Sen. Bernie Sanders: GOP lost in 'super committee' failure

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said Monday that the American people were the winners and the Republicans were the losers in the failure of the "super committee."

The 12-member congressional panel announced Monday that they were unable to create a federal budget to cut U.S. deficits by at least $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Republicans have vowed to fight against automatic spending cuts to the military and will also try to prevent tax rates for the wealthy from rising at the end of 2012.

"What is amazing is in a time of strong political division in America on this issue the American people are united," Sanders said on MSNBC. "Every single poll that I have seen says that the American people understand that when the richest people are becoming richer, and their effective tax rate is the lowest in decades, they've got to pay more taxes to help us with deficit reduction."

Sanders applauded the Democrats on the deficit reduction committee for refusing cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

He said, at least in this instance, Democrats protected the middle and working class, which was "the right thing to do from a public policy point of view." Republicans were now isolated and forced to defend an untenable position.

Sanders also applauded President Obama.

"What the president wanted is some justice here," Sanders said. "He wanted to do what the vast majority of the American people wanted him to do... The Republicans on this issue are way out of touch with ordinary Americans."

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below: