Recent News

Bernie Sanders, the Independent senator from Vermont, was in Austin for a couple of days last week, the tail end of a trip that took him to Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, to see if there is the interest out here in America for him to run for president in 2016.

Sanders would be a novel candidate for the Democratic nomination for president because, for starters, he is not a Democrat, though he caucuses with them in the Senate. He is, in fact, the longest serving Independent in congressional history.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is considering running for president in 2016, said Thursday evening that he was encouraged by the reception he has received on his current multi-state trip but is still undecided about his political future.  “I’m here because we need a political revolution in this country,” Sanders said in an interview with The Washington Post before a campaign rally for local candidates.

The Washington Post conducted a poll of American adults (not registered voters or likely voters, it’s worth noting) on the 2016 potential candidates. There aren’t many surprises, but there are a few interesting bits of information. Some excerpts:

Poll: Bush now tops GOP field; Clinton runs ahead of all Republicans

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush now leads the field of Republican candidates for the party’s 2016 presidential nomination, but former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton enjoys a decided advantage over Bush ... Read More >>

Much of Bernie Sanders’ career is centered around his disgust for money in politics. He hates the fact of it, hates its effects, and, naturally, he has deep disdain for the process of raising it. The bigger the number, the more contempt he has. “I don’t do these fundraisers for $100,000 apiece or $10,000,” the Vermont senator, a self-described independent socialist, spat in his heavy Brooklyn accent during a recent speech to the National Press Club. “I don’t know anybody who has that kind of money!” His average contribution, he humble-bragged, is $45.

Now he’s thinking about running for president, in what is shaping up to be the most expensive election in history, likely exceeding 2012’s total of $2.6 billion.

Most modern democracies embrace some form of socialism. Not so in the USA, where capitalism has become tantamount to religion and the capitalists have a stranglehold on the political process. Ironically, the U.S. Congress’ single democratic socialist and foremost champion of progressive causes may wind up being silenced and marginalized by the same forces he has stood against for four decades.

They accuse President Obama of being a socialist. He denies it. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wants to be called a socialist. He embraces it. Obama is smooth and cool. Sanders is rough and gruff. Obama equivocates and evolves. Sanders is blunt and bombastic.

Former U.S. Senator and one-time presidential candidate Bill Bradley joined a crowd of roughly 75 people for a question and answer session at Williams College this week. The Democrat gave some insight into how he thinks the 2016 presidential race will turn out.