Ding, ding, ding, ding!
PolitiFact.com
On Nov. 30, 2010, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, made a Senate floor speech about the gap between rich and poor in America. It soon went viral on the Internet. After receiving a number of requests from readers to fact-check it, we decided to do just that.
We'll take a look at two of the claims Sanders made.
http://youtu.be/...
Bernie Sanders on Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 in a Senate floor speech:
"Mr. President, in the year 2007, the top 1 percent of all income earners in the United States made 23.5 percent of all income," Sanders said. "The top 1 percent earned 23.5 percent of all income -- more than the entire bottom 50 percent. That is apparently not enough.
The percentage of income going to the top 1 percent has nearly tripled since the 1970s. In the mid-1970s, the top 1 percent earned about 8 percent of all income. In the 1980s, that figure jumped to 14 percent. In the late 1990s, that 1 percent earned about 19 percent."
To keep matters simple, we'll stick to checking Sanders' claim that "the top 1 percent of all income earners in the United States made 23.5 percent of all income," which is "more than the entire bottom 50 percent."
So, we're left with three studies that vary slightly but which all point in the same general direction -- showing the top 1 percent earning between 21.4 and 23.5 percent of the national income in 2007. The studies also show that this share exceeds what the entire bottom 50 percent of the United States earns. So we rate Sanders' statement True.
Well that was so inspiring I dug up this Bernie gem ...
Bernie Sanders The Wealthy Keep Getting Tax Breaks
While 1/4 Of Kids Need Food Stamps
http://youtu.be/...
Bernie Sanders:
When is enough, Enough?
When does Greed end?
[...]
I think this is an issue that we have got to stay on, and stay on, and stay on -- is Greed -- this reckless, uncontrollable Greed -- It's almost like a Disease, which is hurting this Country terribly.
How can anybody be proud, to say I'm a Multi-Millionaire and I'm getting a Huge Tax Break -- and 1/4 of the Kids in this Country is on Food Stamps? How do you be proud of that? I don't know.
Why can't more politicians be like Bernie Sanders?
Fighting for what's right (and what's true) could be a winning strategy ... could it not?
Post your favorite -- truth-telling rant, if got em. Maybe we can start a new trend.