[Reader-list] As Obama's Support Erodes, the Right is Resurgent

[Paul D. Miller]

As Obama's Support Erodes, the Right is Resurgent

Will Progressives Respond To The Attempt to Overthrow
The President?

http://www.commondreams.org/

By Danny Schechter CommonDreams.org: August 1, 2009

The tide of public opinion may be turning against the
President. Pollsters report growing skepticism about
health care reform, and more active hostility on racial
matters, thanks to that "uncalibrated" expression of
opinion on the arrest of Professor Gates in his own
home. That remark turned him, in the eyes of some, from
a small b black President into a militant Black
Panther, or at least someone who can bashed as such.

These are the new controversial issues with no one
right answer, and a noisy debate everywhere, but
something else is also going on.

With Democrats fussing among themselves, with
Obamacrats forced to rely on corporate media, the
right-wing TV and radio stations close ranks behind the
most self-righteously-correct ranters having a filed
day poking , prodding, pummeling, and peeing into cups
of their own resentment, hate and venom.

There is no smear that is beneath them, no inference or
insult out of bounds. Lou Dobbs blesses the birthers
while that Elmer Gantry of demagoguery, Glenn Beck,
meditates on his mountain and pronounces Obama a
racist. An Israeli settler refers to our President as
"that Arab," and worse.

These are the nattering nabobs of negativity of our
times, to resurrect an old canard once aimed at the
left. The Yes We Can advocates seem to be taking refuge
in the No We Won't center. The next thing you know, the
removal of a democratically elected President that
worked in Honduras might be attempted here at home.

Some of us are still singing "We Shall Overcome" when
our adversaries are chanting "We Shall Overthrow."

If Barack's legitimacy as a citizen won't bring him
down, his actions---moderate if not reactionary as they
are--- unites the crazies against him and drives them
even more beserk. The contentious Congressman who vowed
to "break him," should be taken seriously

This relentless riposte is having an effect on a
demoralized and economically challenged population that
is not well informed in the first place-except perhaps
about Michael Jackson's dubious doctor who may have
done the dirty deed. Sensing possible victory-whatever
that means--- the Angeroid microfactions that lost the
election are now seeking to polarize the public to
topple the Administration with an electronic coup
d'media. It is all that serious.

Only Jon Stewart seems to be calling them on their
game, while at the same time despairing about the
obvious missteps and mistakes that the White House is
making. They may be a garden outside the Oval Office
but there is a minefield inside it.

At the same time, another enemy is mounting a
counterattack, perhaps in a more stealth manner, not by
what it says, but by what it does The banks are
deploying regiments of lobbyists and PR firms to defeat
proposed new financial rules and an agency to protect
consumers. They are escalating the gouging of the
public.

Emboldened by billions in bailout monies, and funds
from the Treasury and Federal Reserve, the Bankster are
in full loot mode. New York Attorney General Andrew
Cuomo reports that extravagant bonuses at some banks
now outstrip revenues. The financial elite takes our
money--and tells us to shove it.

As a new wave of foreclosures threatens, the banks are
not willing to modify most mortgages-even those sold
fraudulently, because they make more money forcing
families out and reselling their homes.

The pace of regulatory reform, meanwhile is a slow-go,
with few calls for more radical measures like a
moratorium on foreclosures of the kind declared by FDR
during the last Depression.

Are you aware that outside of the government, a not for
profit called NACA (The Neighborhood Assistance
Corporation of America) is touring the country
mobilizing homeowners to demand financial relief. I was
at their original "Save The Deam" event in Washington
last summer where members of Congress and officials
like FDIC chairman Sheila Bair pledged support, but
little happened.

Government help as only reached 200,000 of the more
than 12 million families in need. If you are not
familiar with this issue or the role of devious
mortgage servicers like Litton, owned by Goldman Sachs,
see these You Tube videos on the PACFILM Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVyahxDc5OU and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mov0AVLsvQg

According to FEED News, NACA is doing better-even
though they are not getting the national publicity they
deserve, perhaps because media outlets don't want to
send the few staffers they have to the heartland,

"About 50,000 people attended the second Save the Dream
event in Chicago. This is a dramatic increase over the
25,000 people who attended NACA's first two Save the
Dream events last year in Columbia, SC, and Washington,
DC.

"One of the reasons why turnout has increased this year
is NACA's use of optimized press releases, blog
outreach, and YouTube videos to let people know that
the national non-profit community advocacy and
homeownership organization offers unprecedented
solutions for homeowners caught up in the current
mortgage and economic crisis. During the Save the Dream
events, borrowers can get mortgages restructured the
same day."

If the Obama Administration is to survive an ongoing
assault still building steam, it needs a grass roots
action-oriented army like the one NACA is building.
They can't just rely on the Netroots activists who
prefer emails to organizing. They can't rely on that
co-opted in-house DNC arm, Organizing for America
either. That is there only to rally support for the
White House.

A new movement has to develop outside the Democratic
party in the same way that the right acts outside the
GOP, and has built a capacity for independent action
with echo chambers, message points and personalities.
Their ideas may be backward but their dedication can't
be denied.

We can defend Obama's ideals, and also press for more
action. As Jeff Cohen reminds us, we have a "president
whose instinct is toward conciliation and splitting the
difference with big business and the right wing. Sure,
Obama was a community organizer once. That was decades
ago when Russia was still our mortal enemy, Nelson
Mandela was still an official State Department
terrorist threat and the White House was still funding
Islamist fanatics in Afghanistan. For the last dozen
years Obama has been a politician -- and a consummate
compromiser at that. Have we failed to notice?"

Can progressives fight a three front war---against the
vicious right, against the slippery center, and for a
more comprehensive and empowering agenda? Can they
finally realize that all politics does not occur in DC,
and that being tethered to the denizens on the Hill can
be a liability at a time when most political chameleons
enjoy so little respect.

Will they ever realize that they have to get into the
economic trenches and fight the power of the banks with
groups like A New Way Forward? Why is economic justice
a priority for so few activists when these issues
impact millions?

Knock, Knock, anyone there?

Mediachannel's News Dissector Danny Schechter
investigates the origins of the economic crisis in his
new book Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity
and the Subprime Scandal (Cosimo Books via Amazon).
Comments to dissector at mediachannel.org