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| Looking Like a President |
Bernie has done something
rare in politics. He hasn’t just run a political campaign; he’s created a
movement. And make no mistake about it, I believe it’s a movement that is as
powerful today as it was yesterday. That’s a good thing for our nation and our
future.
Senator Sanders and his
supporters have changed the dialogue in America. Issues which had been given
little attention — or little hope of ever passing — are now at the center of
the political debate. Income inequality, universal health care, climate change,
free college, relieving students from the crushing debt of student loans. These
are just a few of the issues Bernie and his supporters have given life to. And
while Bernie and I may not agree on how we might get there, we agree on the
ultimate goal for these issues and many more.
But more than any one issue
or set of issues, I want to commend Bernie for being a powerful voice for a
fairer and more just America. It’s voices like Bernie’s that refuse to allow us
to just accept what is — that refuse to accept we can’t change what’s wrong in
our nation — that refuse to accept the health and well-being of our fellow
citizens and our planet isn’t our responsibility too. Bernie gets a lot of
credit for his passionate advocacy for the issues he cares about. But he
doesn’t get enough credit for being a voice that forces us all to take a hard
look in the mirror and ask if we’ve done enough.
While the Sanders campaign
has been suspended — its impact on this election and on elections to come is
far from over. We will address the existential crisis of climate change. We
will confront income inequality in our nation. We will make sure healthcare is
affordable and accessible to every American. We will make education at our
public colleges and universities free. We will ease the burden of student debt.
And, most important of all, we will defeat Donald Trump.
At this moment, we are in the
middle of an unprecedented crisis in American history. There is enormous fear
and pain and loss being felt all across the country. There are also untold
stories of heroism — of nurses and health care workers and doctors and first
responders and grocery store workers and truck drivers and so many others on
the front lines of this crisis. Putting their own lives in danger for the rest
of us. If we didn’t know it before, we know it now: This is the backbone of our
nation.
Our first job is to get
through the immediate crisis threatening the public health and getting help
into the pockets of America’s workers. But we also need to take a hard look at
what we need to fix and change in this country. Many of the biggest cracks in
the social safety net have been laid bare — from health care to paid sick leave
to a more extensive and comprehensive system of unemployment benefits. We will
need to address these. Just as we need to address rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure.
And we all know — the clock is ticking — we don’t have a moment to waste in
combating the climate crisis.
As friends, Jill and I want
to say to Bernie and Jane, we know how hard this is. You have put the interest
of the nation — and the need to defeat Donald Trump — above all else. And for
that Jill and I are grateful. But we also want you to know: I’ll be reaching
out to you. You will be heard by me. As you say: Not me, Us.
And to your supporters I make
the same commitment: I see you, I hear you, and I understand the urgency of
what it is we have to get done in this country. I hope you will join us. You
are more than welcome. You’re needed.
Together we will defeat
Donald Trump. And when we do that, we’ll not only do the hard work of
rebuilding this nation — we’ll transform it.
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