Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) revealed why he would consider a run for president in 2016, saying "somebody has got to be speaking strongly to defend our middle class."
In an interview with Salon, Sanders said he worries that there are "serious crises" not being discussed, like income inequality, global warming and unemployment, among other things:
And lastly, I would say that while the American people feel very strongly — and this is, by the way, across the board, Democrats, Republicans and independents — in opposition to cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, inside the Beltway, the political establishments, there is support for cuts to those terribly important programs.
So those are some of the issues that are out there that need discussing. We have a middle class that is disappearing, and somebody has got to be speaking strongly to defend our middle class.
Sanders has said before he'd consider a 2016 run, telling the Burlington Free Press in November he felt there should be a progressive presence in the race.
"Under normal times, it's fine, you have a moderate Democrat running, a moderate Republican running," Sanders said. "These are not normal times. The United States right now is in the middle of a severe crisis and you have to call it what it is."
Read more at Salon.
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