After weighing whether he’d have the cash and resources to take on the Clinton machine, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has decided he’s gonna go for it.
The self-proclaimed socialist will announce his presidential bid on Thursday, Vermont Public Radio reported.
VPR said Sanders won’t announce his run with much pomp — just a statement, followed by a campaign rally a few weeks down the road.
Though an independent in the Senate, Sanders will be running for the Democratic Party nomination.
Sanders is scheduled to speak this evening at Howard University in Washington on his plans to “lower student debt, make college affordable and reverse the decline of the American middle class,” according to his office.
Earlier today, Sanders spoke about the same-sex marriage cases being argued before the Supreme Court.
“Of course all citizens deserve equal rights,” the senator said. “It’s time for the Supreme Court to catch up to the American people and legalize gay marriage.”
On Monday, he sent letters to all 50 governors warning about potential effects of the GOP budget.
“The Republican budget moves this country in exactly the wrong direction. At a time of massive wealth and income inequality, it gives huge tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, while making devastating cuts to education, Medicare, affordable housing and prescription drug coverage,” Sanders said.
“Instead of creating jobs, it will lead to the elimination of more than 2 million jobs. Instead of making college more affordable, it will increase the cost of college for millions of Americans. Instead of eliminating hunger in America, it will add to the financial problems of low-income families with children and will create more hunger. This budget is the Robin Hood principle in reverse. It takes from the poor to give to the rich.”
Earlier this month, as Hillary Clinton hit the road in Iowa, he mocked Hillary Clinton’s “Scooby van” tour and the horde of press following it while stressing that America has no idea what she’s running on.
“I’m sure there is great national interest about the Scooby van; I can’t think of an interest of more significance to the American people,” Sanders quipped on MSNBC.
Sanders promised to give a decision on his own presidential aspirations “pretty soon.”
“If I run, I want to run a serious campaign. I want to make sure that we have the financial resources to do it,” he said, noting that his money comes from small donors, “not billionaires.”
The “most important issue” for a candidate to focus on, he said, “is are we prepared to take on the billionaire class which has so much power over our economic and political life.”
Meanwhile, “Why don’t you tell me what Hillary Clinton is campaigning on? Do you know?”
“You don’t know and I don’t know and the American people don’t know,” Sanders said.
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