Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) backed out of an interview with Seven Days Monday morning after the newspaper refused to accept conditions his staff attempted to set. The senator then accused a Seven Days reporter of being a “gossip columnist.”
A spokesman for Sanders, Daniel McLean, called the reporter Sunday evening to offer up an interview with his boss the next morning. McLean said Sanders could make time for a brief interview after appearing at a press conference at Burlington International Airport and before boarding a plane to Washington, D.C.
But McLean made clear that two subjects would be off the table: Sanders, the spokesman said, was not interested in answering questions about “political gossip” nor about the senator’s family. He did not elaborate on either condition. (Sanders’ wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, has been under scrutiny by federal prosecutors over her role leading the now-defunct Burlington College. His stepdaughter, Carina Driscoll, is running for mayor of Burlington.)
The reporter informed McLean that Seven Days does not allow politicians to set such restrictions in exchange for access. He also noted that it would be impossible to ask substantive, policy-oriented questions in such a brief exchange.
On Monday morning, as Sanders arrived at the airport press conference, McLean reneged on the offer. “I don’t think there is time today,” he wrote in an email. Sanders also, apparently, did not have time for the press conference itself. While it was still taking place — and his colleague, Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.), was still speaking — the senator walked away from the podium, gathered his belongings and walked toward the airport’s security screening area.
“Hey, Senator, do you have time for that interview?” Seven Days called after him.
“Pardon me?” Sanders asked.
“Do you have time for that interview that we’ve been talking about?” Seven Days repeated.
“No,” the senator said as he handed his ticket and identification to a Transportation Security Administration officer. “Not right now.”
“You think you could make time at some point in the coming weeks?” Seven Days pressed.
“Well, as I think Dan indicated, we talk about issues. We don’t talk about gossip,” Sanders said. “And anybody who wants to talk to me about real issues, I’m happy to—”
“That’s precisely what I want to talk with you about,” Seven Days interjected. “So will you make time, then, to talk about real issues?”
“What’d I just say?” the senator asked.
“Well, we’ve been asking for almost three years now for an interview,” Seven Days responded. (In fact, as of Monday, it has been 1,005 days since Sanders has granted an interview to the state’s largest newspaper.)
“I don’t talk to gossip columnists,” the senator shot back. “I talk about issues.”
The slight is hardly a new one for Sanders. At a 1985 forum at Burlington City Hall, Vanguard Press political columnist Peter Freyne accused him of “master[ing] the art” of “manipulating the news” by refusing to answer questions he found uncomfortable. “Peter, you are basically a gossip columnist,” Sanders told Freyne, who would go on to write for Seven Days. “You like gossip.”
At the airport, Sanders thanked the TSA agent and walked toward a baggage scanner. McLean, who was standing nearby during the exchange, told the reporter he would “try to find an opportunity again” for an interview.
“I have lots of questions for you about the issues,” Seven Days called out to Sanders as the senator walked away. “But we don’t accept conditions from politicians in exchange for interviews. Not a policy at Seven Days.”
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Hold true, Seven Days. I’m a fan of Bernie’s, but I’m more of a fan of open, accountable, accessible, government.
Great example of how the political spectrum is a circle, not a line. Ideologically-driven politicians on both extremes of the spectrum attempt to de-legitimize media outlets critical of them – the only difference is the terminology. One man’s “fake news” is another man’s “gossip columnist.”
Who was the reporter?
Bernie is a fraud. I tried telling people that for over a year, but liberals wanted to believe this guy was different. No, he is just like all the other politicians, maybe even worse. I mean, who takes a payoff to endorse your former opponent?
Susan Sarandon was totally looking forward to it!
Jane Sanders is not just “under scrutiny.” Her case, organized by the FBI, has been extended before the grand jury. Stop minimizing her crooked troubles.
A failed would-be dictator; Who knew?
The only thing more pathetic than Sanders is SevenDays continually chasing him for an interview.
SevenDays needs Bernie Sanders like a hole in the head.
I will applaud SevenDays the day it stops salivating while it’s chasing this knucklehead to ask him some inane questions about federal-budget things or his political plans that have no affect on my life or, I posit, yours.
I repeat my recommendation to SevenDays that it start a ticking clock on its website etc. reflecting the days the state’s junior senator has refused to treat this highly credible newspaper and, therefore, the state’s populace with the respect they deserve.
Then, let him come to YOU. Let HIM ask YOU for time,
haha….and this diminutive wimp thought he could be POTUS???
Ahhhhahahahahahha
He sounds like the liberal leftwing nobility here in California…
Just like his Hero Fidel did.
I would like them to ask Feel the Bern if he is still grounded to the belief of his May 2011 comment that the American dream is better found in Venezuela.
He would fit in nicely with the liberal nobility here in California…
A Trout if you are in fact a fan of open, accountable government you had better pick a new senator to be a fan of because Bernie is none of those. He is just a crook in a suite.
#timetovotethebaldguysout
Why is it that the families of politicians believe that they should follow one another into elected office? Listen…..Sanders was worked over by a corrupt political system that ALLOWED the primary to be fixed in favor of Hillary Clinton. NEITHER Party should be able to do anything but sit back and allow the VOTERS to decide. Super Delegates are nothing more than a way to deprive the voters of their votes. That said, Sanders is little more than a Socialist / Communist that for some reason is appealing to the young snowflakes in this country. Oh wait, we DO know why he is appealing. Free education (Cannot be sustained). High minimum wage (Cannot be sustained). The guarantee of a “living wage” (Cannot be sustained.) Free health care (Cannot be sustained). And so it goes…
Let me guess: Sanders defines as “gossip” the issue of how he purchased a vacation home for more than his net worth right after he dropped out of the 2016 presidential race and endorsed Hillary Clinton for president?
Faux Socialst.
Actual Pu$$y
Bernie only wanted to field questions about his favorite pudding cups.
I think the article is misleading. They were in negotiations for the interview; therefore the only thing to back out if was a negotiation. I am not a fan of Bernie, but no need to trash him when he did nothing wrong.
If Bernie and his wife was honest then what is there to hide? Bernie wowed college kids with the victim clause and America sucks. It’s hard to blame the kids as this is what they have been taught or I prefer brain washed. This discussion is only possible when half of us are void of common sense. If we all had a brain instead of the so feeling and touchy crowd along with we are all victims thing most liberal news would have no legs and they would be forced to be relative to the truth. East and West coast does not know the truth. If you park on CNN you are misguided and lied too. Bernie doesn’t want the truth because they feel the American public can not handle the truth. If you sit and absorb the lies you will never get the truth. You will not find the truth under Bernie. He’s sitting on something else.
Commie Sanders don’t want answer questions about his wife who’s under scrutiny for fraud.
For those snowflakes who might be surprised about Comrade Bernie buying an expensive vacation home after the Hilliary bribe, just remember all socialistic regimes in history have had their 1% too. They were called Communist party members.
Haha, Bernie only talks about “real issues.” Is that why when VPR’s Jane Lindholm directly asked him why he has refused to meet with his own constituents negatively impacted by the F-35 fighter jet basing, he refused to answer her question and instead immediately changed the topic to student loans? Ms. Lindholm, ever gracious to the Senator, let him pivot away but said while slightly laughing, “Oh, you mean you want to talk about what you want to talk about?”
Seven Days should not feel too bad about Bernie’s 1,000 days of silence. Bernie has refused to meet with his own constituents in Winooski and South Burlington for closer to 2,000 days. The ones whose homes are in the F-35 fighter jet’s new “not suitable for residential use zone.” Bernie seems to think it is a great use of tax payer dollars to spend billions on the budget-busting F-35; and then more tax dollars on taxpayer funded buyouts to force people out of perfectly good homes, including from Bill Niquette’s award-winning energy efficient & affordable homes on Kirby Road in South Burlington.
When Bernie refuses to respond to local press; and refuses to respond to his own Vermont constituents, makes one wonder who is he really representing?
Bernie is and always has been a cultural marxist. Ever since he supported the KGB and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua against the great American president Renaldus Magnus.
Leaving the University of Chicago, after being raised in that haven of freedom, Brooklyn NY, Bernie put his finger in the air and asked himself, ‘where can i go to find an audience of fools actually willing to believe the BS I am peddling’, and lo and behold Vermont came to mind.
He is a communist and a traitor to all that True Americans hold dear.
Hey Grandpa Depends, here’s a real issue – what ever happened to those tax returns?
Top names for Bernie’s seat (in no particular order):
1) TJ Donovan (Attorney General)
2) Annie Noonan (Former Commissioner of Labor)
3) Becca Balint (Majority Leader, State Senate)
4) Ken Schatz (DCF Commissioner)
5) Kiah Morris (Rep)
6)Tim Ashe (Pro Tempore)
7) Diana Gonzalez (Rep)
8) Christine Hallquist (CEO VEC)
9) Eric Miller (Former U.S. Attorney)
10) Sarah George (State’s Attorney)
11) Emily Long (Rep)
12) Peter Welch (US Rep)
All these people are (at least) half Bernie’ age, have vision for Vermont, are smart, love Vermont, are dedicated to public service, and would make great Senators. Time to give someone new a chance!
No fan of the actions of the women in Sanders life and believe his energies haven’t been focused on his constituents
BUT
why the hatred for a man trying to improve the lives of the vast majority of Americans ? Would you prefer the Koch brothers and their minions to control the USA . Yes he is an unreformed leftie (who wants to control the press) but he fights against those who are so much worse.
He ain’t dead yet? Come on drop all ready, you good for nothing dinosaur.
All trumptards are celebrating your article. Look at these comments. You did what they paid you to do. Congratulations.
Bernie has always been short with reporters he thinks are hacks. I have heard say pretty much exactly the same thing many times during his presidential run. He knows most of these reporters don’ really want to talk issues they want to stir up controversy which causes anger and excitement to sell stories. Bernie is old and he knows he has little time left to do what he has been trying to do for the last 30 years, build a better and more fair system. At a certain point in life you lose tolerance for the stupidity that you were more willing to accept in a younger time. Look at the comment’s on this article, a large number of them are just personal attacks and stupidity. Nearly no one here is talking about issues and that is exactly why Bernie doesn’t want to talk outside of the issues and create more distraction. We have become a nation obsessed with gossip and distraction.
Seriously? Bernie Sanders is out there working his butt off trying to get Medicare for all, $15 min wage, money out of politics, and debt-free college, and this is what you’re whining about? Whose side are you on? Is this a conservative or neoliberal rag, or what?
https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/videos…
I see that Bernie is willing to sit for an interview with the illiterate rag known as the Burlington Free Press, but won’t talk to the real newspaper, Seven Days. Because Seven Days, you know, like, actually asks questions. Way to go, our thin-skinned, vindictive senator.