"Democratic socialism means that we must reform a political system that is corrupt, that we must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy."

"For many, the American dream has become a nightmare."

"Yes, we become stronger when men and women, young and old, gay and straight, native-born and immigrant fight together to create the kind of country we all know we can become."

"Difficult times often bring out the best in people."

"The cost of college education today is so high that many young people are giving up their dream of going to college, while many others are graduating deeply in debt."

"Finally, let us understand that when we stand together, we will always win. When men and women stand together for justice, we win. When black, white and Hispanic people stand together for justice, we win."

"Let us wage a moral and political war against the billionaires and corporate leaders, on Wall Street and elsewhere, whose policies and greed are destroying the middle class of America."

"The goal of real healthcare reform must be high-quality, universal coverage in a cost-effective way."

"Good environmental policy is good economic policy."

"Let us wage a moral and political war against war itself, so that we can cut military spending and use that money for human needs."

"At the current $5.15 an hour, the federal minimum wage has become a poverty wage. A full-time worker with one child lives below the official poverty line."

"I am a socialist; of course I am a socialist. To hold a vision that society can be fundamentally different, to believe that all people can be equal - that is not a new idea."

"It makes a lot more sense for us to be investing in jobs and education rather than jails and incarceration."

"Hillary Clinton understands that if someone in America this country works 40 hours a week, that person should not be living in poverty. She understands that we must raise the minimum wage to a living wage."

"At a time when the Post Office is losing substantial revenue from the instantaneous flow of information by email and on the Internet, slowing mail service is a recipe for disaster."

"At a time when the Post Office is losing substantial revenue from the instantaneous flow of information by email and on the Internet, slowing mail service is a recipe for disaster."

"One in four corporations doesn't pay any taxes."

"If you ask me about my views on the environment, on women's rights, on gay rights, I am liberal. I don't have a problem with that at all. Some of my best friends are liberal."

"If a financial institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist."

"After all, Wall Street is clearly the most powerful lobbying force on Capitol Hill. From 1998 through 2008, the financial sector spent over $5 billion in lobbying and campaign contributions to deregulate Wall Street."

"In terms of job creation, every billion dollars invested in the physical infrastructure creates 47,000 new jobs."

"Every day we are paying more for energy than we should due to poor insulation, inefficient lights, appliances, and heating and cooling equipment - money we could save by investing in energy efficiency."

"If the goal of health-care reform is to provide comprehensive, universal health care in a cost-effective way, the only honest approach is a single-payer approach."

"As Vermont's senator and a member of the Budget Committee, I will not support a plan to reduce the deficit that does not call for shared sacrifice."