A reporter asked Bernie Sanders about being a 'career politician.' His reply: A disdainful laugh.

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published 21 August 2015

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) doesn't seem worried about making friends with the media. In an article in The New York Times, Sanders' combative side comes out when he mocks a reporter for calling him a "career politician," a phrase that is often used as a slur in political vernacular:

When a gaggle of reporters — "corporate media" in Sanders parlance — mentioned Mrs. Clinton here, he snarled, "That's the sport you guys like," meaning their focus on the kind of political questions he disdains. When asked to reconcile his anti-establishment status with being a "career politician," Mr. Sanders, who except for two years has held political office continually since 1981, glared at the young reporter who asked the question."Career politician?" he said to her with a disdainful laugh. "Other questions." [The New York Times]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.