2008 Avoidance and Denial Rappy Nominees

Today's "Rappy" nominees are for the most under reported scandal of 2008 and for the media outlets most notable for not reporting. It took effort to avoid reporting some of the scandals listed. We congratulate all media outlets for the artful concelament and denial that lead to such a fine group of nominees.

The Obama distortion

I've been saying it all year. Obama is a liar. There are various types of lies. Big ones, "white" ones, ones that people are forced into, some protect security, some are actually helpful, some lead nations into war, some end marriages, some are told out of sloth, some fear, and there is a special group of lies that are for one purpose and one only: Lies to protect one's inflated ego. Many lie by omission and commission to protect and defend an inner narrative. A tale one tells oneself about oneself.

Obama's lies often fall into this category. "My parents met in Selma." "The Kennedys helped my father come to America" "My banking committee..." "I was a law professor..." They have the texture of truth and have never been extensively vetted . None of these Obama statements are true. But they suited Obama's narrative - and the media, unwilling to accept that Obama was anything but a blessing to the nation, refused to call him on these lies, all of which fed Obama's narrative of redemption. The narrative itself is a lie.

Obama told another whopper this week. "I had no contact with the governor's office."

This is, of course, bullshit. Emmanuel supplied Blag with a list of replacement Senators acceptable to Obama's campaign . The list came from somewhere. Are we to believe that Obama had no say in this list? Of course not. It is unbelievable. Obama approved the list and Emmanuel gave it to Blag's office. THIS IS CONTACT. Further it is contact that goes to the heart of the scandal now engulfing Illinois. It was not contact about the Cubs ownership...or the weather. Why did Obama lie on this point? It makes perfect sense for Obama to have had contact with the man who would choose his replacement. But we have been, and continue to be, harangued with a distorted tale that Obama is our great hope. THE ONE. Without that distortion Obama is just another politician about to make some grim decisions as President. Many of those decisions will directly contradict his campaign's alleged promises. Many already have. Being in anyway involved with a huckster like Blag. violates Obama's narrative.

The distortion is all he has - really. This is not a problem unto itself. All Presidents project an image that does not quite jibe with their reality. However, the gulf between the Obama distortions and the Obama reality is gargantuan. Obama is fresh and new. He will be different. He is not sullied by politics as usual. He is HOPE and CHANGE.

I fully expected the veneer to be striped off this nonsense a few months into 2009. But now we don't have to wait months. It does not look to me like Obama himself was involved in any illegality...we shall see...But what already stinks to high heaven is Obama's closest staff's involvement. The myth of Obama is taking on water. It now appears that Obama's staff was very involved with Blag's office regarding the empty Senate seat. Which goes to his judgement. Good judgement is a pillar of the Obama distortion.

He could learn from this scandal and move into the White House resolved to ditch his Chicago political upbringing once and for all. It would be quite a feat, though. His entire career is smoke and mirrors. Should he dump everyone who brought him to the party he has almost nothing left. Fantasy and corruption are the tent poles of his professional life. The speeches have all been geared to fuel our projections, His "resume" as such, from Excelon to his miracle final year in the Illinois state senate, is composed of back room deals and well timed "present" votes - all a delicate balancing act abetted by the media.

I believed then and believe now that the most incisive moments we had for seeing into the reality of Obama were in June when he flipped on FISA and public financing. In both instances he moved 180 degrees on core principles. This should have been to liberals what Bush 1's flip flop on "no new taxes" was to conservatives: a moment of clarity, a moment everyone saw the man behind the curtain.

Most disturbing as the Blag story unfolds: The Obama cabal will no doubt ramp up the distortions in the next month. The media, full partners in the endeavor so far, will help.

Fundamentally, this is unhealthy. My strong dislike of Obama aside, we can't afford a mythological President. Reality bites too hard.

Forget FDR and JFK, Barrack. Start looking to Truman, a man willing to to suffer unpopularity and make the tough choices. I know being unpopular is a violation of your sacred inner narrative - but, you sir, are all we've got. Be real.