Bernie Sanders thinks the GOP has 'gotten away with murder,' reporters are inept


Over breakfast on Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) shared with reporters his thoughts on primary debates, Supreme Court nominations, and the not-so-great way the media is covering the 2016 presidential campaign.
"Campaigns are not baseball games," the presidential candidate said. "What did I read in the paper today? Gov. Bush is getting a new campaign manager. You know who cares about that? About eight people in the world. Nobody cares about that." He also questioned why he is always referred to as a "socialist," with the implication he has "a radical agenda. In virtually every instance, what I am saying is supported by a significant majority of the American people.... I may be old-fashioned enough to believe that Congress might want to be representing a vast majority of our people... and not just the Koch brothers and other campaign contributors." He then had a tip for the assembled reporters: If they are going to label him a socialist, they need to at least call his rivals "capitalists."
While discussing the Supreme Court, Sanders said he would nominate justices who would ensure campaign finance laws were strengthened, and said he wasn't sure why his fellow Democratic contender, Hillary Clinton, didn't have a position on the Pacific trade agreement being discussed in Congress. "I don't understand how on an issue of such huge consequence you don't have an opinion," he said. He also suggested more primary debates with both parties. "It's a good idea to have a group of Democrats and a group of Republicans," he said. "I think the Republicans, frankly, have gotten away with murder. I think people really do not know what their agenda is."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Judge rejects top state charges in Mangione case
Speed Read If convicted, Mangione faces up to life in state prison
-
UN panel finds Israeli genocide in Gaza
Speed Read The report found that Israeli leaders had committed ‘four of the five “genocidal acts”’ prohibited under the U.N. Genocide Convention
-
Trump allies reportedly poised to buy TikTok
Speed Read Under the deal, U.S. companies would own about 80% of the company
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants