Bernie Sanders has 'deep sense of satisfaction' his positions are now 'centrist' among Dems

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Bernie Sanders compares climate change to Pearl Harbor

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders teams with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to call for a massive mobilization of federal resources to deal with climate change.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, expressed he had "a deep sense of satisfaction" that the Democratic Party have embraced positions he previously held during the 2016 election.

The top-tier 2020 candidate appeared on "The Rachel Maddow Show" and was asked about the "character" of the Democratic primary.

"A lot of people have remarked on the fact that people are playing your song, that a lot of your progressive policy positions that you staked out- not only over the course of your career but in your 2016 campaign, are now much more centrist positions among this field," MSNBC host Rachel Maddow told Sanders. "Is that just a matter of satisfaction for you or does that give you new work to do?"

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"Well both," Sanders responded after having a brief chuckle. "It is a deep sense of satisfaction... Many of the ideas that I brought forth, $15 an hour minimum wage- 'Hey Bernie, you're crazy, that's too extreme.' In a few days, the U.S. House of Representatives is going to passe $15 an hour minimum wage. 'Bernie, public colleges, universities- tuition free, that can't be done.' University of Texas today announced the for families 60,000 or under free tuition and people all over the country are moving in that direction."

Sanders recalled a debate in 2016 when he said that climate change was the biggest "national security crisis" and how "people kind of laughed," but they're "not laughing today."

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"The good new is we have moved not only the debate, but legislation in states and in the federal government," Sanders continued. "But now what has to be done.... at the end of the day, it's not good enough to talk about Medicare-For-All and talk about being on climate change... if you want real change, we need a political revolution."

The 2020 Democratic candidates have shown how far left they have gotten during last month's debate, when all ten candidates on the debate stage promised their health care plans would cover illegal immigrants, something mainstream Democrats opposed in 2009.