this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2025
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Summary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused Bernie Sanders of taking millions from Big Pharma during a heated exchange, but Sanders refuted the claim, stating his donations came from workers, not corporate PACs.

Kennedy repeatedly insisted Sanders was the top recipient of pharmaceutical money in 2020, but financial data shows no corporate PAC contributions to Sanders.

Meanwhile, Kennedy has profited from anti-vaccine activism, earning millions from lawsuits and speaking fees.

The debate ended without Kennedy answering whether he would guarantee health care for all as HHS secretary.

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[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world -4 points 1 day ago (4 children)
[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Not only was the primary rigged, but it was established in court that both, it was rigged, and that the DNC are fine to rig their primaries.

https://observer.com/2017/08/court-admits-dnc-and-debbie-wasserman-schulz-rigged-primaries-against-sanders/

[–] MothmanDelorian@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

“ On August 25, 2017, Federal Judge William Zloch, dismissed the lawsuit after several months of litigation during which DNC attorneys argued that the DNC would be well within their rights to select their own candidate. “In evaluating Plaintiffs’ claims at this stage, the Court assumes their allegations are true—that the DNC and Wasserman Schultz held a palpable bias in favor Clinton and sought to propel her ahead of her Democratic opponent,” the court order dismissing the lawsuit stated. This assumption of a plaintiff’s allegation is the general legal standard in the motion to dismiss stage of any lawsuit. The allegations contained in the complaint must be taken as true unless they are merely conclusory allegations or are invalid on their face.

The order then explained why the lawsuit would be dismissed. “The Court must now decide whether Plaintiffs have suffered a concrete injury particularized to them, or one certainly impending, that is traceable to the DNC and its former chair’s conduct—the keys to entering federal court. The Court holds that they have not.” The Court added that it did not consider this within its jurisdiction. “Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, possessing ‘only that power authorized by Constitution and statute.'”.”

Im not sure that means what you think

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world -5 points 1 day ago

An opinion piece with a hyperbolic factually unsupported headline? TDD doesn't care. They're here for the misinformation. They literally posted another article to NPR claiming that NPR said that it was rigged. NPR didn't say that. NPR quoted a tweet from Trump saying that. NPR didn't. They're literally quoting Trump let that sink in.🤔

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world -4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yes those were the rules the Democrats had used for the last 40 years. It wasn't actually rigging. It wasn't very democratic. But when you're abiding by the rules that were set up. That's not called rigging or cheating. them's the rules. That's why I voted for sanders. Because even though he didn't win the grand prize he won concessions to change those rules and actually make it more democratic. Before those rules. We didn't even get to vote publicly in the presidential primary.

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It’s been rigged for 40 years to keep candidates like Bernie Sanders out and push shitty candidates forward. Controlling the rules is rigging it.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world -4 points 1 day ago

Before this the party simply picked a candidate at the convention. The public didn't get to vote.

It wasn't a very democratic primary process ironically. It was definitely far too weighed towards national leadership. But hardly rigged. It's hyperbolic and unconstructive to even claim. The fact Obama won only illustrates that. Rules didn't change between Obama and Sanders. Organizations are allowed to set their own rules within reason. And Sanders helped make them better.

And despite all that. So many people who claimed to support Sanders seem so focused on hindering him. Ask yourself why has Sanders not echoed your claims. Why hasn't he been a party to any of the laughable failed suits supposedly filed in defense of him. Think critically. I'm no fan of the national Democratic party. I think the state parties should take leadership back. This doesn't do that. All these false claims do is aid the fascists.

If you want to punish national Democrats. Don't enable fascists with division. Build your local and state party to be independent of the national party. It's what we all need to do. And that will make them listen.

[–] Quacksalber@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 day ago

The DNC colluded to push Clinton/Biden, giving Bernie's challangers more publicity and promising other candidates positions if they drop out and endorse Clinton/Biden

[–] megalow 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The DNC actively worked against his campaign in both primaries. There was ample info in the WikiLeaks drop in 2016.

And in 2020, there was the conspicuous action of every other candidate suddenly dropping out and endorsing Biden. We didn't get the same inside view as the previous primary, but it's pretty plain to see that there machinations by the DNC again to push for this.

And we pretty much had a similar move this last election, not allowing for any sort of primary.

I don't think it can be a serious position to deny that wealthy, powerful interests control the DNC, and therefore actively work against candidates who threaten their wealth and power. It's not a hidden secret (donors, PACs, politicians getting rich, etc). And of course the same is true with the GOP too.

[–] megalow 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why this worries me most is that I think it's a losing strategy by the DNC. AOC is clearly a preferred candidate for a future election, but if she runs, I fully expect the DNC to do everything they can to sabotage her campaign in favor of a milquetoast politician who won't upset their donors. And the GOP would win again (presuming we have elections anymore).

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Also presuming the DNC decides to bother with primaries.

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

"Cheat" is a wide-ranging term which is a little too cumbersome to use here, but there were absolutely some shenanigans at play.

The heavily abridged version (which is open to criticism for doing so) is that the democratic leadership had effectively selected Hilary Clinton before the party had even had the chance to select the candidate officially, and Bernie's campaign had it's legs done before it even had a chance to take off.

Would Bernie have won? Who knows, but he's consistently a decent and open candidate.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They consistently presented these super delegates as a forgone conclusion.

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Brilliant, thank you for the clarification. Eight years feels like a long time ago.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

It's still infuriating.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world -5 points 1 day ago

It's completely inappropriate here. If I tell you the rules to the game. And you agree to play. As Sanders did. And we both abide by the rules. Then no one cheated.

Shenanigans? Barely. Wasserman Schultz lost her job over it. Minimally impacting the Sanders campaign for a few days at most.

The Democratic primary rules were ironically not very democratic. But no one violated them or cheated anyone. Sanders knew that that going in. And he still almost won. Not only that. He didn't whine like a entitled child that he'd somehow been cheated. In a winner take all contest. He lost. But still won concessions. That's why I voted for the man. He made the future primaries more democratic and open to people like himself.