U.S. Senator and author Bernie Sanders (Vermont, I) mounted a classic filibuster at 10:30 a.m. today, proclaiming that he would speak “as long as possible” to protest the tax deal negotiated between Republicans in Congress and Barack Obama‘s administration. He was still speaking as of this 5:07 p.m. EST writing.

In 1998, Verso published his book, Outsider in the House. The memoir outlined Sanders’ efforts to win reelection in 1996. Visit his official page to watch a live-stream of his speech. UPDATE: Former GalleyCat editor Ron Hogan notes that Sanders is reading from one particular book: “@SenatorSanders just added Arianna Huffington’s THIRD WORLD AMERICA to #fridayreads!”

Here’s an excerpt from his speech: “I think we can do better, and I am here today to take a strong stand against this bill, and I intend to tell my colleagues and the nation exactly why I am in opposition to this bill.  You can call what I am doing today whatever you want, you it call it a filibuster, you can call it a very long speech.  I’m not here to set any great records or to make a spectacle. I am simply here today to take as long as I can to explain to the American people the fact that we have got to do a lot better than this agreement provides.”