Freeing Peltier: Ben Carnes to Fast in Hopes of Meeting Obama

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

Since Obama was willing to have a beer with a professor and an officer of the law over racial issues, why then shouldn’t he meet with Ben Carnes to discuss freeing Leonard Peltier?

Source

As a result of Leonard Peltier’s recent PAROLE DENIAL, Sundance Chief Ben Carnes, a member of the Choctaw Nation, will go to Washington, D.C.to stand & Fast in front of the White House between September 5 – 12, 2009, in hopes of securing a meeting with President Obama.

I’ve been thinking about how and when Obama could pull it off, and use it as a distraction to pass the Public Option in Health Care.

Crossposted at Native American Netroots

Let us start with the assumption that Obama would, if politically, he could. Assuming he would, could he use freeing Peltier as a distraction method to secure the Public Option through the process everyone is already discussing? I was thinking that he could just do it as quietly as possible, but it wouldn’t be quiet and timing is everything in politics. Here’s what I’m thinking.

First, he gets the paperwork already in place, to where all he has to do is sign it. He does so very quietly. Second, Ben Carnes shows up for his fast on September 5th. Obama waits and lets the publicity start over the fast; however, he uses it as cover for one last attempt at bipartisanship publicly, but he has everything set in place to push the public option to the next step(s). The outcry from Progressives would supply cover for both processes of securing the Public Option and freeing Leonard Peltier. Whatever step that is, about the third day he sends an invitation to Ben Carnes who is fasting. There are three things Obama can accomplish at once at this point with Native Americans, while having been given some space to secure the Public Option.

By asking Ben Carnes what he would like to eat and who he would like to come get him, it would show respect and help relations with the Tribal Nations. Of course security would have to be there, but they wouldn’t be “bringing him in,” they’d be taking him to dinner after a shower was provided. Two, the dinner would be a distraction for the ones against the Public Option, because it would carry the news cycle while Obama takes the next step to push the Public Option. Everyone would have to do their part at this point to secure media coverage. Remember how they passed the Patriot and Military Commissions Acts? They rewrote it at night and had a vote on it the next morning. I’m not suggesting to do that literally, but use it. Now for the third thing.

What better day to free Peltier than on his 65th birthday, September 12th? This goes with the cycle Obama is a genius at: he brings it up, angers all the people I can’t stand, seems like he backs out, then something happens. If he invites Carnes it will upset some, the ones I can’t stand, but instead of looking like he’s changing his mind, all he has to do is let the natural course of events unfold. He frees Peltier on September 12th, having given the public about four days to forget about it.

I’m not a political strategist and this may be a foolish plan. If so or not so, since Obama actually reads as opposed to his predecessor, please offer suggestions and modifications in the comments. The main idea is to help Obama with a plan wherein he can free him. We must, must, find the best political strategy to offer the President in regards to freeing Leonard Peltier.