Thanks orl!

https://vtdigger.org/2022/07/06/bernie-sanders-endorses-becca-balint-for-us-house/

Vermont’s junior U.S. senator and national progressive political powerhouse Bernie Sanders has endorsed state Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint’s run for Congress, dramatically altering the playing field of the state’s most hotly contested Democratic primary race.

The move comes less than five weeks before the Aug. 9 primary election, with early voting already underway.

Sanders has, until this point, stayed out of the fray in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Rep. Peter Welch in Vermont’s lone seat in the U.S. House. (Welch is running to replace U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., in the upper chamber.) Balint’s top contender in the race is Lt. Gov. Molly Gray.

Reached minutes after Sanders’ endorsement went public, Balint said she was “jumping up and down” with excitement. The details were only hammered out earlier on Wednesday.

“I’m so honored and so pleased to have his support,” Balint said, calling Sanders “someone who has been such a champion for working Vermonters and for working families across the nation.”

“I feel like the work that I’ve done here in Vermont, supporting working families, is something that Bernie noticed, stuff that he really cares about,” she continued. “He’s somebody that has deep moral clarity. So the fact that he felt like the message of our campaign was really resonating with him is just — it actually makes me kind of teary.”

In a press release from Balint’s campaign, Sanders pointed to the state Senate leader’s track record in the Legislature, saying Balint “does the work.”

“In Becca’s years as a state senator, she has been a voice for rural Vermonters and proved again and again that she is a champion for the working class,” Sanders said. “Becca understands that if we are going to combat the existential threat of climate change, establish universal health care and mental health care for all, create good paying jobs in Vermont and protect American democracy, we need leaders who have the courage to challenge the status quo. Becca has that courage.”

Gray was not available for an interview after news of the endorsement broke. In a written statement from her campaign, she responded to the endorsement by saying, “The great thing about our state’s democracy is that it is Vermonters who decide elections.”

“As Vermont’s Congresswoman, I’ll work with our statewide leaders and entire congressional delegation to do what is right for Vermont,” she wrote.

While Balint and Gray have each garnered high profile endorsements for their respective primary bids, a nod from Sanders could be a game changer. Thanks to his two presidential runs, Sanders’ name recognition — and donor base — stretches nationwide.

Balint said Wednesday that her campaign won’t know how Sanders’ endorsement may translate to campaign contributions “for the next few hours and days and weeks.”

“The endorsement itself is just hugely important to me,” Balint said. “But of course, I imagine given Bernie’s incredible support, not just in Vermont but across the nation, it could mean a big swell of donations to our campaign. We just don’t know yet.”

Sanctioning Iran because they won't come back to a deal the U.S. pulled out of has got to be peak imperialism 🤦 https://t.co/zl6Bxp739E

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) July 7, 2022

‘Three pipeline projects are in early stages of planning in Iowa.

An alliance of farmers, Indigenous groups and environmentalists wants to stop them’

The bitter fight to stop a 2,000 mile carbon pipeline https://t.co/bAvQsek7K1

— Genevieve Poole (@GenevievePool12) July 7, 2022

Fitting that something billed as a "resignation speech" doesn't actually announce his resignation.

He'll have chosen these particular words carefully, giving room for manoeuvre. Suspect he hopes a Commons no confidence vote, Cons MPs back him, giving him a mandate to carry on. pic.twitter.com/FYSAoTnrSj

— Public Sector Lawyer (@inkspringed) July 7, 2022

The Biden administration wants to bring Trump's border wall to Friendship Park, including deadly 30-ft height feature, decimation of binational garden, & no more public access to area where families have met for decades. #NoBorderWall #NoMasMuro https://t.co/7M9TGLF4DJ

— Pedro Rios (@Pedroconsafos) July 5, 2022

Here's some math from Sen. Sanders June 28th letter: 10 months after Obama's Transportation Secretary implemented the $27,500 per passenger Tarmac Delay Rule there was a 98% reduction in tarmac delays. Massive fines for poor-performing airlines worked in 2010. Time to double down https://t.co/sTw5WnCrVh

— Warren Gunnels (@GunnelsWarren) July 5, 2022

Boris Johnson is finished. But a new Tory leader won’t fix the rot in his party.

The U.K. won’t be trusted again on the world stage until we get a change of government.

Me for the @guardian 👇🏿https://t.co/tdz2rGWoTg

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 6, 2022

'An administration built entirely on lies and the bogus charisma of one of the most fraudulent individuals ever to inhabit public life in Britain, has come to an inevitable and inglorious end.'

James O'Brien's unrelenting farewell to Boris Johnson.@mrjamesob pic.twitter.com/kTBAbf33Vy

— LBC (@LBC) July 7, 2022

Biden's faltering due to a basic inability to make a decision or show leadership, @ryanlcooper writes:https://t.co/NYcslpOLWW

— David Dayen (@ddayen) July 7, 2022

ADL shrivels up when right wingers are Nazis and acts roided up when left wingers suggest Palestinians are humans https://t.co/sabt5WGFln

— drew (@ImNotOwned) July 7, 2022

Explain why canceling student debt is a “handout” but forgiving $714 BILLION in PPP loans is a “stimulus”.

— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) July 6, 2022

Happy 82nd b-day to Richard Starkey

Trying to think if "strident" is the word the Times would choose if, say, Ilhan Omar had written in praise of Nazi leaders the way Blake Masters did. https://t.co/0vsSoFoohV

— Michael Tae Sweeney (@mtsw) July 7, 2022