Why Bernie Sanders should build a Tea Party of the left

Time for Congress to feel the Bern

Bernie Sanders should lead his supporters to the Tea Party of the left.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage)

Right now Bernie Sanders may be sitting on his back porch, leaning on the railing with a cup of tea in his hands as he gazes out across the verdant Vermont landscape and asks himself, "Well, what do I do now?"

He knows he'll have to make some show of unity with Hillary Clinton, and do some campaign events to make sure his supporters get out to vote in the fall. But then what? Is he really going to have a great deal of influence on legislation when he goes back to the Senate? Will Clinton actually take his advice on whom she should appoint to key positions in the administration? How can he translate his remarkable campaign into something lasting?

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.