Dreams of my father and tribe

Let me state at the outset something I emailed the other day to a regular reader. I do not believe Obama is a Muslim. I came to this conclusion, not so much because of his denials and membership in a church, but because he seems too corrupt; a practitioner of the politics of convenience; to be ideologically committed to any one belief. He is leftist, because those ideals got him elected and bring him money. He associates with believers in black-liberation theology (a slight variation of the liberation theology as practiced in South America) because its leaders in Chicago hold a great deal of power. He argues for attacking Pakistan because it makes him look tough. He has business and personal dealings with people most of us would refuse to break bread with (because they are unrepentantly violent, not because they thought something ridiculous in their twenties), because it garners him support and power and jobs.

All of that said, I think it's clear that Obama's 2006 odyssey to Africa was not so much a Congressional fact-finding mission (despite being billed and paid for that way, and despite the fact that no other Congressional members were part of it), but a personal one. An odyssey to 'find' his father, connect with his roots and tribe, and (cousin or not) campaign for Odinga. He was hot-to-trot when it came to slamming the political corruption endemic in Kenya and Kibaki administration (despite the improvements it made over prior administrations), but made nary a mention (despite being joined at the hip for two weeks) of Odinga's corruption, ties to communism and agreements with Islamists to implement Sharia law if their support garnered him the Presidency. This despite highly publicized reports in various Kenyan papers, the BBC and CBS. In fact, there are not a few similarities between the Presidential campaigns of Obama and Odinga. Both are the young 'agents of change.' Both have strong ties to current and former communist parties and leaders. Both have received help from Islamist organizations. Both seem to use these various associations, not so much because of personal belief, but out of convenience and for power.

Obama has repeatedly ridiculed John McCain for focusing on corruption in campaign finance and through the earmark system (Obama's personal requests amount to $1M/daily). His own corruption is the probable motivator. Of course, the sad end to all of this is the horrible violence, murder and mayhem that Odinga's supporters enacted when he lost the election. No one (except perhaps Kibaki himself) claims that the election was truly fair. But it wasn't worth the slaughter that Odinga wrought on the country in vengeance. Or perhaps to him it was, since it garnered him a power-sharing deal and the Prime Minister's post. Let me know what you think of the videos below.