Leo looked Sanders straight in the eye.
"You can choose to oppose me. You can give speeches in the Senate denouncing me, even call on Progressive voters to boycott me. But you know full well what the consequences will be."
Leo laid his cards on the table.
"If the Progressives declare all-out war on me at this juncture, the election in Pennsylvania will collapse in an instant."
"I will make sure every single Union member knows that it was the environmental elites in Washington who blocked their chance at high-paying jobs. I will turn all their fear of unemployment into hatred for you."
"When that time comes, when the election is lost and the Republican Party retakes the White House and Congress, you can forget about passing any of your environmental bills. You will lose every political gain you've ever made."
Sanders's hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms.
He was keenly aware of just how much leverage Leo held.
