General Discussion

I know because he sends me emails regularly about his fights for this or that issue or cause. And none of them ever gets enacted. Fighting without accomplishing anything (let's call it the Weiner syndrome, in the current environment) is a symbolic gesture only. I'm not saying I don't agree with these causes, but for him to criticize the president for not engaging in windmill tilting is hypocritical.

Peruse this list of bills Sanders has sponsored over the past few years (link below). Most have 0, 1, or 2 cosponsors, and nothing of true substance has ever gotten out of committee, much less gotten enacted by Congress. Senators can tilt at windmills (though it will buy them little in terms of legacy, compared to "fighters" who have been willing to compromise, like Ted Kennedy learned to do). Presidents can not afford to "fight" for legislation that has no chance of passing. They must accomplish a certain number of things in the brief time they have available to them. If you're aware that a single-payer healthcare system has no chance of passing--which it never did--then you work to get SOMETHING that progresses the fight forward. Losing buys you nothing, and often sets back the fight for progress.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/R?d112:FLD003:@1(Sen+Sanders):