Sanders backs Troy Jackson in Maine Senate race: 'Strong platform'

Bernie Sanders throwing his weight behind Troy Jackson in Maine is about as surprising as the sun rising in the east. Jackson is the guy who spent years in the state Senate pushing the same tax-and-spend, government-knows-best agenda Sanders has been selling since disco was popular. The "working-class voice" framing is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, because Jackson's actual record reads like a wish list for people who think Augusta doesn't regulate enough already.

What's worth noticing is the coyness. Sanders says he'll "officially endorse" Jackson only if Jackson "asks." That's not humility, that's stagecraft. Everybody watching knows exactly where Sanders stands and exactly where this is headed. The little dance lets Jackson look independent for a news cycle before the two of them link arms for the cameras, which they clearly intend to do.

Mainers who actually work with their hands, run small businesses, or just want to keep more of their paycheck should read the fine print on what "strong platform" means in Sanders-world. It typically translates to higher taxes, more mandates, and Washington bureaucrats deciding what's good for people who've never met a coastal Vermont senator in their life. Susan Collins has her flaws, plenty of them, but trading her for a Sanders protégé isn't populism. It's just moving the furniture around in the same old house.