He claims to be an up from the grassroots activist

In fact, he's used opportunism all the way - to the

Illinois Senate in 1996. Then after failing to win

a US House seat, it was up a notch to the Senate

in 2005 after his November 2004 election

Black American Hustles Naive Americans

Each election cycle, hope springs eternal. Candidates promise change and voters buy it. Intelligent ones.

People who know better or should. The current campaign highlights it. A surge is building for Obama, not for what he is. For what people think or hope he is - a populist, progressive, man of the people, a new course for America.

After the final June 3 primaries and "rush of superdelegates," according to The New York Times, they're stuck with him.

The Times reports that he crossed "over the threshold (to) the 2118 delegates needed to be nominated...." Obama marked the occasion as his chance to "bring a new and better day to America (as) the 'Democratic' nominee for president of the United States of America."

It's not how John Pilger sees him. In a recent article, he calls him America's "great liberal hope." He compares his campaign to Bobby Kennedy's in 1968 and says:

"Both offer a false hope that they can bring peace and racial harmony to all Americans." Kennedy spoke of "return(ing) government to the people" and giving "dignity and justice" to the oppressed.

"Obama is his echo" with familiar promises of change, charting a new course, sweeping government reforms, addressing people needs, and "ensur(ing) that the hopes and concerns of average Americans speak louder in Washington than the hallway whispers of high-priced lobbyists."

He claims to be an up from the grassroots activist. In fact, he cashed in on opportunism all the way - to the Illinois Senate in 1996. Then after failing to win a US House seat, it was up a notch to the Senate in 2005 after his November 2004 election.

He promised hope but delivered betrayal. He's beholden to power and doesn't relate well to ordinary constituents who backed him, including his black community base.

If he's nominated and wins in November, Marc Crispin Miller's "Fooled Again" will apply but in this case to promises made, then broken.

Miller's book refers to the stolen 2004 presidential election. Kerry won big, Bush remained president, Kerry admitted to the author he knew he'd been had, then disavowed he ever said it in reverse "profile of courage" fashion.

An Obama victory will go Lincoln one better. It'll prove that the electorate can be fooled "all of the time" - at least enough of them to matter. And that leaves out election fraud in an age when:

* candidates are pre-selected;

* big money owns them;

* independents are shut out;

* the media ignore them;

* they keep people uninformed;

* issues aren't addressed;

* voter disenfranchisement is rife;

* machines do our voting;

* losers are declared winners; and

* not just for president.

It's democracy American-style, a long-standing tradition.

We are a one party state according to Gore Vidal: the Property or Monied Party with two wings. Ralph Nader calls them a "two-party (twiddle dee v. twiddle dum) dictatorship." More pungently, the capitalist party.

Yet most people buy the rhetoric and ignore the evidence. The criminal class in Washington is bipartisan. Democrats are interchangeable with Republicans. Differences between them are minor.

Not a dime's worth to matter. Whoever wins in November, the outcome is certain. Voters again will lose. They'll get the best democracy money can buy but none of it earmarked for them.

Wars of aggression won't end. Repressive laws won't be repealed. Corruption will stay deeply embedded.

Privatizing everything will be de rigueur. Monied interests will be hugely rewarded. Militarizing and annexing the continent will go forward.

Voter interests will go largely unaddressed. And promises made will again prove empty.

Obama: Sponsored by the Capitalists

He preaches change but supports the status quo. He's beholden to power as a stealth DLC member that's essential for any Democrat aspirant. It makes him gallingly disingenuous, deceitful to voters, and "safe" for corporate supporters who back him.

He says individual donors supply most of his funding, that he gets none of it from lobbyists, and that they won't crowd out working Americans if he's elected.

In fact, big money owns him. He raises over $1 million a day. Wall Street lords love him. So do corporate law firms; other finance, insurance and real estate interests; the health industry; communications and electronics firms; various other businesses.

The Center for Responsive Politics reports that his top five donors are corporate lobbyists - the same ones he claims to take no money from.

He preaches opposition to NAFTA and wants it renegotiated. It's a "charade" says Nader. "There's no way he'll touch NAFTA or WTO." His health care plan puts insurance companies in charge and lets Big Pharma price-gouge consumers. He's beholden to corporate interests.

"If he wins, his appointments will give "lobbies and PACs (what they) want." He knows how Washington works; was fully briefed to be sure; and he "made his peace with that."

He's a political animal like the others. Big money is comforted, and why not. No one gets top Washington jobs unless they're "safe." For president, it's practically a blood oath, and Obama qualifies.

He's party line all the way, not a "transforming leader" at all. His voting record is appalling.While still in the Illinois legislature, he opposed the Iraq war.

Then as a 2004 US Senate candidate, he switched and claimed "There's not that much difference between my position and George Bush's...."

When elected, he proved it. He supported every defense budget and war supplemental and as president will "expand and modernize the military."

He voted to confirm Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State despite her falsifying justification for war. There's more. He:

* supports Homeland Security funding; like the Patriot Act, it centralizes unprecendented military and law enforcement authority under the executive; it subverts constitutional rights and furthers global dominance in the name of "national security;" it created the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) that functions like a national Gestapo;

* backed reauthorizing the Patriot Act in July 2005 with its police state provisions;

* campaigned in 2006 for Joe Lieberman against anti-war candidate Ned Lamont;

* supports permanent occupation of Iraq; stops just short of saying it; refuses to back a timetable for withdrawal; and wants to add 100,000 combat troops to the military;

* caved in to Israeli Lobby pressure; receptive to attacking Iran, removing Hugo Chavez, but says he'll talk to them first; then maybe not; he's double standard on most issues - rhetoric to voters; assurances to backers;

* in a May 23 speech, showed deference to Miami's Cuban exile community; one source described him as "electrifying;" a year ago he supported ending the embargo; no longer unless Cuba becomes a willing client state;

* voted with Republicans for the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA); it gives federal courts jurisdiction over fairer state ones for many class-action lawsuits over $5 million; corporations wanted it; Obama obliged;

* equivocates on controversial issues like "No Child Left Behind;" it's a corporate scheme to privatize education and end a 373 year tradition; he says the law "demoralizes our teachers (but) the goals of this law were the right ones" - translation: he supports ending public education;

* opposed an amendment capping credit card interest rates at 30%; it was wholly inadequate but would have set a precedent to lower them further;

* acted so much like Republicans, he's one of them on most issues:

* supporting medical providers in wrongful injury cases;

* letting mining companies strip mine everything; practically steal government lands to do it; and cheat taxpayers out of public revenues;

* voted for the Bush administration's 2005 Energy Policy Act in spite of criticizing it in campaign rhetoric; it was drafted in secret; provides huge industry subsidies; $6 billion to Big Oil and Gas; and a cornucopia of other industry handouts;

* backs nuclear power; loose industry regulation; $12 billion in subsidies; and numerous other benefits to promote a dangerous technology;

* harmful biofuels production and other agribusiness interests, including multi-billion dollar subsidies;

* opposes universal single-payer national health care, the hundreds of billions it would save, and the huge need for it among tens of millions of uninsured and underinsured;

* claims opposition to NAFTA, but campaigned in 2004 for more deals like it;
* voted against a 2005 Commerce Appropriations Bill amendment; it would have disfavored offshoring jobs by stopping companies doing business abroad from denying workers organizing rights, minimum wages, and other protections;

* assured AIPAC he's uncompromisingly pro-Israel; supports continued annual funding; and backed off from earlier promises about a just end to the conflict;

* supports the death penalty and brutish prison-industrial complex; it affects his people mostly in the world's largest gulag;

* voted for repressive immigration legislation; it enhances border security; (selectively) penalizes employers; deploys National Guard troops to the border; and imprisons and deports undocumented workers without due process;

* voted to confirm Robert Gates as Defense Secretary, John Negroponte as Director of National Intelligence, and Michael Chertoff as Secretary of Homeland Security - a deplorable roguish threesome;

* voted against the Military Commissions Act of 2006 but supports kangaroo court military tribunals for Guantanamo detainees;

* equivocates but his rhetoric and body language are clear; he supports the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act (S. 1959); it's called the "thought crimes" act; it passed the House overwhelmingly last October and awaits final resolution in the Senate;

* firmly opposes impeaching Bush and Cheney, and

* on June 1 matched John Kerry with his own reverse "profile of courage" act; he resigned from Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ.

It followed "controversy" over Reverend Jeremiah Wright's nobility; he spoke truths too "uncomfortable" for Obama to embrace; he demurred at first and now is firm; political opportunism outweighs righteousness as prime time campaign 2008 approaches;

This is the same JFK/RFK incarnate, a fresh new face, the "great liberal hope," the smooth-talking campaigner who understands who butters his bread. The same goes for Clinton and McCain.