Minnesota's Seventh District Congressman Collin Peterson, a conservative Blue Dog Democrat whom the Washington Post deemed most willing to buck his party of all the Democrats serving in the House of Representatives, is feeling the Bern.

Forum New Service's Patrick Springer reports in Rep. Collin Peterson would vote for Bernie Sanders as delegate that if Peterson attends the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, he'll serve as a Sanders superdelegate:

Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said he would vote for Bernie Sanders if he attends the Democratic National Convention as a superdelegate. Sanders was the favorite in Peterson's 7th District during the Minnesota Democratic caucuses on Tuesday, March 1. "I'm voting my district," Peterson said. "I'm going to vote for Bernie." Peterson would only get to cast his vote if he attends the national convention July 25-28 in Philadelphia. Although he rarely attends his party's national convention, he said he might this year. As a House member, he automatically becomes a superdelegate. "If my vote makes a difference, I'll probably go," he said in a recent meeting with The Forum Editorial Board. Sanders, a senator from Vermont, has struck a chord with voters, especially younger voters, Peterson said. By coincidence, both Peterson and Sanders entered Congress in 1991. "He's got something going," Peterson said of Sanders. "He's tapped into something.

That youth appeal is horrifying Republicans in Peterson's sprawling district. Earlier this week, we noted in Breaking news: Gruenhagen accuses DFLers voting for DFLers of helping DFLers gain power that the Hutchinson Leader's Terry Davis reported in Republicans gathered in numbers at county convention:

At the national level, Newman said he doesn’t understand why so many young people are supporting Democrat Bernie Sanders, who he called a socialist. “They are literally being robbed of the American dream,” Newman said.

Newman better check his birdseed.

We would have guessed that rogue banks, outsourced jobs, and other such things would be more accountable for pilfering the American dream than Sanders, who not only gathered DFL precinct caucus votes from McLeod County to Marshall County in MN7, but also attracts large crowds and friendly house finches to his rallies.

Minnesota's Fifth District Congressman Keith Ellison endorsed Sanders in October 2015.

Photo: Collin Peterson plays guitar in a congressional gun-rights band, The Second Amendments

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