Yesterday, Bernie Sanders drew 10,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin—the largest crowd yet for a 2016 presidential candidate. Madison is a heavy drop of blue in a purplish sea, so it’s no surprise that he was able to pull in so many supporters. What is surprising is that he’s polling at 41 percent in the state, which is just a few points behind Hillary.
When Sanders drove into Wisconsin, he was “greeted” by a billboard that calls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders “Left and Lefter,” respectively, and refers to their policies as “extreme.” The advertisement was constructed by the Wisconsin Republican Party (WISGOP), which is the kind of organization that sells pins that feature a creepy photo of Dubya saying “Miss me yet?” Guhhhhh, no.
At any rate, Bernie took the opportunity to stand on Scott Walker’s turf and dedicate the first of many fuck yous accordingly:
Fuck you, Governor Scott Walker and Wisconsin Republicans: “Let me just say a few words to our friends at the Republican party about extremism. When you deny the right of workers to come together in collective bargaining, that’s extremism. When you tell a woman that she cannot control her own body, that’s extremism. When you think a woman is a child and can’t purchase a contraceptive, that is extremism. When you give tax breaks to billionaires and refuse to raise the minimum wage, that’s extremism.”
Walker plans to announce his bid for the presidency on July 13, so this jab is timely.
Go choke a bishop, Koch Bros: “When you have one family spending close to a billion dollars—which is more money than the Democratic party or the Republican party will spend—this is not democracy, this is oligarchy and we have got to end it.”
You’re drunk, Republicans and Democrats, go home: “What this campaign is about is creating a political revolution in America. Too many Democrats and Republicans are owned by big money interests.”
This is also a timely criticism. So far, Hillary has garnered $45 million since she announced her candidacy, and 91 percent of those donations were for $100 or less. Compare that to Bernie’s $15 million, with 99 percent of that coming from donors who gave $250 or less. Meanwhile, Jeb! is expected to rake in $100 million; no news yet on the donor breakdown.
Eat a bag of SNAP dicks, Scott Walker (also, thanks, Seattle!): “I know that Governor Walker may disagree, but to my mind the federal minimum wage of seven and a quarter an hour is a starvation wage that must raised. The minimum wage must become a living wage, which means 15 bucks an hour over the next few years.”
I love you, working-class Republicans: “What this campaign is about is reaching out to working families all over this country, including Republicans. Where we need most help in winning this election is in creating a process where people stop voting against their own interests. Ask your Republican friends at work if it really makes sense to vote for people who will send their jobs abroad, vote for people who will not raise the minimum wage, vote for people who would take health care away from their own children. When we are successful at bringing middle-class, working people together, we will transform America.”
