The Patriot Post® · Pandering Clinton Steals From Sanders' Playbook

It was inevitable; the only question was when Hillary Clinton’s new and “improved” tuition overhaul would be revealed. In an obvious pander to Bernie Sanders supporters — which is to say, in a worthwhile attempt to rally the young adults who nearly derailed her 2016 presidential campaign — “Clinton has announced a plan to make debt-free college available to everyone,” according to a Wednesday announcement.

“Under her plan,” Clinton’s campaign website explains, “every student will have the opportunity to graduate from an in-state four-year public college or university without taking on any student debt. Families with incomes up to $125,000 will pay no tuition at in-state public colleges and universities, which covers more than 80 percent of families. The plan will be phased in over five years, but families earning $85,000 or less will immediately be able to attend an in-state college or university without paying any tuition. As president, Hillary will also take executive action to give borrowers a 3-month moratorium on their federal student loan payments.”

Bernie Sanders pledged on his own website to “fight to make sure that every American who studies hard in school can go to college regardless of how much money their parents make and without going deeply into debt.” And while The Hill notes “[t]he new Clinton plan does not go as far as one proposed by Sanders,” it’s clearly intended to procure the votes of college-aged snowflakes. The proposal quickly garnered Sanders’ blessing: “I want to take this opportunity to applaud Secretary Clinton for the very bold initiative she has just brought forth today for the financing of higher education. … The final product is a result of the work of both campaigns.”

Obama unveiled his own “free” community college plan in January 2015, the cost of which is a lowball estimate of $60 billion over 10 years. That’s chump change compared to the estimated cost of Sanders’ proposal — $75 billion annually. Predictably, Clinton’s grandiose rollout did not include a price tag, but it’s assuredly more than Obama’s and probably not too far from Sanders’. When it comes to government programs, “free” and “taxpayer-funded” are interchangeable terms. The bottom line is that middle class Americans are the hardest hit. Clinton’s plan also proves that she and Sanders really aren’t all that different. Socialism and liberalism go hand in hand.