The party has nothing but praise for Sen. John Kerry, Bob Graham, Howard Dean, Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun. But, judging from the accolades and laudatory comments, Dennis Kucinich, the co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is by far the favorite Democratic candidate. His co-chairwoman is Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who has a career-long history of associations with Communist Party and extremist groups and individuals.

Lee is a long-time friend of Communist Party militant Angela Davis, a former Communist Party presidential candidate, and succeeded another radical from the city of Oakland, Rep. Ron ''Red'' Dellums. Lee paid her establishment political dues – first as an aide to Dellums and later as a California assemblywoman and state senator. However, less known is Lee's service on the national coordinating committee of the ''Committees of Correspondence,'' an organization that splintered from the Communist Party USA in 1991. Davis, the three-time Communist Party candidate for vice president of the United States, served by her side.

''The field of Democratic presidential hopefuls is not monolithic,'' explained a report by Fishman to the CPUSA national committee June 28. ''Rep. Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Rev. Al Sharpton are playing a radicalizing role Sharpton is campaigning for constitutional amendments to guarantee the right to vote, to education and to health care. Kucinich has pledged his first act as president will be to repeal NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and the WTO (World Trade Organization). He has introduced and co-sponsored legislation to form a Department of Peace, to abolish the death penalty and to end pre-emptive military policy, among many others.''

''It will take an extraordinary united all-people's front with a movement on the ground to defeat the Bush right-wing agenda in 2004,'' explained a report to the CPUSA national committee June 28, again written by Fishman. ''It can be done with the combination of the labor vote, the women's vote and African-American and Latino vote, combined with the youth vote, the peace vote, the environmental vote, the senior vote, the farm vote, etc., all of whom are pledged to work as they never have before.''

Kucinich's Progressive Caucus is a socialist-leaning bloc of about 60 votes or nearly 30 percent of the minority vote in the lower chamber. Until 1999, the website of the Progressive Caucus was hosted by the Democratic Socialists of America.

Following an expose of the link between the two organizations in WorldNetDaily, the Progressive Caucus established its own website under the auspices of the Congress. Another officer of the Progressive Caucus, and one of its guiding lights, is avowed socialist Rep. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent.

The Democratic Socialists of America's chief organizing goal is to work within the Democratic Party and remove the stigma attached to ''socialism'' in the eyes of most Americans.

''Stress our Democratic Party strategy and electoral work,'' explains an organizing document of the DSA. ''The Democratic Party is something the public understands, and association with it takes the edge off. Stressing our Democratic Party work will establish some distance from the radical subculture and help integrate you to the milieu of the young liberals.''

Nevertheless, the goal of the Democratic Socialists of America has never been deeply hidden. Prior to the cleanup of its website in 1999, the DSA included a song list featuring ''The Internationale,'' the worldwide anthem of communism and socialism. Another song on the site was ''Red Revolution'' sung to the tune of ''Red Robin.'' The lyrics went: ''When the Red Revolution brings its solution along, along, there'll be no more lootin' when we start shootin' that Wall Street throng. ...'' Another song removed after WorldNetDaily's expose was ''Are You Sleeping, Bourgeoisie?'' The lyrics went: ''Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Bourgeoisie, Bourgeoisie. And when the revolution comes, We'll kill you all with knives and guns, Bourgeoisie, Bourgeoisie.''

In the last three years, the Progressive Caucus has been careful to moderate its image for mainstream consumption. ''The members of the Progressive Caucus share a common belief in the principles of social and economic justice, non-discrimination and tolerance in America and in our relationships with other countries,'' the group's statement of purpose explains. Most of the members of the Progressive Caucus, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, opposed authorizing the war on Iraq. In fact, most Democrats in the House opposed the war resolution. Then House Minority Leader Gephardt and 81 other House Democrats supported the move.