OPINION:
In a “60 Minutes” interview with host Anderson Cooper, Sen. Bernie Sanders acknowledged that he’s not yet put a “price tag” on much of the proposals he’s pushed.
That’s kind of a big concern — yes? So was his obvious inability to look Cooper in the eye while answering certain questions. Deceive much? It’s the socialist way.
After all, it’s one thing to run for president of the United States on promises of free college for all, student loan forgiveness for all, free health care for all, free, free, free everything for all. It’s another thing entirely to come down to Earth, admit the word “free” is code for Tax Paid — and let voters know how much they’re going to have to cough up for all those “free” programs and proposals.
But that’s a socialist for ya — promise, promise, promise, pretend, pretend, pretend.
Here’s the pertinent portion of the interview, beginning with this background CBS summary: “There’s a profound skepticism in Congress about Sanders’ ability to get his agenda passed. Two-thirds of Democrats in the Senate have not signed on to ’Medicare for All,’ which would cost an estimated $30 trillion to $40 trillion over ten years. And that’s just one of Bernie Sanders’ many proposals. There’s also free public college, cancellation of all student debt, a federal job guarantee, and a Green New Deal to rapidly reduce carbon emissions.”
Cooper then asked — so “how much will that cost?”
Sanders dodged — “Obviously, those are expensive propositions, but we have done our best on issue after issue, in paying for them,” he said.
Cooper then asked again — so “how much though? I mean, do you have a price tag for all of this?”
Sanders dodged — “We do, I mean, you know, and, and, the price tag is, it will be substantially less than letting the current system go. I think it’s about $30 trillion.”
Cooper then rephrased to clarify — “That’s just for Medicare for All, you’re talking about?”
Sanders: “Yes.”
Cooper then asked again — “Do you have a price tag for all of these things?”
Sanders: “No, I don’t. We try to — no, you mentioned making public colleges and universities tuition free and cancelling all student debt, that’s correct. That’s what I want to do. We pay for that through a modest tax on Wall Street speculation.”
Cooper: “But you say you don’t know what the total price is, but you know how it’s going to be paid for. How …?”
And here’s Sanders’ final answer: “Well, I can’t, you know, I can’t rattle off to you every nickel and every dime. But we have accounted for — you — you talked about Medicare for All. We have options out there that will pay for it.”
What are they?
It’s a don’t ask, don’t tell system, it seems. Don’t ask Sanders to put a price tag on his ridiculous socialist proposals — and he won’t tell. ’Cause he can’t. ’Cause he hasn’t bothered to pin down the costs — ’cause it’s so much easier to sell socialism when the petty tangibles aren’t brought into the picture. Like taxpayer costs. It’s a simple question, senator: How much?
But as Britain’s Margaret Thatcher once noted, “The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”
How true. And the trouble with Sanders is that his shifty-eyed dodges of questions about costs of his proposals show he already knows he can’t pay for them without inflicting huge increases on taxpaying Americans.
Sanders already realizes his socialist dream is unfit for America — and that’s why he can’t come clean on the price tag. He doesn’t want voters to realize that until after he’s elected. ’Cause he can’t get elected any other way.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE.
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