Pray tell, for which special-interest groups is the venerable senator a mouthpiece?
Bootleggers and Baptists is a concept put forth by regulatory economist Bruce Yandle, derived from the observation that regulations are supported both by groups that want the ostensible purpose of the regulation, and by groups that profit from undermining that purpose.
People who want healthcare and maybe kids who would like school lunch I guess?
This was my sense as well. I was unaware of Sanders's being in the pocket of any AI companies or folks, and I don't see any evidence to the contrary from the other commenters.
The AI companies, obviously.
They use government puppets to create regulation that put competitors out of business under the guide of "child safety" and "threat to everything you hold dear".
It takes a special, uniquely American type of politician to look at a war in Iran and conclude that domestic AI policy is the real threat to American people.
Both of those things can be a threat to the American people
The US once had a strong reputation for a can-do cooperative spirit, and solving big problems.
Today, it has an equally significant reputation for divisiveness and creating potentially existential (in various senses) threats to itself.