Kristi and I went to see Cynthia McKinney today in Carbondale, Illinois. She was there raising money and campaigning for a run for president on the Green Party ticket. She hasn’t officially announced her candidacy, so it hasn’t gotten any buzz yet, but people, on her behalf, are circulating nominating petitions to get her on ballots in a number of states. In Illinois and California she is has filed her petitions and is likely to be on the ballot.

She was answering questions from the press when we walked into the theatre at the SIU student center. Then it became a discussion with the audience. She is always a dignified gentlewoman, with deep knowledge of events and issues across a broad spectrum. We both thought she handled herself very well. The press was meager, but there was some. The crowd was respectable.

I got to speak to her afterward, although a lot of people were wanting to speak to her. It was a very warm reunion. I have the utmost of respect for her. I think she’s a courageous woman – one of the most politically knowledgable and strong advocates I have ever met. What really gets me is how the “mainstream corporate media” for lack of a better term, mindlessly printed all this questionable if not totally false information about her repeatedly. For example, the media firestorm over her supposedly “assaulting” a U.S. Capitol policeman was all smoke and no fire. Here’s why I say that.

She was the Bush administration’s enemy number 1 in congress. She was (and eventually did) trying to get impeachment proceedings filed against Bush. She was asking Bush’s people very difficult questions in hearings about 911, about where funds in Iraq ended up, about defense spending, etc. etc. These were questions that these white men in suits didn’t want to answer, particularly from an “uppity” black woman. You think if they thought they could get an indictment on her they wouldn’t do it? Of course they would, as many times as they could. But they didn’t. And why must that be? It must be because there was nothing there to prosecute. But, it was everyone on the news for many days and it ultimately did add to the climate which culminated in her losing her seat in Congress – again. We, as a nation, are worse off for it, too. But, then again, under Bush, we are a lot worse off in a lot of ways.

Yes, Oprah and Obama are running the table on publicity right now. I have already predicted that Obama was going to get the nomination for the Democrats, and I think that I am right about that. Anyone who thinks Oprah isn’t going to have a huge positive effect for Obama, who has an uncanny natural rhythm in knowing how to peak a campaign at the right time anyway, is delirious. Of course she is going to help him – alot. I’m beginning to think he is heading for the presidency. And, I have the audacity to hope that he will be a good president.

And we could use Obama as president today, compared with Bush. But, Obama needs Cynthia pushing him from the left, because he gets too carried away being in the middle, and the middle is only good if both sides are equal, and that isn’t how things in the U.S. are right now. Cynthia can, if she decides to do this, after a number of runs as a Green, build a nationwide constituency that could influence the process in a very positive way. I think she sees this and is willing to go for it. As she said, her friends encourage her to run, and she can’t say no. She has already spent alot of time travelling the country over the years building solid contacts across the country. Her personality and command of the issues is going to build her respect. The media can slow her down with their false assaults, but they can’t stop her.

One thing that was disappointing a bit was to bring home a couple of the local Carbondale “alternative” publications, which previewed her visit, and read articles which got sucked into the mainstream BS, and missed the real issues. While I think her reception in Carbondale was very good and respectful, I think it demonstrates why her campaign for national leadership is going to have to be a long term plan. The “mainstream corporate media” can be very influential, even with people who don’t think they are that vulnerable to such influence.

If the Democrats and Republicans think they “got rid” of Cynthia McKinney, think again. She is back and coming at them with another plan. I hope it leaves some of the party’s long term planners with some sleepless nights, because it should. There’s a lot of people in our nation that want to live in a nation which strives for equality and justice. Our system is nowhere near providing that. Someone who has true credentials that they will lead us in that direction will find a following.
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See the DVD American Blackout,. which features Cynthia McKinney
http://www.americanblackout.com

Cynthia McKinney’s website: http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com

Also recommended: http://www.judgeforyourself.us , website of John Judge, an assistant to Cynthia McKinney in her final term in the House of Reps. John is one of the best “alternative historians,” expert in the deep politics of the empire, one of the very few independent investigators of 9/11 who makes a serious effort to differentiate real claims from BS. His writings are also archived at http://www.ratical.org/ratville/JFK/JohnJudge/