A debate about the rights of union workers grew heated in Madison, Wis., and spread to other states. Sen. Bernie Sanders said the drive by Republican governors to crush unions was part of a "concerted attack on the middle class." In Washington, jockeying over federal spending intensified and there was talk that congressional Republicans might force a federal government shutdown when a stopgap spending bill runs out on March 4. Sanders called it hypocritical for Republicans to slash support for working people after pushing through billions of dollars in tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.

Budget Standoff "At a time when this nation already has the most unequal distribution of income at any time since 1928, and after Republicans just passed huge tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, it is hypocritical that they now want to balance the budget by cutting desperately-needed programs for hard-working Americans," Sanders said on Friday. "Democrats must fight back and say no to continued attacks on working families."

On Wisconsin Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly at 1 a.m. Friday rammed through a plan to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers. The measure goes to the Senate, where a boycott by Democrats has blocked a vote in that chamber. "This is part of the concerted attack on the middle class and working families of this country by the very wealthiest people in America," Sanders said of the effort by Republican governors in Wisconsin and elsewhere to crush public employee unions. "These guys want to return us to the 1920s when working people had virtually no rights to organize or to earn a decent living." To watch the Sanders interview on MSNBC, click here.

Struggling Through the Recession Hundreds of letters to the senator from Vermonters recounting their financial struggles three years after the economy collapsed received attention from near and far. The New York Times' Bob Herbert wrote an entire column on Tuesday citing example after example of what he called "the all-but-silent suffering of the many millions of Americans" and their "agonizingly slow road to recovery." A particularly poignant story was told by Fox 44's Mitch Pittman about one Vermonter, Sue Davis. To watch, click here. To read the column, click here.

Americana Made in China A big reason the middle class in America is hurting is because good-paying manufacturing jobs have disappeared as employers shipped jobs to other countries with cheap labor, like China. Even at the Smithsonian museums in Washington, you'll have a hard time finding something made in America in the gift shop. Busts of presidents sold at the National Museum of American History were made in China, ABC News reported in a story that echoed concerns first raised last month by Sen. Bernie Sanders. To read the ABC News report, click here.               

Afghanistan Sanders returned Tuesday from a fact-finding tour of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was part of a congressional delegation that included Sens. Bob Corker, Chris Coons, and Joe Manchin. "The American presence in Afghanistan, including the efforts of the Vermont National Guard, has had a significant impact in improving the capabilities of the Afghan military and police in protecting their people and combating the Taliban," Sanders said.  "However, in the tenth year of war there, the loss of 1,464 U.S. troops and the expenditure of more than $330 billion, Congress needs to accelerate efforts with the administration to develop a clear exit strategy for American troops and to significantly reduce expenditures."  

Wartime Contracting Corruption and waste has cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an official study on wartime contracting released on Thursday. The report found that "criminal behavior and blatant corruption" were responsible for much of the waste. Said Sanders:  "The number of wartime contractors has exploded, at times even exceeding the number of military personnel. I agree with the commission that 'only sweeping reforms can bring about the changes that must be made.'  I plan to reintroduce the Stop Outsourcing Security Act, a bill that would prohibit the use of private contractors for military, security, law enforcement, intelligence, and armed rescue functions.  At a time of record deficits and skyrocketing debt, it makes no sense to keep throwing cash at wartime mercenaries."