New rationales for BHO 2012

 

Jarvis Tyner spells out the sea-change in Barack Obama's politics here.  The relief of the CPUSA hack at being able to present Obama as even marginally progressive is palpable:

 

"If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a janitor makes me a warrior for the working class, I wear that with a badge of honor." (President Barrack Obama)

 

President Obama's statement was part of a fighting speech made Sept. 24 at the Annual Phoenix Award Dinner at the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

 

This was  a different Obama than the one seen during the debt ceiling debate.

 

Indeed a different Obama: one running for president and getting all his sitting ducks in a row.

 

While there are still criticisms, the progressive people assembled at the conference felt that with the new changes Obama's chances of rallying his base are good.

 

The fact is that the Congressional Black Caucus has played a tremendous role in bringing Obama to a better position on jobs and the fight against racism. Their recent job fairs and public hearings have played a huge role in this regard.

 

One Congressperson at the conference said that a Republican colleague approached her after seeing the long lines at one of the CBC's job fairs and public hearing and said, "I didn't know things were that bad".

 

The CBC has been notorious for years among socialists, union activists, and fighters against national oppression.  They have the luxury of seeming to criticize Congress and the US government from the left, but never dare encroach upon the real prerogatives of capital.  Their recent "jobs tour" registered one fact: the capitalist ruling class in the United States is concerned to pre-empt any mass mobilization for jobs; the CBC lives to flank such movements, even in their germinal stages.

 

Tyner concludes:

 

Obama's address at the awards dinner was a great speech overall. It was not a speech critical of the CBC; rather it was a call to struggle in the best traditions of the African American people. The audience understood Obama's appeal to march and gave the president a prolonged standing ovation.

 

Ahead for all  progressive forces is a hard struggle to push for the best jobs legislation possible in Congress and on the streets. Such pressure can keep the Republican/tea party/Libertarian Axis on the defensive and create the conditions for a new Congress and a renewed and reelected Obama.

 

This is the same Jarvis Tyner who called Tea Party event attendees fuhrers.  Every attempt by Tyner, the CBC, and middle class radicals more generally to portray the Tea Party as a bunch of KKK-NAZI-style fascists only serves one cynical purpose: cloud the political atmosphere with extreme rhetorical grace notes to obscure a mercilessly pragmatic drive to cadge votes for Democrats and peace and quiet for the Wall Street barons.

 

Jay Rothermel

20110928