21 October 19
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21 October 19
RSN: Norman Solomon | Pete Buttigieg Is a Sharp Corporate Tool
Norman Solomon, Reader Supported News
Solomon writes: "Pete Buttigieg burst on the national scene early this year as a new sort of presidential candidate. But it turns out he's a very old kind - a glib ally of corporate America posing as an advocate for working people and their families."
Norman Solomon, Reader Supported News
Solomon writes: "Pete Buttigieg burst on the national scene early this year as a new sort of presidential candidate. But it turns out he's a very old kind - a glib ally of corporate America posing as an advocate for working people and their families."
EXCERPTS:
A not-funny thing has happened to Buttigieg on the campaign trail. As he kept collecting big checks from corporate executives and wealthy donors, he went from being “all for” a single-payer Medicare for All system in January to trashing it in the debate last week as a plan that would kick “150 million Americans off of their insurance in four short years.” The demagoguery won praise from corporate media outlets.
Those outlets have often lauded Buttigieg for his fundraising totals this year without scrutiny of the funding sources. They skew toward the wealthy — and toward donors with a vested interest in protecting the status quo.
“Of course, from a voter’s point of view, what really matters is not how much financial support a candidate is getting, but who they’re getting it from — because those supporters may not have the same interests as the voter,” Jim Naureckas at the media watchdog FAIR pointed out this summer. “In the case of Buttigieg, the two main sources of funds seem to be the tech industry … and the financial industry, that traditional source of funds for corporate-oriented Democrats.”
Yet Buttigieg has joined with Joe Biden to open up a well-funded, double-barreled assault on Medicare for All.
“I am tired of seeing Democrats defend a dysfunctional healthcare system where 87 million people are uninsured or underinsured and 30,000 people die every year because they lack adequate coverage,” Bernie Sanders wrote last Friday in an email to supporters. “So I was disappointed this week to see that Joe Biden used the talking points of the health insurance industry to attack Medicare for All and our campaign.”
While Buttigieg is not strong in national polls right now, he’s polling notably well in Iowa, where the first voting for the Democratic presidential nomination will occur in early-February caucuses. And with $23.4 million in the bank, he’s got much more money in hand than Biden ($9 million). The only rivals with more money than Buttigieg are the two he’s assailing for their resolute support of Medicare for All — Sanders ($33.7 million) and Warren ($25.7 million).
While I personally support Sanders, I’m equally appalled by Buttigieg’s attacks on Warren. As part of a campaign strategy that aims to undermine both of his progressive opponents, the mayor continues to falsely characterize Medicare for All — no matter how much confusion and disinformation he creates along the way.
Whether or not Pete Buttigieg can win the nomination, he has certainly emerged as a sharp corporate tool.
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