Keelan: The untouchable rides again

By Don Keelan

Vermont’s untouchable U.S. senator has announced that he will campaign once again for the presidency of the United States. It was only four months ago that Sen. Bernie Sanders stated he would be our state’s voice in the U.S. Senate for another six years. Because of his hands-off standing in Vermont, no one dares to challenge this misleading statement.

His message in 2019 is not at all different than what it has been for the past 50 years — the elimination of capitalism and the free-market system. A real-life example of the Untouchable’s message and how it is practiced can be seen, almost daily, in Venezuela.

Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore

“Why Sanders is untouchable in Vermont is that the press, politicians and government officials are afraid to challenge him on what he says and what he does, so long as he continues to bring dollars to the state from Washington, D.C.”

There was a time when Sweden was Sanders’ gold standard for what he would like America to be. However, it was not radical enough for him so he attached himself to Venezuela’s recent president, Nicholas Maduro, and before him, Hugo Chavez.

The latter two, in less than a decade-and-a-half have taken one of the most prosperous countries in South America, if not the world, and brought it to economic, social and political collapse. And to hear the Untouchable speak, Venezuela under its socialist leaders is exactly what he would like to replicate in the United States.

Sanders translates this to having free college, Medicare for All, free fuel, food and clothing, and all the other needs of the country’s 99 percent — paid for by the remaining 1 percent, who according to Sanders have all the wealth.

His message is politically contagious. No less than a dozen other Democratic Party presidential aspirants are echoing part, if not all, of the Vermont Untouchable’s message.

Venezuela’s Chavez and Maduro gladly gave away so much of their country’s resources to their constituents so long as international oil prices stayed high. In doing so, it was a guaranteed way of keeping the populace’s loyalty. Their country was one of the world’s largest oil suppliers. And then things changed — the bottom fell out of the oil pricing and the cash flow ran dry. As a result, today the citizens of Venezuela are paying dearly.

Why Sanders is untouchable in Vermont is that the press, politicians and government officials are afraid to challenge him on what he says and what he does, so long as he continues to bring dollars to the state from Washington, D.C.

Where is the outrage that the senator will not stay in Washington and represent our state? Where was the outrage when a small college in Burlington had to close its doors because of what was, at a minimum, a loan scam? Just imagine if a private developer went to the bank and the state bonding agency and had presented similar data that was used to obtain $6.5 million in bond financing for the college? I have not heard of one media source in Vermont inquire as to who are the owners of Alexandria, Virginia’s Old Towne Media LLC, and what about the millions it obtained in fees in marketing commissions from Sanders in the last election. And why was the two-person marketing company given the lucrative advertising contract for the 2016 campaign when Vermont has over 65 advertising and marketing companies? This is the smoking gun, not Burlington College.

It would be awesome if the government could provide free college and free health care to all, but it would be quite helpful if the media would ask what would it cost in detail, and how it would be paid for.

At least the Wall Street Journal is willing to raise the issues. They did so in an editorial on Feb. 20, the day after Sanders made his announcement to run for president.

The Journal noted: “Mrs. Sanders would wield significant policy influence in a Sanders White House, as Hillary Clinton did as first lady. At the very least the Burlington failure shows financial incompetence and a tendency toward nepotism.” Sounds a lot like socialism, and a lot like Venezuela.

Don Keelan writes a bi-weekly column and lives in Arlington, Vermont.

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/DonkeyHotey and Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore

16 thoughts on “Keelan: The untouchable rides again

  1. I disagree with everything BS stands for, but I cheer his running for President again, because that means it will minimize him being in D.C. casting damaging votes. In my eyes, his absence in representing Vermont is the best thing for Vermont and Vermonters over any current likely alternative from this State.

  2. The flock still flocks and listens to his rhetoric. Nobody ever looks at his record and accomplishments, which by the way is ZERO.
    Just a bunch of sheep. He’s the Charles Manson of the political world. What mindless fools.

  3. He was the winner in every single inhabited town in Vermont at the last election. I can’t understand why so many Vermonters are satisfied with such lousy representation in Washington. He has a clear record of doing nothing for Vermonters. When will we learn?

  4. I guess if one shouts loud enough and often enough regardless of the drivel, he’s bound to get some attention. Who cares?????

  5. In the past several years Bernie has refused to grant interviews to Vermont media. Has this changed recently? I’ve interviewed him several times in the past and found him genial – if wrong – but in more recent years have attended meetings in his Senate offices where he has been much more radical and angry at the ‘right wing’. Bernie is not who people think he is. He’s not a friendly old fellow. He’s a nasty old socialist who really dislikes our country. Please keep trying to get the word out. He’s a dangerous man, not a rumpled joke.

    • Thank you for your comment Alice. Another aspect about BS, h doesn’t help Veterans even while the chair in the Senate’s Vet Affairs Committee. He certainly never answered my emails and concerns. He overlooked the VA and they have so much corruption, problems with Vets dying due to the various VA Med Centers bureaucrats.A quick Google search can produce many horror articles. I have a list of about 200 in my kumputr. I’m constantly fighting the VA system, not the med staff.

      Put a camera on BS and he grimaces his lips like in this article’s pic. Yup he shows determination.

      • @ Tom, I also am a VT US Veteran and have been telling many to look who was at the helm of Veterans Committee in Congress when veterans were on fake wait lists”, lives lost, and a total mess with complaints galore! Wish this or a Non” attack the president at all costs media outlet would produce an article about the subject as 8 million Veterans would spread the word to other common sense Americans. Few know the facts of his ineptness when he was Chairman of Veterans committee. Hope the VA is finally addressing your issues since president Trump put a double step in their gait, while also finally getting rid of non performers and incompetents. Be well brthr!

        • I filed a complaint to the American Legion in WRJ to assist in my getting a disability that I’ve been fighting for since 1984 a major hearing loss being around KC-135 & B-52’s from 1959 to 1962. The hearing loss slowly deteriorates over time and three senses are affected: tinnitus, loss of being able to understand and vocals around me and brain damage. I’ve failed all hearing tests and the VA gave me about 4 diff hearing aids. The aids are lousy, increase what people are talking or a TV, fine but all other sounds are also magnified, not much improvement. I used 2 types of hearing aids at one time, but it doesn’t stop the noise going thru the skin and into the brain. The aids at that era were lousy. Today, the 3M company is having law suits because of the military problems now. Their protection devices are crap. I worked and flew on both for 3 years, and with nukes in the ’52’s during the Cold War with Russia, on constant 24 hour alert. I figure I saved their world to destroy me and others.

          I don’t trust getting help from Welch, Sanders or Leahy or anyone in Congress to fight the VA bureaucrats. And the bureaucrats falsify’s my income so I have to pay when I’m below the poverty level and live in an RV. They raised my office visits from $15 to $50 without notice. I got travel pay, but the office visit re-reimbursement offsets that. Have to travel 62 miles one way and I have a not cheap to run F350. I get some prescriptions and have to co-pay.

          I have medicare and Medicaid costing $1200 / year. But the VA doesn’t bill them “because that’s billing the Gov” they say. What’s the use of it? I asked Fee Basis about it all and the guy said “we can do it because we’re the Government”. In otherwords “piss on you”.

          I don’t ask for much, but if available, then I should get something for what I did. It’s a constant mindless fight, for many years. Guess they hope I die, am 80 now. And they waste so much money, have horror data.

  6. What these proponents of 70% tax fail to mention is that it never gets payed as
    the money ends up going off shore or put in an nontaxable entities. What Pres
    Trump did was get them to all bring that money back from these hiding places to
    invest in America again. You can afford a pretty savvy money lawyer for a fraction of that 70%.

    Of coarse Socialist have never been known to be smart, they just have to be good
    thuggish lairs. Why does burnee need 3 houses? Isn’t 1 enough for most that he represents.
    He’s not one of the people he’s one ABOVE the people.

  7. Well done article, well done. The media never questions some in Vermont. It just amazes me, people are even allowed to get away with the thought “we used to tax 70-90%”…..nobody ever paid $900,000 on a million dollars of earnings….there we serious right offs.

    Why would any sane person even attempt to earn a million dollars if they had to give away $900,000!

    Is anyone asking if Bernie is living by his own tax code? He’s been talking about it for 30 years, now that he’s got to earn a million dollars, is he sending $500k to the fed? To social security? To medicare?

    He’s following the typical socialist plan, one standard for rulers, another standard for the ruled.

  8. The “Bernie Borg” will always come to his side and will always vote him in for another six years… he’s untouchable because he has the liberal press saying wonderful things about him and his wife. He’s a con man.. never really had a real job .. has been a professional politician since he won Burlington.. now he’s worth a few million dollars and owns three homes.. a pretty good conman I’d say.

  9. Socialist Sanders, this buffoon really thinks that the DemocRATs will give him the nod
    because he signed up as a Dem ……. What an Idiot, all they are hoping for is that they
    can get his minions votes in the end…….. Maybe another house Bernie ??.

    What really amazes me is how Vermonter’s re-elect this clown, you just gave him six
    more years, so they can listen to his Socialist Rhetoric!!

    “The Bern ” has he done nothing for there state ??………..Please tell me !!

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