Pence steps up 'socialism' attack on Democrats

(1 Mar 2019) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus113006 Eyeing the 2020 re-election battle, President Donald Trump's administration is charging Democrats with embracing the policies of "socialism." Vice President Mike Pence in a speech Friday to the Conservative Political Action Conference directly addressed two policy proposals that have become a flashpoint in the hotly contested Democratic Primary, "Medicare for All" and the "Green New Deal." It marks the latest step in a coordinated campaign by Trump and his allies to drive up enthusiasm among their base by sowing fears about the policies pushed by Democrats. Pence argued that "What Medicare for All really means is quality health care for none. And the only thing green about the so-called Green New Deal is how much green it's going to cost taxpayers if we do it." He name-checked Sen. Bernie Sanders, noting the Vermont Independent an "avowed socialist" and casting him as emblematic of Democratic candidates and officials who "who have papered over the failed policies of socialism with bumper-sticker slogans and slick social-media campaigns." The White House has also sought to hold up the ongoing political chaos in Venezuela, where moderates backed by the U.S. are now challenging the socialist government of Nicholas Maduro after years of economic collapse, as a warning sign about the consequences of Democratic policies. "Venezuela was once one of the richest and most vibrant democracies in the Western Hemisphere, but under Maduro's socialist rule, it has become one of the poorest and most despotic," Pence said in his CPAC speech Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...