Now that more than a million individuals have contributed to the Obama campaign there is a realization that this political movement could represent a more revolutionary change than previously understood. This is sparking a resistance among defenders of the status quo and prompting harsher and more frequent attacks on Obama. The Establishment is very concerned.
Robert Parry has written an article which has appeared at Middle East Online, and elsewhere, in which he notes:
Powerful lobbies – from AIPAC to representatives of military and other industries – also are recognizing the value of keeping their dominance over campaign cash from getting diluted by Obama’s deep reservoir of small donors. It’s in their direct interest to dent Obama’s momentum and demoralize his rank-and-file supporters as soon as possible.
Most of us are aware of the earlier smears from the right-wing bloggers. We've seen or read about the emails, the Madrassa smear and the recent photo of Obama in tribal garb. Now we are beginning to see the attacks ratcheted up and originating from higher levels.
We now have the neo-cons and other ideological movements joining with the Clinton campaign to tear down Obama by depicting him as unpatriotic, un-vetted and possibly a "closet Muslim."
A few days ago we saw neo-con NYT columnist William Kristol attacking Obama’s patriotism by citing his decision to stop wearing an American flag lapel pin because, as Obama said, he saw how George W. Bush was exploiting the flag to stampede the nation toward war with Iraq.
Obama responded to Kristol's attack:
"You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin," Obama said when asked about his lack of a flag pin in October 2007. "As we’re talking about the Iraq War, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won’t wear that pin on my chest."
Kristol then mocked Obama's response as "an example of both Obama’s dubious claim to patriotism and his pomposity".
Parry writes:
Right now, the front line for the Washington Establishment is Hillary Clinton’s struggling presidential campaign, which has been stunned by Obama’s political skills as well as his extraordinary ability to raise money over the Internet. Obama’s grassroots donations have negated Clinton’s prodigious fund-raising advantage with big donors.
As Parry points out in closing "...Obama’s success in getting out from under the special-interest financial dependency may be the most significant political development of this election cycle."
"That success", writes Parry, "also helps explain the emerging war on Obama – and the rising hysteria among Establishment figures about his surging candidacy."
Obama has stated that one of his goals is "not just to end the Iraq War but 'the mindset' behind the war". He has captured the imagination and support of a growing number of Americans. Changing the mind-set and implementing change will be no easy task, but at least for now, there is reason for hope.
Expect to see increasing activity in the War on Obama as we move closer to nomination and election time.