Does a socialist by another name still think bigger central government solves every problem? If Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is your test case, the answer is a resounding “Yes.” Sherrod was a member of the fringe-left Congressional Progressive Caucus during his years in the House of Representatives, and his Senate record proves Sherrod barely differs from Socialist Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Membership in the Congressional Progressive Caucus — founded by Sanders in the early ’90s — is itself a sign of a socialist-leaning politician who recognizes the need to work within the Democratic Party. The Congressional Progressive Caucus website was actually hosted by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) for several years before being moved; hard to distance oneself from the “s” word when your web presence is managed by the nation’s largest Socialist group.

Courtesy of the Internet Archive, you can see DSA web pages listing Bernie Sanders as Congressional Progressive Caucus chair and Sherrod Brown as a Congressional Progressive Caucus member. Compare the Caucus’s list of demands circa 1998 (gut the military, soak the rich, socialize medicine) with the official Socialist checklist from DSA, and it’s clear branding was the only difference between the two groups.

In fact, though Sherrod left the Congressional Progressive Caucus when he moved from the House to the Senate in 2007, he remains incredibly in sync with avowed Socialist Bernie Sanders… except when Sherrod is even further left:

Similarities don’t end there, as Sherrod and Bernie have worked closely on a number of issues in the past two years. Sherrod and Bernie regularly co-opt religious communities for the sake of Big Labor as they did in December 2010, which for leftists causes no conflict with their support for taxpayer-funded abortion on demand.

When the Bush tax cuts were about to expire at the end of 2010, Sherrod joined Bernie in a melodramatic mock filibuster demanding tax hikes on The Rich — a theme both senators harp on constantly.

In July 2011, leftist radio host Thom Hartmann hosted a “Brunch with Senators Bernie Sanders and Sherrod Brown” segment. Listeners unable to identify each senator’s uniquely grating voice likely had no clue where Sherrod’s opinions stopped and Bernie’s began.

In March 2012, Sherrod and Bernie were key sponsors of a bill attempting to pin gas prices on Wall Street speculators and, naturally, wrap the fat-cats in red tape.

Add to all this Sherrod’s bleating that Paul Ryan and the GOP want to ruin Medicare and Social Security by privatizing the wonderfully bankrupt entitlement programs, and it gets harder to tell the crazy white-haired Socialist senator from the crazy gray-haired Democrat senator.

Sherrod Brown rode a wave of perfect circumstances to election in 2006. If Ohioans behave like Vermonters by voting for more of Sherrod’s idiotic job-and-freedom-killing policies again this fall, America is well and truly screwed.

Follow Jason on Twitter: @jasonahart