Brother, Can You Spare Some "Change"?

Underneath the facade of carefully crafted speeches that will outline a vision of an America that's different, willing to take a leap of faith, and yearning for change, there is an underworld operating right now in Denver. After the cry of action, the play will begin and the roles the actors play will become more fully developed. Behind it all will be a crew of technocrats, stagehands, directors, and producers that want to make a sales pitch or two, and sell a service or product.

If that's not enough, there's more. As in any part of an entertainment event, sponsorship of such a production plays the most important role. Even though it is unseen and unheard from (during the show), it's there. And most of us will not see it at home on the TV screens.

We'll hear how the Democrats are the hope of our future, while they lambaste George Bush for creating the poor, screwing the middle class, and for generally being Satan, incarnate. During this time, the words and the prose will all be pointing to the one that will deliver us all from oppression and corruption, Barack Hussein Obama. All the while, many will watching in earnest to see if they will be getting a good return on their investments. Behind the scenes during all of this, lobbyists are doing what Obama said he did not want them to do and wanted to change. They are spreading money around like candy being thrown off of Mardi Gras parade float.

Despite a campaign that attacked corporate and special interest lobbyists as evil and banned their money and participation, Sen. Barack Obama has done little, if anything, about their pervasive, free-spending presence at the Democratic convention in Denver, ethics watchdog groups say.

I think he could have sent a signal to say I want this tamped down," said Ellen Miller of the Sunlight Foundation, a political ethics watchdog group.

"But he has not," she said, "so it's party time."

The man that says he wants to change the way business is done is Washington, is off to a great start. Maybe he thinks it counts as "change" if he changes it from DC politics to that of The Windy City. Ask any Chicagoan, that's how it's done there. But, the interesting thing is clear. Obama is not wanting to implement change, nearly as much as he and his peers want us all to believe that he does. And what's his campaigns excuse?

A spokesman for the Obama campaign, Ben LaBolt, said the Senator could not "make changes to this year's convention" because of the "very late end to the primary season."

Translation:

We didn't think we'd win the nomination and have all of this money thrown at us, so abruptly and so soon. Because of this, we must disregard the promises we made for the good of the Party and the furtherance of the ultimate goal, which is beating George Bu...er, uh, John McCain, in the fall. The people, who we promised this to, were primarily Democrats and they will all understand our rationale. We cannot afford four more years of George Bush's policies, which is what we will get with John McCain. (Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go to an after-session party hosted by some friends, and we are already late.)

So, here we are. We are stuck in a news cycle that will last until Thursday night, when "The One" will accept his party's nomination, in a stadium that can showcase the Democratic moonies that look for deliverance from perceived injustices, imposed on Americans, by an out of touch Republican Party that wants people to suffer. "Change we can believe in" and "changing the way business is done in Washington" will both be the central themes for the next four evenings, over and over, ad nauseum. But if you want to know the truth about it, the only change I see is the change that will passing from hand to hand in the restaurants, hotels, and bars.

"Senator, can I buy you a bagel? Latte? Hot dog? How about a martini?"

Cha-ching!!!