The decision by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to not call for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is proof the lawmaker is not the politician many believe him to be The New Republic is reporting.
And it said, in a story headlined: "Bernie Sanders Is Not the Left," that his failure to call for the end to ICE has driven a wedge between himself and those seeking to carry out his goals from his 2016 presidential bid. It claimed he is undermining his position as "the nation’s most prominent left-wing politician."
The New Republic noted his endorsements don’t carry as much weight as some left-leaning voters may hope.
The New York Times reported Sanders’ policy agenda has caught on widely among Democratic candidates, but the lawmaker himself has struggled to expand his political base and propel his personal allies to victory in Democratic primaries.
And The New Republic said that in previous eras Sanders would have been a “relatively mainstream politician."
It said that while Sanders is to the left of most Democrats, his views are not entirely consistent with democratic socialism -- despite his claims.
The New Republic claimed Sanders is by no means a revolutionary and said he has yet to put forward a leftist vision on foreign policy.
And CNN reported that early calls by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to do away with ICE puts the two to the left of Sanders.
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