Barack Obama, RFK, and Blackwater

Forty years ago, in 1968, when Robert F. Kennedy started his campaign for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, he made a point to travel to what today would be considered "red" states. Five days after he announced his candidacy, he visited Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. At the University of Alabama, Kennedy said:

I have come here because I seek to join with you in building a better country and a united country. And I come to Alabama because I need your help. This election will mean nothing if it leaves us, after it is all over, as divided as we were when it began. We have to begin to put our country together again. So I believe that any who seek high office this year must go before all Americans: Not just those who agree with them, but also those who disagree; recognizing that it is not just our supporters, not just those who vote for us, but all Americans, who we must lead in the difficult years ahead. And this is why I have come, at the outset of my campaign, not New York or Chicago or Boston, but here to Alabama.

Barack Obama, in his victory speech last night following the Iowa caucuses, struck similar chords. He made an impassioned appeal to voters in "blue" states as well as "red" states. His primary campaigns have a grassroots fervor not seen in American politics since 1968, and he has sparked a nerve among young people who desire to move their country in a new direction away from the dismal politics of inaction, limitation, and scarcity to a new politics of hope and collective effort toward building a better future. It took forty years but perhaps today with Barack Obama we are seeing the continuation of the project that Robert Kennedy started in 1968.

In 1968, when Kennedy was gaining momentum and piling up primary victories it looked as though he would win the presidential nomination. But before he could be safely ensconced inside "the bubble" of 24-hour federal protection he was assassinated. And his progressive challenge to the war in Vietnam and to poverty at home was stopped in its tracks.

In 2008, Obama is gaining momentum, and hopefully people inside his organization are cognizant of the fact that he constitutes a very real threat to the likes of Blackwater, Dyncorps, Halliburton, and the hundreds of other private companies currently profiteering from the Iraq occupation.

Blackwater, that reactionary private mercenary outfit headed by the right-wing Christian nationalist Erik Prince stands to lose big time with an Obama presidency. Under George W. Bush Blackwater went from a marginal company with about $27 million in government contracts to a behemoth currently receiving over $1 billion in federal largesse.

It was revealed after the massacre of 17 Iraqis in Baghdad by Blackwater mercenaries that the U.S. State Department cannot function in Iraq without the services of the well-connected private company. Blackwater has a lot riding financially on keeping the Iraq occupation going and a lot to lose if it is ended. (Please read Jeremy Scahill's book Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army.)

Under an Obama Administration Blackwater would no doubt be cut down to size along with Bush's other crony capitalist entities. The Blackwater Boys no doubt have close friends and ideological soul mates deep inside the federal security services.

In 1968, immediately following the killing of Robert Kennedy, President Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order providing Secret Service protection to all viable presidential candidates. His decision came as a result of the RFK assassination. But it was too late to prevent a tiny piece of lead from disfranchising millions of American voters.

Let's hope that the Blackwater elements can be thoroughly flushed out of the federal security services. Let's also hope that the Secret Service does a better job protecting Obama in the coming election year than Pakistan's ISI did in protecting Benazir Bhutto who didn't live to see election day.

What must be done with Blackwater is what President John F. Kennedy said he wanted to do with the CIA following the Bay of Pigs disaster: Tear it up into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the wind. FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, and JFK are rolling in their graves at the privatizing of the armed forces that George W. Bush has rammed through. With privatization comes a lack of control on the part of the government over its own military and security services. Bush gave Blackwater and companies like it a free ride on the government's dime and they no doubt want the gravy train to continue. Obama promises to apply the brakes. He therefore has some well-armed and lethally trained enemies that stand to lose their livelihoods if he follows through on his promise to end the Iraq occupation.

When the political winds blow toward radical change our recent history shows that there's a tendency for popular leaders on the left to face some form of unexplained tragedy. Let's hope the primary campaigns of 2008 only mirror those of 1968 in their grassroots energy, enthusiasm, and vision for the future.

Comments

[JackBauer]

Sirhan Sirhan, so bad they named him twice.

Sure, except every knows Obama has a letter in a sealed vault stating that should he die unexpectedly, that the Clintons did it like they done Vince.

Besides, wasn't Robert Kennedy murdered by a so-called "Palestinian" Muslim terrorist called Sirhan Sirhan?

You know, the ones the left so admire and revere. That's the litmus test for leftoids.

And didn't the admirable Robert Kennedy spend his time as Attorney Gemeral (no nepotism in that appointment at all) bugging people like Martin Luther King Jr.

It's nice to know that everything you want to know about the corrupt, vile Che T-Shirt wearing left can still be found in its "heroes" (SIC). Never met a murdering commie dictator they didn't wetdream over.

But it is nice to know that tenured "Professors" getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars aren't the extreme left-wing nutbags with paranoid delusions that so many of us conservatives assume them to be.

[JackBauer]

Sirhan Sirhan, so bad they named him twice.

Sure, except everyone knows Obama has a letter in a sealed vault stating that should he die unexpectedly, that the Clintons did it, just like they done Vince.

Besides, wasn't Robert Kennedy murdered by a so-called "Palestinian" entity Muslim terrorist called Sirhan Sirhan?

You know, the ones the left so admire and revere. That's the litmus test for liberals, socialists, trots, neo-comms and the assorted whatnots isn't it?

And didn't the admirable Robert Kennedy spend all his time as Attorney Gemeral (no nepotism in that appointment at all) bugging people like Martin Luther King Jr.

It's nice to know that everything you want to know about the corrupt, vile Che T-Shirt wearing left can still be found in its "heroes" (SIC). Never met a murdering commie dictator they didn't wetdream over.

But it is also reassuring to know that tenured "Professors," getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, aren't the extreme left-wing nutbags with paranoid delusions that so many of us conservatives assume them to be.

[Spookcatcher]

Wow, what an obvious attempt to trump up Obama as being more than what he truly is, an agent of the Elitists. So far Obama has not signed on to renounce or make laws to make sure the pwoers of the Executive office get back in the frame work of the Constitution. Which by the way he should be promising and should have been standing as the most vocal most prolific advdersary of this Administrations Dictatorship since he is a Harvard Law School graduate student in Constitutional law! He is a sham and a Globalist Interests Prop for the World stage and the hedge bet against HRC. If anyone is Elitist Corporate threat it's Edwards. unfortunately he is already drinking koolaid and sounding off about China. Weneed real change agents, non lawyers, non New Yorker, non Elitist "assets". By the way Bobby had promised the week of JFK death that he would open the investigation completely of his brother's assassination, when he was in the rith position. He was going to wait to run till 1972, but the War and the Youth of America, and the civil unrest was too much to let him rest any longer! Obama's handlers convinced him because of the shattered republican party and growing disparity of wealth, and the failure of any immigration laws that divide us racially, that it is the best time for him to be a viable candidate to sell a discouraged populous and engage the next generation who do not base their ideology on the old south or the old money northern corporatists and psuedo electuals. And they are too naive to recognize his ties the money brokers that are backing him.

[Bloggeritis]

"Under an Obama Administration Blackwater would no doubt be cut down to size along with Bush's other crony capitalist entities. "

hahaha - you WISH! Blackwater ain't goin' nowhere, kid.

Ironically enough, Blackwater was approached by the Bhutto security people and was interested in acting on a deal to protect her, but were barred from entering Pakistan. Who knows whether or not she'd be alive today if Eeeevil Erik Prince were able to get in on the action, if only for a price.

Like it or not, Blackwater and companies like it are here to stay. Such is the price we pay for having a small, non-draft military that gets asked to do things all over the world and will likely continue to do so, even if (perhaps especially if) Obama is elected. If he's elected, he will owe many people, including the congressional black caucus, a group which just happens to want more active participation in Africa (Sudan, etc.). The military can't do it alone, and yes, people like Blackwater will be reluctantly called upon to assist in this new world order.

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

Last night I attended a Obama celebration in downtown Sacramento at the Obama headquarters. After a conversation with a close friend and colleague who is active in the Obama campaign I realized that there is palpable fear in some quarters that political assassination cannot be ruled out -- even in America (which has had our share Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, JFK, Medgar Evers, MLK, RFK) -- so historically it's not far fetched at all. I was never satisfied with the "pilot error" ruling in the Wellstone crash either. I'm just suspicious, not a wild "conspiracy" theorist -- it always struck me strange that the Right screams that the Teachers' Unions can form nefarious "conspiracies" and the UN has "black helicopters" etc. but corporate elites can never hold a conspiracy together. Historically there have been plenty of them including Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, Chile in 1973 -- how about Iran-contra? These were conspiracies. Tape recordings showed that Enron conspired to steal from California and Washington state rate payers for energy. I find political assassination, look what recently happened in Pakistan, as a very common phenomenon. Even Machiavelli talks about it in his works, and of course Brutus assassinated Caesar -- so I don't see why anyone who raises political assassination as an issue is automatically branded a crazy. Great comments though all! Thank you.

[Rule Of Law]

"Blackwater, that reactionary private mercenary outfit headed by the right-wing Christian nationalist Erik Prince,"--and related by marriage, religion and funding to the Amway Empire!

JFK threatened to end the Viet Nam war (please do the research before you talk about escalation, etc...) and was assassinated within two months!

Bobby Kennedy, same thing. And all the banking and war machine(MIC) had for its tools in those days was the CIA. Today, they have private armies with talented mercenary thugs trained by Uncle Sam on our tax dollar for their untraceable covert ops.

A charismatic leader can mobilize a nation. But the time to think that any one man or woman alone can turn back the tide of fascism in America is past. Before we reach the point of 1963 or 1968 again, the American People, All of us, need to make our voices and our power known and let Blackwater and their Corporate Elite masters know that if they kill one of our own, that this time there will be a terrible reckoning. That this time we intend to take our Country back, reinstate the Constitution and the rule of law, and that we will mobilize behind the leader who hears us to do whatever that takes.

[Qbear]

Everytime I hear Obama compared to Bobby Kennedy a cold chill goes down my spine and spit to ward off bad luck. I wish that comparrison could go away for the election.
Too many tragedies from Harvey Milk, Bobby, MLK, JFK, it's probably generational, but it scares the f*ck out of me.

[jsarets]

I don't think that the politics of assassination is really on the agenda, at least within the core of the GOP political machine. The conditions just aren't right, and I think it's obvious to any politicall­y-consciou­s observer that the assassination of a Democratic candidate would backfire in a very dramatic fashion.

It was different in 1968. It was an age of innocence. The assassinations of Dr. King followed two months later by RFK demoralized the nation and really sucked the life out of the Democratic Party. We were shell-shocked. We didn't know how to continue to play politics in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy. Eugene McCarthy effectively quit the race out of combination of shock and respect.

This is no age of innocence. This is an age of cynicism. If any of the Democrats are assassinated, the reaction of our jaded society would be much like our reaction to Bhutto. There would be a huge outpouring of emotion, but the undercurrent would be that politics is a dangerous business, and the fact that a Democrat would be assassinated in this political climate is not altogether that surprising.

The first thing to cross the minds of the operatives within the Democratic political machine would be to construct a new ballgame to capitalize on the tragedy and make the Republicans pay dearly for the assassination (even if there is no conclusive link to the party). The Democrats would invoke the mantle of patriotism and courage in the face of brutal opposition. The Republicans wouldn't stand a chance.

Plus, the Democrats have a wealth of great presidential candidates that could rise in the wake of such a tragedy. I don't see how the politics of assassination could hold any water with anyone who has particularly close ties to the GOP elite. If something like this should happen, I would suspect a random (group of) deranged Christian fundamentalist(s) rather than a plot connected to the GOP or its cronies.

[rodeogirl]

I'm not sure, are you suggesting that Barack must be careful because he is a canidate of color because surely his risks aren't heightened because of his revoultionary ideas? Barack take care of Blackwater??? Where do you get your info?? Only by ending the war on the first day in office, as Richardson suggests, will Blackwater be taken care of. And for those unsure of what will happen next in Iran, DIPLOMACY. No more lives spent

[JTM27]

The thought that Obama might fall at the hand of an assassin seems to be a fear based tactic that is not only cheap, but highly suspect. Could this be wishful thinking by those who cannot come to terms with having a president who doesn't look like their relative, yet would love to make the man a martyr for their cause against the Red State supporters. Or could it be that a successful black leader who is relevant; not Jesse and not Al, emerge and challenge the status quo and infuse some new ideas.
That is just as scary to liberals and conservatives alike. So Obama should remember to look Left and look Right.

[Kundera]

I hope he's like RFK.
The RFK who worked with the great Joseph McCarthy.
The RFK who who went after the corrupt unions.
The RFK who was anti abortion.
The RFK who strongly supported Israel and died for that belief. as he was shot by a Palestinian.

[falgiano]

i sincerely hope that obama or edwards would end or greatly reduce the role of contractor militias. it's a HUGE and growing threat to our democracy. hillary never would.

is either obama or edwards on the record about Blackwater et al? i don't know that i've read any specific comments by either.

[Steamboater]

Obama is no Bobby Kennedy. If Kennedy had lived and become president, he would have ended the Vietnam War and quick. Obama won't even agree to bring all the troops home by 2013.
Kennedy was more like John Edwards than Obama too. Maybe not so phsycically poilshed but full of fire and passion about the issues he cared about e.g., the poor especially.
Obama is a centrist through and through. Kennedy wasn't. He often got enraged about the issues he supported and often we saw that brimstone come to the fore. It was good. Obama is about as passionate as a window mannequin. He may have the aura of Kennedy because he talks a good game but he's hardly anything like him.

[MPeter]

Writer makes a good point. The guys incharge of Obama's security must be extra vigilant. Be alert. No accepting unvetted new members on staff or unaunthnticated, verifiable orders or changes in travel plans, no unauthorized, certfied technicians working in his plane either. Guard his like your life depended on it.

[starboymikey]

It should be pointed out that Huckabee also has some powerful enemies, and some of them are the same enemies Obama has.

Both are economic populists, a threat to those whose money runs this country. Though Obama and Huck are very different in many ways, in this one sense they much the same and threaten the same group.

A mysterious Huckabee assassination could plausibly be blamed on the progressives.

The old Chinese curse, "may you live in interesting times," has definitely come to pass.