









When, as part of his activism, Elder was the target of government spying, the Washington Post Post has trashed the Sanders-aligned Democrat Ben Jealous in the Maryland governor's race.)



Steny Hoyer is the Democratic Party Whip in the House. As such, he ensures Democrats in Congress stay in their corporate-military cages. If allegedly progressive Democrats don't back a serious challenge to him, it's a sign they actually love those cages.



Rather, it's past time for people to take the reins themselves and to drive the money changers out of the temple of our democracy. When, as part of his activism, Elder was the target of government spying, the ran a piece about it , but they've been mum about his congressional run. (Meanwhile, the media watch group FAIR notes thehas trashed the Sanders-aligned Democrat Ben Jealous in the Maryland governor's race.)Steny Hoyer is the Democratic Party Whip in the House. As such, he ensures Democrats in Congress stay in their corporate-military cages. If allegedly progressive Democrats don't back a serious challenge to him, it's a sign they actually love those cages.Rather, it's past time for people to take the reins themselves and to drive the money changers out of the temple of our democracy.

Especially with Brett Kavanaugh's accession to the Supreme Court, many are understandably absorbed with the importance of trying to end the Republican majorities in Congress for the midterm elections.But simply always backing Democrats will likely propel the party further toward the establishment corporate right. If voters are just going to get behind a Democratic candidate no matter what, there's no incentive for them to be progressive in any sense.Some may point to some new left-leaning candidates coming out of the Democratic Party. But even the most optimistic assessment of these candidates must acknowledge they are far outnumbered by establishment Democratic Party incumbents.And there's a reason for that: Establishment apparatchiks in the Democratic Party go around the country kneecapping candidates who might, maybe, have some actual progressive tendencies.Exhibit A is Steny Hoyer , the Democratic Whip in the House of Representatives who was caught on a secret audio recording doing exactly that earlier this year.Now, noted activist and author Pat Elder is challenging Hoyer. If people of whatever stripe -- Democratic, Green, independent, whatever -- want to challenge the Democratic Party establishment, then strongly backing Elder's campaign is perhaps the shrewdest move they can make right now.Earlier this year, Lee Fang of The Intercept reported, based on secretly taped audio, how Hoyer works "to crush competitive primaries and steer political resources, money, and other support to hand-picked candidates in key races across the country."