to be successful in America

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http://www.khon2.com/news/government/41956927.html

By Andrew Pereira

Story Created: Mar 26, 2009 at 7:21 PM HDT

Story Updated: Mar 26, 2009 at 7:33 PM HDT

STORY SUMMARY>>>

He’s a former U.S. Navy officer who used to anchor the Channel 2 News in the late 1960’s before turning to acting on the popular TV series Hawaii 5-0.

Now at the age of 70, Bob Basso is lighting up the internet with his fiery portrayal of Thomas Paine.

“Someone said, ‘Bob you know the great hope for American democracy is the YouTube because our government isn't working.’ So I did the first Tom Paine and we got close to three million hits and that brought a whole rush from the media.”

Basso’s first vignette called “The Second American Revolution” was released on YouTube last fall. In it Basso rails against government waste and corruption as well as the massive federal bailouts of failing banks.

“We have strayed far afield from our founding principles which was and still is to be cautious of big government,” said Basso in a telephone interview with Khon2 from his Los Angeles home.

“I believe before I leave this veil of tears that I have to contribute something to preserve the America that was handed to me and this is my contribution.”

The former Hawaii news anchor has already logged hundreds of appearances on talk radio and television, appearing on the Glenn Beck show on Fox News as well as other news programs.

“It's been a merry-go-round non-stop,” said Basso.

Basso’s second segment as Thomas Paine, “We the People Stimulus Package”, has proven just as popular as the first. After one week on YouTube the vignette has already recorded over one million views and even attracted the attention of President Barack Obama.

“I've received a call from one of his staff members that he has seen it and would like to talk to me, so we'll see what happens,” said Basso. During the video Basso urges peaceful protest, telling viewers to place a tea bag inside an envelope and mail it to Congress.

After thousands of tea bags began arriving on Capitol Hill, Basso learned the envelopes would be immediately thrown out if an actual tea bag could be seen inside.

Instead, he says protestors should remove the tea bag and mail just the string and paper attached to it.

“Basically (it’s) using the symbol of the Boston Tea Party for taxation without representation.”

Whether Basso gets a face-to-face meeting with the president remains to be seen.

But in a note sent to him from the White House, Obama said he remembers Basso from his childhood days in Hawaii.

“He remembers, at least in the note sent to me that he used to watch me on TV at Channel 2.”

If a meeting with the president does take place, Basso is prepared to deliver a serious message, not as Tomas Paine but as a concerned citizen.

“I would tell him that any president to be successful in America has to govern from the center, not from the far left or the far right and it's time for him to take a look and listen to the will of the majority which has been terribly ignored for too long.”