April 18, 2017 SO DO REPUBLICANS: Democrats welcome Bernie takeover. Democrats previously reticent to welcoming Sen. Bernie Sanders into their fold are coming around. More than a dozen Democrats interviewed by The Hill say the Vermont Independent has become a powerful and welcome voice for a party struggling to find its identity after a devastating defeat in 2016. While misgivings remain about giving too much leadership to a politician who technically isn’t a Democrat, a clear warming trend is ...