The independent senator from Vermont says he and the pope are on the same page.
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More than any other lawmaker, and certainly more than any other candidate for president, Bernie Sanders — the independent, small-s socialist running for the Democratic nomination — leaned way, way into Pope Francis' visit to the United States.
On Thursday, as Francis addressed a joint session of Congress, Sanders endeavored both before and after the speech to tie his message to the pope's.
Sanders — who is Jewish, but has said he's "not particularly religious" — favorably mentions Pope Francis on the campaign trail constantly, so it was not a huge surprise that he would greet the pope's visit warmly.
But Sanders went a step farther on Thursday after Francis' speech, which focused largely on the economic equality issues that have driven Sanders' political career. Sanders has largely dismissed the pope's opposition to abortion and marriage equality, noting that while they men disagree on those issues, Francis has not made social conservatism a priority.
And as the world's eyes turned toward Francis in Washington, Sanders was right there and ready to claim the role as closest to the pope's vision.
From The Washington Post:
..."The name Dorothy Day has not been used in the United States Congress terribly often," said Sanders in a short interview. "She was a valiant fighter for workers, was very strong in her belief for social justice, and I think it was extraordinary that he cited her as one of the most important people in recent American history. This would be one of the very, very few times that somebody as radical as Dorothy Day was mentioned."
The Vermont senator was less concerned by Francis's glancing mentions of other issues that animate progressives, such as climate change and gay rights. "He knew where he was speaking," said Sanders. "I think he does not want to be rude, as a guest. But I think his calling out for social justice, his talking about income and wealth inequality, his talking about creating an economy and a culture that works for everybody, not just a few, is a very, very powerful message."
Source BuzzFeed - Politics http://ift.tt/1Fix9iz
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