Bernie Sanders stops GOP senator from fighting teamster president at hearing: 'You're a United States senator!'

return2ozma@lemmy.world to politics @lemmy.world – 752 points –
Bernie Sanders stops GOP senator from fighting teamster president at hearing: 'You're a United States senator!'
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Bernie once again demonstrating that he's the only adult in a room full of children. It's got to be frustrating as hell to be surrounded by these morons constantly.

He's the Chair of the Committee; it is quite literally his job to maintain decorum and everyone else's job to not speak out of turn. Only Mullin was being a child here, no reason to impugn everyone else in the room for doing what they were supposed to be doing and letting the Chair handle it.

And to be clear, mullin is doing this because he got his fee fees hurt by a mean twitter reply.

Who are these others whose honor you are so concerned with? Those chairs are mostly empty. The bums didn't even show up.

Only Mullin was being a child here

Really? The guy who challenged him to a fist fight "anytime, anywhere" and then agreed to it in the chambers wasn't being a child? Only the one who accepted the challenge? How does that work?

The other guy was called to Congress by Congress I believe. Basically he was summoned or asked to be their to testify. TBH I dont know the circumstances of his presence but often you can't 'refuse' to show up.

So from the perspective of a citizen being summoned to testify before a Senate committee, then being challenged to a physical fight from a Senator while he is there.... its absolutely unequivocally Mullin's fault. Imagine going to court for a speeding ticket and the judge challenges you to a fist fight. You can't not show up and now you have to deal with somone trying to physically assault you?!?

GTFO. Mullin is a clown.

He was not challenged to a physical fight. He was the challenger. He challenged the senator to a physical fight. Then while in Congress, his challenge was accepted.

They're both clowns.

No, he fucking tweeted. Mullin is clearly in the wrong and the obvious instigator. It's like you've not even watched the fucking video

No, he fucking tweeted.

Yes, that's correct, the instigator tweeted a challenge to a fist fight to the senator "anytime, anywhere", which the senator accepted.

Both idiots are clearly in the wrong here but people here are only interested in defending their favorite tribe, and don't care about any sort of rational discussion.

I don't care if those "tough guys" want to slog it out, but the choice of time and place shows such a serious lack of common sense that it would be alarming for a professional fighter, not to mention an elected representative.

The guy thought that, when challenged anytime anywhere, there and then, in Congress, during a hearing would be a good time and place. smh

I don't care if those "tough guys" want to slog it out

Okay well, what you care about has zero bearing on whether or not these actions are childish.

but the choice of time and place

The choice of time and place is irrelevant when the instigating party said, and I quote, "anytime, anywhere", and then when their challenge was accepted, stood up, ready to engage in said challenge.

One of those people is not a US Senator. The Senator was the one bringing it up, getting all worked up over a Tweet. The Senator, chose "Congress" as the place and "during a hearing" as the time. Both these decisions are absolutely unfit for a US Senator.

Go fucking meet the guy behind a 7eleven after work or something like that. But nooo, the Senator said "here is a place, now is a time" because he needed to look like a tough guy in front of cameras.

One of those people is not a US Senator.

I don't understand why you're telling me this like I don't know.

The Senator was the one bringing it up, getting all worked up over a Tweet.

A Tweet where he was challenged to a fist fight.

The Senator, chose "Congress" as the place and "during a hearing" as the time.

After being challenged "anytime, anywhere".

Either you are trolling or being intentionally obtuse because being a Senator absolutely has a bearing on this. He should have a modicum of decorum, professionalism, political savvy, tact, and respect for his office.

He should know better. He got clowned by some tweets and should be embarrassed that he printed them out then brought them up in an official hearing then challenged a guy to a fight. Its a joke and makes a mockery of the senate.

Okay at this point this conversation has devolved to name-calling and repeatedly straight-up lying about the events that transpired so I think it's safe to say you have no interest in an honest discussion. Bye bye now 👋

I think it's unreasonable to take the literal meaning od 'anytime, anywhere'. Like, if he was attending a funeral and the senator turned up and challenged him there, would that still be appropriate? How about if he was visiting a kindergarten? While he's helping an old woman cross the road? Performing first aid on an injured person?

There are still times that are appropriate and not appropriate. You could say that the challenge itself was childish and I would agree. But the anytime, anywhere condition doesn't make it unconditionally ok for the senator to pick this time and place.

There are still times that are appropriate and not appropriate.

There are no times or locations that are appropriate to challenge a grown man to a fist fight, as if that somehow would settle the differences.

Honestly I agree. I just don't think that excuses the Senator from actually accepting the challenge at that time and place (or arguably any time and place, but especially that one). Two wrongs don't make a right...

Which of my comments did you perceive as excusing the senator?

The choice of time and place is irrelevant when the instigating party said, and I quote, "anytime, anywhere", and then when their challenge was accepted, stood up, ready to engage in said challenge.

In response to people saying that the Senator acted inappropriately. But perhaps I misinterpreted. Are you saying they both acted inappropriately? In which case I agree, but I'd still say tweeting a challenge is less inappropriate than actually accepting that challenge at that time and place.

Are you saying they both acted inappropriately? In which case I agree

Yes that is exactly what I've said.

One is a senator, one is the president of the teamsters. There's a bit of difference there. That's not to mention one was summoned there and the other one works there. Sure, a physical fight is "silly", but it's only beneath one of their job positions.

There's a bit of difference there.

What difference is that, exactly? They're both human adults. For the purposes of this conversation, that's all that matters. No one should be challenging anyone else to fist-fights. They're both children.

it's only beneath one of their job positions.

Totally okay for a union President to challenge a sitting US senator to a fist-fight. Okay. Sure. That makes a ton of sense.

Let’s not both sides this one. One had great power and one goes to jail for not showing up and smiling.

I will "both sides" every issue where there's more than 1 person to blame, which is almost always.

Let's not "my tribe" this one.

lol you’re really on a war path, what with your “you’re not the boss of me” and all

I really don't even know what that's supposed to mean...

Yes morons but Bernie also thought chevez's Venezuela was a good model and was praising them not that long ago. He does not have a good track record.

When Sanders' name appears in a headline, it becomes impossible to distinguish centrists from trumpists. The talking points are identical.

I love when people bring up Venezuela in contexts that have nothing to do with Venezuela, especially when it is clear those people only know about Venezuela as far as it is useful as a bogeyman to hold up and point at to scare us into not getting upset about how we are getting ripped off by rich people here in the US. Like, what do yall actually know about Venezuela as a country, culture and place? Anything?

Trump is a piece of crap but Bernie is not particular smart either. I would take Bernie over Trump but Bernie makes great promises knowing he will never be in power to pay for it.

Trump is totally bad or whatever, but here's some trumpist taking points I got from the Washington Examiner.

ah yes the ol' completely out of context bullshit generator, way to go moron

Are you saying he never praised the Chavez methodically?

He's saying you're a moron. Was that really not clear?

So a guy makes a completely truthful statement and people want to ignore it. Are people here a bunch of Trump supporters in that inconvenient truths must require personal insults? Or is it only children on this site?

He's saying it's out of context.

Also, even without taking into account context and assuming your statement was the whole truth. He shouldnt be discounted just for a single opinion on the positive aspects of a country's government, that you disagree with. If that's the worst gotcha you can come up with for a politician, they must be the cleanest politician in the world.

Source? I've not heard this before

When asked if Sanders still endorses the article, Sarah Ford, the deputy communications director for Sanders' 2020 campaign, told the Washington Examiner he agrees with overall premise of the article, but specifically disavows the reference to Venezuela.

"Sen. Sanders agrees with many of the important points raised in that article with regard to wealth and income inequality," she said. "With regard to the article's reference to Venezuela, Sen. Sanders has been critical of the Maduro government's repression of dissent and called for international aid to end the ongoing humanitarian crisis, so would not endorse that specific claim."

DAMN ALMOST LIKE READING THE ARTICLE DISPROVES EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVED

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Once again, people worship the ground Sanders walks on and shit on all the other people in the government working to accomplish things.

The gop are increasingly realizing they can destroy the entire government by doing what they are doing. But there are plenty of Democrats who are still putting in the work and trying to do what they can. And all this "King Bernie" talk does is devalue the work of others. Some of which were actually inspired by Sanders.

Nobody is worshipping Bernie here, nobody said "King Bernie" and this straw man you constructed doesn't exist. He just acted like an adult by calling out immature behavior and was praised for it. That's it. What an odd, overly hostile reaction lol

I mean, to be fair, the original comment DID say he was the ONLY adult in a room full of children...

Yea, but that's a very low bar. If a low bar counts as worship... oooohhhhhh boy

Is this article about another Democrat speaking up and stopping the fight; or Bernie? Don't gotta get your britches in a twist, now it just looks like you have some weird obsession with taking the guy down.

Sanders has stepped up as a "leader" since he pissed away most of his influence in 2012. That is really good. And that is why he is the one expected to "speak up" in these kinds of hearings and why he gets media coverage.

But a LOT of work happens in the government that doesn't get media coverage. One could argue that almost all meaningful and productive work falls into that category.

If people want to say "Good on Bernie for telling it like it is" and "Good thing Bernie is there to step up", I am all for it. But "he's the only adult in a room full of children" is an active insult to everyone who is trying to make this shitshow work.

And even if you don't care about actively disrespecting the people trying to attempt to make this country a more bearable place: Sanders is 78. We need to not pin all our hopes and dreams on someone who very likely won't be in office in 2028.

If people want to say “Good on Bernie for telling it like it is” and “Good thing Bernie is there to step up”, I am all for it. But “he’s the only adult in a room full of children” is an active insult to everyone who is trying to make this shitshow work.

Oh, people who hate Sanders suddenly don't like it when people are called children?

That's not what he's saying

He sure seems pissed off that someone called them children.

My take of his argument is that all of what we see is theater, and that there are actual adults in the background trying to hold everything together, and that labeling all who work in politics as children does nothing but a disservice to a large majority of civil servants

If people who hate Sanders object so mightily to calling people children, that shouldn't have been their go-to dismissal of everyone to their left for the past 8 years.

Okay, well there's a big context here I'm clearly missing.

Nobody is calling him "king Bernie" either. Pick your battles.

I think you misunderstood. The "room" mentioned isn't all of Congress, but the physical room where this one committee was.

kind of a dumbass, aren'tya? kinda just made a big dumb ol' mountain out of a nothing mole hill, didn'tya?

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and shit on all the other people in the government working to accomplish things.

They can't all be Joe Manchin and accomplish everything centrists want.

Cool. Turns out, Bernie was the only democrat actually there for this incident. Sooooooo, your comment is super irrelevant.

Hilary rigged the DNC.

Democrats have been ignoring their constituents to pursue their own personal enrichment since.

The people are still waiting for the leader they elected.

Not sure why you got down voted, Hilary absolutely rigged the DNC.

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That gop senator is little bitch Markwayne Mullin.

Here he is cowering during the "peaceful tour" of Jan 6.

Whatever you do, please don't share that with him on Twitter or email him with it.

Whatever you do, please don’t share that with him on Twitter or email him with it.

this but unironically

he feared for his live and i know that i would be traumatised from such an event.

Maybe he shouldn't have been on the side pushing for this?

Lets be fair, if he was under a desk because of a major earthquake, would you use that against him as well to tarnish his reputation?

Its not like the Congress' rule book for an armed insurrection breaking in has a section called "duck and cover" in it. You figure this shit out as you go, in real time. And taking cover is a reasonable thing to do.

I think the guy acts like a meathead, I'm no fan of his, but to use this picture is something of a cheap shot on your part.

If a guy says, "earthquakes are no big deal. I don't see what the fuss is about." and then goes to duck and cover it's worth pointing out their foolishness. It's not about his actions on Jan 6,which were completely understandable. It's about his actions on all the other days.

It’s not about his actions on Jan 6,which were completely understandable. It’s about his actions on all the other days.

Not disagreeing with you overall, but the image associated with the comment I replied to was a very specific moment in time.

Where is the handbook that reads "after your pansy ass is done being scared, go to a press conference and deny it all."

where Teamsters President Sean O'Brien

He was a union man. I wonder if this guy knows his descendant ends up being the most important man in starfleet history.

I goddamn love Sean, he makes me happy to be a teamster. This years UPS contract was a great start in bringing rights and safety back to the union, its the next contract that we need to look forward to getting the union what we are owed.

I was a bit of a union lawyer for a while and worked with him. He's a charismatic, engaging dude, who cares deeply about his brothers and sisters in the union. He would fuck that Senator up too I have zero doubt. Dude is built like a pitbull.

Absolute clownshoes from Tennessee Oklahoma, lmao.

Jesus Christ, these Republicans are children.

Oops, my bad. Clownshoes is from Oklahoma.

Mullin is from Oklahoma.

Not that the TN senators Blackburn and Hagerty aren't clownshoes.

I wanna meet Blackburn in a Dennys parking lot at 3AM.

Just to talk, of course.

Anybody giving odds on this? I'd like to put $50 on the teamster. I would love to see someone put that election-denying, Chuck Norris wannabe on the mat.

The politician who declared “I’m not Rambo” after his much-ridiculed attempt to enter Afghanistan in the company of a private US security team, boasts on his website a 5-0 record as a professional mixed martial arts fighter.

The official record of his short-lived career suggests a different story: a total of three wins, two against the same opponent, and cumulative fight time of less than 10 minutes in under three rounds.

Just stepping in the ring is proof you're willing to take a punch, which puts him well ahead of 90% of people acting like they want to start a fight.

This country is truly descending into a big pile of manure. Such primitive thinking. I saw Trump doing the whole fistfighting thing against Biden, too.

Yeah, we've all seen it. You're real manly men.

This country is truly descending into a big pile of manure.

We just have to get it out of our system is all. That, and finish the Civil War.

(I kid, I kid! Er, kinda.)

I know they are dumb but they sure got a lotta guns sooo be careful out there, shout out if you need any help.

-your European cousin

Edit: aaaaa wait a second wich side are you fighting for

I would pay hilarious amounts of money to watch fuckin Mark Wayne get his shit stomped in the Senate

Yes, he can absolutely kick my ass, but he is still one of the biggest pussies I have seen. Being tough and strong also includes your mind. It is through might that the weak and stupid shall rise to power.

nobody is rushing to condemn this like they all rushed to pass a law banning hoodies though.

so much for the civility argument.

Ha! Nice try I’m not clicking on some X porno site link

That was one of the rare instances where the video was actually worse than the article, jfc.

Wow, that was pitiful. It's embarrassing that some district elected this bully of a man-child.

A whole STATE, even. Granted, it's one of the ones with the population of one of the more populous COUNTIES and more heads of cattle than humans, but it still counts as an actual state, unfortunately.

Come on Bernie, this is pathetic. You should know better than to try to appeal to a Republican's non-existent sense of decency!

/s

Casual Sanders W

Don't they know you're supposed to take it outside or wait for after class. You don't just throw down in the middle of the room.

GOP Senator: "Uh, so?"

Yeah I'd love nothing more than to see someone floor a stupid GOP senator. God damn it, Bernie!

This is the best summary I could come up with:


Sen. Bernie Sanders stopped a fight from breaking out in the middle of a Senate committee meeting on Tuesday when a Republican senator stood up from his chair to fistfight a labor leader who was testifying.

The incident occurred during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing titled "Standing Up Against Corporate Greed; How Unions are Improving the Lives of Working Families," where Teamsters President Sean O'Brien and other labor leaders were scheduled to speak.

During the hearing, Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma read aloud a post O'Brien previously made to X, formerly known as Twitter, where he called the Republican senator a "Greedy CEO who pretends like he's self made."

In June, Mullin drafted his response to O'Brien's comments onto X, challenging him to an "MMA fight for charity," though the brawl never actually took place.

After reading out the post on Tuesday, Mullins responded to the criticism in person, particularly to the claim that he was pretending to be self-made.

The almost-brawl comes approximately eight months after a previous committee hearing in March where O'Brien accused Mullin of being a "greedy CEO" who "hid money."


The original article contains 376 words, the summary contains 190 words. Saved 49%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

"If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here."

It's like the beach off scene in Barbie, but only one side was using sexual innuendo.

"I'll beach you off right here"

-a U.S. Senator (paraphrased)

Good for Bernie Sanders. Glad to see from him.

I'd rather it happened. A republican senator in jail for assault & battery is a good fucking start.

Let them brawl. The rich greedy fucks need to know that we will fight for this. Their safety is not gauranteed.

I'm absolutely pro fighting in Congress. Most MMA fighters would be better politicians than those bozos (beloved Bernie excluded o'course). I'd pay my first pay-per-view for that. Btw: mighty mouse for president!

Most MMA fighters would be better politicians than those bozos

Mullin was a MMA fighter. I wouldn't dare to say he makes a good politician. We have enough reality TV bullshit in DC already.

Looked him up. Welterweight class, 3 wins, 0 losses, back in 2007 ish. 5'8", 170lbs. (So, more than 170lb with water.)

Sean O'Brian has no published stats, and photos usually show him as a bit shorter than the other dudes in the photo.

While they may be better, the aftermath of fighters' concussions would still leave something to be desired.

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