COLORADO SPRINGS- News reports far and wide recounted Barack Obama’s visit yesterday to our “Bastion of the Religious Right.” He toured the Air Force Academy and Peterson AFB, and spoke with veterans at UCCS on the Christian North side. He finished off with the fundraiser at the Broadmoor, an atmosphere so genteel, Obama would have stood out against his Caucasian audience like a white man on the Broadmoor wait staff. Clearly our peace contingent had the less embarrassing task outside with our banners, where we were enthusiastically received, tourists stopped to pose for pictures with us.
For years the Broadmoor has been scamming the system by applying for work visas for temporary workers, claiming that the Colorado workforce is inadequate for their resort needs. Which might be true. While much of their low-wage earners are recruited from Eastern Europe, for the food service they’ve settled on Jamaicans. I can only conjecture that it’s because the Caribbean is closer, the labor pool is cheaper, the Jamaicans already speak English but can’t entangle themselves with the African American community several neighborhoods away, and they look good in all-white uniforms. I do hope Obama remarked on the jarring plantation racial divide last night at dinner.
As habitues of protesting the Broadmoor, we detected some interesting adjustments last night. For a start, the key security posts were being manned by Secret Service men who’d donned the maroon crested jackets. Not only did it make them look less conspicuous, they were in charge. Except they didn’t stand flat-footed, and deftly multi-tasked with PDAs. This left the usual security manager free to offer us his assistance! We think he was tickled that on this occasion we would be protesting his political opposites. But there was the suggestion of a racist fervor as the big southern guy and erstwhile asshole jumped into his SUV, and pulled beside us, beaconing us to hop in for a ride to the west entrance, the quicker to have banners in place before Mr. Obama’s arrival.
Otherwise, passersby and attendees were positively convivial. Salutations were warm and familiar. One couple visiting from Iowa hopped out of their car and asked to hold placards with us while we snapped their picture. Between reports into their headsets, the guards engaged us in friendly conversation.
News coverage of Obama’s earlier speech at UCCS showed that the audience of “veterans” in the gym was well seeded with dark faces, many of them recognizable to locals as active Democrats of color. KRDO Channel 13 went so far as to put a microphone on African American June Waller, to record her “yessirs” like amens at a gospel service. Which they played as chorus to Obama’s remarks.
June’s audio track began with her asking the person beside her for help with a camera “How do I get this going?” I know June as outgoing and self-deprecating, not the least bit incompetent. We can imagine the Dems were stage managing the event to project racial diversity. It the same wallpapering that Bush’s handlers do. But what was KRDO doing?
Sorry Eric I have to disagree with you about this.
I don’t agree with this war either, but I feel that by Tony holding a sign that read “both parties suck” that gave more fuel to the republican party. People who join the military generally believe that they are serving the country. Barack Obama mentioned last night that our troops are being put in harm’s way for an inappropriate reason.
Furthermore I’ll have you know that when I shook Barack Obama’s hand last night I told him that I was not pleased about his vote for FISA.
I will continue to support and vote for Barack Obama because I believe that a vote for Ralph Nader would be the same as voting for John McCain. History shows that Ralph Nader has helped the republican party achieve victory by running on an independent ticket.
I continue to support opposition to the war in Iraq. George Washington said that our military shouldn’t be used to settle foreign affairs. That is why I oppose the war in Iraq.
Like the first amendment says, you are free to disagree with me on this point if you like. I’ll give you credit for being a good activist, and hopefully you and I can agree on other issues. I must confess, I must disagree with what I saw when I passed by Tony yesterday, but I will recognize that you have the right to do that and I would NEVER try to hinder that.
What is really wrong with a sign that says ‘Both Parties Suck’, Ed? Most Americans agree strongly now with that sentiment, and rightly so.
There is something obstinately backward about liberals that cannot seem to speak the truth. Instead they trail far behind the American population as a whole in their political understanding of the American Empire and how it is organized.
You instead want a sign that says something like this… ‘Both Parties Suck, but the Republicans Suck More!’ You want to help build votes for a corporation controlled party, the Democratic Party, even as you try to build a Union Movement, in which we are totally with you all the way, I might add. We need those unions!
However, this strategy of ‘Both Parties Suck, but the Republicans Suck More!’ has been the primary strategy for disintegrating the American Labor Movement. Nothing has been gained by this point of view, while much has been lost with it. It’s time that you think a little bit more about the results that that message creates.
A Union Movement tied to the Democratic Party will never get us anywhere. How much more do workers in this country have to lose behind a union leadership policy of sucking up to the Democrats? There’s not much left these days of the fighting unions of Old, instead we have the lobbying (the Democrats) Union Shells of today, Ed. It’s very sad.
Ed-
It wouldn’t have been my choice to tell Democrats their party also sucks, but as you say, it’s a free country.
Our west entrance contingent was very polite, particularly seeing Democrats at the bottom all energized to set this country straight (but without wrestling it from the corporate oligarchs). In a small community like ours, I’d prefer to encourage friends to engage however they’re able, instead of teasing them for not knowing better. Eventually they’ll discover the real corporate phonies they are up against. But perhaps not soon enough.
I’m glad you were able to challenge Obama on his betrayal on FISA. Did his response satisfy you?
And did you notice today he’s “softening” on his 16-month withdrawal plan?
I think you may be hitching yourself to a darker horse than you know.
George Bush stole the 2000 election. Nader didn’t harm any vote. Without a Nader or McKinney in office, we’ll never have change.
Exactly what will Obama commit to do for you? Besides offering false hope?
VotePact.org
Dang. I was hoping somebody had made the absurd statement that Colorado Springs didn’t actually have a racist establishment.
I was gittin’ muh Shotgun responses loaded up. Like for instance that ridiculous Traffic Accident Magnet in the middle of an intersection on the busiest streets in Downtown, Platte and Nevada… that statue of a White Racist general who’s most famous for breaking every treaty he was ever a signatory to.
I grew up in El Paso Texas, a town with a heavy minority of Hispanics and in the entire history of the town there was only One count ’em One Hispanic Mayor. One Hispanic Chief of Police and somebody who was there recently told me there was a Hispanic Sheriff.
Dallas with a similar sad story involving a black majority but a Lily White Establishment.
But the Springs, man, this place takes the cake… you know, they actually worship that statue at Platte and Nevada.
Idolatry, that is. Suggestions that it be moved to where it doesn’t block the view of all 4 left-turns and thus would ameliorate somewhat the number of serious Traffic Accidents (the adjacent park leaps to mind) have always been met with “He’s the Founding Father of our City! We cannot Move Our Idol! Blasphemer!Blasphemer!” then they start picking up rocks….
That statue remind me of Prince Charles’ Special Horse…. the one with the asshole right in the middle of its back…
Typo alert, (wiped my glasses) that’s “heavy MAJORity of Hispanics in El Paso”
Spotted on CORRENTE: