We won't go awarding Wolf Blitzer a journalistic Profile in Courage just yet, but let's give him some credit for posing this question to Bernie Sanders in last night's CNN town hall with the socialist senator:
"Senator, why have you stopped short of calling Maduro, of Venezuela, a dictator?"
Check out the video to catch Sanders's stumbling response. First, a long pause, then, "well, [pauses again] he, I, I think it's, it's fair to say that the last election was undemocratic." Ya think?
Sanders follows with this lame excuse for his fellow socialist: "there are still democratic operations taking place in that country."
"Democratic operations" in Venezuela? Right on, Bernie! Such as: everyone has the right to eat scraps out of garbage trucks [a fact that got Jorge Ramos in trouble when he mentioned it to Maduro]. The socialist ruling class doesn't avail itself of the privilege, however.
Sanders pivoted to President Trump's alleged double standard in being concerned about events in Venezuela, while not condemning the lack of democracy in Saudi Arabia. Sanders brags that in contrast, "my record is to be concerned about democracy all over the world.
Double standard? We got Sanders's double standard right here. On the one hand, he hasn't hesitated to condemn Saudi Arabia as a "despotic dictatorship." So why does Sanders refuse to call Maduro a dictator? [Cue the Church Lady]: could it be . . . socialism?
Hat tip: Mediaite.
Here's the transcript.
CNN
Bernie Sanders Town Hall
2/25/19
8:42 pm ETWOLF BLITZER: Senator, why have you stopped short of calling Maduro of Venezuela a dictator?
BERNIE SANDERS: [pause] Well, [pause] he — I, I think it’s, it's fair to say that the last election was undemocratic. But there are still democratic operations taking place in that country. The point is, what I am calling for right now, is internationally-supervised free elections. And I do find it interesting that Trump is very concerned about what goes on in Venezuela, but what about the last election that took place in Saudi Arabia? Oh! There wasn’t any election in Saudi Arabia. Oh! Women are treated as third-class citizens. So I find it interesting that Trump is kind of selective as to where he is concerned about democracy. My record is to be concerned about democracy all over the world.
