Article: Sanders to Corporate America: "I welcome your hatred"

Bernie Sanders defends democratic socialism (12 Jun 2019) Bernie Sanders on Wednesday mounted a strong defense of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career, ...
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WASHINGTON In recent months, corporate forces aiming to control the Democratic Party have intensified their opposition to Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential candidacy. In October, the corporate think tank Third Way declared that, when it comes to supporting candidates in the election, "The exception is Sen. Sanders. We're open to everybody except for him." Now today, Politico has published a story noting that these same forces are desperately seeking to derail Sanders, who is "the one candidate they cannot abide as the nominee." Bernie 2020 campaign manager Faiz Shakir issued the following statement:

"Last week, Bernie Sanders gave a landmark speech calling on the Democratic Party to champion Franklin Roosevelt's vision and create a 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights guaranteeing all Americans access to health care, housing, a decent-paying job, a secure retirement, a quality education and a clean environment. Sanders has made it clear that, as president, he would take on the greed of Wall Street, the insurance companies, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, the military-industrial complex and the other powerful special interests that have so much control over the political and economic life of the country.

"In response, the corporate wing of the Democratic Party today declared war on Senator Sanders, even as polls show the senator is in the strongest position to defeat Donald Trump in the general election. Leading the fight against Senator Sanders is Third Way, a Washington think tank that has admitted that its major source of funding is the same reckless financial industry whose greed and illegal behavior created the Great Recession which devastated millions of American lives, and that Senator Sanders has been challenging for his entire public life. As our campaign fights to unify the Democratic Party in support of basic economic rights and to defeat Donald Trump, our response to our corporate opponents' animosity is exactly what FDR stated in 1936; 'We welcome your hatred.'"