Obama File 27 Reds, Radicals, Terrorists and Traitors-Progressives For Obama

Obama file 26 here

Barack Obama did not rise to prominence solely on his own merits.


His career has been supported for many years by a socialist network, based in Chicago, but now reaching into every state of the US.

The network is an activist matrix led by former members of the '60s radical organisation Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)and supporters of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS).

The network has links to hundreds of leftist organisations including the Black Radical Congress, Progressive Democrats of America, United For Peace & Justice, USAction, ACORN and several major trade unions.

The network has been co-operating since at least the early 1980s. Parts of it came together behind Jesse Jackson's failed 1988 US presidential bid and again in the late '90s New Party which helped launch Barack Obama's successful bid for the Illinois State Senate.

Now the network has come together to put Barack Obama in the White House.

Their ambition doesn't end there however. The network wants to build a movement that will be able to pressure an Obama presidency into legislating for massive social change. They want to relive the 1930s and 1960s with a new "New Deal" and a new civil rights movement.

They want a socialist America.

One prominent tip of the socialist iceberg is a comparitively new organisation-Progressives for Obama (PFO).

According to the PFO website

We agree that Barack Obama is our best option for President in 2008, and that an independent grassroots effort can help strengthen his campaign.

It can also strengthen the mandate for his programs for stopping war, promoting global justice and securing our rights, liberties, and economic well-being. More important, independent organization at the base is needed for compelling social change no matter who is in the White House.

We have understood, from the beginning, that Senator Obama is not a consistent progressive, and often speaks to and from the center of our country’s political spectrum–sometimes well, sometimes not. All the more reason, we think, to organize a strong progressive pole, independent of his campaign, to counter rightward drift and push him to do better on issues that will win him more solid and wider support.

We don’t attempt to define ‘progressive’ here. We’re open to all trends, from the socialist left to moderate liberals, who want not only to defeat McCain, but also build the grassroots organizations and networks for wider and deeper change over the longer term.

Writing in The Nation, PGO founder Tom Hayden explained;

During past progressive peaks in our political history -- the late Thirties, the early Sixties -- social movements have provided the relentless pressure and innovative ideas that allowed centrist leaders to embrace visionary solutions. We find ourselves in just such a situation today.

We intend to join and engage with our brothers and sisters in the vast rainbow of social movements to come together in support of Obama's unprecedented campaign and candidacy. Even though it is candidate-centered, there is no doubt that the campaign is a social movement, one greater than the candidate himself ever imagined.

The four founders of PFO are;


TOM HAYDEN Author of Ending the War in Iraq, a five-time Democratic convention delegate, former state senator, and board member of the Progressive Democrats of America. Hayden was also a founder in 1964 of SDS. According to Discover the Networks

During the Vietnam War, Hayden traveled many times to North Vietnam, Czechoslovakia, and Paris to strategize with Communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong leaders on how to defeat America's anti-Communist efforts. He came back from Hanoi proclaiming he had seen "rice roots democracy at work." According to people who were present at the time...Hayden offered advice on conducting psychological warfare against the U.S.


BILL FLETCHER Originator of the call for founding "Progressives for Obama", is the executive editor of Black Commentator, and founder of the Center for Labor Renewal.
Fletcher is a former Maoist and is currently a leader of DSA. In 1998 he was also a founding member of the CPUSA/CCDS/DSA dominated Black Radical Congress.


BARBARA EHRENREICH With Hayden, Ehrenreich is a member of The Nation's editorial board. She is an honorary chairman of DSA and was formerly active in the New American Movement-led largely by former SDS and CPUSA activists. According to Discover the Networks

When the Communist Manifesto was re-released on its 150th anniversary in 1998, Ehrenreich celebrated the event. She noted that in producing the Manifesto as a commercial product, capitalists were -- as Lenin had once predicted -- providing the rope that eventually would hang them.


DANNY GLOVER An actor, activist, and chairman of the board of TransAfrica-where he works with two former Communist Party front activists Harry Belafonte and Johnetta Cole. Glover is also close to former Berkely mayor Gus Newport, once linked to CPUSA and now active in both DSA and CCDS. He has also been involved with the Black Radical Congress. Glover has close ties to Cuba and according to Discover the Networks

On several occasions, Glover has visited Venezuela and made guest appearances on President Hugo Chavez's television and radio talk show, Hello, President. Glover is a Board member of Venezuela's "TeleSUR" news network, which Chavez created in 2005.

The list of endorsers on the Progressives for Obama website further illustrates the socialist nature of the organisation.

They include

Rosalyn Baxandall-Marxist.

Paul Buhle-A former member of SDS, one time editor of the original SDS journal Radical America. Currently a DSA leader.

Malcolm Burnstein- Progressive Caucus, California Democratic Party. Formerly active in the communist front National Lawyers Guild. Formerly a partner in the CPUSA linked San Francisco Bay Area law firm of Truehaft, Walker and Burnstein, that once employed a young Hillary Rodham (Clinton).

Duane Campbell- Sacramento Progressive Alliance, Anti-Racism and Latino Commission of DSA.

Jim Campbell-CCDS National Co-chair.

Steve Cobble-Progressive Democrats of America, formerly with the New Party and affiliated with the ultra radical, Cuban linked, Institute for Policy Studies.

Barry Cohen- NJ Institute of Technology, CCDS member, formerly with CPUSA.

Carl Davidson PFO webmaster. Former SDS, later involved with Maoist groups and in the '90s with Barack Obama in the New Party. On the national council of CCDS.

Peter Dreier-Occidental College, DSA member.

Thorne Dreyer-former SDS member.

Mickey Flacks-former SDS member.

Richard Flacks-Husband of Mickey, SDS founder member. Active in Santa Barbara DSA.

Jane Fonda-"Hanoi Jane", former wife of Tom Hayden.

Aviva Futorian-Associated with Obama in the DSA infiltrated Independent Voters of Illinois.

Christine George-Researcher and Unversity Teacher. Associated with Chicago DSA.

Todd Gitlin-Columbia University. Former SDS leader.

Jorge Gonzalez-Cuba Journal.

Thomas Good-Communist turned anarchist.

David Hamilton-Ex SDS.

Harold Jacobs-Historian of the SDS terrorist offshoot, the Weather Underground.

Michael James Heartland Cafe, 49th Ward Democrats Chicago. Former SDS member.

Zenobia Johnson-Black National Organisation of African-Americans in Housing, Chicago. Wife of Obama's friend and supporter Timuel Black of the CCDS Advisory Board.

Marilyn Katz-Former Chicago SDS chief of security. Helped found Chicagoans Against War on Iraq, with Carl Davidson. The pair organised the 2002 peace rally where Obama came out publicly against the Iraq War. Both of Katz's parents were CPUSA members.

Robin D G Kelly-Historian. Formerly a member of the Communist Workers Party. Now close to CPUSA and active in the Black Radical Congress.

Fred Klonsky-former SDS member, son of leading CPUSA member Robert Klonsky.

Susan Klonsky-Chicago based education writer, former SDS member.

Jay Mazur-A leader of the CPUSA/DSA infiltrated New York Working Families Party.

Joe Moore-49th Ward Alderman, Chicago.

Frances Fox Piven-DSA honorary chairman, formerly active in the New Party and closely linked to ACORN.

Christine Riddiough-A former Chicago DSA activist and national leader. Active in soliciting gay support for the Obama campaign.

Mark Rudd-A former leader of both SDS and the terrorist Weather Underground.

Jay Schaffner-Local 802 American Federation of Musicians. Active in CCDS, formerly active in the Chicago CPUSA.

Andy Stern-President, SEIU. Assistant to DSA member and AFL-CIO president John Sweeney. Stern was trained in the DSA controlled Midwest Academy in Chicago.

Harry Targ-Leading CCDS member, Purdue University.

Jonathan Tasini-National Writers Union. Endorsed by DSA in his unsuccessful 2006 US Senate primary race against Hillary Clinton.

John Trinkl-Former writer for the Maoist oriented journal, The Guardian.

Immanuel Wallerstein-Marxist professor, Yale University.

Cornel West-Honorary chairman of DSA, calls Obama "comrade".

Mildred Williamson-CCDS leader. Formerly a leader of Chicago CPUSA.

Betty Willhoite-Chicago DSA member, Independent Voters of Illinois activist.

Tim Wise-Author, Anti-Racism Educator. Has attended DSA and CCDS conferences.

Why do people like this back Barack Obama? What do they hope to gain from an Obama Presidency?

Obama file 28 here