GOP Senator Kennedy Blasts 2020 Dems: 'The Lesser of Two Socialists Is Still a Socialist'
Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy criticized Democratic presidential candidates on Wednesday for their radical positions, stating that “the lesser of two socialists is still a socialist.”
“Even from the less-liberal candidates, I heard a job-killing, soul-crushing socialist agenda,” Kennedy said in a Fox News interview. “The only thing missing was the Cuban national anthem.”
Kennedy’s comments came after a second round of Democratic debates in which candidates debated far-left policies such as “Medicare for All,” decriminalization of border crossings and government spending of trillions of dollars to combat climate change.
“I’m not buying the storyline of progressive versus moderate,” Kennedy continued.
The Louisiana senator’s remarks attracted the attention of President Donald Trump, who tweeted Kennedy’s quote in apparent agreement.
“The lesser of two Socialists is still a Socialist!” Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2019
Kennedy expounded on his “socialism” comments.
“Same old stuff — socialism, illegal immigration, abortion, socialized medicine are moral goods; free enterprise, border security, sanctity of life, your on-the-job health insurance, those are all moral bads,” he said.
“And at the rate my Democratic friends are going, the American people are going to have a very stark choice in this election,” Kennedy said.
Some Democratic candidates have embraced what they consider the inevitability of Republicans calling them socialists.
“It is time to stop worrying about what the Republicans will say,” South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said during the debate.
“It’s true that if we embrace a far-left agenda, they’re gonna say we’re a bunch of crazy socialists. If we embrace a conservative agenda, you know what they’re gonna do? They’re gonna say we’re a bunch of crazy socialists. So let’s just stand up for the right policy, go out there and defend it,” Buttigieg continued.
Buttigieg: It’s time to stop worrying about what the Republicans will say. If we embrace a far left agenda, they’re going to say we’re a bunch of crazy socialists. If we embrace a conservative agenda, they’re going to say we’re a bunch of crazy socialists. pic.twitter.com/F76aDJN9qn
— Axios (@axios) July 31, 2019
Other Democrats have taken an opposite tack.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has said that “socialism is not the answer.”
The debate over socialism in the Democratic Party has intensified in recent months, especially after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s public feud with the self-identified “squad” of progressive lawmakers.
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