An ominous pattern of efforts to stifle and suppress, or to punish any dissent has emerged in the Obama campaign.
The most recent example is the banishment from the campaign's aircraft of reporters for three major newspapers that have had the effrontery to endorse Obama's rival for the presidency.
The campaign claims it was purely coincidental that reporters for publications favoring McCain's election were selected for removal because of space limitations. Nonetheless, the campaign has found space for reporters for a couple of black magazines with very limited readerships. The claims are patently bogus and reflect an astoundingly arrogant confidence that the public will accept any nonsense the campaign put out.
Furthermore, the punishment of the offending publications is part and parcel of, and only the latest example in a consistent series of actions demonstrating intolerance and aggressive hostility toward anything other than blind adherence and total unquestioning support for Obama. Consider the following additional examples:
* In Chicago, Obama supporters waged an organized campaign against a radio station for airing the views of a recognized journalist who had written a book and was talking about things in Obama's past that he and his campaign have managed, with the cooperation of the compliant media, to keep hidden.
* In Missouri public officials supporting Obama and his campaign for the presidency threatened to bring and prosecute legal actions against individuals and organizations publicly expressing criticism of the candidate that the officials considered to be false. We haven't seen the likes of this since repeal of the 19th Century's Alien and Sedition Laws.
* Joe the Plumber has been savaged, with his private life becoming fair game, and his lack of a plumbing license exposed and broadcast by public officials, because he dared to ask questions and say things embarrassing to Obama.
* Obama supporters hacked into Sarah Palin's personal and private computer files and e-mails for information that might be used to criticize her.
* Lawyers for the campaign demand that broadcast outlets not air NRA ads critical of Obama.
* Obama supporters, including elected officials, openly seek to reenact "fairness doctrine" to kill conservative talk radio.
In light of the above, which are just a few of a great many similar examples that could easily be cited, media that were doing their job and not merely propaganda outlets for the Obama candidacy would be asking what this pattern portends for them and for the country if Obama is elected president.
All be the most doltish and obtuse citizens and a noncaptive press should see in the pattern a possible harbinger of the misuse of the instruments of government. Are we seeing a precursor to the use of the nation's law enforcement and tax authorities and a compliant press to threaten, punish, and prevent any criticism of an Obama administration? Would his tenure be used to institute a domestic version of the regimes of Fidel Castro in Cuba and Hugo Chavez in Venezuela?
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