with other progressive groups to form the Vermont Progressive Coalition. At the same time, parts of the coalition merged with Jackson’s National Rainbow movement, which in 1996 merged with another of Jackson’s groups, Operation Push, to become the Rainbow/PUSH organization.

As WND reported, Sanders maintained a close working relationship with the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, even helping to raise funds and recruit new members to the socialist group.

Sanders was a central player in helping elect DSA-supported candidates to Congress and later helped rebrand and incorporate that legislative axis within the Congressional Progressive Caucus, or CPC.

The DSA is the largest socialist organization in the United States and is the principal U.S. affiliate of Socialist International, the worldwide organization of social democratic, socialist and labor parties.

Rewind to 1998. Thatyear, in the January/February issue of Chicago DSA’s New Ground publication, veteran DSA activist Ron Baiman identified Sanders and Democrat Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts as leaders of the Progressive Caucus in Congress, which, Baiman related, the DSA “helped to organize.”

Until November 2002, the website of the CPC was openly hosted by the DSA, demonstrating the close ties between the two like-minded groups.

Following negative publicity about the CPC website being hosted by the socialist organization, the list of CPC names was moved to Sanders’ own website and was later relocated to its own site.

WND reported as early as 1998 on the DSA and the progressive congressional faction. WND reported at the time the DSA website featured “The Internationale,” the worldwide anthem of communism and socialism.

Another song on the