a lot of money from the CEOs of the pharmaceutical industry.”
Sanders’ newfound focus on Buttigieg follows a surprisingly strong finish in Iowa by the former mayor of South Bend, Ind. In recent days, Buttigieg has been approaching Sanders in some polls of New Hampshire.
As the senator traveled the Granite State on Saturday, he alluded to the former mayor at nearly every campaign stop, contrasting Buttigieg’s fundraising practices with his own.
“While some of our opponents have dozens and dozens of billionaires contributing to their campaign, we are relying on the working people of this country,” he said at a canvassing launch in Concord. “And at the end of the day, that is precisely why we are going to win.” He added, “I don’t have a PhD in mathematics, but the last I heard, 99 percent is a hell of a lot larger than 1 percent.”
“We’ve gotta ask ourselves why — and that takes us back to who controls this country, who owns this country, the power structure of this country,” he said. “You don’t hear that discussion when people are bought and sold by wealthy campaign contributors, because that is an essential part of the problem.”
As she introduced him in Rochester, Sanders campaign cochair Nina Turner took it a step further, referring to Buttigieg’s infamous fundraiser in a Napa Valley wine cave.
“We gonna ask the question: Whose side are you on? We got a candidate who takes zero dollars from billionaires,” Turner said. “We got a candidate who doesn’t have fundraisers in wine caves with Swarovski crystals … We got a candidate who never stopped believing in Medicare-for-all, never took money from special interests who dictate what side you are on.”
Danielle Goyette, a 29-year-old teacher from Hampstead, said at the Rochester event that Sanders’ reliance on small-dollar donations made him more trustworthy. “He takes money from the average person, so he doesn’t have to feel obligated to stand up for big companies, because he’s not bought by them,” she said.
As for Sander’s competitors? “They’re all owned,” Goyette said. “I just can’t do Pete.”
Late in the day, Sanders addressed a capacity crowd at Big Kahunas restaurant in Merrimack. A few minutes into his remarks, a campaign staffer handed him a piece of paper. “I’m being told by the fire marshal that we have too many people,” he said. “In respect to that, I’m going to be brief.”
He wasn’t.
Sanders continued to outline his plans to address criminal justice, immigration, gun control, veterans’ health and abortion. He also made time to mention his opponents. “I’m not going to attack them. I know them all. They’re good people,” he said. “We do not raise campaign contributions from dozens of billionaires. We do not raise contributions from CEOs of drug companies.”
Finally, Sanders wrapped it up. “Before the fire marshal gets very, very nervous because we have too many people in the room, let me thank you,” he said, imploring his supporters to help him take New Hampshire. “We’re gonna win the nomination and together we will transform this country.”
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Every time you hear Bernie attack *billionaires,* substitute the word *millionaires.* Millionaires is the word he USED TO use (I heard it hundreds of times over decades) until a couple
of years ago when the Hypocrite*in*Chief became one himself.
Then we have him saying, *I*m not going to attack [my opponents],* and his VERY NEXT SENTENCE is an attack on Buttegieg.
Vote for Bernie and the Trumpsters will thank you.
So old, so angry and such an easy target for Trump’s GOP.
Bring on Klobuchar with mayor Pete as her running mate.
How does Bernie know that there are no billionaires contributing to his campaign? Does he get a wealth and income assessment for every one of this donors?
“Blah blah blah I hate Bernie blah blah blah I love the fat orange bigot blah blah blah!”
Ah. Thank you for that thoughtful comment addressing the real issue of Bernie*s shall we say, *change of heart* about millionaires and his attack on a fellow Democratic candidate.
The commenter knows, but doesn*t care, that the commenters he*s responding to oppose Trump.
I hope Bernie realizes that this type of attacks on your party mate will affect negatively in the end. It’s not a boxing match. Last hard punch does not always give you good. Focus on your end goal. Bring decency back to America!
The sniveling , scolding slugs of the DNC hate Bernie because he shows how feckless they are in the face of economic and environmental decline and how willing they are to keep the lie of unending Neo-liberal economic prosperity going in spite of its consequences to the planet and future generations. They are the kissing cousins of the Trumppenvolk, they just try to be less vulgar about it.
Bernie will not get the nomination because Wall Street hates him and Wall Street calls the shots in the DNC, just like they do in the RNC.
And, apparently, laughable delusions of socialist revolt, led by a resentful capitalist, call the shots in the ONE.
Really, thanks for the parody of a Marxian analysis of class struggle! Viva la Revolucion!
“ Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg narrowly beat rival Bernie Sanders in Iowa in the race for delegates, according to projected national delegate allocations released by the Iowa Democratic Party on Sunday “
One down, more to come
It doesn’t matter what your financial situation is, there is a limit on individual donations. PACs seem to be the problem. You see, if you’re a billionaire and max out your individual contribution, you can then donate to a PAC, one perhaps supported by several co-workers of yours who work for a particular corporation.
That’s the law and it seems to me that Senators Sanders and Warren are very much against the basic premise of the above. Why don’t they take credit for all the work they’ve done in Congress strictly limiting PACs and corporate involvement in the election process? Why not? Because they’ve done nothing in their near 50 years combined in Congress.
Here’s millionaire author and Statesman (?) Sanders bragging about all the people who donate $27.35 on average to his campaign. They actually believe his promises of free for all. They actually think the socialist will get elected. They don’t seem to be concerned about his age and health status. They must not think the DNC will have any problem with this guy as their candidate. They must think Bernie can pull from Trump’s base to get elected. And I could go on…
It’s my view that accepting the small dollar contributions from people who may not be able to afford it, based on the above premise, is morally reprehensible. Bernie should be ashamed, but since he’s shameless…
Like his wealthy and privileged leftist comrades at last nights Oscars, isn’t it ironic how Bernie enjoys lecturing us commoners on the evils of wealth and privilege?
Well ever since old Bernie got a pay off in 2016 to leave the race his worth is MILLIONS. He doesn’t trash millionaires anymore, now it’s billionaires who get trashed. Oh, Bernie Bernie, you are so transparent. Your lies are so telling. You think we common people don’t know you are worth millions. A 1/2 million $ lakefront home, a private plane 4 homes plus a condo in DC, new car(s) a boat. all appeared after you left the race. Sorry, Bernie, we aren’t stupid.
We know you take big donations from your rich friends, companies, and PACs it’s not all from the college students that want free stuff. Bernie are you going to pay for the FREE college, health care and whatever else you are promising ??? I think not it will be us the taxpayers who will be paying. No stranges paid for my kids colleges, no stranger paid for our health care, we worked and paid for it ourselves, imagine that we worked.