Sen. Bernard Sanders says he wants the media to stop asking him questions about socialism and instead focus on what is “fundamentally immoral and wrong” with America.
The Vermont lawmaker sat down Wednesday with “CBS This Morning” to discuss the current political climate leading into the midterm elections when the rise of democratic socialism was brought up. He expressed exasperation when asked if a “capitalism versus socialism” debate should be at the forefront of the nation’s consciousness.
“I think media makes a bigger deal of it than it should,” he said. “Look at the issues! Should every American have health care as a right at a time when we spend twice as much per capita on health care as any other country, have the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, and 30 million people have no health insurance? That is a disastrous system. Of course, we need to move to Medicare for all.”
The independent senator added that colleges and universities should be tuition-free before transitioning to a critique of the free market.
“I think that there is an understanding there is something fundamentally immoral and wrong about a nation in which we have three people who own more wealth than the bottom half of the American people,” he said. “That does not make sense.”
Co-host Bianna Golodryga then said they were “out of time” and could not address the possible retort: “We like the ideas. How do we pay for them?”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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