White House candidate Sanders defends 'democratic socialism' label

By John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said on Thursday his philosophy of democratic socialism was aimed at creating a more fair economy that was not tilted to benefit the rich, portraying it as a logical heir to popular government programs such as Social Security and Medicare. In a long-promised speech meant to ease the concerns of some voters about the "socialist" label, Sanders cited former President Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era