According to Jennifer Loven of the AP, Junior Senator from Illinois and the man who would be president is canceling “…nearly all his campaign events Thursday and Friday to fly to Hawaii to visit his suddenly gravely ill 85-year old grandmother [Madelyn Payne Durham]”. According to the article, Obama’s grandmother’s health had deteriorated “to the point where her situation is very serious”.

So first, I find it interesting that Obama is canceling nearly all his campaign events. I guess some campaign events are just a wee bit more important than a gravely ill grandmother, at least in Obama’s world.

So what is trumping Grandma’s grave illness? According to Loven, “events originally planned for Madison, Wis., and Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday will be replaced with one in Indianapolis before he makes the long flight to Hawaii.” So stumping in Indiana is apparently even more grave to Obama, than grandma.

There is no need to panic Democrats, for you will get your money’s worth. As campaign spokesperson Jen Psaki assures the faithful, “…On Friday, Obama's wife, Michelle, will sub for Obama at rallies in Akron and Columbus, in Ohio.”

So let me get this straight. The woman who Obama says is one of the most important people in his life is gravely ill, and his wife is not going to visit, but will campaign? I wonder if Michelle would have joined if Granny was Blaaa-aack? And if Michelle’s absence is not insult enough, Obama isn’t taking his daughters to see their great-grandmother, possibly for the last time. I wonder if they would go visit Black Granny, if the situation were reversed? I wonder what John and Cindy McCain would do? I wonder what The Palins would do? Actually I don’t have to wonder what the Republican ticket would do.

We are told in Loven’s report that Obama is expected to resume campaigning on Saturday, at an undecided location in the West. You read that right. Obama is doing a “drive by” in Hawaii to see his dying grandmother, then he is back on the campaign trail, the next day.

In a word…Wow! When you consider the flight time and time change and all the logistics around secret service, and so on, Obama may not have time for the limo to stop rolling, before he is back on the presumptive presidential plane, headed back to “an undecided location in the West.” My advice to grandma is to get nowhere near that limo, lest she end up under it…

I’m guessing the conversation on this “distraction” of his grandmother’s imminent death went something like this:

Aide to Obama: “Mr. President?”

Obama: I love it when you call me that. Yes, what do you need?

Aide: Sorry to bother you, Your Eminence, particularly in your time of grief [Aide almost laughs]. But we need to review your itinerary for your visit to see your gravely ill grandmother, matriarch of your family and woman who gave you your start in life and set your value system.

Obama: OK, but be brief, as I am reviewing a stump speech for my campaign swing out West tomorrow.

Aide: OK Sir. Fly to Hawaii, landing in Honolulu at 1400 Honolulu time

Obama: Check.

Aide: Spend undetermined days with your grandmother and other White family members, and help the family get things in order…

Obama (interrupts): Let’s change that. I will exit the plane, enter the limo, roll down the limo window, and issue a statement to the press. Statement as follows: I will be setting up a commission to study and understand how I can blame the death of my grandmother on eight years of failed Bush policy, and a lack of healthcare that has not allowed this woman, scratch that, my loving grandmother who raised me, to survive well into her nineties, and the lack of clean energy, and global warming.

Aide: OK, I will make that change in the agenda, and order a teleprompter. OK, let’s continue. 1420 Zulu…

Obama (interrupts): What did you call me Sucka? I’m not Zulu, I’m Kenyan

Aide: No Your Highest of the High, I was speaking in military time…depart the airport at 1420 Zulu, i.e. 20 minutes after arrival.

Obama: I was about to nunchuk you, you mutha…well anyway, I understand now.

Aide: Thank you for your kind indulgence Messiah. I will continue. Take limo back to the presidential jet, without visiting the hospital.

Obama: Check.

Aide: Take jet back to undisclosed location out West to resume the campaign.

Obama: Check

Aide: Set up press conference reinforcing eight years of failed Bush policy as the reason for your grandmother’s illness, and link McCain. And don’t forget to mention the financial crisis was McCain’s fault.

Obama: Check.

According to the article, “…Citing the family's desire for privacy, [Robert] Gibbs, [another spokesperson for Obama] would not discuss the nature of Dunham's illness. It seemed likely that she was close to death, as Gibbs said that "everyone understands the decision that Sen. Obama is making." Dunham turns 86 on Sunday.”

Here’s a hint to the nature of Durham’s illness: (1) broken bones, (2) contusions, (3) lacerations, and (4) concussion all associated with being thrown under a bus by one’s grandson!

Loven writes, “…In a campaign ad this year, Obama described his Dunham as the daughter of a Midwest oil company clerk who "taught me values straight from the Kansas heartland" — things like "accountability and self-reliance. Love of country. Working hard without making excuses. Treating your neighbor as you'd like to be treated." All lessons completely unheeded by Obama.

All I can say is I’m touched that Obama would take less than a day from his record-breaking fundraising, and hectic campaign schedule to pay homage to the woman who raised him, and “taught him his values.”

In that statement, yet again Obama has thrown his grandmother under the bus. Because it is doubtful that she taught Obama to be so relentless in his pursuit of power, that he would treat the matriarch of his family with such utter disdain. This is a glimpse of how Obama will treat America. Hopefully if this wonderful woman happens to pass away, Obama may have someone from the campaign send flowers.

That's my rant!

© 2008 Kevin Jackson – The Black Sphere All Rights Reserved

Obama Grandma Gravely Ill