January 24, 2007

Bernie Sanders

In an age of far too many corporatist Democrats, Bernie Sanders remains an unrepentant populist. In fact, his political background is as a socialist who became mayor of Burlington, Vermont, then the lone congressman from that state, and now the newly elected United States Senator.

He won with 65% of the vote, which should be a signal to progressive Dems that if you connect with your constituency, the Republicans can't "SwiftBoat" you out of winning an election.

BuzzFlash has interviewed Sanders and the guy is whip smart. But what's most important is that he speaks passionately and without that guarded consultant-driven caution that is epidemic among elected officials. The only thing Bernie would do with an "image" consultant is to tell him or her to get lost.

Sanders carries on the tradition of the late Paul Wellstone in the Senate, although Sanders remains an official Independent within the Democratic caucus. He is a spokesman for a level playing field for the economy, for equal access to opportunity, and for peace. Sanders voted against both resolutions authorizing the use of force against Iraq in 1991 and 2002 and opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

He makes no apologies, pulls no punches, and runs circles around the pablum of Republican talking points.

Bernie Sanders, you are a role model for progressive populism and the winner of this week's BuzzFlash "Wings of Justice Award."

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Nominated by: Barry Samuels of Plano, Texas

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