US Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, continues to weigh a bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination. The senator joined Chris Ryan, Dean Spiliotes and State Senator Dan Feltes (D-Concord) at the Barley House in Concord. The high point of the interview dealt with the connection between Wall Street and the Democrat Party. When he was asked about Hillary Clinton’s involvement with so many Wall Street donors, Senator Sanders made some surprising observations.
In his view, Congress can not regulate Wall Street because Wall Street regulates Congress. Pointing to a portrait of Teddy Roosevelt, Sanders called for a breaking up of the power of these huge banks and investment companies. The Senator believes that President Obama should have done more to punish the people responsible for the collapse of the market in 2008. It seemed that they were “too big to jail.” He also said that, “The business model of Wall Street is fraud.”
Several factors are affecting why Senator Sanders is considering making a run for democratic Party nomination for president. As a parent and grandparent, he is concerned about the future of the country. For Sanders, the forty year decline of the middle class, income inequality, and climate change are serious problems. In public appearances, Senator Sanders has enjoyed enthusiastic support. However, when asked about the problems of getting the financial support that a presidential campaign would require, the Independent Senator from Vermont acknowledged that it would have to be a well coordinated, grassroots movement.
To accomplish a more equitable economic climate, Bernie Sanders would favor major tax reforms to get more money from the top 1% of income earners; close loopholes which allow corporations like GE to pay no taxes; and eliminate using off shore accounts. He would use the increased tax revenues to improve the country’s infrastructure. This would create millions of good paying jobs. Sanders would also use these increased funds to make college tuition more affordable and provide universal free healthcare.
At age 73, Bernie Sanders is still an energetic and passionate advocate for the progressive movement. He credits this attitude to growing up in a working class Brooklyn family and his own life experiences. He maintains his passion today because he is concerned that many of the people that come to see him are struggling to make ends meet–senior citizens, young families, and low wage earners. To achieve his progressive goals, Sanders believes that there needs to be a revolution of political consciousness–concerned citizens need to put pressure on their elected officials. He wants to create a strong grassroots movement which will give Congress an offer they can’t refuse.
Next, the conversation turned to foreign policy with emphasis on Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Senator Sanders prefaced his remarks by stating that he voted against the war in Iraq. He described the enormous cost of the war to our country in terms of money and lives. Furthermore, the Senator believes that the war destabilized the region and is the cause of many of the problems in those countries today. To him the ISIS and all of the other current problems represent a quagmire which the United States should avoid. sanders described it as “a war for the soul of Islam.” We have no business getting involved, and we should let countries like Saudi Arabia take care of ISIS. Sanders is opposed to Iran getting nuclear weapons, but he was against the recent letter signed by Republican senators. He feels that this will only disrupt negotiations. He is concerned about the threat of terrorism. He would continue air strikes, but Muslim countries in the area should take the lead in providing ground troops.
The exit question was which former president would a Sanders presidency most be like. Sanders most admired Franklin Roosevelt because of his standing up for the working people against the economic royalists of his time.
