The 2008 October Surprise

[H2O Man]

Powell's endorsement of Obama and its implication for small states
By Nicholas Joseph

"Last Sunday on the American talk show Meet the Press, Conservative Colin Powell came out of the shadows. It was not his endorsement of Barack Obama that was shocking, but how he crafted his support for the first African American, who may very well be elected on November 4, 2008 as America’s first black president.

"In a stunning repudiation of his own party, Powell admitted that the nominee, Senator John McCain, was out of touch and was literally playing old style politics. He said that the campaign had gone too negative when they dubbed Obama a terrorist by linking him to ’60s bomber William Ayers, a man with whom he had a "limited association."…

"It is lamentable that in our skidding banana skin democracy, individuals who are in a position of trust and the public good are silenced by archaic rules and orders that debar them from participating meaningfully in public discourse. They are paid handsomely to serve the common good but are not allowed to function as independent custodians of that public trust. They are stifled by administrations that seek only to serve their self-interest.

"Colin Powell, an African-American of Jamaican descent is no ordinary American. He is a statesman and honourable military man who believes in loyalty. It is that sense of duty that compelled him to appear at the United Nations to make a case for war for the Bush administration that may have left a stain on his credibility.

"His support for Obama may be another chance for him to be on the right side of history and restore his shattered image. More importantly, Powell is speaking out, for he knows that Republicans are wrong. The message is clear. Good people of conscience must act when things are wrong, otherwise they are equally guilty."

More:
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-11800--6-6--.html


{1} October, 2008, provided some "surprise" for many democrats, in that there was no obvious republican stunt that merited the title of a true "October Surprise." One almost expected a late arriving tape of Usama bin Laden, attempting to influence the outcome of the election. Or even a Cheney-initiated crisis in the Middle East, involving Iran, planned to hold the public hostage to the fear that factored into the 2004 election.

Yet, in the future, I am confident that people will look back, and be able to identify what served as this year’s October Surprise. As with other such examples, people will note two important things: (a) that neither candidate’s campaign was able to speak openly and honestly about what really happened; and (b) that the corporate media was either unwilling or incapable of reporting the truth.

To appreciate the actual implication’s of the 2008 October Surprise – Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama – we need to look at two issues: the republican reaction to the attempts by VP Dick Cheney to grab a clearly unconstitutional level of power for the executive branch, and the relationship that Senator John McCain has had with other republicans in Washington, DC. In each case, I will be brief in focusing on some highlights, in an attempt to keep this essay relatively short.

{2} There were numerous examples of VP Dick Cheney’s activities that met the definition of "high crimes and misdemeanors" for which the Constitution prescribes impeachment. "High crimes and misdemeanors" include not only criminal activity, but also abuses of the power of office. The first was the role that Cheney’s Office of the Vice President played in the Plame Scandal, and the second involved the OVP attempts to cover up illegal activities related to torture, which came within an inch of resulting in a modern version of the infamous Nixon Saturday Night Massacre.

In the first case, "retired" republicans such as Brent Scowcroft recognized the damage that Cheney’s abuses of the power of office had caused. More, conservative republican James Comey appointed Patrick Fitzgerald to investigate possible crimes; this led to the conviction of I. Lewis Libby on a number of felonies.

In the second case, which is accurately documented in Barton Gellman’s new book, "Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency," the Bush administration came "within minutes" of losing the FBI director and "at least the top five layers at Justice." Comparing it to the Saturday Night Massacre, some Bush aides noted it would have been known as the Bush administration’s "Suicide," causing investigations in the House and Senate that would reach "Watergate territory." (pages 322-323)

Both of these cases included some brave actions taken by a small number of democrats in Congress. However, both also included a majority of elected democrats refusing, for reasons we can only speculate upon, to take decisive actions to hold Cheney & Co. responsible for their high crimes and misdemeanors. More, some democrats, such as Jane Harman, did their best to help Cheney obtain his desired goals, even after becoming aware that he had directed clearly illegal activity. (See pages 301-302 of Gellman)

The real political powers in this country are most often found behind the curtain. This is true in the local, state and national levels. Cheney, obviously, exercised most of his power from behind the scenes. On occasion, those behind the scenes step forward, as happened when "Congress had created the bipartisan Iraq Study Group to assess independently the situation in Iraq and provide study recommendations to the president." (Woodward; The War Within; page 42) Similar unofficial groups of bipartisan "Elders" play active roles in other areas, including presidential elections.

{3} Now let’s look at John McCain. Throughout his career in Washington, he has been known for two things in particular: a tendency to oppose certain groups of republican officials in Congress, and an explosive personality defect that has resulted in his verbally attacking people from both parties when he is frustrated. In the 2000 republican primary, McCain believed that the republican elders had betrayed him, and supported an unqualified candidate instead. By 2004, he had openly considered changing his status to either an independent allied with democrats, or possibly to becoming a democrat. There are still rumors regarding the possibility of John Kerry considering McCain for his VP in the ’04 election.

In preparing for his future run in ’08, however, McCain elected to remain a republican. He demonstrated a willingness to humiliate himself in order to gain the acceptance, if not support, of those he believed were essential to his winning the republican nomination. Thus, in May of 2006, McCain gave the commencement address at Liberty University, clearly reversing his calling Jerry Falwell an "agent of intolerance" in 2000. And, of course, there is the infamous photo of McCain hugging President Bush, who placed his hand on McCain’s head in a most condescending manner.

In organizing his 2008 campaign, McCain was willing to allow people who had close associations with VP Cheney to play powerful, behind the scenes positions. Among them is John Bolton. It was these people who convinced McCain that he could not win the general election if he picked either of his choices for VP – Joseph Lieberman or Tom Ridge. Instead, they pressured Senator McCain to pick a person he had met but once, Governor Sarah Palin. And McCain, a man who has proven himself fully capable of denying any of his principles in order to achieve political power, was willing to pick a person he knew little if anything about.

{4} Many of the republican Elders are willing to support a candidate who is willing "to rise above their principles" when necessary. And they prefer candidates who bow to their power. However, those same elders who had come to note that Dick Cheney had become someone they no longer recognized, had serious concerns about McCain’s VP selection.

The ultra right wing neoconservatives had become out of favor in the Elder’s circle. Likewise, while they have always been willing to exploit the religious right, they have not been willing to put one of their type on a presidential ticket. Hence, Willard Mitt Romney was favored in the primaries by people such as President Bush1, while no member of the Elders Group actively supported Mike Huckabee. Had McCain selected Romney for his VP, the republican Elders would have actively supported their ticket.

Sarah Palin has proven unacceptable to the Elders. Although she has attempted to win widespread support by, in the words of Chris Matthews, "divorcing John McCain and trying to marry Ronald Reagan," three things have worked against her. The most obvious is that she is absolutely unqualified to serve as VP. It has been said that she makes Dan Quayle appear as an elder statesman. Second, she is viewed as a puppet for the neoconservatives. And third, she has displayed an extremely unattractive attachment to the religious right. The Elders are willing to exploit people with any or all of these qualities; they are not, however, willing to be exploited by those same people.

{5} John Lennon used to say that a conspiracy of silence speaks louder than words. In the weeks following the republican national convention, while numerous republican officials and "journalists" were ranting about Palin as the newest political phenomenon, the Elders were curiously silent. Their ability to organize campaigns "on the ground" was nowhere to be found. Groups such as the neoconservatives and the religious right are certainly not powerless, and they have attempted to carry the McCain-Palin ticket to victory. But to do so requires the assistance of the Elders.

McCain, not surprisingly, has experienced frustration that has led to rage, because he again feels that he is being betrayed by those who he believes should be actively supporting him. His distress has increased when Palin, aware that McCain is unlikely to win, has begun to stake out a separate identity for herself, in anticipation of 2012. The dynamics of the campaign began to take on a destructive nature.

It’s one thing for the Elders to quietly withhold support from a candidate. It is quite another for one of their most respected spokespersons to come out publicly, and endorse the opposition ticket. Hence, Powell’s endorsement was the 2008 October Surprise.

As a member of the grass roots progressive/liberal democratic community, I have very mixed feelings about Powell’s endorsement. It is obviously an important event in terms of helping Barack Obama win the upcoming election. I also recognize that in order to accomplish their goals, President Obama and VP Biden will need to work with the powers that are found behind the scenes. Yet, I do not like or trust them. How could I?

Still, so long as the progressive/liberal grass roots continues to organize and remains active, I am confident that the Obama administration will provide us with the opportunity to restore our Constitutional democracy. It will remain a tough struggle. But that is the nature of democracy.

[rosesaylavee]

1. The lack of a RW October Surprise was not

for want of trying. I think Cheney et al were sure trying to stir the pot in Russia, Chechnya, Syria, and g*d only knows where else. I share your distrust of Powell - but if he can be the bridge where some moderate Republicans and Independents can connect to the Obama campaign, I will give him credit for at least coming forward for this.

Three more days. It's hard to believe it's almost here. What a long long difficult road this has been.

Thank you for another great post. I learn so much from your posts - don't always respond but I do read each one.

[H2O Man]

4. Well, I'm glad

that you did reply. (smile) I was thinking about this OP earlier, when it had sunk. My wife often reminds me that the things that I find fascinating are of little or no interest to most people.

[rosesaylavee]

12. I was listening to a radio program this afternoon on the life of Studs Terkel

and he was speaking of how important it was to remain curious. He was determined to live his life fully and not retire - maybe slow down at 98 but not retire because he thought that would kill him. Said that he wanted to be remembered as 'the cat that curiosity did not kill'.

Many here enjoy your essays - you don't know how many seeds you are planting with these words.

[PATRICK]

14. Thank Obama and his campaign

as well as inner circles putting the brakes on absolute madness in their madly reluctant fashion of course. Obama's incredible lead and showing has taken the wind out of the usual manipulations, the cost and risk of gambits. The cheat machine is reeling, the MSM almost counter productive, things going from win/win to lose/lose.

The test shots as the raids in Pakistan and Syria keep coming like fizzled firecrackers, but they keep coming with no blow up, no media interest that can shake the election loose. Obama has saved lives with his 30 minute address, his aggressive advance against all fronts although the Coup has never been taken on full face.

In fact Bush has largely disappeared, even in his miserable attempt to personally have the DOJ steal Ohio. The tone had already been changing to one of trying to get out of DC without consequences and as much loot as possible. Obama will be wise to bypass the WH coup officials and forge inconsequential alliances with non-coup GOP competencies, rare as they are, because they offer no refuge or hope for an alternative Renaissance of the RW or GOP. They never tried themselves when they had the opportunity so they have no party of their own to base themselves on. The Coup, the almighty backbone of the real GOP power will be taken apart. Let there be no mercy there.

What took all the wind out of their phony sails was simply a timely greatness(Obama) and a goon too far(Palin).

Best of all this has been achieved through democracy, grass roots journalism, activism and just methods. We have the beginnings of a real democracy- if we can keep it.

[H2O Man]

20. You raise important points.

First, regarding the "cheat machine": while it has been used in a coordinated manner in recent elections, it is still a state-by-state machine. I think the Obama-Biden lead is too big for the cheat machine to change. Of course, I could be wrong. But my belief is that the "cheat machine" will be more likely used to change the outcome of some of the congressional races, than the presidential race.

The corporate media, which is not our friend, is aware that Obama and Biden are in a position to win by a significant margin. After the 2000 "election," the national media made an agreement not to report in ways that would discourage voter participation; the obvious example is if projected results on the east coast are announced too early, citizens on the west coast might not bother to vote. In this case, if the media reported accurately on all of the internal polls it has access to, citizens who support either Obama or McCain might be less likely to vote.

But they know. Last week, on MSNBC, Chris Matthews was a tad bit giddy one evening, and spoke in a way that suggested he knew the deal. He spoke about the country "making history" this coming Tuesday. He could not hide his excitement about the prospects for an Obama landslide.

One more point: there are rumors that the pace of the campaign has taken a harsh toll on McCain's health. DUers have noted that, as well. We can see, for example, that McCain is capable of delivering a different quality performance in the early afternoon, than in the evening. This is the kind of thing that is being discussed off-camera at most of the network and cable stations, but that will certainly not be reported upon. And that's a shame.

[Richard Steele]

2. K&R

[H2O Man]

6. Thanks! n/t

[LisaLynne]

3. Although you have a MUCH better grasp on this than I ...

This is precisely why I think it's so astounding that Palin thinks she has any political career as the "head of the party", which is what I really am starting to think she sees as her role. She might be popular with the religious fundamentalists, but they simply are not "king makers". They have always been used for their votes by the Republicans, but in the same way that rulers in the past use the superstitions and religion of the peasants to legitimize their power and control the unwashed masses. In Palin's case, I don't think she understands where the real power lies.

Terrific post, as usual.

[H2O Man]

7. It's to our advantage

if Palin continues to try to promote herself for 2012. It offers the prospect of the religious right splitting further away from the social-economic conservative republican wing. I can say without any chance of being wrong that, at this time, the Elders are considering a Jeb Bush (possibly with Mitt Romney) ticket for 2012. It would be nice to see their party splinter.

I had been thinking about this issue in part as a result of reading a few threads on DU, discussing the possibility that President Obama will keep Gates on. Gates fits in here, of course. He was one of the original members of the Iraq Study Group, and he views the Cheney-Rumsfeld wing of their party as dangerous.

[LisaLynne]

10. Yes, I think they've pushed the religious fundamentalist portion of the party ...

to their breaking point. The more they love Palin, the better to force this issue within the Republican party. Jeb just won't be enough for them.

[AtomicKitten]

5. IMO it's Powell's mea culpa for his participation in misleading this country into invading Iraq.

He will not be forgiven so easily, however, the endorsement was a powerful repudiation of the current administration.

[H2O Man]

11. Key points.

I agree. I've never liked Powell at all, nor had respect for him.

We know from Corn & Isikoff's book "Hubris" that Powell was opposed to the Bush-Cheney drive to war. He has attempted to justify not speaking up, by saying that he did not feel it was his place to oppose the President. This, of course, is easily proven false. He was feeding information to Senators Biden and Lugar in an attempt to slow the process. Thus, he wasn't opposed to taking a position against the war, but he wanted others to take responsibility he wasn't man enough to take.

More, before his infamous UN address, he spent a weekend at CI HQ, and was aware that the intelligence was not accurate. But he made that speech, nevertheless.

Still, there is more than a hint of his being upset that McCain falsely takes credit for being the first to advocate for the "surge." Actually, Powell had made that case before the invasion, and at least a half-dozen others, including Chuck Robb, made it early on, too.

A man who wants others to take the responsibility for taking tough positions, but who wants full credit for those things he said that were not so difficult, is not to be trusted.

[Gregorian]

8. This reads like an epitaph, or a frightening bedtime story.

One in which you awaken the next mornging, feeling good. What a long and difficult road we've crawled. We're comprised of all types and levels of awareness. Thanks for holding the light. And thanks for reading the story.

Michael Powell's actions come to mind when I think of Colin Powell. I would imagine he is in fairly regular touch with his father. I also imagine there is some kind of approval. I wonder who Michael Powell will vote for. Could it be he is more conservative than his father. It is somewhat distressing to have the fox helping to build the hen house.

I hope the Bakers, Norquists, Bushes, will be forced into being redundant by a young and wise presidency.

It was probably the extremes of the administration that drove Powell to endorse Obama. And for the honest and broad approach, it will be hard to find fault with Obama. There will be more converts yet. That is, if Tuesday produces the results we so desire. Actually, it already has.

[H2O Man]

15. The extremists in this administration

are indeed what caused Powell to be the spokesperson for the group that rejected the Bush-Cheney administration. A key factor in this, which some DUers (myself included) have previously documented, is found in Gellman's book: it was when, on 9/11, Cheney instituted the continuity of government plans. Also known as "the shadow government," this plan created a "new" form of federal government, run exclusively by the executive office and select members of the business community. It did not include any role for the legislative or judicial branches of the federal government.

VP Cheney continued this line, well after the events of that tragic day. His stance was based on his stated belief that the nation was involved in an unending "war," and that the President's role of Commander in Chief trumped any other federal power. And as far as I know, every single criminal action and abuse of the power of office post 9/11 related directly to this. (Others before 9/11 seem closely enough related that they should be disturbing to every American citizen.)

[immoderate]

9. Brings to mind the sausage analogy. You don't want to know what's inside.

Barack, for all his qualities as a politician, and as a human being, isn't the best politically for us lefties. And I understand he did what he had to do to sail through the turbulent and hazardous waters to the presidency. And that might have made him a different person than he was before, if he ever was. He may not get any help from the "Elders," but it's a good thing if they leave him alone.

--IMM

[H2O Man]

16. Interesting.

While the democratic primary contest itself is still off limits on DU -- which is a good thing -- I think the dynamics of the two primaries is still fascinating. I was talking to a friend last night. He was raised in a family with connections to military intelligence, and spent most of his childhood and teen years in India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Then he served in the military for many years, primarily in Korea. As a result of his life's experiences, he identifies Dennis Kucinich as the politician he finds the most honest and trustworthy.

Yet he recognizes that our country is not at the point where DK could be expected to be placed in a position of power in a democratic administration, much less be elected President. It's not because DK is not fully capable, but that the nation has not reached that level of maturity or insight.

I do think that other democrats -- including Clinton, Biden, Dodd, and Richardson -- could have won the general election this year. "Could have" is, of course, slightly different than "would have." However, I believe than Barack Obama was the most capable of winning. Still, it's interesting to consider things such as if one of the others had been our nominee, who the republicans would have picked. Likely McCain, but it may have been Romney.

The Obama administration is not going to be the solution to all of our problems. However, I think that of those democrats who could have won this year, he presents the greatest opportunity for progressive and liberal democratic grass roots activists to access power. Time will tell.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

13. I am wondering about who was behind the selection of Palin.

You allude to Bolton as a prime proponent. Could you elaborate on how you obtained this info, or on who the other major players are behind the selection? Also, who do you consider as the Elders?

You always spark my curiosity and entice me to learn more about the behind the scenes mechanics. Thank you for that, and for all of your imparted knowledge.

[H2O Man]

17. Good questions.

I read this last night, and decided to wait to respond, because I wanted to do justice to what I think are really important questions.

On the day of the third presidential debate, I posted an essay on how information flows in a campaign. In this case, the Obama campaign's "inner circle," or top level, is remarkable: as a Rolling Stone article documented recently, it does not leak any information by accident. None. And that is unheard of. I compared it to a federal grand jury, in terms of secrecy.

Part of the key to this is that none of the members are interested in any publicity about themselves, or their role. This is important. When we look back at the two other best examples of an "outsider" gaining the democratic nomination then winning the general election, it seems even more impressive. In 1960, JFK's campaign was run by his brother Robert. In 1976, Jimmy Carter's improbable campaign was run by Hamilton Jordan. Both RFK and HJ took advantage of the opportunities that being "high profile" allowed. The Obama folks have found equal power in being "no profile."

Next are the people at the second and third levels. These include the "professional" campaign people; they trade in the power of information. This is where some of the information that is reported on the media comes from. Others at these levels include high profile people, including politicians, who have endorsed the democratic ticket, and are working with/for it, along with other campaigns -- in this case, Congressional. These people "leak" some interesting information that is often not reported in the corporate media (or well before it is leaked).

In the past, the republican machine used this type of flow of information to influence the media. The obvious example is how in the Nixon White House, a hard-liner named Patrick Buchanan had an operation to bring about LTTE/phone calls from the "grass roots"; this is detailed, among other places, in the Senate Watergate Report.

In the age of the internet, the democratic party has proven more capable of playing this game.

Now, about the Elders. In this instance, the ones that are most familiar to the public include people like David Gergen, James Baker III, Powell, and -- perhaps most important in the current context -- Robert Gates. The Elders brought Gates into the administration in a curious way: they allowed Bush to think it was his idea; that his father had no idea Bush would do this (he didn't consult his father); and that it would re-establish him as being "in charge" of the war in Iraq, rather than Cheney and Rumsfeld.

I think it's important that I again say that these are not characters that I like, except David Gergen, who I think is a decent man. Instead, I'm trying to point out that these people are playing a role in the national election process, and that it is almost certain that Obama and Biden will keep Gates in their administration. Doing so will allow them to get congressional support for the changes in Iraq that need to be made.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

24. Gates seems to be ever present...

I will have to spend some time doing background research on him. My understanding of who the "big wheels" are has been gleaned from the attendees list from Bohemian Grove and participants of the Trilateralists and PNAC. Altogether, not a group of people that I feel have my/our best interests at heart. However, I'm not sure if my assumptions on who the "players" are, are necessarily valid...

On the subject of Palin -- do you think that Bolton was the key advocate? He is another figure that I have trouble figuring out how he manages to wield so much influence.

So, it seems my homework lays in discovering why he and Gates have risen to such prominence. Thanks for your response, H2O Man. It is much appreciated.

[Hepburn]

18. Powell had always been one of the very few Pubbies for whom I had respect.

That was very true until he gave that lying POS speech at the UN. However, now that he endorsed Obama, and the way he did so, while I cannot forgive him for that UN speech, he in some ways redeemed himself in my eyes. I still had that very bad taste in my mouth over that speech.

Your article did point out something I had not considered in the past: Powell's apparent sense of loyalty to BushCo. While I cannot imagine any loyalty to that dishonest Fascist Regime, I can understand where Powell may have been coming from in standing loyal to the ship until he disembarked.

Great article, H20 ~~ as usual, a worthwhile offering from you! :hi:

[H2O Man]

21. He is a complicated figure.

I generally try not to judge people by my own standards. But sometimes that just isn't possible.

In my decades of employment in social work, there were times when I accepted that "higher-ups" made decisions that I did not agree with. Social work within an agency is best done in a "team work" context. So, I had my own standard to help make sure that I could best serve the agencies I worked for, and the population I worked with: and that was that I would only refuse to do something, if I believed it would harm or betrayed children/teens.

In that context, I believe that Powell harmed and betrayed those young people in the military, who were sent to fight a war that Powell knew was based on lies. When I look at Powell, I cannot help but think of a young man who was friends with my sons and nephews. He played high school sports on their teams. He and my oldest son always shared a tent at their boy scout camp-outs. After high school, this young man joined the military, because he believed that leaders like Powell were telling the truth.

He died in Iraq. He is survived by a young wife and child. His wife told my son that the largest piece of his body that was returned for burial was one hand.

[mmonk]

19. The struggle will have to go forward to retosre our principles.

An Obama victory is a chance and a beginning. It is a crack in the door we have to go through.

[H2O Man]

22. Absolutely.

You are, of course, exactly right. This is an opportunity. It provides a unique, one-time-only chance for us to try to restore our Constitutional democracy.

[panzerfaust]

23. The True October Surprise: The (mostly) Unnoticed, Unremarked End of Democracy in America

Naomi Klein:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080721/lookout

It's been ten months since the publication of my book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, in which I argue that today's preferred method of reshaping the world in the interest of multinational corporations is to systematically exploit the state of fear and disorientation that accompanies moments of great shock and crisis. With the globe being rocked by multiple shocks, this seems like a good time to see how and where the strategy is being applied...

...And the disaster capitalists have been busy--from private firefighters already on the scene in Northern California's wildfires, to land grabs in cyclone-hit Burma, to the housing bill making its way through Congress. The bill contains little in the way of affordable housing, shifts the burden of mortgage default to taxpayers and makes sure that the banks that made bad loans get some payouts. No wonder it is known in the hallways of Congress as "The Credit Suisse Plan," after one of the banks that generously proposed it…

Naomi Klein (again):
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081117/klein

In the final days of the election, many Republicans seem to have given up the fight for power. But that doesn't mean they are relaxing. If you want to see real Republican elbow grease, check out the energy going into chucking great chunks of the $700 billion bailout out the door. At a recent Senate Banking Committee hearing, Republican Senator Bob Corker was fixated on this task, and with a clear deadline in mind: inauguration. "How much of it do you think may be actually spent by January 20 or so?" Corker asked Neel Kashkari, the 35-year-old former banker in charge of the bailout...

Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/17/executivesalaries-banking

Financial workers at Wall Street's top banks are to receive pay deals worth more than $70bn (£40bn){That's 10% off the top folks}, a substantial proportion of which is expected to be paid in discretionary bonuses, for their work so far this year - despite plunging the global financial system into its worst crisis since the 1929 stock market crash, the Guardian has learned...

PAUL B. FARRELL …
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/14-reasons-main-street-loses/story.aspx?guid=%7BF63EC448-D9C1-4138-AC18-97BF0FE68EE3%7D

Yes, we're dummies. You. Me. All 300 million of us. Clueless. We should be ashamed. We're obsessed about the slogans and rituals of "democracy," distracted by the campaign, polls, debates, rhetoric, half-truths and outright lies. McCain? Obama? Sorry to pop your bubble folks, but it no longer matters who's president...

…Worst case scenario: America's no democracy and as a result of the meltdown and the surrender of our power to Wall Street's new Disaster Capitalism we are morphing into what one WWII dictator {Ben Mussolini, as you will recall} called "corporatism," a "merger of state and corporate power," kind of like what's going on now with Goldman Sachs' ex-boss as de facto president.

W came into power claiming (falsely) that we had stolen all the ‘W’ keys from the White House computers, he leaves it stealing all the money in the treasury, our nation’s future, and our democracy.

But then, that is exactly what he was put into office to do.

Fascism has, as long foreseen, come to America.