Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Rob Reich, on Sanders as an effective legislator

(Updated with links 2019.09.05. Commentator Berkeley Bernie found the video!)

On his Facebook feed Office Hours, Rob Reich answers musician Rebecca Lynn.
Rebecca Lynn: "What do you say in response to Barney Frank saying that Bernie Sanders was ineffective in congress?"
Robert Reich: "Well, actually, I was there! I mean, I was Secretary of Labor through some of those years. I saw how effective Bernie actually was. He was tenacious. He kept getting changes, amendments, and very large pieces of legislation … his name was often not on those pieces of legislation. He did not have a, and does not have, a huge ego, so he didn't hold out for his name to be highly placed on pieces of legislation, but he did hold out for amendments and for changes that almost, in every case - virtually in every case - helped working people, and helped the poor, and I saw it again and again and again. He was an effective legislator - in fact, one of the most effective legislators, because the more you work behind the scenes and don't try to push yourself out there and don't try to get the limelight, the more effective you can be, which, ironically, invites the complaint from some people that he was ineffective because he was not in the limelight. He was behind the scenes, enormously effective." —[original link gone stale]
2019.09.05 Commentator Berkeley Bernie found the video on Facebook. He also offers Rep. Bob Ney (R, Freedom Fries) talking about Bernie, foregoing credit so he could get a bill passed.

2 comments:

Berkeley Bernie said...

I tracked down the original video. 27:25 in.

Robert Reich, Office Hours Live 3/31/16

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/videos/1188314261181168/?t=1645

Raven Onthill said...

Thanks! I've updated the original post.