Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:59 pm
Sen. Bernie Sanders is turning his political revolution towards a new objective of capturing the post-Obama soul of the Democratic Party.
Aides to Mr. Sanders have been pressing party officials for a significant role in drafting the platform for the Democratic convention in July, aiming to lock in strong planks on issues like a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage, breaking up Wall Street banks and banning natural gas “fracking.â€
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Amid his unexpectedly strong showing in the Democratic primaries, Mr. Sanders has tapped his two-million-person donor list to raise money for liberal congressional candidates in New York, Nevada and Washington State. And in the waning months of Barack Obama’s presidency, Mr. Sanders’s allies are testing their muscle against the White House, mounting a public attack on the president’s housing secretary, Julián Castro, over his department’s sales of delinquent mortgages to banks and private equity firms.
“There is a greater goal here,†said Representative Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona, a co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who sent a letter to Mr. Castro criticizing the mortgage sales. “The contribution of Bernie that will be lasting for us is that we will coalesce around an agenda.â€
If one listened closely to Sen. Sanders language through the majority of the Democratic primary so far, the Sanders campaign has always had the goals of winning the nomination and inspiring a populist movement that takes the government away from the billionaires and special interests and hands it back to the people.
The Sanders political revolution has never been just a campaign slogan. Bernie Sanders is out to transform American politics, and his effort to get millions of Americans active and energized won’t stop after the campaign for the Democratic primary ends. Sanders understands that after President Obama leaves office, there will be an ideological void within the party.
Former Sec. of State Clinton has always seemed more interested in governing and getting things done than waging an ideological crusade, and in a way, Clinton and Sanders could make good partners if she wins the White House. Sanders can use his position in the Senate to advance his agenda while working with Hillary Clinton on issues where they agree with each other and can get things done.
It is easy to see Sanders influencing the next bill to increase the minimum wage to be proposed in the Senate, and working on legislation to break up the big banks.
The Bernie Sanders political revolution won’t end after the California primary.
Sen. Sanders has formed a coalition of a new generation of conservatives who are out to win the soul of the Democratic Party.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
