Liveblog II: Okay, so it’s not really a filibuster…

Bernie Sanders isn’t really preventing the Obama-McConnell tax cuts from being voted on. That is supposed to happen on Monday. But who cares? Just killjoys and whiners. The man is still standing after 7+ hours on the Senate floor. His voice sounded a little hoarse for awhile, but right now he’s going strong again.

Why can’t we get Sanders to run for President? He’s a lot more charming than Ralph Nader and he actually cares about the middle class and the poor, unlike the arrogant, cynical, corrupt egomaniac who occupies the White House right now. The fact that only two other Democratic Senators have joined Sanders in his “filibuster” demonstrates to the American people how disgustingly corrupt and immoral our political class is today.

Sanders is talking about real issues that don’t get covered by our corporate media. He has discussed the growth of income equality in America, the lack of attention that has been paid to our infrastructure, the causes of the recent economic emergency, and why Obama’s tax cut bill is wrong and will harm ordinary Americans.

Sanders is talking about usury and how credit card companies are robbing people blind. He says they are “no different that the gangsters who used to beat up people on street corners” for not paying off the loan sharks.

I wonder what Obama and his pals in the White House are thinking about all of this?

Here are some reactions to the “filibuster” that I have found around the blogosphere.

At FDL, David Dayen wrote that

Sanders is calling attention to the massive inequality in America, which will only be stratified further by a tax cut bill that raises taxes from current law for 25 million low-income workers and gives millionaires a tax cut of about $139,000 a person. He’s explaining America’s insane trade policies, which have cut out the American manufacturing base and hollowed out the middle class. He’s taking on corporate CEO pay, and the two-income trap, and basically making the progressive critique of an economy bought and paid for by the very rich….

…you’re seeing issues discussed on the Senate floor that almost never come up in any other context. Political theater is sadly one of the few ways to cut through the clutter in America, and that’s what Sanders is up to, I suspect.

At his Guardian blog, Michael Tomasky wrote:

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard liberals say, “Reid should just make them filibuster! Make them hold the floor for 24 straight hours, as Strom Thurmond once did. They will look ridiculous to the American people, especially as said people figure out they’re trying to block a relatively inexpensive unemployment benefits extension, and the opposition will crash down like a house of cards.”

In a session with a record number of filibusters threatened and cloture motions filed, it never happened. Almost, once or twice; but it didn’t. So, it’s kind of sad that the only actual filibuster of the whole dysfunctional session is the one happening right now, but it doesn’t involve Republicans at all.

Tomasky likes the tax cut deal, but still…

I admire Sanders, and although I think the deal is pretty good, under the circumstances, and should pass, I do take my hat off to the guy. It’s just nice to see someone taking a stand for the view that upper-income households don’t need a tax cut, and the view that we’re going to have an estate tax that will impact – get this – just 3,500 families in the entire country (see that chart, and look at “taxable returns” for 2011 under the Lincoln-Kyl proposal).

Sanders is not expected to pull a Thurmond. The Senate put together a package last night and this morning that added a few meagre sweeteners for the Democrats (extending subsidies for alternative energy and ethanol that were slated to expire). It will almost surely pass, with most Republicans and enough Democrats. Then, the action moves to the House, where things are a bit iffier but, most suspect, only a bit.

There goes another cynical killjoy. Sanders is doing something truly admirable and he deserves support, if not from other politicians, from us ordinary Americans. Just seeing him do this gives me hope–and not the kind of fake “hope” that Obama sold to the progs. It’s the kind of hope that makes you want to get up and fight for what is right.

At The Nation, John Nichols writes:

After Sanders took the rostrum at 10:24 a.m. Friday, the Vermont Independent posted a message on his his twitter account that read: “You can call what I am doing today whatever you want, you [can] call it a filibuster, you can call it a very long speech…”

Six hours later, Sanders was still speaking. His bold gesture grabbed the attention of the nation, as Senate video servers were overwhelmed when more than 12,000 people tried to watch the speech online.

For all the excitement, Sanders was not actually blocking a vote on the tax deal. The Senate will not take the issue up until Monday, at the earliest.

Sanders was, however, sending a powerful signal about the fight to come.

Nichols also calls attention to

…a letter circulated by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, the senators said: “We have grave misgivings about the recent tax agreement. We hope that the Senate can improve on it. We look forward to working with you to ensure a vote on our amendment to strengthen Social Security in lieu of bonus tax cuts for people who are doing quite well.”

The following Senators have signed the letter:

Merkley, Landrieu. Alaska’s Mark Begich, Hawaii’s Daniel Akaka, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, Minnesota’s Al Franken, Colorado’s Mark Udall and California’s Barbara Boxer

Nichols suggests that several other Senators might support the sentiments in the letter. The text of the letter is included at the end of the article.

Politifact investigated Sanders’ claims about income inequality and learned that he has been telling the truth. Are you listening corporate media?

Right now, Bernie Sanders is reading from heartrending letters from his constituents. Someone needs to force President Obama to sit down in front of his TV and watch this. He might learn what a real Democrat should look and sound like. Yes, I know Bernie is an independent, but back in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, Democrats he would have fit in in the Democratic Party.

Today, corrupt corporate tools like Barack Obama have the gall to call themselves Democrats. It’s a crying shame what has happened to my former party and my country. Thank you Bernie Sanders for what you are doing today.

Watch Bernie Sanders long, long speech at C-Span 2.