Obama File 101 Who's Been Fibbing Then? Evidence That Obama Was Deeply Involved in Socialist New Party "Sister Organization"

Obama file 100 here

Did Barack Obama, or someone close to him, deliberately mislead voters about the extent of the US president's involvement in the socialist Chicago New Party?

In the run up to the November 2008 elections, evidence surfaced that Barack Obama had joined and been endorsed by the Chicago New Party, during his successful 1995/96 Illinois State Senate run.

According to Obama's "Fight the Smears" website;

Right-wing hatchet man and conspiracy theorist, Stanley Kurtz is pushing a new crackpot smear against Barack falsely claiming he was a member of something called the New Party.

But the truth is Barack has been a member of only one political party, the Democratic Party. In all six primary campaigns of his career, Barack has has run as a Democrat. The New Party did support Barack once in 1996, but he was the only candidate on the ballot in his race and never solicited the endorsement.

Stanley Kurtz also queried Carol Harwell, Obama's campaign manager at the time: She said

“Barack did not solicit or seek the New Party endorsement for state senator in 1995.”

This despite evidence that Obama was heavily involved in the New Party in 1995 and according to New Party News of Spring 1996, page 1, was a bona fide New Party member (see below).


I now present evidence that Obama was involved as early as 1993, with a New Party "sister" organization - Progressive Chicago.

This organization was formed by members of the New Party as a support group for "progressive" candidates. It's main instigators included New Party members Madeline Talbott of Chicago ACORN and Dan Swinney, a Chicago labor unionist.

In an April 27, 1993 letter to prospective Progressive Chicago members, Dan Swinney wrote;

"I recently have become interested in the New Party as well as committed myself to see if we can build a Progressive Chicago network, working with Madeline Talbott of ACORN - the local New Party convener.

I wanted to introduce you to the NP and Progressive Chicago and would like to talk to you about it to see if there is a role you want to play."

A circa 1993 Progressive Chicago introductory pamphlet stated;

Progressive Chicago was started by members of the New Party who wanted to be able to put together an organization strong enough to win: If that means supporting a candidate running as a Democrat, then fine. If that means running our own candidates in aldermanic or state representative races on whatever line that gives them the best chance of winning, fine.

A Chicago New Party organizing report of June 2 1993 specifically named Progressive Chicago as a "sister organization";

At some point in the future we will have elections for a steering committee, but at this point we are concentrating on building up the internal organization...to build up our sister organization, Progressive Chicago. Once we have built up our membership for the two organizations, we will then elect a steering committee and move forward...

Progressive Chicago would be a support organization for progressive political activity...This organization is modeled on Progressive Milwaukee and Progressive Dane...

We hope that Progressive Chicago will be able to rebuild the shattered Harold Washington Coalition and be a leading force in supporting progressive coalitions and progressive change...

The New Party and Progressive Chicago were always financially intertwined. According to an undated Progressive Challenge call for members;

If you're already a member of the New Party, we have an agreement with them that $5 of the New Party dues will automatically go to Progressive Challenge.

According to the organization's literature, Progressive Chicago aimed to;

Unite progressive activists and organizations for progressive, grassroots electoral activity in local elections.

It is a renewal of the old Harold Washington coalition; activists and academics; women; unemployed and union; gay and straight; community organizations and churches; African American, Latino, Asian, native American and white; seniors and people with disabilities; low income and middle income; west and south side..

It was the election of the leftist Harold Washington in 1983 that inspired Barack Obama to move to Chicago two years later.

The Harold Washington coalition, was led by an alliance of Chicago communists, socialists and "community activists", just like both of its direct descendants, the New Party and Progressive Chicago.

Key Progressive Chicago leaders included;

• Ron Sable - A member of Democratic Socialists of America and former associate member of the Marxist New American Movement
• Dwayne Harris, 21st Century Vote
• David Orr Cook County Clerk, closely tied to Democratic Socialists of America and once linked to the the Communist party front US Peace Council
• Ernestine Whiting, ACORN.
• Madeline Talbott, ACORN and New Party. Former colleague of Barack Obama in Project Vote
  
• Bessie Cannon, President SEIU Local 880
• Keith Kelleher, Head organizer SEIU Local 880. Husband of Madeline Talbott
• Joe Gardner Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, former colleague of Barack Obama in Project Vote
  
• Lou Pardo, Northwest Voter Registration Project, an Obama associate, New Party and Democratic Socialists of America member and an affiliate of the Communist Party USA offshoot Committees of Correspondence
• Dick Simpson, a close associate of Democratic Socialists of America
• Danny Davis, New Party member with Obama. A member of Democratic Socialists of America and an associate of Committees of Correspondence and the Communist Party USA. Now an Illinois Congressman
• Carol Harwell, United Voter Registration League, later Obama's campaign manager.
• Barack Obama, New Party member, long time associate of Democratic Socialists of America, Committees of Correspondence and Communist Party USA
• Carl Davidson, Networking for Democracy, New Party member. A member of the Committees of Correspondence and a long time Obama associate and enabler. Later a founder of Progressives for Obama
• Dan Swinney, New Party member and an affiliate of Committees of Correspondence. Later a founder of Progressives for Obama
  

People targeted or solicited to join Progressive Chicago included Obama political mentor and Communist Party affiliate Alice Palmer, Communist Party member Frank Lumpkin, Rev. Jim Reed of Christians for Socialism and Democratic Socialists of America associates Miguelle Del Valle, Carole Travis, Clem Balanoff, Sue Purrington and Jane Ramsey.

Barack Obama was probably approached to join Progressive Chicago as early April 7, 1993 as this unsigned handwritten note suggests.


According to the same note Obama was "more than happy to be involved";

By September 1993 Obama was one of 17 people listed as a signatory on all Progressive Chicago letters - as shown by the second page of this September 22 Progressive Chicago letter to Joe Gardner.


On December 31, 1993, Progressive Chicago wrote to all key members, including Obama, inviting them to a January 19, 1994 meeting.

Clearly Obama's involvement in Progressive Chicago was high level and lasted at least several months.


It appears beyond doubt that Barack Obama was involved, more than two years before his Illinois State Senate run, with a New Party founded, "sister organization" - Progressive Chicago.

It is clear that ACORN and SEIU played a big role in Progressive Chicago, as did Marxist activists from Democratic Socialists of America and Committees of Correspondence.

In 2008, the US media went into a frenzy when it was alleged that Sarah Palin's husband had been involved in the Alaska Independence Party.

The same media apparently believed the Obama camp's assurances that their candidate had never been meaningfully involved in the New Party - and even if he was, it wasn't really socialist anyway.

Here is hard evidence that Obama was involved in a New Party "sister organization", founded by New Party members and run by hard core socialists.

Perhaps some brave journalist might seek redemption and forgiveness from the American people by asking the President some tough questions?

It shouldn't be too hard. The evidence is all here.

Obama file 102 here