Michael Bennet Slams Tea Party's "Nihilistic Vision Of The United States" (AUDIO)

In a recorded conversation at an LGTB event in Denver, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet slammed Tea Party activists' views on government as "ludicrous," "appalling" and "nihilistic."

Expanding upon comments regarding Colorado's TABOR laws, which severely limits the resources available to state government, Bennet launched into a broader philosophical debate in which he expressed dismay at a philosophy that he feels lacks a sense of "responsibility to the next generation."

Bennet described the commitment of past generations of Americans to investing in the country's future, and deplored an ideology that opposes such commitment.

"Who do you think built the road that you traveled here on? Who do you think built the bridges and the sewers and the waste-water systems and invested in the higher education system that we now have. They built that stuff from scratch!... Our parents and our grandparents. And we can't even maintain it?!"

Bennet called "appalling" the "nihilistic" idea that we would "enjoy the benefits that other people have conferred on us and not provide that for the people coming after us."

LISTEN:

Comments

[Aquinnah1]

11:15 AM on 04/28/2010

Great news here in New England: Tea Party members are about as common as an English teacher at a Sarah Palin rally. www.eightfits.blogspot.com

[OurTurn]

11:21 AM on 04/25/2010

Even the tea party should be supporting Romanoff. He's the only candidate running a grass roots campaign. Bennet's money is coming from Wall Street and large corporations. It is more likely he will be representing them and not the citizens of Colorado if elected.

[Sharon Hanson]

12:05 AM on 04/25/2010

I think Bennet is trying to distract with another attempt to appear to care about an issue. Although I abhor the tea baggers I think Bennet does not want to talk about all the money he has received from Wall Street or the derivative deal he negotiated for DPS with JP Morgan who was/is under investigation for defrauding municipalities and school districts all over the country. If the tea baggers’ misdirected anger were focused on how Wall Street nearly destroyed our country perhaps this story would gain some badly needed traction.

FBI Probe of JPMorgan Fees Focuses on Swaps Roiling Muni Debt

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aIL9gsK5wG40

[MarsAmbassador]

01:59 PM on 04/24/2010

HUZZAH FOR SENATOR BENNET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PeterFisk]

12:36 PM on 04/24/2010

Discussion here about Romanoff's far-stronger statement, which preceded Bennet's wishy-washy statement:
http://www.squarestate.net/diary/263/michael-bennet-on-the-tea-partys-nihilism

HuffPost-Denver was made aware of this footage but refused to show it:
http://denverdirect.blogspot.com/2010/04/money-cant-buy-you-love.html

Does Son-of-Axelrod have an explanation for HuffPost-Denver's failure to even acknowledge the superior Romanoff clip?
.

[Sharon Hanson]

09:44 AM on 04/25/2010

Peter I agree with you it's concerning that Huffington Post would blackout Andrew Romanoff's statement while promoting Bennet's. I'm a little concerned that perhaps the Huffinington Post's editor for Denver has an agenda.

I have been a fan of Huffington Post since day 1 and I am going to write and let them know that this occurred. Thanks for the tip.

By the way I think this will backfire on Bennet. Perhaps the tea baggers will go after him on the DPS interest rate swap a derivative product he negotiated and his ties to Wall Street.

[ColoradoBrad]

02:54 AM on 04/24/2010

Everytime this guy comes on my tv set with one of his commercials I dislike him even more.

[sameoldpolitics]

12:21 AM on 04/24/2010

If there ever was a man to tow the party line, Michael Bennett is it. He was appointed by the governor to replace (now) Interior Sec Salazar's senate seat. Sen Bennett will have a difficult time making it out of the primary much less the fall election as he is not popular in Colorado. Unfortunately, I do not believe the Republican candidate is very strong either.

Sen Bennett owes too many favors to the Democratic Party to do anything but tow the party line.

[ross1776]

06:36 PM on 04/23/2010

And how much does this guy earn?

[ross1776]

06:35 PM on 04/23/2010

Another Democratic Global Socialist, just like those Republican ones. And most of the tea party members that were the original groups were Independents, not affiliated with either party, and it is the state, not federal, government which Jefferson quoted as would be the governmental entity that was responsible for providing a public education (four years, was his idea) at no cost, since the state is more accountable than the federal government - which needs to constrain itself to its Constitutional functions, and let the state and local governments and citizens be.

My goodness, they are even behind those ludicrous "nanny" seat belt laws determining adult behavior and conduct in their own vehicles, when less than 5% of the driving public are involved in injury related or property damage accidents - and cars have never been safer now that air bags and interlock brakes are standard.


Get a grip, Michael, and off your pulpit.

[Spiritof1982]

07:40 PM on 04/23/2010

A brilliant Con Law scholar if ever there was one...

[ned w]

03:29 PM on 04/23/2010

we need lots more democrats speaking out like this. come on nancy, grow a pair.

[BookKeepersSon]

05:46 PM on 04/23/2010

Nancy grow a pair? Are you kidding? She has the biggest pair that's ever been in her position!

I agree that we need more people standing up and speaking the way this guy did. But your zing against Nancy Pelosi is way WAY off.

Now go wash your mouth out with soap! :)

[lisakaz2]

03:02 PM on 04/23/2010

It's the contradictions that get me. We care about balancing budgets but don't cut my medicare and don't cut the military. And lower my taxes. Unsustainable and unintelligible.

[SPQR1775]

02:51 PM on 04/23/2010

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[lisakaz2]

03:03 PM on 04/23/2010

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[marlalovestyler]

03:57 PM on 04/23/2010

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[SkyeinColorado]

10:24 AM on 04/23/2010

The Tea Party is nothing but a cult.

My mom is a fully pledged member of the "Tea Party." She is hostile, mean and hypocritical. She can't be reasoned with. She spends her day watching Fraud News, esp Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity.

For me, they are the new Beavis and Butthead--'appalling' and 'ludicrous' cult leaders who are more dangerous than Jim Jones and David Koresh because they have a cable channel.

[lisagee]

10:30 AM on 04/23/2010

my parents are the same way---manipulated lied to fools---why arent they protesting wall street crooks --teabaggers are lied to by fox and freedom works and americans for prosperity etc.--they are like a cult

[macnc]

03:30 PM on 04/23/2010

My brother is too. Fox has his entire family brainwashed. He's become angry and intolerant and can not be reasoned with on any of his misinformed views. So sad what's happening to them.

[Chaucea]

02:22 AM on 04/23/2010

*cheers*

[madHenry]

12:55 AM on 04/23/2010

This is EXACTLY what I'M talking about. Excuse me. This is EXACTLY what the DNC should have been talking about, how the all too clear lack of vision, abrogation of stewardship, and just plain hypocritical demagoguery on the part of the GOPers should have been framed for more than a year. In just these terms. Just this way, and just this forcefully.

[bingotownboy]

03:23 PM on 04/23/2010

I gotta ask ya, is that pic from the cover of the King Crimson album?

[madHenry]

03:57 PM on 04/23/2010

King who? That's a picture that someone took of me when I heard Sarah Palin's voice for the first time, as she spoke to the 2008 GOP Convention. Neither her handlers nor the networks gave notice that the buttersotchy buzzsaw that she calls a voice could send some people unerxpectedly into seizures, like some Japanese anime has been known to do. Anyway, this was shot as I ran screaming from the room to cover that hideously, painfully grating sound. No seizure for me, but I do remember thinking "could waterboarding be worse than this?"

[BookKeepersSon]

05:50 PM on 04/23/2010

Man, you're good. You express yourself so well. I wish I could do that. I'm glad at least you're doing it.

Do you write for a living or something. If not, you should.