Communist Party USA boss John Bachtell boasted in a recent column that his Marxist-Leninist organization, a tentacle of the Soviet regime in America for decades, “utilizes” the increasingly radical Democratic Party to advance its totalitarian objectives in the United States. Writing in the Communist Party propaganda mouthpiece People’s World, Bachtell suggested that, eventually, a “radical third party” would become a viable option to advance communism in America. However, for now, he argued, fending off what he calls the “ultra-right” — essentially anyone to the right of Obama, whom American communists openly backed in both elections — requires the CPUSA to continue utilizing the Democrat Party as a “vehicle.”
In his column, Bachtell, who was selected last year to serve as the national chair of the Communist Party USA, offers a wide array of arguments for why communists must continue to work through the Democrat Party. For instance, at least in the collectivist communist mind, the Democratic Party is “home” to “African Americans, Latinos, other communities of color, women, most union members, young people,” as well as various “social and democratic movements.” In reality, of course, there are plenty of blacks, Hispanics, women, and young people who boldly reject statism and the extremist Democrats promoting it.
Still, as many Democrats do, Bachtell lumps unique individuals into “constituencies” based on arbitrary characteristics such as melanin content, and declares that the Democratic Party is their “home.” He contrasts that with the GOP and “extreme right-wing elements” such as pro-lifers, climate realists, “right-wing” Christians, the Tea Party, social conservatives, and others, broadly categorized as “ultra-right.” By working with and through the Democrat Party, Bachtell purports to be building the “broadest anti-ultra right alliance possible,” even openly welcoming a “section” of what he describes as “monopoly” capital on Wall Street into the Communist Party war on liberty.
“This necessarily means working with the Democratic Party,” Bachtell explained, adding that some on the Left “underestimate the danger” from the Right and “overestimate” the willingness of “key class and social forces” to leave the Democratic Party right now. “Second, our objective is not to build the Democratic Party. At this stage we are about building the broad people’s movement led by labor that utilizes the vehicle of the Democratic Party to advance its agenda. We are about building the movements around the issues roiling wide sections of people that can help shape election contours and debates.”
Finally, the Communist Party USA participates in what Bachtell referred to as “coalition campaigns” that challenge the “Wall Street wing” of the Democrat Party and “galvanize forces around a progressive agenda, mainly in Democratic primary elections.” Among other examples, he cited “labor activists, progressives, socialists and communists who emerge from movements and run as candidates, backed by broad coalitions.” Having self-declared socialist Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont run within the Democrat presidential primary, for instance, “would help do just this,” he added. Sen. Sanders has said publicly he would decide by March whether to run for the White House in 2016 as a Democrat.
Top U.S. Communist Boasts That Party “Utilizes” Democrats
Communist Party USA boss John Bachtell boasted in a recent column that his Marxist-Leninist organization, a tentacle of the Soviet regime in America for decades, “utilizes” the increasingly radical Democratic Party to advance its totalitarian objectives in the United States.