At least one politician gets it ...

With all the hue and cry about austerity and budget cuts, there is at least one lone politician on Capitol Hill who is consistently and loudly advocating for the less fortunate in the wake of the rape of our economy by Wall Street and the unfunded $3 trillion spending spree also known as the Iraq War. Want to look for a single cause of our burgeoning national debt? Look at the accounting practices regarding Afghanistan and Iraq War funding from 2001-2008. 

Nevertheless, while our politicians target safety net programs and public employee pensions as potential cost savings measures, let's remember that these same politicians have given enormous handouts to Wall Street and extended an enormous tax cut for the wealthy. 

Without further delay I give you Senator Bernie Sanders (VT-I) first expounding on how he sees things and then asking pointed questions to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. 

The trouble with Bernie, of course, is that he's a self avowed Democratic Socialist. That means he is a socialist who embraces democratic principles. Remember, socialism is an economic system, not a political system. While democracy is a political system, not an economic system. When I say "the trouble with", what I really mean is that many find it easy to dismiss Bernie Sanders, because of his aversion to unfettered capitalism. Of course, when you stop and think about his position in this video clip, it is very difficult to contradict him without being a complete tool (of the plutocracy). 

Mr. Sanders goes to Washington

Granted, Senator Bernie Sanders (VT-I) has been in Washington, DC for a long time. He was in the House for 16 years before assuming his Senate seat in 2007. 

But he's currently filibustering the tax deal between President Obama and GOP leadership. 

This is an old school filibuster. Not the usual threat of filibuster that results in a cloture vote (if the vote fails the bill cannot be debated). His filibuster has now entered its 5th hour. He had some help from Senator Mary Landrieu (LA-D) but now he's back on his own and has been talking nearly nonstop since 10:25 this morning - it's currently 3:15pm. He's showing no signs of stopping. 

He is laying out, in great detail, why the United States cannot afford this tax deal. He's supporting his argument with facts backed up with research and expert opinion. The fundamental problems with this deal have been discussed in great detail elsewhere, but essentially 25% of the tax breaks are going to the top earners, taxes will actually go up for the poorest among us, 99ers are not included in the unemployment extension, and we simply cannot afford to continue to give enormous tax breaks to corporations and wealthy individuals when our infrastructure, education, and working class opportunity are crumbling before our very eyes. 

For my money, he's one of the only members of the Senate willing to stand up for the working class in the face of the plutocracy.

We should be furious about this deal. It doesn't seem like we care a whole lot. Voters get what they deserve. Deserve better.