While appearing on MSNBC Live With Stephanie Ruhle Wednesday morning, major Democratic Party donor and Nevada businessman Stephen Cloobeck rejected the notion that socialist Senator Bernie Sanders could win the Democratic nomination, even labeling the far-left lawmaker an “anarchist” who “would love to burn down the United States.”
“You have blasted Democrats in the past for attacking millionaires and billionaires....What happens if Bernie Sanders wins? I’m pretty sure he has a lot to say about billionaires,” Ruhle goaded. Cloobeck blasted Sanders: “No one but Bernie, Stephanie. Come on, he’s an anarchist, he would love to burn down the United States. Corbyn didn’t work in England, Bernie ain’t going to work in the United States.”
A frustrated Ruhle pressed him to support whoever wound up being the Democratic nominee in order to defeat President Trump:
But, Steve you’ve said over and over that enough is enough when it comes to President Trump. Is it truly an emergency if Bernie Sanders is the candidate – if he’s the candidate and you can’t vote for him, then are you really saying that Donald Trump is that much of a threat to our future?
Cloobeck didn’t budge: “Anyone but Bernie. Anyone but Bernie.”
Ruhle fretted: “Then is the Democratic Party still your party? Senator Sanders is in Nevada this week with 10-15,000 people going to rallies. Are you not part of the Democratic Party? Because it seems like a whole lot are right there.”
At that point, the big party donor slammed the chairman of the Democratic National Committee: “Well, I think Tom Perez needs to step down. He’s a joke, he’s a clown. He can’t run the Democratic Party anymore. It’s lost its way.”
On Tuesday, when MSNBC Republican Steve Schmidt warned that Sanders was “a socialist who honeymooned in the Soviet Union” and wanted “free stuff for everybody,” Ruhle complained: “It is not free income for everyone and free stuff for everyone. So we have to rein that in.”
As the chance of Sanders being the Democratic nominee increases, some in the liberal media are already trying to pretend that his radical ideas are not extreme.
Here is a transcript of the February 19 exchange:
9:32 AM ET
(...)
STEPHANIE RUHLE: You have blasted Democrats in the past for attacking millionaires and billionaires. Right here on this show, you told me that you spoke to House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer, saying if they use the term “billionaire” again, you’re done. What happens if Bernie Sanders wins? I’m pretty sure he has a lot to say about billionaires.
STEPHEN CLOOBECK: No one but Bernie, Stephanie. Come on, he’s an anarchist, he would love to burn down the United States. Corbyn didn’t work in England, Bernie ain’t going to work in the United States.
RUHLE: But, Steve you’ve said over and over that enough is enough when it comes to President Trump. Is it truly an emergency if Bernie Sanders is the candidate – if he’s the candidate and you can’t vote for him, then are you really saying that Donald Trump is that much of a threat to our future?
CLOOBECK: Anyone but Bernie. Anyone but Bernie.
RUHLE: Then is the Democratic Party still your party? Senator Sanders is in Nevada this week with 10-15,000 people going to rallies. Are you not part of the Democratic Party? Because it seems like a whole lot are right there.
CLOOBECK: Well, I think Tom Perez needs to step down. He’s a joke, he’s a clown. He can’t run the Democratic Party anymore. It’s lost its way. And, you know, fortunately we need somebody in the Democratic Party that’s made a payroll. Bernie hasn’t made a payroll, Elizabeth hasn’t made a payroll. And you’ve got really only two candidates that have made a payroll, the mayor and the mayor, choose one.
(...)
