Librarians at the University of Vermont’s special collections say interest is spiking in the “Bernard Sanders papers” — 30 boxes of meticulously organized material documenting Sanders’ eight years as mayor of Burlington.
That should come as no surprise, given the independent senator’s rapid rise in the polls in New Hampshire and Iowa, which hold the nation’s first presidential nominating contests.
Media outlets, such as the Guardian, have drilled deep into the archives and unearthed tasty tidbits — but they’re not the only ones interested in getting to know the senator.
Last Thursday, two casually dressed twentysomethings were spotted combing through the Sanders files and decades-old Vermont newspapers. As they were on their way out the door at the end of the day, Seven Days asked what they were doing.
“No comment,” said one of the young men, dressed in a T-shirt and flannel. “No comment.”
As they emerged into the sunlight outside Bailey/Howe Library, Seven Days pressed again: “Come on! We’re all doing the same thing.”
“No, we’re not,” Flannel Man shot back.
“We’re just looking,” said the other one, dressed in a white shirt with black stripes.
“Looking at what?”
“Old newspapers,” Stripy said. “Vermont history.”
So who were these mysterious characters? Opposition researchers working for one of Sanders’ rivals? Earlier that day a super PAC supporting former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley launched the first negative ad of the race targeting Sanders.
Asked if Team O’Malley had dispatched Flannel Man and Stripy to Burlington, campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said, “We have not, and they are not affiliated with our campaign.”
But wait! Here’s a clue: That T-shirt Flannel Man was wearing? It read, “New Hampshire for Jeanne Shaheen.”
Earlier this year, Hillary Clinton absorbed much of Shaheen’s political operation to run her Granite State campaign: state director Mike Vlacich, senior political aide Kari Thurman and spokesman Harrell Kirstein.
Asked if Flannel Man and Stripy belonged to Team Clinton, Kirstein did not respond.
Welcome to Burlington, Hillary. Next time, tell your people to leave their Shaheen shirts at home.
Updated July 2, 2015, at 10:12 a.m.: The Clinton camp now says it wasn’t involved. In an email to Seven Days, Kirstein writes, “It wasn’t us.”
This story originally appeared in the Fair Game column, Bye Line, on July 1, 2015.
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This article appears in Jul 1-7, 2015.
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The looney tune Hillderbeast thought she would have sunk the other Looney tune Progressive quasi commie…Well more communist Sanders with the ..Bernie sex papers. What she forgot was the Looney tune modern day Dem Progressive and it’s sexual freak show didn’t bat a eye over a pervert ….. So today now the closest thing to a communist the Progressive will flock to. Will be interesting. To watch what Dem Progressive this time get the money and support of the Communist party. Obama got it the last two times. But today the citizen is so demented they didn’t even care.
Bernie, DO NOT GET INTO A SMALL PLANE.
This is where Hillary shines. Just ask Flowers, Tripp, and Lewinsky. They know how good she is….
No way would Hillary and the Clintons do such a thing.
That outrageous; no way would Hillary and the Clintons would ever do such a thing.
Hillary just assumes everyone else is also a fraud. It probably has never occurred to her that some people are genuinely what they say they are.
The fact that anybody has to “dig” at all into Sanders for dirt is a joke. He is a SOCIALIST. He states it outright in public. THAT ALONE IS REASON FOR DISQUALIFICATION. But leave it to Hillary to dispatch her hit squad to destroy ANYONE who would get in the way of her ultimate goal of completing the destruction of America, while the population sleeps.
Watch out Bernie. Monica’s ex-boyfriend’s wife has dead bodies in her wake.
bernie does not know the clintons very well : they are like isis and will crucify him.
bernie does not know the clintons very well, there like isis they will crucify him.