Wednesday With Bernie

RED OAK – As a self-proclaimed “socialist Democrat,” Bernie Sanders conceded not everyone attending his Red Oak campaign stop would agree entirely with his politics.
Speaking to an enthusiastic and standing-room-only crowd in this historically conservative community, Sanders said his agenda largely resonates with all but the wealthiest “one percent.”
“The media tells us we are a very divided nation. I don’t believe that,” Sanders told a crowd of about 400 people Wednesday at the Red Coach Inn and Restaurant. “When you look at what we are talking about, issue by issue, Democrats … and even Republicans are largely in agreement.”
Sanders said too often, voters cast their ballots on the two percent of issues they disagree with candidates on rather than the 98 percent they agree upon.
“Everybody in this room, if we dig deep enough, we are going to have differences,” he said.  “What’s important is in general, are we on the same side. Politics is not about this issue or that issue. It’s about coming together on common ground.”
Sanders repeatedly mentioned income inequality as a key issue facing this nation.
“Most Americans understand there is something fundamentally wrong,” he said. “In the last 40 years, the middle class has been slowly disappearing and all new wealth and income is going to the richest one percent.”
Sanders also spoke passionately about combating ISIS and the role America should play in defeating the terrorist group.
“I’m tired of hearing the GOP saying they will be ‘tough’ on ISIS. This is not just a question of being tough; it’s a question of being smart,” Sanders said.
“It is not their kids who are going into war. It is your kids. You’ll forgive me, this is an emotional issue for me because I’ve gone to too many funerals and talked to too many Gold Star mothers and Gold Star wives.”
 Sanders stressed Muslim nations should “lead the fight” against ISIS, stating they have the resources, as evidenced by Qatar’s recent $200 billion bid to host the World Cup in 2022.
“If they can spend $200 billion on a soccer tournament, they can spend billions of dollars in fighting ISIS.”
Other topics Sanders discussed include:
- His sponsorship of a bill in the Senate which would pay new mothers two-thirds of their salary for three months, so they can stay home with their newborn. “We hear a lot about family values in this country, to my mind, forcing a mother to separate from her new born baby … because she has to go back to work to earn an income to take care of her family, that is not a family value, that that is the opposite of a family value.”
-    Gun control. In response to the recent mass shootings, Sanders urged a ban on the sale of assault type rifles, closing the “gun show loophole” allowing purchasers to forgo background checks, and intensifying background checks to make sure people who shouldn’t have guns, don’t. However, he said fixing the nation’s mental health system is also a key component to stopping the mass shootings. “We have to recognize when people have a mental health crisis, they need help today; not in two months, regardless if they have health insurance and regardless if they are rich or poor.”
-    Providing free tuition to all state universities and community colleges. “We need to have the best educated workforce in the world. That’s why it seems totally absurd … hundreds of thousands of bright and talented individuals across this nation aren’t seeking higher education simply because they don’t have the financial means to do so.”
While several Republican candidates have come to Red Oak this election cycle, including Mike Huckabee, Scott Walker and Ted Cruz, Sanders is the first Democrat.
Originally scheduled at the Red Oak Library, the event was quickly moved to the Red Coach due to an overwhelming number of RSVP’s submitted within 24 hours of the announcement Sanders was coming.
A vast majority of those attending the event were from outside of Montgomery County, including Jennifer Castello-Scott, who drove from Omaha to hear Sanders speak.
“I think he’s awesome,” she said after the event. “A lot of people have big ideas. But I think he’s got a lot of ways to make those big ideas work.”