Is U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a self-described socialist, really a closet capitalist?

That's the conclusion of Jason Mattera, editor of the national conservative magazine Human Events, in an amusing 90-second video posted this morning. (see the full video below)

Mattera confronted Sanders at a Washington, D.C. Barnes & Noble during a signing event for the senator's new book, The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class.

First, a socialist sells a book in the free market and then signs copies at a corporate chain store. Can one cram more ironies into one event? Maybe Sanders was drinking corporate bottled water, too?

"How does an avowed socialist go about selling a book?" Mattera asks glibly, looking into a video camera as he walks down a sunny D.C. sidewalk on his to meet his quarry. "We're going to find out."

Mattera asks Sanders bluntly if he'd dedicate his copy of the book to "Capitalism: The greatest economic system on earth."

At first, Sanders said, "No I won't."

Sanders then explains that he normally signs people's names into books, not concepts. After some prodding from Mattera, though, Sanders agrees to dedicate this one copy to capitalism.

Mattera asked Sanders, "How does an avowed socialist go about selling a book? Are you donating all of your profits to the federal government?"

"No," replies Sanders. "To the children of Vermont."

According to the inscription in Sanders' book, which is a text version of the eight-hour faux filibuster he delivered on the Senate floor last year, Sanders intends to donate all of his proceeds to "charitable, non-profit organizations in the state of Vermont — mostly related to the needs of children."

Mattera notes that Sanders hasn't yet named those organizations.

Not true.

A Sanders spokesman tells Seven Days that the senator will donate the proceeds from his book to the Addison County Parent/Child Center, which will distribute the funds around the state.

Human Events also wonders if Sanders will itemize those donations on next year's federal tax return.

"If Sanders follows through on his pledge, there’s no word on whether or not the Senate’s only (admitted) socialist will use the 'donations' to lower his taxable income for 2011," Mattera writes on the mag's website.

The full video, which is worth the 1:35 viewing, is embedded here: