They are certainly aligned with the US Democratic party, but I think it's a mistake to equate the Democrats with "the left" unless you're only speaking in that total American context where "Left=Dems, Right=GOP, end of story."
Where I live, US Democratic Party policy positions would be held by unelectable right wingers. I agree that confusing some kind of left alignment with the US Democratic Party is not advisable, even in parts of the USA.
