The news just came in. Obama served on an institution that not only included war criminals, but aided, abetted and protected war criminals.

We’re talking an institution more responsible for undermining democracy that ACORN, responsible for more bombings than 1000 incarnations of the Weathermen and with dozens of members more corrupt than Rezko ever was.

Why haven’t we heard about Obama’s involvement with this institution? Because all his opponents along the way; the John McCains, the Sarah Palins, the Hillary Clintons, the Joe Bidens, heck, even the Dennis Kucinichs, have served on this particular institution.

That institution, of course, is the US government, and in all of the mudslinging over Obama’s ties to this person and that person, we seemed to have forgotten about something more fundamental.

While the US debates the role Bill Ayers played in Barrack Obama’s life, it forgets that the US government has protected terrorists and war criminals. Think I’m just talking about the Republican Party and it’s role in the Iraq war? What about Pelosi’s blanket statement that impeachment was off the table, meaning that even if irrefutable evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the lead-up to the Iraq war (refusal to follow UN protocols for invasion, wire-tapping of other nations during the debates on the security council, use of forged evidence…) the head of the Senate had promised not to pursue criminal charges.

Harbouring terrorists? How about Luis Posada Carriles, who is wanted for the bombing a Cuban jet in 1976 and hotels in Havana in 1976. Currently he is living in Florida, who refuse to extradite him.

Undermining Democracy? Forget role purges and fake voters. What about gerrymandering and the two party system. What is the point of one man one vote when they are only two choices and neither is the right one.

Corruption? Do I even need to begin?

The latest spurious charge against Obama has him connected to Satan himself. Yes, Obama was inspired left wing radical organiser Saul Alinsky, who acknowledged Lucifer himself in his book Rules for Radicals.

Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins — or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom – Lucifer.

As I am writing this, I am looking at a bumper sticker I got from a New Zealand pizza joint I used to frequent, Hell Pizza. “I’m Going to Hell” it declares in large print, complete with a picture the Big Red Guy himself, moustachioed face gleaming out the side of a Winnebago asking “are we there yet?”. It’s one of those bumper stickers I never put on my car, knowing the Catholic University I work for may not find it so funny.

Alinsky, I figure, may have got the joke. I went on to explain his viewpoint on religion in detail, choosing the scholarly academic journal Playboy to set the record straight.

Hell would be heaven for me. All my life I’ve been with the have-nots. Over here, if you’re a have-not, you’re short of dough. If you’re a have-not in hell, you’re short of virtue. Once I get into hell, I’ll start organizing the have-nots over there.

Yup, that’s fairly Satanic right there. He chooses hell in an effort to make life better for the people there.

I guess my view on religion is a little more down to earth than the Ann Coulters and James Pinkertons of the world. I guess I judge people by what they do and not what they say, and a guy who spent his time agitating for the poor just doesn’t seem so Satanic for me.

Then again, Satanists just don’t seem so Satanic to me. Anton LeVay, after all embraced Social Liberty and Free Market Capitalism.

In other words, LeVay was a libertarian.

I wonder what Bob Barr would think of that endorsement?