It's time to say ‘bye-bye, Barry' and ‘hello, Hussein'!

The rakish photos of the jaunty young Occidental College student posing for the camera with his winning smile and his cigarette-fed aura of ‘cool' were an intriguing glimpse of the roots of our current dilemma.

Cool "Barry" Time Magazine--Lisa Jack

Barry Obama was a man clearly enchanted by the lure of the lens, by its promotion of celebrity. It was “Barry” who propelled Barack Obama through the Illinois legislature and the US Senate to the White House—an undeniable reality in today's corrupted political landscape. But now, “Barry” is becoming a liability. It's time for him to resign, or else Barack Obama should become resigned to the likelihood of a one-term presidency.

The man we need guiding the administration today is Hussein. Hussein who experienced a world of humanity beyond the boundaries of Wall Street and Chicago's tony North Shore. Hussein the Legislator who eschewed fans to produce “fanfare for the common man”. Hussein who had learned about the world's many wrongs and wanted to do right—by all. And who understood that sometimes doing right meant getting your hat dirty and sporting a bloody nose.

My conspiracy-loving friends on the left have wondered if Barack Obama's conciliation to rabid right-wing demagogues and Democratic corporatist may be a sign that he is either fully “bought” by the New World Order, or fearing his life if he steers too far from their agenda. Neither of these theories is needed to explain the President's appeasement of warmongering capitalists to the detriment of his progressive goals and agenda. The simple answer is that Barry's influence still holds sway—staying flattered in the limelight is a more appealing road than risking fame, fortune, and power by going to the mat for slowly compromised and forgotten ideals.

Hussein needs to come out of the shadows and engage in the battles against imperialism, fascism, corporatism, and every other ism that made his childhood challenging and lit the firestorm of his activism. Fears of a one-term presidency will be a self-fulfilling prophecy if Barry remains on center-stage. Hussein may undermine Barry's quest for a lifetime pass to the inner circle—but will understand that the company he will keep there has equally sold their souls.

Barack, be a hero. Fire Barry and appoint Hussein—now that's change we can believe in.