The establishment Democrats are once again showing their true neoliberal, corporate colors by staunchly opposing a measure led by party platform committee member Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota to add opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal being pushed by Barack Obama as part of the official party platform, as reported a few moments ago by the AP.

Bernie Sanders was not pleased with the decision, stating he was “disappointed and dismayed” that the committee would vote down a measure to oppose the disastrous trade deal.

The committee did agree to add to the platform language supporting a 15 dollar minimum wage and also language opposing the death penalty as a ‘cruel and unusual form of punishment.’

The platform did include language favorable to Sanders supporters regarding financial corruption, with the suggestion of an ‘updated and modernized’ version of Glass-Steagall designed to reign in the big banks.

Personally, I don’t think a platform really matters anyway. The Democratic Party is a fundamentally corrupt institution and it needs to be weakened and dismantled. Perhaps the concept of party politics itself is the problem. Maybe we need to move past these limiting constraints called parties that promote way too much ideological heterodoxy. Maybe we need a new model that more succinctly approaches the ‘democratic ideal’ that we as a society claim to strive toward.