by Fred Nagel, Rhinebeck, NY
in a letter to the Woodstock Times
September 22, 2011

Even for a politician who has made his career out of serving the rich and well connected, these must seem like dismal times. Back in Chicago, all Obama had to do was to obey the corrupt Democratic machine. And he did it well, running against progressive black candidates for the city council. Once elected, he simply followed what the monied interests told him to do, despite his rhetorical flourishes about peace and social justice.

That must seem like long ago. Now as president, Obama has come to be the whipping boy of just about every powerful interest in the country. Look at the beating he took from the Israel lobby, despite the fact that he has consistently promoted the interests of right-wing Zionists over America’s need to bring peace to the Middle East.

The same has been true of the huge corporate behemoths. Obama has sold his soul for big oil’s right to drill without worrying about the environment. He has given away his health “reform” to the big insurance and pharmaceutical companies. He has devastated the rights of working people, even cut Social Security and Medicare, all to give more tax cuts to the corporations and the very rich who own them. Yet, all these elites can do is badmouth him, and make him grovel even more.

Cowardly sellouts have never gotten much respect, no matter which side they secretly worked for. Can all this abuse and disdain be worth the millions he will make after he is president?