--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's a question best put to Bernie…" description: "\"That's a question best put to Bernie Sanders himself, but I think that he will probably put forward ideas that are related to the corrupting role of Ci..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/jeff-merkley-22293_bernie-sanders_that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-san_913407.jpg" --- # That's a question best put to Bernie Sanders himself, but… ![“That's a question best put to Bernie Sanders himself, but I think that he will probably put forward ideas that are related to the corrupting role of Citizens United and Buckley versus Valeo court decisions and the need to restore a by-and-for-the-people republic envisioned in our Constitution…” quote by Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/jeff-merkley-22293_bernie-sanders_that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-san_913407.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/jeff-merkley-22293_bernie-sanders_that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-san_913407.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/jeff-merkley-22293_bernie-sanders_that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-san_913407.jpg) > “That's a question best put to Bernie Sanders himself, but I think that he will probably put forward ideas that are related to the corrupting role of Citizens United and Buckley versus Valeo court decisions and the need to restore a by-and-for-the-people republic envisioned in our Constitution instead of the of-, by- and for-the-most-powerful system that we have right now.” [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker critiques corporate influence in politics, citing Citizens United and related cases, urging a return to a people‑centered constitutional vision. **In simple terms:** Criticizes corporate political power and calls for a people‑focused government. Key Takeaway Advocate for democratic reforms limiting corporate influence. Themes politics democracy campaign finance Mood concerned determined Type political activist When to use this quote - legislative proposals - public advocacy - grassroots organizing - judicial challenges Key Concepts corporate power constitutionalism citizen rights political reform Questions to Reflect On - What reforms could reduce corporate sway without harming free speech? - How can citizens effectively demand constitutional adherence? A Different Perspective Opponents argue market freedoms would be curtailed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizens united](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens-united/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I stood with Jeff Merkley, the senator from Oregon, and Bernie Sanders, who I think may come from the very state you are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-stood-with-jeff-merkley-the-senator-from-oregon-and-bernie-sanders/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [As a result of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, American democracy is being undermined by the ability of the Koch brothers and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-a-result-of-the-citizens-united-supreme-court-decision-american/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Capitalism is out of control, thanks in no small part to Citizens United, the Supreme Court decision which said that a corporation is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/capitalism-is-out-of-control-thanks-in-no-small-part-to-citizens/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [ What \[Bernie\] Sanders has done is he's focused the nation on the fact that these things are not inevitable. They are the result of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/what-bernie-sanders-has-done-is-he-s-focused-the-nation-on-the-fact/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [ We have our nominee, and it's is Secretary \[Hillary\] Clinton. I do hope that Secretary Clinton will take into account the huge resonance of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/we-have-our-nominee-and-it-s-is-secretary-hillary-clinton-i-do-hope/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [The Court's decision reflects the philosophy that judges should endure whatever interpretive distortions it takes in order to correct a supposed flaw in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/the-court-s-decision-reflects-the-philosophy-that-judges-should/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Thanks to the Court's decision, only clean Indians (meaning upper caste Hindu Indians) or colored people other than Kaffirs, can now travel in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/thanks-to-the-court-s-decision-only-clean-indians-meaning-upper-caste/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [It has been nine years since the Supreme Court decision outlawing segregated schools, yet less than ten per cent of the Negro students in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/it-has-been-nine-years-since-the-supreme-court-decision-outlawing/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The Supreme Court has made its decision, now let them enforce it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/the-supreme-court-has-made-its-decision-now-let-them-enforce-it/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [ Who ever thought that intimacy and spirituality \[whatever that means\] were freedoms? And if intimacy is, one would think Freedom of Intimacy is abridged… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/who-ever-thought-that-intimacy-and-spirituality-whatever-that-means/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Due to a Supreme Court decision, if these violent offenders cannot be sent home, our law enforcement officers have to release them into your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/due-to-a-supreme-court-decision-if-these-violent-offenders-cannot-be/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Well, they really didn't have to worry, because the way power politics works, the World Court can't do anything. Look, there's one country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/well-they-really-didn-t-have-to-worry-because-the-way-power-politics/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Not since before Roe v. Wade has a law or court decision had the potential to devastate access to reproductive health care on such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-northup/not-since-before-roe-v-wade-has-a-law-or-court-decision-had-the/) [Nancy Northup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-northup/) > [We want this - and I - we hope that right when they come back, that the Congress passes the Lilly Ledbetter Act which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-smeal/we-want-this-and-i-we-hope-that-right-when-they-come-back-that-the/) [Eleanor Smeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-smeal/) > [Up until the late unpleasantness of the Civil war, then, the right of secession was more or less taken for granted in many quarters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/up-until-the-late-unpleasantness-of-the-civil-war-then-the-right-of/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by Jeff Merkley > [I am pretty good at arithmetic, and I know that the fight in front of us is a very, very steep fight. But we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/i-am-pretty-good-at-arithmetic-and-i-know-that-the-fight-in-front-of/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [Real choice is clear information and the right to walk away from a bad deal without leaving your wallet behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/real-choice-is-clear-information-and-the-right-to-walk-away-from-a/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [I won't stop fighting to make life better for working Americans and give those who are just trying to find a decent job the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/i-won-t-stop-fighting-to-make-life-better-for-working-americans-and/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [When you use the word 'filibuster,' most of us in America - and I count myself among them - envision it as the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/when-you-use-the-word-filibuster-most-of-us-in-america-and-i-count/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [We can have the best health insurance options in the world, and people still won't get needed care if we don't increase our supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/we-can-have-the-best-health-insurance-options-in-the-world-and-people/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [The economy, virtually all the new income has gone to the top 10 percent, and we need to find those areas where we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/the-economy-virtually-all-the-new-income-has-gone-to-the-top-10/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [What matters most to me is doing what I was elected to do: help make life better for Oregonians and making America work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/what-matters-most-to-me-is-doing-what-i-was-elected-to-do-help-make/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [We can no longer continue with a status quo energy policy. We must create sustainable clean energy jobs and leave the planet to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/we-can-no-longer-continue-with-a-status-quo-energy-policy-we-must/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [Americans have powerfully sensed that we're off track. There is a structural challenge in our economy that needs to be addressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/americans-have-powerfully-sensed-that-we-re-off-track-there-is-a/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [Budgets are nothing if not statements of priorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/budgets-are-nothing-if-not-statements-of-priorities/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [I grew up in Southern Oregon. My father was a sawmill worker and a logger, and his job put food on the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/i-grew-up-in-southern-oregon-my-father-was-a-sawmill-worker-and-a/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [It's time to level the playing field for small business owners and give them the same health care choices that large corporations have. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/it-s-time-to-level-the-playing-field-for-small-business-owners-and/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [My way of viewing the talking filibuster was as a way of doing unanimous consent with your feet. You object by going down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/my-way-of-viewing-the-talking-filibuster-was-as-a-way-of-doing/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [There are thousands of capable Americans who would pursue a degree in nursing if we had room in our schools for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/there-are-thousands-of-capable-americans-who-would-pursue-a-degree-in/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [There are two ways of looking at the talking filibuster. My way is as a form of unanimous consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/there-are-two-ways-of-looking-at-the-talking-filibuster-my-way-is-as/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) [Explore all 27 Jeff Merkley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) ## More Bernie sanders quotes > [Have you seen Bernie Sanders rallies? I haven't seen that many white voters since the Oscars. You know - oh, we have some Hollywood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/have-you-seen-bernie-sanders-rallies-i-haven-t-seen-that-many-white/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [ Look at what I am proposing, and we \[wih Bernie Sanders\] have a vigorous agreement here. We both want to reign in the excesses… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/look-at-what-i-am-proposing-and-we-wih-bernie-sanders-have-a-vigorous/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A clothing company is making T-shirts inspired by Bernie Sanders with messages like 'Feel the Bern.' They were gonna make them for Lincoln Chafee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-clothing-company-is-making-t-shirts-inspired-by-bernie-sanders-with/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [ The debate was a chance for senator \[Bernie\] Sanders to have a game-changing moment to recapture the news cycle and build momentum going into… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/the-debate-was-a-chance-for-senator-bernie-sanders-to-have-a-game/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [ Remember, Bernie \[Sanders\] was the guy. He was the one guy that could win this, and head-to-head he could go against \[Donald\] Trump and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/remember-bernie-sanders-was-the-guy-he-was-the-one-guy-that-could-win/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I think that on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders talks about income inequality and poverty alleviation, and those issues are so important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/i-think-that-on-the-democratic-side-bernie-sanders-talks-about-income/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [I'm going to tell my contestants: Be Bernie Sanders. Be the person people want and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-m-going-to-tell-my-contestants-be-bernie-sanders-be-the-person/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [51 years ago, when Hillary Clinton was working on the Goldwater campaign, Bernie Sanders was getting locked up for my rights. 50 years later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/51-years-ago-when-hillary-clinton-was-working-on-the-goldwater/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I understand what's going on in people's minds, and I think the political leaders better be asking themselves 'why is it, that Donald Trump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-lott/i-understand-what-s-going-on-in-people-s-minds-and-i-think-the/) [Trent Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-lott/) > [Bernie Sanders is the only politician who, consistently for 50 years, has taken that social justice platform into politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/bernie-sanders-is-the-only-politician-who-consistently-for-50-years/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I noted, though, that other strong critics of Donald Trump did attend the inauguration. Hillary Clinton went. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders went. I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-martin/i-noted-though-that-other-strong-critics-of-donald-trump-did-attend/) [Michel Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-martin/) > [Bernie Sanders has inspired millions of people in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/bernie-sanders-has-inspired-millions-of-people-in-this-country/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [There's kind of a Tom Harkin aspect to Bernie Sanders, even though Harkin is supporting Secretary Clinton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/there-s-kind-of-a-tom-harkin-aspect-to-bernie-sanders-even-though/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [ The terrible trade deals that Bernie \[Sanders\] was so vehemently against - and he was right on that - will be taken care of,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-terrible-trade-deals-that-bernie-sanders-was-so-vehemently/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) Browse all 285 Bernie sanders quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's a question best put to Bernie Sanders himself, but I think that he will probably put forward ideas that are related to the corrupting role of Citizens United and Buckley versus Valeo court decisions and the need to restore a by-and-for-the-people republic envisioned in our Constitution instead of the of-, by- and for-the-most-powerful system that we have right now.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Merkley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-sanders-himself-but-i-think-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bernie sanders" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-sanders-himself-but-i-think-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/jeff-merkley-22293_bernie-sanders_that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-san_913407.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/jeff-merkley-22293_bernie-sanders_that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-san_913407.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/jeff-merkley-22293_bernie-sanders_that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-san_913407.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That's a question best put to Bernie Sanders himself, but I think that he will probably put forward ideas…” — Jeff Merkley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jeff Merkley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That's a question best put to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-sanders-himself-but-i-think-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/that-s-a-question-best-put-to-bernie-sanders-himself-but-i-think-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```