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  Sanders, Bernie
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationIndependent  
  2007-00-00  
 
NameBernie Sanders
Address72 Killarney Drive
Burlington, Vermont 05402, United States
Emailbernie@bernie.org
Websitehttp://www.bernie.org
DonateDonate
Born September 08, 1941
Died Still Living (71 years)
ContributorClassical Liberal
Last ModifedAndy
Aug 08, 2012 05:17pm
Tags Caucasian - Jewish - Polish - Socialist - Very Liberal - Anti Alaska/Offshore Oil Drilling - Anti School Vouchers - Anti-Bush Tax Cuts (Pro-Tax Cut Rollback) - Anti-Death Penalty - Anti-Missile Defense - Anti-Social Security Privatization - Health Care Reform - Pro Environment - Pro-Affirmative Action - Pro-Choice - Pro-Gun control - Pro-Labor - Judaism - Straight -
InfoBernard ("Bernie") Sanders has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1991, representing the state of Vermont as an Independent Socialist. He is currently running for the Senate, in the seat vacated by James Jeffords. He is the only independent member of the House, and is one of very few self-described socialists elected to federal office in the United States in recent times.

The son of a Polish immigrant, Sanders was born in New York and educated at Brooklyn College and the University of Chicago. He settled in Vermont in 1964. He was a member of the anti-Vietnam War Liberty Union Party, and in the 1970s was a candidate for state-wide office four times.

In 1981 Sanders ran for Mayor of Burlington, the largest city in Vermont. He defeated the six-term Democratic incumbent by 12 votes. Increasingly popular because of his successful revitalization of the downtown area, he won three more terms as Mayor of Burlington, defeating Democratic and Republican candidates.

Sanders lost his bid for the office of Governor of Vermont in 1986 and a race to become Vermont's member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1988. But in 1990 he ran again for the House, this time successfully.

Sanders has held his seat for six successive terms, defeating both Democratic and Republican candidates, and becoming the longest-serving independent member of the House. In 1992 he took 57.8% of the vote to his Republican and Democratic opponents' respective 30.9% and 7.9% of the vote. In 1994, the year of a resounding mid-term Republican victory, he took 49.9% to his Republican opponent's 46.6%. In 1996 he took 55.2% to his Republican and Democratic opponents' respective 32.6% and 9.3%. In 1998, he trounced his Republican opponent 63.4% to 32.9%. In 2000, he took 69.2% to his Republican and Democratic opponents' respective 18.3% and 5.3%. In 2002, he took 64.3% to his Republican opponent's 32.3%. Most recently, in 2004, Sanders took 68.8% to his Republican opponent's 24.6% and Democratic opponent's 7.3%.

The House Republican leadership has chosen to treat Sanders as a de facto member of the Democratic delegation. Although relations between Sanders and House Democratic leadership have not always been smooth, Howard Dean in a May 2005 interview indicated that he considered Sanders an ally who voted with House Democrats. Sanders endorsed President Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 and Al Gore in 2000. Sanders is a member, along with many of his left-leaning Democratic colleagues, of the House Progressive Caucus, which he co-founded and chaired for its first eight years.

Sanders opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq and voted against the resolution authorizing the use of force in the fall of 2002. He later joined almost all of his colleagues in voting for a non-binding resolution expressing support for U.S. troops at the outset of the invasion, although he gave a floor speech criticizing the partisan nature of the resolution and blasting the Bush administration's actions in the run-up to the war.

On the domestic front, Sanders supports universal health care and opposes foreign trade agreements which, he says, deprive American workers of their jobs while exploiting foreign workers in sweat-shop factories. An amendment he offered in 2005 to limit provisions giving the government power to obtain individuals' library and book-buying records passed the House by a signficant bi-partisan majority, giving President Bush a rare and major legislative defeat and marking the first rejection of any section of the USA PATRIOT Act. His lifetime legislative score from the AFL-CIO is 100%. In contrast, as of 2004, he has a grade of "F" from the National Rifle Association.

With the retirement of Independent Senator Jim Jeffords, Sanders has announced his intention to seek Jefford's U.S. Senate seat in the 2006 election cycle. Howard Dean, DNC chairperson has indicated that he will not put a candidate up against Sanders, paving the way for an easier victory against any Republican opposition. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Hillary Clinton (NY) and Charles Schumer (NY) have also announced their support for Sanders.

According to the leftist magazine In These Times, "Judging from his popularity, Sanders' election is all but assured. If he takes office, he will become the Senate's most progressive member."


JOB APPROVAL POLLS
DateFirmApproveDisapproveDon't Know
07/28/2011-07/31/2011 Public Policy Polling (D) 67.00% ( 0.0) 28.00% ( 0.0) 5.00% ( 0.0)
04/28/2004-04/30/2004 Research 2000 58.00% ( 0.0) 21.00% ( 0.0) 21.00% ( 0.0)

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor
The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class  Purchase Craverguy 
Outsider in the House  Purchase Craverguy 

EVENTS
Start Date End Date Type Title Contributor

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Jan 11, 2011 08:50pm Blog Entry Sanders Fundraises Off Arizona Murders  Article Imperator 
Dec 15, 2010 04:35pm Opinion Bernie Sanders Puts Barack Obama to Shame  Article Craverguy 
Dec 11, 2010 10:35am Opinion Bernie Sanders of Vermont Stands Tallest  Article Craverguy 
Dec 11, 2010 10:00am Opinion God Bless Bernie Sanders  Article Craverguy 
Dec 10, 2010 06:05pm General Epic filibuster: Senator Bernie Sanders rails against U.S. tax cuts for the rich  Article Homegrown Democrat 
Dec 16, 2009 08:00pm News Sen. Sanders: ‘As of this point, I’m not voting for the bill. [HCR]  Article COSDem 

DISCUSSION
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Previous Messages]
Importance? 9.00000 Average

FAMILY

INFORMATION LINKS
Senator Bernie Sanders Unfiltered  Discuss
RACES
  11/06/2018 VT US Senate ???
  11/04/2014 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairperson ???
  01/03/2013 Veterans' Affairs Chairperson Won 57.14% (+14.29%)
  11/06/2012 Energy Committee Seat 4 Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/06/2012 Environment Committee Seat 5 Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/06/2012 VT US Senate Won 71.00% (+46.10%)
  11/06/2012 Budget Committee Seat 4 Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/07/2006 VT US Senate Won 65.41% (+33.04%)
  09/12/2006 VT US Senate - D Primary Won 94.15% (+92.62%)
  11/02/2004 VT At-Large Won 67.37% (+42.90%)
  09/14/2004 VT At Large - PRG Primary Won 47.23% (+11.54%)
  09/14/2004 VT At-Large - D Primary Lost 10.88% (-75.26%)
  11/05/2002 VT At-Large Won 64.26% (+31.96%)
  09/10/2002 VT At-Large - D Primary Won 65.15% (+30.29%)
  11/07/2000 VT At-Large Won 69.21% (+50.87%)
  09/12/2000 VT At-Large - R Primary Lost 1.74% (-90.74%)
  09/12/2000 VT At-Large - D Primary Lost 5.74% (-82.43%)
  11/03/1998 VT At-Large Won 63.40% (+30.52%)
  09/08/1998 VT At-Large - D Primary Won 47.88% (+32.78%)
  11/05/1996 VT At-Large Won 55.23% (+22.64%)
  09/08/1996 VT At-Large - D Primary Lost 29.52% (-38.42%)
  11/08/1994 VT At-Large Won 49.89% (+3.30%)
  09/06/1994 VT At-Large - D Primary Won 42.45% (+11.00%)
  11/03/1992 VT At-Large Won 57.78% (+26.92%)
  11/06/1990 VT At-Large Won 56.00% (+16.48%)
  09/11/1990 VT At-Large - D Primary Lost 13.84% (-27.43%)
  11/08/1988 VT At-Large Lost 37.50% (-3.71%)
  03/03/1987 Burlington, VT Mayor Won 55.89% (+11.77%)
  11/04/1986 VT Governor Lost 14.45% (-32.57%)
  03/05/1985 Burlington, VT Mayor Won 56.09% (+24.20%)
  03/01/1983 Burlington, VT Mayor Won 52.12% (+21.44%)
  03/03/1981 Burlington, VT Mayor Won 50.06% (+0.12%)
  11/02/1976 VT Governor Lost 6.09% (-47.30%)
  11/05/1974 VT US Senate Lost 4.13% (-45.34%)
  11/07/1972 VT Governor Lost 1.15% (-54.09%)
  01/07/1972 VT US Senate Special Lost 2.20% (-62.15%)
ENDORSEMENTS
US Secretary of the Interior - Apr 10, 2013 D Sally Jewell
C.I.A. Director - Mar 07, 2013 NPA Reject
US Secretary of the Treasury - Feb 27, 2013 NPA Reject
US Senate Control - Nov 06, 2012 D Democratic Party Control
US Senate Majority Leader - Nov 06, 2012 D Harry Reid
US Senate Control - Nov 02, 2010 D Democratic Party Control
VT Auditor - D Primary - Aug 24, 2010 D Doug Hoffer
Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board - Jan 28, 2010 NPA Reject
Supreme Court - Associate Justice - Aug 06, 2009 I Sonia Sotomayor
US Secretary of Health and Human Services - Apr 28, 2009 D Howard Dean
U.S. Trade Representative - Mar 18, 2009 NPA Reject
US Attorney General - Feb 02, 2009 D Eric Holder
US Secretary of the Treasury - Jan 26, 2009 NPA Reject
OMB Director - Sep 04, 2007 NPA Reject
US Senate Control - Nov 07, 2006 D Democratic Party Control
VT - At-Large - Nov 07, 2006 D Peter Welch
NY District 11 - D Primary - Sep 12, 2006 D Chris Owens
VT Lt. Governor D Primary - Sep 14, 2004 D Cheryl Rivers
US President - Dec 18, 2000 D Al Gore
VT Governor - Nov 07, 2000 PRG Anthony Pollina
US President - Dec 16, 1996 D Bill Clinton
VT US President - D Primary - Mar 01, 1988 D Jesse L. Jackson