Sen. Bernie Sanders, the populist independent from Vermont, told The Nation that he is “prepared to run” for the White House. That doesn’t mean the two-term senator is raising money, building a campaign organization or any of that kind of stuff, but he says he’s talking to people around the country and preparing to hit the road.
Here’s the key quote from Sanders’ interview, which posted online Thursday:
I am prepared to run for president of the United States. I don’t believe that I am the only person out there who can fight this fight, but I am certainly prepared to look seriously at that race.
Sanders is the only self-described Socialist in the Senate. As chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Sanders recently authored a bill aimed at expanding health care, education and other benefits that was defeated over concerns about costs.
In the interview, he assails the Democratic Party as being too dependent on “big-money interests.” (But Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, also said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has treated him with “enormous respect.” )
