From the transcript of Bernie Sanders’ interview with CBS’s Charlie Rose:

ROSE: But take a listen to this, this is what you’ve said. You said that, “Clinton should apologize for Iraq war deaths.”

SANDERS: This is after I was asked to apologize for the tragedy in Sandy Hook. You know, put these things into context.

ROSE: Tit for tat.

SANDERS: It is tit for tat. But I’m responding to attacks that are being made against me.

ROSE: I’m asking where the tenor of this campaign is going. And is that going too far to say she bears responsibility for Iraqi war deaths?

 SANDERS: Do I bear responsibility for the tragedy and the horrors of Sandy Hook? So, you know, let’s get off of that. Of course she doesn’t bear responsibility. She voted for the war in Iraq. That was a very bad vote, in my view. Do I hold her accountable? No.

…

ROSE: I just wanna come back to the Iraqi thing one second, and one more question. You have said that she voted for the Iraqi war. Other people did as well. Many other people. Do you hold all of them responsible for the deaths of Americans?

SANDERS: No. 

ROSE: Then why say it, Senator? That’s the question.

SANDERS: I am saying it because I was attacked.

NOTES:

1.  “This is after I was asked to apologize for the tragedy in Sandy Hook” Irrelevant; this isn’t context at all, except to someone who believes one individual’s unethical conduct waives the rules of ethics and makes that conduct acceptable by others. This statement proves that Bernie believes that.

2. “It is tit for tat. But I’m responding to attacks that are being made against me.”  Tit for tat is a rationalization for unethical conduct. Bernie seems to believe it is an ethical response. It isn’t. Two wrongs don’t make a right: didn’t Mama Sanders teach Bernie that? I guess not. Trump like, which is to say, “like an idiot,” Bernie justifies tit for tat by saying that he was “responding to attacks,” meaning that he was engaging in tit for tat—a tautology. Look it up, Bernie.

3. “Do I bear responsibility for the tragedy and the horrors of Sandy Hook?” So because you do not bear responsibility for Sandy Hook, this justifies making what you believe is a false statement in return, lying to others. Got it.

4. “Of course she doesn’t bear responsibility. She voted for the war in Iraq. That was a very bad vote, in my view. Do I hold her accountable? No.” Funny: Bernie thought he was lying and intended to lie, but in fact, what he was saying was correct. He doesn’t think so because he doesn’t understand what responsibility is, or accountability, and he apparently doesn’t know how the government works either, which means he is incompetent and unqualified to be President.

The Senate was part of the process of going to war against Iraq. The entire body is both responsible AND accountable for its part in the decision and all of the consequences of that decision. This is why John Dickinson resigned from the Continental Congress after he voted against The Declaration of Independence, which meant war with Great Britain. He did not want responsibility or accountability for what he believed would be a disaster. That is how Congress works: every member is accountable and responsible for majority decisions, just as all citizens are responsible for the actions of their representative  government by virtue of supporting that government and paying taxes. Bernie is as responsible and accountable for the Iraq War as Hillary Clinton, because he was a member of the Senate when the Senate approved of the action.

5. “No.” No? No? The Senators are as responsible for the American deaths in Iraq as anyone. A  President cannot go to war alone.

6. “I am saying it because I was attacked”.

The Daily Kos writes,

“You know what this moment immediately reminded me of? When Donald Trump kept defending his attacks on other candidates by saying “they started it” and Anderson Cooper said he was acting like a five year old. Now this isn’t quite at that ridiculous level, but Bernie is acting childish and it’s not befitting of someone in his position.“

Hilarious. Exactly how is this not “quite at that ridiculous level’? It is exactly the same! Exactly! You know why it’s “not quite as bad” to the Daily Kos? Because Bernie is a leftist, so by definition, everything he does is better and more excusable than exactly the same thing done by a Republican.