Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

The Horse Race

I admit that, despite my commitment to Democratic politics, I also have a fascination with the horse race in presidential politics. I have had such a fascination for as long as I can remember. At nine, I followed the presidential primaries in 1968 with devoted attention and watched the Humphrey-Nixon race from beginning to end. I was hooked, and I have never lost my addiction.

I've been following the state by state projections at Electoral Vote Dot Com. This isn't going to be penetrating analysis, and certainly a lot can go wrong from now to the Fall, but I have been impressed with the stability of Obama's lead since June 3 when he reached the delegate totals he needed. He's been hanging in there around 320 electoral votes fairly steadily for a while. Right now, the web site has Obama at 320 and McCain at 218. Obama's base of "strong" states (>10% leads) gives him 194 electoral votes, while McCain's base of strong states is only 80. Obama actually is making inroads in Republican-leaning states; he currently leads in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, and Virginia. Obama's lead in Illinois is 60 points and 63 points in Vermont. The best that McCain can muster is 55 points in friggin' Utah (where Clinton came in third in 1992 for heaven's sake.) McCain's lead is anemic in seven of the 11 states of the Old Confederacy, and North Carolina (NORTH CAROLINA!) teeters on the brink.

Best of all, Obama campaigned last week in North Dakota and Montana while McCain has to go again and again to the reddest states on the map to raise money for his campaign. I have heard that McCain calls himself an underdog.

Frankly, only a fool makes too much of numbers in July, but I am enjoying my foolishness this July 4 weekend.

Lazy Sunday Open Thread

What's on your mind? Mine's running a million miles a minute now. Talk to me. I need to stop and catch my breath. ;-)

Throwing Hillary Under the Bus.

When Hillary Clinton conceded several weeks ago I was sad. I truly wanted her to win the Democratic nomination and become the president in January 2009.

But....

It.Didn't.Happen.

Since that time we have seen the PUMA movement take hold. Which for those living under a rock, stands for Party Unity My Ass. I am not going to get into a diatribe about them because in some ways I understand what they are doing and somewhat how they are feeling.

- Disappointed that Hillary will not be the President in 2009? Okay.

- Don't agree with some of his policies? Okay.

- Reviled at his campaign's tactics during the primary? Okay.

- Think Hillary would have been the better candidate? Okay.

- Dislike Obama? Okay.

But you know what? THE PRIMARY IS OVER.

And for those that are thinking of voting for McCain? Stop and think what you are doing -you are throwing Hillary under the bus. Everything she stands for has very little to do with the Republican party ideals and voting for them would be a slap in her face. Yes - a slap.

As my good pal Kysen wrote:

But, opting not to vote?
Voting only downticket?
Writing in Hillary?
Fine.
Whatever.
Seems a bit like holding one's breath to get one's way....but, at least it is not sullying Hillary's name.

So for the love of god - if you cannot vote for the Democratic nominee - people may not like your decision but will understand it. But DO NOT betray Hillary and everything she stands for by voting for McCain.

Avoiding Temptation

This has been a very challenging week for a former Hillary supporter now working for Obama. Many of the progressive blogs I found difficult to read during the primary because they were so pro-Obama have been very critical of Obama's positions this week on FISA, the death penalty, late-term abortion, handguns, etc. I have had to struggle hard with the temptation to say, "I told you so," and to eagerly search for the next trenchant criticism, enjoying the vindication of my trepidations about Obama.

I firmly believe all Democratic presidential candidates need pressure from the progressive wing of the party. Yet I am suspicious of my eagerness to jump into the fray. Part of my Catholic upbringing was the exhortation to avoid the near occasions of sin. I am an Anglican now, not a Catholic, but I do understand what they were warning against. For example, the day Obama clinched the nomination and I switched my support to him, I stopped reading the Hillary website and some of the pro-Hillary blogs like Confluence, which have been taken over by PUMA. I have avoided any PUMA blogs or posts, and refused as moderator to approve their comments on my Obama groups.

It distresses me that no one is trying harder to make McCain take responsibility for Bush's high crimes and constitutional violations. Criticisms of Obama's FISA position should attack Bush's abuses in more detail. I need to keep reminding myself that I have always been to the left of the Democratic presidential candidate and disappointed at their move to the center. My commitment to Obama is still very new, so I don't feel confident of my ability to dialogue with PUMA's for example without catching some of their Obama hostility.

In the last week, I have been spending more time reading blogs critical of Obama than working for Obama online. This week I plan to go to two local Obama organizing events; I hope I get back on track. Please don't misunderstand me. I do feel it is vitally important to fight against the FISA bill. I just know that for me too much Obama criticism will dilute my still tentative enthusiasm and commitment.

What Patriotism Really Looks Like

(Proudly cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama, Democratic PartyBuilder, and MyDD)

Is it just me, or is there something truly special about the Fourth of July holiday? I know, I know, it should be special to all of us because it's when we celebrate what our nation is about. I guess I'm just blessed that I'm able to see and experience this holiday in a special way.

It's fast becoming a tradition for me to march with my local Democratic Party in the world-famous Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade. And when I march with my fellow Democrats in the parade, I notice something amazing. I also noticed this afterwards, when I was working with local Barack Obama volunteers on voter registration.

You know what it is?





This is what true patriotism looks like. Yes, I'm serious. We love our country so much that we woke up at the crack of dawn to navigate around messy freeways and closed streets to show up. We love our country so much that we saluted all the brave troops that love our country so much to fight for it and defend it. We love our country so much that we value our community here and we participate in civic activities like this one to continue making our nation a better place to live.

Oh yes, and we love our country so much that we stayed after the parade to register new voters. Oh yes, and we also stayed to inform current voters about the upcoming election. Yes, we love our country so much that we become involved in politics. We do activities like this, and we work our you-know-whats off to ensure we elect good people to office who will honor what this nation is all about.

You know, so many people just think of patriotism as a superficial gesture. I don't. Despite what many would say, Democrats like me truly are patriotic. We love this country so much that we get involved, and we stay active so we can see real results and real progress for America.That's why I marched in the parade yesterday. That's why I registered new voters for Obama. That's why I'm an active Democrat.

OK, that's the end of my rant... Now you can enjoy the rest of my photos! ;-)

When I Think Of New Politics...

(Cross-posted at MyDD and DailyKos)

As a Clinton supporter, I think I had it wrong for a long time.

I heard Obama supporters talking about a new kind of politics - a kind which incorporated hope and change. For some reason, I decided this was a silly notion; I scoffed at Barack Obama's message: It was too idealistic, too vague. What did "Vote Hope" really mean? How had Obama rallied such a massive base of support around the nebulous concept of "hope"? Maybe that's part of what used to frustrate me - I simply didn't understand. Did his supporters believe his campaign would always stay positive? Every politician has to fight back against the opposition. They all get down in the mud, so didn't that make Obama just another typical politician?

It took me a very long time to formally "come to Obama," and an even longer time to understand his message of hope. I was looking at it the wrong way - I was trying to turn hope into something concrete and measurable, and I'd forgotten that some things can't be clinically analyzed or quantified. Hope isn't a static or tangible thing because it means something different to everyone. I do have hope for a new type of politics and a new kind of president in Barack Obama. I have faith in his ability to win the general election. He believes in the 50-State Strategy, and he perfected and implemented it with remarkable efficacy during the primaries. I have no doubt he'll use similar tactics in the fall as he makes the GOP fight for every stronghold. I have faith in his ability to govern and lead. He built his phenomenal campaign from the ground up and, with the help of his enthusiastic supporters, turned it into an unstoppable force.

He understands the true meaning of modern, people-powered politics. The sum he raised from small donors was unprecedented, and since signing up at his website, I've begun to understand why his supporters always felt so involved in his campaign. The number of emails which arrive in my mailbox from various listservs is staggering. (Of course, that's partially my fault for signing up for multiple groups and selecting the "receive all emails" option.)

Savvy politician though he is, he still isn't of the same mold as most of the other presidential candidates. Obama made a pleasant impression on me at one point during the Nevada debate. When Tim Russert asked him for his greatest weakness, I remember feeling that his answer was almost endearing:

I ask my staff member to hand me paper until two seconds before I need it because I will lose it. And my desk and my office doesn't look good. I've got to have somebody around me who is keeping track of that stuff. And that's not trivial; I need to have good people in place who can make sure that systems run. That's what I've always done, and that's why we run not only a good campaign, but a good U.S. Senate office. - Barack Obama

That was the first time Barack made me laugh - not because his answer was stupid, but because it was so painfully honest. As for my candidate and John Edwards? They gave beauty pagent answers. They each took one of their strengths and carefully crafted them into weaknesses:

I think weakness, I sometimes have a very powerful emotional response to pain that I see around me, when I see a man like Donnie Ingram (ph), who I met a few months ago in South Carolina, who worked for 33 years in the mill, reminded me very much of the kind of people that I grew up with, who's about to lose his job, has no idea where he's going to go, what he's going to do. I mean, his dignity and self-respect is at issue. And I feel that in a really personal way and in a very emotional way. And I think sometimes that can undermine what you need to do. - John Edwards

So I have tried to create opportunities, both on an individual basis, intervening to help people who have no where else to turn, to be their champion. And then to make those changes. And I think I can deliver change. I think I understand how to make it possible for more people to live up to their God-given potential. I get impatient. I get, you know, really frustrated when people don't seem to understand that we can do so much more to help each other. Sometimes I come across that way. I admit that. I get very concerned about, you know, pushing further and faster than perhaps people are ready to go. - Hillary Clinton

Hearing their answers, I experienced just the faintest sense of disappointment. As much as I adored them both, it struck me that their responses were very... old Washington.

Obama created a unique environment at his rallies and events. He created an atmosphere of unity and trust so complete that people were willing to pass their own babies through the crowd to reach him. The first time I heard about it, I was slightly appalled until I saw the gentleness and meticulous care with which his supporters handled other people's children. It's a scene I watched with no small amount of wonder and amazement.

Hillary Clinton inspired me because she showed me that a strong woman can do anything. Barack Obama inspires me because he showed me that the American Dream is still possible, still viable, still within reach. His story is inspiring: A young man, half white, half African American, who was brought up by a single mother who understood the meaning of a financially strapped existence - and yet, he defeated Hillary Clinton in the primary and is poised to become the first African American president of the United States. He has said that his story wouldn't be possible in any other country on earth. He is the ultimate embodiment of the American Dream. By a strange and poignant coincidence, he will be formally nominated on August 28, 2008, the 45th Anniversary Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have A Dream speech, and through that nomination, part of Dr. King's dream will become a reality - a reality which will be reinforced when Obama triumphs in November. If a victory like that won't put you on the hope train, I can't imagine what would.

So maybe his candidacy means something slightly different to everyone, and in my case, Barack Obama gives me hope because he is a symbol for those of us who long ago lost faith that the American Dream was still alive. Finally, I think I'm fairly certain I understand what the slogan "Vote Hope" really means.

I've Been Away

I've been away for the last three weeks. I took a course at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota and decided to take a vacation from politics. I didn't have television or radio, and St. John's is a very rural campus, so I was far away from dailies. My only political activities were to keep track of the electoral college estimates and occasionally go and recommend a diary at MyDD.

I get a lot of email related to politics, and I occasionally looked at it to see what people were thinking. It seems that the Senator from Illinois has done what I would have hoped the nominee of the Democratic Party would do: he has reached for the center. I congratulate him. He rises in my estimation. The United States is slightly more conservative than it is liberal, and in a democracy, that is enough. I hate FISA. I think the faith-based grant program betrays the country's foundational principles. I think the death penalty is an abomination. NAFTA clearly has hurt American workers. I disagree with Obama on every one of these positions, and I applaud him for taking them.

Politics is a very dirty business. I will turn 50 in November, and I have seen more than my fair share of Democratic losses. The most successful Democrat of my adult lifetime, Bill Clinton, demonstrated that for a Democrat to win in this country, she or he has to reach toward the center. That is what Obama is doing, and in doing so, he is proving to me that he is the best politician we have nominated in a long time.

To my dissatisfied fellow progressives, let me assure you that victory is a lot sweeter than purity. Half a loaf of bread is better than starvation.

PUMA Power?

Well, I honestly can't say I'm surprised. In a span of only one month, Obama clinched the nomination, Hillary conceded and endorsed him, she rallied her supporters and donors behind him, the appeared together at a unity rally, and then Obama pissed it all away with his great leap to the center.

Not that I ever expected much more than superficial attempts at party unity. Obama's meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus on June 19 betrayed his strategy for party unity--tell them that McCain is pro-choice and they will "get over it:"

According to Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Obama then said, "However, I need to make a decision in the next few months as to how I manage that since I'm running against John McCain, which takes a lot of time. If women take a moment to realize that on every issue important to women, John McCain is not in their corner, that would help them get over it."

According a CNN Poll released on Friday, that strategy has been a miserable failure thus far. While the number of Clinton supporters planning to vote for John McCain has fallen, Obama's support among Clinton voters has fallen from 60% to 54%.

In early June, 22 percent of Clinton supporters polled said they would not vote at all if Obama were the party's nominee, now close to a third say they will stay home.

In another sign the wounds of the heated primary race have yet to heal, 43 percent of registered Democrats polled still say they would prefer Clinton to be the party's presidential nominee.

That number is significantly higher than it was in early June, when 35 percent of Democrats polled said they preferred Clinton to lead the party's presidential ticket.

From the beginning of the campaign, Senator Obama has assumed that Clinton supporters would be a lock for him in November:

"I am confident I will get her votes if I'm the nominee," Obama stressed. "It's not clear she would get the votes I got if she were the nominee."

My repeated statements to the contrary have been dismissed, or met with accusations of bitterness or being a concern troll. This poll clearly shows that work needs to be done, and it's not just Clinton supporters "getting over it." For tips on party unity, perhaps the Obama campaign should take a look at the pledge at I Own My Vote:

I stand together with Hillary Clinton’s 18 million voters to demand that Senator Obama and the Democratic Party:

* Bring us together by seating 100% of the Florida and Michigan delegations in Denver with 100% of their votes, allocated in accordance with the popular vote of each state.
* Bring us together by adopting policies on the Platform Committee that Hillary Clinton has championed.
* Bring us together through reform of the primary and caucus system to reflect the basic principle of one person/one vote.
* Bring us together through outspoken denunciation of all gender bias, racism and other forms of discrimination.
* Bring us together by fairly and respectfully including Hillary and her supporters at the Democratic National Convention in Denver by, among other things, placing her name in nomination for President, conducting a roll call vote, and providing her a prominent speaking role during prime time on August 26th, the 88th anniversary of women’s suffrage.

I own my vote. It does not belong to any party. It does not belong to any candidate. It does not belong to any mob that would impose its will on me. Only I can decide how to use my vote, and I can decide based on any criteria I choose. Therefore I pledge not to give my vote to anyone who does not earn it.

I don't agree with the PUMA movement, but as the Clinton supporters continue to be taken for granted, I've begun to wonder if I would have been better off signing the pledge and sitting on the sidelines for a few months. Perhaps so many of us rushing to support the nominee have made the Obama campaign a little over confident. Hopefully, this poll will make Senator Obama realize that he needs to work on his own party before he starts pandering to the evangelicals.

So You're Voting for McCain?

If you're going to vote for a Republican, you need to learn how to think like a Republican. I can think of no one better than the late great Ann Richards to explain this to us. Ann Richards meant a lot to Hillary Clinton. During the primaries, the Clinton campaign posted this tribute to her:



Who else could better explain than Ann Richards? How to Be a Good Republican:

1. You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday's gasoline prices are all Clinton's fault.

2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own.

3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.

4. You have to believe that AIDS victims deserve their disease, but smokers with lung cancer and overweight individuals with heart disease don't deserve theirs.

5. You have to appreciate the power rush that comes with sporting a gun.

6. You have to believe...everything Rush Limbaugh says.

7. You have to believe that the agricultural, restaurant, housing and hotel industries can survive without immigrant labor.

8. You have to believe God hates homosexuality, but loves the death penalty.

9. You have to believe society is color-blind and growing up black in America doesn't diminish your opportunities, but you still won't vote for Alan Keyes.

10. You have to believe that pollution is OK as long as it makes a profit.

11. You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to Allah or Buddha.

12. You have to believe Newt Gingrich and Henry Hyde were really faithful husbands.

13. You have to believe speaking a few Spanish phrases makes you instantly popular in the barrio.

14. You have to believe that only your own teenagers are still virgins.

15. You have to be against government interference in business, until your oil company, corporation or Savings and Loan is about to go broke and you beg for a government bail out.

16. You love Jesus and Jesus loves you and, by the way, Jesus shares your hatred for AIDS victims, homosexuals, and President Clinton.

17. You have to believe government has nothing to do with providing police protection, national defense, and building roads.

18. You have to believe a poor, minority student with a disciplinary history and failing grades will be admitted into an elite private school with a $1,000 voucher.

Concern Trolling 101

I have a confession to make. I'm not a Clinton supporter turned Obama backer.

I'm just a lowly concern troll.

And yet, I'm a diabolical genius because I tricked nearly all of you. Naïve fools! But don't worry, I'm going to tell you how. I wouldn't want you to make the grave error of mistaking concern trolling for genuine support ever again. For all you Clinton supporters out there, let this diary be your guide to concern trolling. Obama supporters are all 13 years old, so even though I'm sitting here, flat out telling them I'm a concern troll, they still won't get it. Their young, puerile, undeveloped minds still won't process it - kids have poor reading comprehension, you know, and they all have ADD nowadays, anyway. Thank god we're all old, wizened, spinsters. So pull up a chair, put your 30 cats in your lap, and read carefully.

• The first step in becoming a good concern troll is lying your ass off for about three months. Painful as it is, you're going to need to start complimenting Obama. Say he's a good candidate (a lie), talk about his good policy positions (bigger lie), and mention how cute he and his kids are together (EPIC LIE!). That's the key - praise the whole family, even though you're afraid of them because they're dark. I know this is hard, so pop a few pills and develop Percocet habit if you have to.
  
  

• Now that you've got a few Obama supporters trusting you and thinking you're a decent Clinton supporter, you need to start consistently defending Obama. No matter what happens, you've got to have his back (publicly, anyway - privately, you're still hoping his campaign implodes). Brush aside all the faux scandals, even if you're cheering on the inside. Even though you know Obama viciously shot Hillary the finger, PRETEND like you think it's absurd! Granted, giving someone the finger means "f*ck you," which implies that Obama wants Hillary to be raped, but laugh about it, anyway!
  
  

• Don't just defend Obama, defend his associates (like Wright), too. Pretend you respect Black Liberation Theology, even though you don't because black people are, as I said, often quite dark. Black Liberation Theology is frightening and uppity, but put aside your fears. Remember, you're safe in your home with your army of cats, and you had your dad record the message on your answering machine so that people would think a man lives with you. Black folks can't hurt you there.
  
  

• Here comes the hardest part: Criticize your own candidate. Yes, you read me right. You're going to have to call Hillary out sometimes, even though you secretly approve of everything she does. Even if she wiped her runny nose on Obama's suit sleeve and stole his cufflinks, you'd still think it was totally cool, and you'd send her a massive donation as a reward. This is especially difficult because Hillary is GOD. But still, you're a great actress, so pick an issue, and agree with the Obama supporters when they criticize Hillary.
  
  

• Pretend you don't watch Hillary at all her rallies and then go out and buy matching pantsuits. I know you do - we all do it - but you've got to pretend. That's the key.
  
  

• Now you need to criticize other Hillary supporters. This sucks, and it's hard, but you need to call them out when they go after Obama harshly. They're right, of course, Obama is a secret Moozlimm!1!!!11!! But hey, ya gotta make some sacrifices. Piss other Clinton supporters off because it'll benefit you in the end, when you finally begin trolling.
  
  

• When Obama supporters go after our girl, try to respond calmly. Fly off the handle occasionally, but not every time. If you're finding this difficult, there are several steps you can take. If by some miracle you still haven't entered menopause, go take a Midol for the vicious mood swings brought on by your raging periods. If you have begun menopause (very likely), go take your estrogen supplements and antidepressants. That should help you with your moodiness, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness.
  
  

• When Obama wins the nomination, give him your blessing - supposedly because Hillary endorsed him, and he supports the same policies you support - but secretly keep on hating him. By this point, you've got most of the Obama supporters fooled, but you're not quite finished...
  
  

• Join a group of Clinton supporters supposedly dedicated to getting Obama elected. Naturally, you're all plotting against him in secret, but few people will guess that because Obama supporters are infantile kids who still play with their food and gnaw on their gum wayyy too loudly.
  
  

• Now write several diaries in defense of Obama. Attack McCain as much as possible, even if he's better than the crappy Democratic nominee. Also attack PUMA (a courageous and productive movement).
  
  

• Donate to the Obama campaign. I know this is tough because you're all poor and uneducated, but you've GOT to take this step! It legitimizes your "support". It's all for a good cause, so when you get this email in your inbox, try not to vomit:
  
  

Dear * * *,

Thank you for your generous donation of $50.00.

Your gift will be immediately put to work building a campaign to change our country and our politics for the better.

Looking for more ways to get involved?

Head over to My.BarackObama where our growing set of tools puts the future of this campaign in your hands:

http://my.barackobama.com

On My.BarackObama you can:

- build your own profile and connect with supporters near you

• find or create your own local or national group
  
  
• create your own personal fundraising page and track your progress
  
  
• find events near you or plan your own
  
  
• chronicle your campaign experience on your own blog
  
  
  

There will be much more to come in the weeks and months ahead thanks to your support.

Thank you again for your donation.

Obama for America

http://www.BarackObama.com

• Now that you've fooled at least 90% of the Obama supporters, commence trolling! Write a diary criticizing Obama on one or two of his positions! It will help if you choose a stance (like the FISA compromise) that at least 16,000+ of his real supporters are also angry about! This is very clever, and you are full of win. To make sure you keep fooling people, be sure to praise Obama a great deal during that same concern troll diary. Contrast him with McCain and talk about how much better Obama is. This is another lie, but don't worry about it. Lying rules, and you're awesome at it.

If you take all of these steps, you'll soon become a successful concern troll just like me! If any Obama supporters managed to read this entire diary, please ignore what I just said and go back to your video games. Take your Ritalin and get out of my hair (which smells like cat litter because I have a million cats, which keep breeding because I can't afford to spay and neuter them because I'm so stupid and broke). Clinton supporters, remember that we're all WINNARS, and take satisfaction in knowing you've tricked most of Bambi's cult followers. A few geniuses will figure out your game, but that's very rare. For the most part, you win. Now go feed your cats. They're starving.

And one final note:

Go McCain!

McCainomics: 2+2=5

Taylor Marsh posted this video of McCain flipping and flopping and spinning his past statements on his lack of expertise on economic affairs.

Silencing Dissension.

Last week this blog was locked by Blogger. The following message was provided:

Dear Blogger User,

This is a message from the Blogger team.

Your blog, at http://clintonistasforobama.blogspot.com/, has been identified as a potential spam blog. You will not be able to publish posts to your blog until we review your site and confirm that it is not a spam blog.

Sincerely,

The Blogger Team

To unlock, a code had to be entered to request an editorial review from a live person, which took four days.

I also would like to preface that C4O's mandate is as follows...

We agree with Hillary Clinton, we support the progressive values she supports, and we share her dedication to making this nation better... That's why we support Barack Obama for President! :-)

The locking of the blog puzzled the group that posts there, and personally made me suspicious since C4O is the furthest thing from being spam. So I decided to investigate this a bit further. What I discovered was shocking and disturbing to be frank.

My investigation began with a Washington Post article that exposes that the Obama smear emails originated on Free Republic. No shocker there. Freepers have been leaders of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy since its inception and full of smears, slime and innuendoes, especially about the Clintons.

But after the article was published, a Freeper, charged that the WaPo reporter has exposed the identity of anonymous posters in the past, and the WaPo article also “exposed” ordinary people who dared to think the rumour was important, but who denied being involved in the spamming.

The author is quite paranoid about it:

The article Mosk wrote today purports to be about efforts to track down where the ‘Obama is a Muslim’ allegations began. However, it is actually a warning shot across the bow to opponents of Obama that they will be tracked down and exposed for speaking ill of the Obamessiah.

While it literally pains me to agree with a Freeper, is this what is going on? Shutting down free speech online? Finding the name and address of people who post anonymously on websites? Reporters harassing them and exposing them to ridicule? I am embarrassed to say that I have witnessed behaviour akin to this on 'progressive' blogs as well.

Which brings me back to C4O. It seems that there is a concerted effort amongst a group to shut down political criticism of Obama.

Blogger offers readers the opportunity to flag blogs as spam or complain about objectionable content. And apparently someone has been using this to shut down blogs that are perceived as critical to Obama.

Several sources, including Blogspasm report that several blogs that have been shut down by Google that are critical of Obama, and the suspicion is that Google is being manipulated to shut down the opposition.

Now no one could think that the Obama campaign is promoting such deeds, but when people attack and try to shut down sites critical of a political candidate - we all have to worry.

Is this really what some people have become, bullying and intimidation to fall in line with what is 'acceptable' discussion?

Take a Deep Breath, Count to 10

(Cross-posted at MyDD)

Some of you are going to be surprised to see these words coming from me, and I implore you to read the entire diary before you begin throwing flames.

I've been defending Obama at every turn since late March. I defended him against the people who were using Wright to attack him; I defended him against bittergate; I scoffed at fingergate. I defended him until I pissed off at least half the Clinton supporters on this site. I made myself pretty unpopular with people I once liked, but I didn't care. I felt I was doing the right thing by defending him because I thought it likely that he'd become the nominee. I was trying to be fair, attempting to be moderate. I probably spent more time criticizing Hillary than Obama because she was my candidate, and I held her to a higher standard. So through my efforts to remain rational and speak in measured tones, I gave Obama the benefit of the doubt - always - for approximately three months. I stuck my neck out for him on MyDD and in my personal life, much to the displeasure of my Hillary supporter friends and my Republican parents (who came to grudgingly respect my admiration for Hillary, but felt nothing but disdain for "the empty suit"). I defended him and didn't mind doing so. I kept my doubts to myself.

But I'm profoundly upset right now, and I refuse to lie or mask my disappointment.

I think I dealt with Hillary's loss well enough - publicly, at least. I was optimistic and enthusiastic about Obama. I gave him my full support the second Hillary endorsed. I knew Obama was a good Democrat who would lead the Party with honor and govern with principle. You can never trust a politician 100% of the time, but I put a lot of faith in him. Hillary clearly believed in him, and I believe in her - so I gave Obama all the trust I could muster.

And he betrayed me.

He betrayed my trust.

In fact, I can't help thinking he betrayed his own country.

Yes, I realize it's nothing personal. I realize he can't cater to people like me all the time; no politician can win an election by speaking only to the "fringe lefties". But his lurch to the center seemed so abrupt and so violent; when he announced his support for the FISA compromise, I felt like the ground had been pulled out from beneath me. I was shocked - where had his principles gone? Where was the new politics of hope and change? Why was he pandering, why was he compromising? Didn't this sound a great deal like the much-decried triangulation of the 90s?

Senator Feingold put it best:

"The proposed FISA deal is not a compromise; it is a capitulation. The House and Senate should not be taking up this bill, which effectively guarantees immunity for telecom companies alleged to have participated in the Presidents illegal program, and which fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans at home. Allowing courts to review the question of immunity is meaningless when the same legislation essentially requires the court to grant immunity. And under this bill, the government can still sweep up and keep the international communications of innocent Americans in the U.S. with no connection to suspected terrorists, with very few safeguards to protect against abuse of this power. Instead of cutting bad deals on both FISA and funding for the war in Iraq, Democrats should be standing up to the flawed and dangerous policies of this administration."

And Obama capitulated. He caved, he folded, he buckled. I've been an Obama supporter for less than a month, and I already felt disillusioned and angry. I hadn't pegged him as the sort of politician who would pander and "compromise" quite that much. And where did I get that impression? I got it from his stance on the gas tax holiday. I slammed Hillary on that issue because as far as I was concerned, it was shameless pandering. It may have sounded good to the uninformed, but it was a terrible idea. I respected Obama for opposing it; he'd voted for it in the Illinois state legislature, came to the conclusion that it didn't work, and ultimately took a principled stance against it. For once, I felt he'd outshined Hillary. As a result, I came to the conclusion that he was less likely to pander to the masses.

I was wrong. FISA, faith-based initiatives... disappointments of epic proportions. I was furious and disgusted. One of the things which made me angriest was the knowledge that, had Hillary become the nominee and taken the same positions, the vast majority of the Left would have gone on yet another witch hunt. Of course, Obama is (rightfully) taking a metaphorical beating from his own supporters. Some of them are taking it a little too far. A few are withdrawing all support. People are withholding their funds and even asking his campaign to refund previous donations (and from what I understand, he's doing it).

What's worse, although Hillary issued a statement in February [many thanks to atd for finding it] in opposition to the FISA Amendment, she may now feel pressured to support the decisions of the nominee. I'd love to see her take a stand, show leadership, and join the effort to filibuster the bill; I fear, however, that she is locked in by her own powerful endorsement. She has promised to support Obama, and I believe she will - in every way. That means she'll probably take the stance that he took, she'll support his position. I half wonder whether she can keep fighting for us if she's busy fighting for Obama.

I didn't know what to say or do at first, but I've had some time to think now. It's true, we should hold his feet to the fire, but we shouldn't abandon our nominee or offer him our unmitigated scorn. I'll get back to FISA in a moment, but before Clinton backers crucify Obama over his support for faith-based initiatives, let's think for a moment. When aurelius said, "To hell with you, Barack," my initial reaction was an involuntary but emphatic, "Yes!" And then I remembered... Hillary has spoken out in support of them, as well. Disappointing, yes?

I think this is the thing that's so difficult for a lot of Clinton supporters. When I heard about Obama's stance on the FISA compromise, part of me wanted to scream, "SEE?!? WE TOLD YOU SO!!!" at the people who had been supporting him all along. I keep thinking, "Hillary never would have buckled like this." The truth is, I'm not sure what she might have done had she become the nominee. The second you start going toe-to-toe with the GOP, the game changes. Hillary might have disappointed me on FISA, too, and the fact that she supported faith-based initiatives is disappointing, no matter how I look at it. Now that Hillary's out of the race, it's very easy to say, "She would have made a better decision on this issue," whenever Obama screws up. It's easy to forget the times she screwed up. But I shouldn't forget because Hillary wasn't perfect, and Barack is a good candidate overall.

So for those of you who are angry, as I am, please try to remember that Obama is still a man of principle on many issues. For the most part, he believes in the things we believe in. He supports the 50-State Strategy. He has instructed the DNC to stop taking money from lobbyists. Polls indicate that offshore drilling is now favored by a majority of voters, but he hasn't caved - he stands in staunch opposition. He's taken a relatively unpopular but principled stance in favor of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. While he doesn't personally believe in gay marriage and isn't the gay rights champion I'd like him to be, he still wants to repeal DOMA and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Even Hillary didn't intend to repeal DOMA altogether, but Obama has called it "an abhorrent law." He and Michelle have spoken out forcefully against it. In a speech called "The Great Need of the Hour," which he gave at Dr. King's church the day before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this January, Obama addressed the bigotry he perceived within the African American community and stuck his neck out for the LGBT community, the Jewish community, and immigrant communities:

"For most of this country's history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man's inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays - on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.

And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community.

We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity." - Barack Obama, Jan 20 2008 [huge thanks to psychodrew for finding this for me]

Now look at our other option - a man who flipped on offshore drilling, flopped on immigration, still supports DOMA and DADT, and lacks the courage to look Ellen DeGeneres in the face:

The differences between the two candidates are stark - like night and day - and we have a good candidate in Barack Obama. Do we want four more years of darkness under another Republican administration? Obama has pissed a lot of us off, yes, but let's not withdraw our support. Let's not abandon or abuse our nominee. I'm speaking especially to the Clinton supporters whose doubts are resurfacing, and to the Obama supporters who are suddenly realizing they don't know their candidate as well as they thought they did. Take a deep breath, count to ten, and channel your anger into something productive. Take action. Go join the "Get FISA Right" group on MyBO, which is now well over 15,000 members strong. (I recommend that you not select the option to receive all emails because I foolishly did so and received over 80 emails within approximately two hours yesterday. Select the "Receive a daily digest" option instead.) There are several steps you can take from there, including contacting the Obama campaign office, contacting Obama's Senate office, and contacting your own representatives. If you need help thinking of what to say when calling Sen. Obama and your representatives, go here for suggestions. Go to the "What else you can do" page, and you'll find a number of options to keep you busy. There are two petitions for you to sign - Harry Whirlit's online petition and Credo Action's online petition.

We have until July 8 to put some serious pressure on our nominee and our senators. Let's find out whether Obama was right. Let's see if we are the change we've been waiting for. But even if it doesn't work out - even if we can't change Barack's mind - he's still worth fighting for. Our country is worth fighting for, and even if I disagree with him often, I have faith that President Obama will do his utmost to bring safety and prosperity to this nation and its people. I trust he will get us out of Iraq, pass healthcare legislation, reform immigration, bolster our economy, fight for gay rights, and protect women's rights. Those things alone are change we can believe in, but somehow, despite his stance on FISA and faith-based initiatives, I'm reasonably confident he'll do better than that.

Declare Your Independence...

From illegal domestic spying!

What could possibly be a better way to celebrate the 4th of July than to ask our members of Congress to protect and defend the Constitution? Next Week, Congress will consider legislation that undercuts the 4th Amendment by ignoring our privacy rights, allowing for warantless wiretapping, and giving blanket immunity to telecom companies that aided and abetted the Bush Administration in violating the 4th Amendment. That's why we're making a special request here at C4O today.

Please read this important message from DFA Chairman Jim Dean and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI). And please, ask your members of Congress to do whatever they can to oppose this "FISA compromise" bill that violates our privacy rights.

Thanks.