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Bernie Dropped Some Truth Bombs On The #GOPDebate

by Seth Millstein

There was just as much nonsense on display during the fifth GOP debate on Tuesday as there were in the last four debates, and since it was the last Republican debate of the year, we'll have plenty of time to chew over what they all said. Not surprisingly, the Democratic candidates chimed in with their thoughts on the forum; not surprisingly, they weren't fans. Bernie Sanders' reaction to the GOP debate focused on foreign policy, as did the debate itself, and it was emblematic of the left's general reaction to the Republicans' foreign policy: It won't work to defeat ISIS, and it'll trample on American values in the process.

Of course, Sanders will have plenty of time to deliver a full-throated response to the Republicans on Saturday, when the Democrats meet for their third debate of the cycle. Most of Sanders' criticism of Republicans has focused on their economic policies, as that's his raison d'etre, but he's occasionally veered into other territory, most notably when he criticized Donald Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. There, he focused on the dangers of demagoguery, and those who attempt to "divide us based on race, gender, sexual orientation and country of origin."

This time around, Sanders struck a similar tone. He criticized the GOP's proposals to defeat ISIS on two fronts, calling the Republicans' plans both ineffective and a threat to American values and civil liberties. On the topic of ground troops in Syria, he focused on the effects that a ground war has on the actual American troops involved, and he once again reiterated his support for accepting Syrian refugees into the U.S.

He also accused Trump, implicitly, of being a racist, touted his own immigration plan, and slammed the GOP candidates for not talking about racial injustice or economic injustice.

Needless to say, you can bet Sanders will hammer home some of these same themes during Saturday's Democratic debate.