Should America Fear a "Socialist" Senator?

Lots of folks have emailed me asking whether Vermont's Independent Congressman Bernie Sanders, who is running for Senate in 2006, is really - gasp! - a "socialist?" And if so, should America listen to conservative political hacks and fear that "socialist?" The American Prospect today takes a crack at answering those questions and more.

Sanders is very frank in his interview with the magazine, explaining that he doesn't consider himself a liberal - he considers himself a "democratic socialist" (as opposed to a Stalinist socialist). Why? Because:

"I approach politics primarily through economic perspectives. My major concern right now is that we have the most unfair distribution of wealth and income of any major country on earth (and an) equally unfair distribution of political power. I want to see that change. I want to see a more egalitarian society."

That doesn't sound so scary, now does it? No. Because, as the Prospect notes:

"So do most Democrats, lots of independents, and even a few Republicans. What once distinguished a socialist was support for a centrally planned economy in which most goods and services were produced and distributed by publicly owned entities. Sanders is not for that...Real socialism is an idea whose time has come and gone. What Sanders and others now call democratic socialism is social democracy."

In other words, what some call "populism" Sanders labels "socialism." Big deal. Sure, it may seem like a politically unpopular label, but all it really means for Sanders is that he's willing to talk about things others don't talk about at their fancy Washington cocktail parties – issues related to wealth inequality and class in America. That's why a - gasp! - "socialist" not only is popular in progressive parts of Vermont, but also among working-class conservatives in the conservative Northeast Kingdom region. It's because the way Sanders describes "socialism," it really means just being willing to stand up for average people in the face of a corporate-owned government.

It's why Sanders has been able to forge bipartisan coalitions in Congress to reform the Patriot Act, and repeal unfair trade deals that shaft America's middle class. And it's why high-profile Democrats in Vermont are coalescing around his candidacy. As Peter Welch, the majority leader of the state Senate said, "Bernie has enormous voter support and a substantial funding base and a Democratic voting record." The Prospect notes that Welch's comments mean "the message [is] clear: We're for Bernie; no others need apply." And "without a divided opposition it's going to be tough for any Republican to get elected to federal office in Vermont."