US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) told his hometown paper Friday that he is considering making a run for President in 2016.

The Burlington (VT) Free Press reports that Sanders may run if no one else with progressive views takes the plunge.

It is essential, he said, to have someone in the 2016 presidential campaign who is willing to take on Wall Street, address the “collapse” of the middle class, tackle the spread of poverty and fiercely oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

Also, addressing global warming needs to be a top priority, not an afterthought, Sanders said.

“Under normal times, it’s fine, you have a moderate Democrat running, a moderate Republican running,” Sanders said. “These are not normal times. The United States right now is in the middle of a severe crisis and you have to call it what it is.”

...“One of the difficulties for someone like me running is ... I’m not going to get any money from Wall Street or corporate America,” Sanders said. “We have been successful, but it’s one thing to talk about raising money for a Senate campaign in a small state, another thing running for president of the United States.”Sanders, however, would begin with an already established nationwide network of 700,000 people who have contributed to his Senate campaigns or otherwise supported him.

...Sanders said he would be comfortable with a Warren presidential bid. “I like Elizabeth Warren very much,” he said. “Her beauty is that she is very smart. She speaks English. She can explain economics in a way that everybody can understand.”