The Intercept has published a secretly taped audio recording of one of the most powerful Democrats in America pressuring a progressive candidate to drop out of a Colorado congressional primary race. It hasn’t been getting as much attention as the WikiLeaks drops on the DNC’s sabotage of the Sanders campaign because it’s not about a presidential race, but make no mistake: this is the single most damning piece of evidence ever published exposing the Democratic Party’s war on progressives.
The recording features House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, informing primary challenger Levi Tillemann that if he runs, he will be running against not just the chosen establishment candidate Jason Crow, but against Hoyer and the full might of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) as well.
“Which means effectively, Congressman Hoyer,” Tillemann is heard saying toward the end of the recording, “I’m running a campaign against Crow, and against you, and against the DCCC, because you guys are on Crow’s side.”
“Yeah,” replied Hoyer. “You know, frankly, that happens in life all the time.”
Here is a full transcript of the published recording:
HOYER: Levi, obviously I wanted to talk to you about this congressional race.
TILLEMANN: You would like me to get out of the race.
HOYER: You keep saying I would like you to get out, and of course that’s correct.
TILLEMANN: I know you’re fundraising for Crow.
HOYER: Yeah. I’m for Crow. I am for Crow because a judgment was made very early on. I didn’t participate in the decision.
TILLEMANN: So your position is a decision was made very early on before voters had a say. That’s fine because the DCCC knows better than the voters of the Sixth Congressional District, and we should line up behind that candidate.
HOYER: That’s certainly a consequence of our decision. There are two things I would like you to consider. One may be easier than the other. First would be, if you stay in the race — and frankly, I hope that you would not — but I’ll get to that in a second. But if you stay in the race, it is not useful to the objective to tear down Crow. Crow’s clearly the favorite; doesn’t mean he’ll win, just means he’s the favorite.
TILLEMANN: I hear you.
HOYER: That doesn’t mean it’s right, just means —
TILLEMANN: No, I hear you.
HOYER: I don’t know Crow well, but I think he’s a decent human being.
TILLEMANN: So before we go any further on that, Crow is the favorite in no small part, Congressman Hoyer, because the DCCC not only put its finger on the scale, but started jumping on the scale very early on. I’m born and raised a Democrat, I mean, it’s undemocratic to have a small elite select someone and then try to rig the primary against the other people running, and that’s basically what’s been happening.
HOYER: I hear you, and I disagree.
TILLEMANN: But you were part of that process.
HOYER: Absolutely.
TILLEMANN: You said, “Abso — ”?
Hoyer: Absolutely.
TILLEMANN: Yes.
HOYER: I’ve been at this a long time. When I said we need to get in strong, hard, and early, you disagree with me. You know, obviously, that’s your choice.
TILLEMANN: You guys are shoveling money at him.
HOYER: We’re going to continue.
TILLEMANN: You’re going to continue to do it?
HOYER: We are going to continue to do it, and the reason, Levi, we’re going to do it is because a decision was made to focus. It was clear that was our policy and our hope that we could, early on, try to come to an agreement on a candidate that we thought could win the general, and to give that candidate all the help we could give them so that we would have a unified effort going into a general election.
TILLEMANN: Which means effectively, Congressman Hoyer, I’m running a campaign against Crow, and against you, and against the DCCC, because you guys are on Crow’s side.
HOYER: Yeah. You know, frankly, that happens in life all the time.