By: Trevor Loudon
New Zeal

Mark Ritchie File 3 here.

Minnesota’s Secretary of State, Mark Ritchie, has been supported by some very radical people.

A quick view through Ritchie’s 2006 supporters list highlights five main interrelated socialist organizations and one highly influential family:

  • Communist Party USA – Four prominent members of the Minnesota/Dakotas Communist Party appear on the list – not surprising given Ritchie’s high level ties to this organization.
  • Democratic Socialists of America – The US’ largest Marxist organization is represented by several known members and supporters.
  • Institute for Policy Studies – One of the most influential far left organizations in America. Brian Crozier, director of the London-based Institute for the Study of Conflict , once described I.P.S. as the “perfect intellectual front for Soviet activities which would be resisted if they were to originate openly from the KGB.”
  • New Party – A radical party formed by Democratic Socialists of America and the Institute for Policy Studies in the early 1990’s. Its most successful candidate has been Barack Obama. Mark Ritchie was an early New Party “builder.”
  • Students for a Democratic Society – The leading leftist student radical organization of the 1960’s. many of its leaders went on to work through the Institute for Policy Studies and Democratic Socialists of America. The S.D.S. also spawned a terrorist offshoot, the Weather Underground.

Key 2006 Mark Ritchie supporters included:

  • Gar Alperovitz – A fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies and a long time Democratic Socialists of America affiliate.
  • Barbara Baran – A Democratic Socialists of America member.
  • Ann Beaudry – An Institute for Policy Studies affiliate.
  • Jeff Blum – A former Students for a Democratic Society leader, linked to the violent Weatherman faction.
  • Jeremy Brecher – A former Northwest regional organizer for Students for a Democratic Society. Brecher was also an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. and co-editor of Left Mailings, a radical pamphlet series.
  • Steve Cobble – An Institute for Policy Studies official and New Party founder.
  • Pam Costain – In 1976, Pam Costain of the Twin Cities Women’s Union, attended the Weather Underground and Prairie Fire Organizing Committee organized National Hard Times Conference Jan 30 – Feb 1 at the University of Chicago.
  • Kate Ellis – A member of Democratic Socialists of America and supporter of Feminists for Peace and Barack Obama.
  • Jeff Faux – Long time Institute for Policy Studies and Democratic Socialists of America affiliate.
  • Mark Froemke – A leading Minnesota labor unionist and member of the Minnesota/ Dakotas Communist Party USA.
  • Karen Hansen – A one time member of the Feminist Commission of Democratic Socialists of America.
  • Mark Hertsgaard – An Institute for Policy Studies affiliate, now a Fellow with George Soros’ Open Society Institute.
  • Adam Hochschild – A Democratic Socialists of America and Progressives for Obama supporter.
  • Victor Honig – A member of the Publishing Consortium of Chicago based Democratic Socialists of America linked journal, In These Times.
  • Frances Moore Lappe – Author, Democratic Socialists of America member and Institute for Policy Studies affiliate.
  • Eleanor LeCain – Boston Democratic Socialists of America affiliate. LeCain has appeared on “Oprah” with Michelle Obama.
  • Michael Lerner – Rabbi and Democratic Socialists of America member. Active in the early 1970’s with the Weather Underground affiliated Seattle Liberation Front.
  • Doris Marquit – A leading member of the Minnesota/Dakotas Communist Party USA.
  • Erwin Marquit – A leading member of the Minnesota/Dakotas Communist Party USA.
  • Carlin Meyer – Active in the Harvard Students for a Democratic Society.
  • Peter Molenaar – A leading member of the Minnesota/Dakotas Communist Party USA.
  • Bernard Rapoport – A former insurance company executive and member of Institute for Policy Studies.
  • Miles Rapoport – A long time Democratic Socialists of America and Institute for Policy Studies affiliate. Active in the Harvard Students for a Democratic Society with Carlin Meyer.
  • Joel Rogers – Long time Democratic Socialists of America affiliate and New Party founder.
  • Juliet Schor – A Democratic Socialists of America member.
  • Ellen Shaffer – A member of the Students for a Democratic Society initiated 1969 Venceremos Brigade to Cuba.
  • Jim Shoch – A former Democratic Socialists of America national director.
  • Sarah Siskind – The wife of Joel Rogers. A New Party founder and lawyer. Works for the Wisconsin office of Barack Obama’s old law firm Miner, Barnhill & Galland.
  • Jonathan Soros – The son of currency trader and financier of leftist causes, George Soros.
  • Jennifer Soros – The wife of Jonathan Soros.
  • Dan Swinney – Labor unionist, New Party “builder” and and Progressives for Obama supporter.
  • Margery Tabankin – An early Students for a Democratic Society leader in Wisconsin.
  • David Tilsen – In 1976, Tilsen attended the Weather Underground and Prairie Fire Organizing Committee organized Hard Times Conference Jan 30 – Feb 1 at the University of Chicago.
  • Rand Wilson – A Boston Democratic Socialists of America member.
  • Daphne Wysham – A current Institute for Policy Studies trustee.

Socialists and communists seldom support politicians who are not sympathetic to their cause.

Why would Mark Ritchie be supported by some of the most militant socialists in America, if they did not consider him one of them?