Hope, Change And Staff Benda Bilili

Yesterday my friend Dick reminded me of a couple of things not to be thankful for, namely Obama's decision to forgo the House plan to tax the wealthy in favor of the Senate plan to tax the middle class to pay for what's looking more and more like a terrible boondoggle instead of a healthcare reform plan, and that Wall Street shill Tiny Tim Geither announced that the Hope and Change Administration would be opposing the House Financial Service's Committee plan to cap interest rates on credit cards. I think at this point, the only thing that could get me out to the polls to help re-elect Obama would be... a Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck ticket.

At this point...

Dick's e-mail came at the same time as one from another friend, Ian. Ian wanted to make sure I was aware of a band of Congolese street musicians, Staff Benda Bilili from Kinshasa. Their music, which you've hopefully listened to above, melds rumba, r'n'b and reggae and it's what earned them this year's World Music Expo Award for Best Artist. Their story is more compelling than a smart and charismatic centrist Democrat winning the presidency by campaigning on a Hope and Change platform, winning, and then delivering... mostly more of the same (though mixed with hip, cool semi-vegetarian meals at state banquets). Staff Benda Bilili consists of two groups: elderly, homeless musicians surviving with polio and young street orphans they've protected and helped raise. Their story is especially astounding and I'd like to suggest anyone interested take a look at this piece from the Guardian.

One of their songs, "Allons Voter" ("Let's Go And Vote") was a huge Congolese hit in the run-up to the 2006 elections and is credited with increasing turnout by 70%! If Obama keeps delivering more of the same Bush policies-- even if he does it with symbolic vegan wrappings-- he'd better hope Staff Benda Bilili will come over here and turn out the votes for him too because 2012 is shaping up to be an across the board Creigh Deeds slaughter for Democrats.