There's a lot of talk from the media and the pundit class about "red and blue America," supposedly increased political "polarization" - but as my new book, Hostile Takeover details, that narrative is a deliberate farce designed to hide the very tightly-knit, bipartisan consensus in the Establishment that makes sure Big Money interests and the power structure are protected. Think that sounds like a conspiracy theory? Think that sounds crazy? Think again - and check out the front page of CBS News's website today.
There you will find an article headlined "Rupert Murdoch Loves Hillary Clinton." The story notes:
"Conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch will host a fundraiser for liberal New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, the Financial Times reports. The mating ritual of the unlikely allies has been under way for months. Clinton set political tongues to wagging last month by attending a Washington party celebrating the 10th anniversary of Fox News, the cable news channel owned by Murdoch."
The brazenness of this move is almost too much to stomach, even in a story about Hillary Clinton. Here you have a leading Democratic U.S. Senator engaging in a "mating ritual" with the head of the news network that has overtly worked to systematically destroy both the Democratic Party and her own husband's administration.
Here you have a top member of the American government shaking down cash from a guy whose record is chock full of union-busting, tax-evading, local media crushing, war mongering and all sorts of other disgusting behavior - behavior permitted by Congress without question, thanks to America's system of legalized bribery, as epitomized in the Clinton-Murdoch fundraiser.
Here you have, in short, proof that the hostile takeover of our government runs far deeper than we ever imagined, in a far more bipartisan way than we wanted to admit. Thank you, Sen. Clinton - in bragging about the fundraiser you are holding with the right-wing billionaire who has worked to destroy your party and your husband, at least you are (albeit inadvertently) acknowledging how far-reaching the hostile takeover of our government really is.
NOTE: I was asked to do this guest post for the Drum Major Institute's blog in advance of DMI's big book event for Hostile Takeover on Wednesday, May 10th. This post is cross-posted from DMI's site. You can find details of the NYC event here.