Thread by @burgessev

'A major player': Bernie gets props from the Democratic establishment. There’s no effort to deny him nom this time and almost all Ds say they’d back him if he was the nominee

Durbin: “Bernie Sanders vs. Donald Trump? No problem."

⁦@marianne_levine⁩ politico.com/story/2019/03/…

“I don’t want to speak for Bernie, but my sense is that he’s comfortable that it’s a level playing field,” said @brianschatz. “And that even if he doesn’t succeed, that his views are being well represented in the Democratic Party.”

D senator: “It’s not like people are sitting around thinking about how to keep the nomination from him” this time.
“Worst thing you can do is push somebody out. They just dig in harder,” added a second Senate D. “My guess ... if you’re to do a straw poll he’s the favorite to win”

Sherrod Brown on his travels with Bernie to Selma: “There were a lot of people that wanted selfies with Bernie. A lot more than wanted selfies with me,” he quipped. “There’s a lot of affection for him.”

Bernie has some detractors. Manchin won’t commit to supporting him if he becomes nominee. Menendez says Bernie’s remarks on Maduro are “unimaginable.” Biden backers Coons and Caroer skeptical of his policy agenda. Also: no Merkley endorsement this time, though he has Leahy