Written by David Starr   

On Fox & Friends, right-wing talk show host Mark Levin made one of those bizarre comments the right is known for. He claimed that the Democratic Party is to the left of the socialists. "It's this hard-left, radical party," Levin said, that once supported blue collar workers. It is a kooky statement in which Levin has gone out on a thin limb.

Given Levin's "shock and awe" statement, it is necessary to write the following to counter his view:

Since 1992, with the ascendence of the Clinton "new" Democrats, the Democratic Party has gradually shifted rightward. President Clinton supported fast-track legislation to enact the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has resulted in the loss of 700,000 U.S. jobs. Also, jobs going to Mexico pay poor wages. The real benefit has been to the corporations taking advantage of the poverty there.

There were those among the "new" Democrats who participated in and contributed to the wild speculation that occured when increasing deregulation spread. Former Clinton cabinet member Robert Rubin was one of them. The speculation was a major part of the problem leading up to the 2008 Great Recession where the masses were the real victims. (Inside Job, directed by Charles Ferguson, gives a "nuts-and-bolts" look at the overall situation.)

When Barack Obama became president, he overly-compromised with the GOP. But almost any proposal he put forth for consideration was greeted with a no answer from the Republicans (the Party of No). Still, Obama was behaving like a "new" Democrat. That was his first term. In his second term, Obama did come out fighting on some issues. His refusal to go to war with Iran is one of them.

But he has been in lockstep with Republicans on other issues. Obama's signing of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-which militarized the police- was supported by Republicans. And the Trans Pacific Partnership(TPP), which Obama actually called "progressive" but is based on corporate domination, was supported by the GOP.

There are a few progressives in the Democratic Party, but it has been difficult for them to carry out their agenda to fruition. Elizabeth Warren, e.g., has been outspoken about women's rights, Wall Street reform and other issues. But it is a tough struggle having to deal with both Democrats and Republicans who want to maintain the status quo overall.

While the Democratic Party has moved rightward, the Republican Party has moved near to the far right. The GOP's agenda is like some Gilded Age/Medieval mutation. It wants 19th century-like economics and way less government, like it was during the 1890s. It also wants a 14th century-like, blind conformity to religion.

Meanwhile, socialists go further than Democrats when it comes to "bread and butter" issues, justice and equality. (The left has traditionally prioritized these kinds of issues.) Socialists generally want free and/or affordable education and healthcare, union representation, favor workers control over the means of production and are anti-imperialists. Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders is more or less one example.

With both Republicans and Democrats entangled with big capital, and being both capitalist parties, they are ideologically the same. They differ, however, in TACTICS, but agree on the same objective: "free" trade.

Levin's claim is way off base. Saying that the Democrats are on the left side of the political spectrum is like saying that socialists are on the right side. But that's the crazy, mixed up world of the right-wing.

David Starr writes on various issues, both national and international