Obama grant being probed

[bustr]

40 days until the primary and this comes out in a second string paper. The Messaha had alotta people to thank for helping him into the state senate.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/watchdogs/1184049,CST-NWS-watchdog25.article

A $100,000 state grant for a botanic garden in Englewood that then-state Sen. Barack Obama awarded in 2001 to a group headed by a onetime campaign volunteer is now under investigation by the Illinois attorney general amid new questions, prompted by Chicago Sun-Times reports, about whether the money might have been misspent.

The garden was never built. And now state records obtained by the Sun-Times show $65,000 of the grant money went to the wife of Kenny B. Smith, the Obama 2000 congressional campaign volunteer who heads the Chicago Better Housing Association, which was in charge of the project for the blighted South Side neighborhood.

[Elfie]

Why is it that nothing in American politics surprises me anymore? 

[Charon]

Something like that happening in Cook County politics... I'm shocked!

Charon

[majic]

Something like that happening in Cook County politics... I'm shocked!

Charon

Hush; there is no Machine in Chicago, if there was one, it's not corrupt, and if you say otherwise, Mayor Daley will have some not nice things to say about you.  You don't want that do you?

[Getback]

Why is it that nothing in American politics surprises me anymore? 

We're acting so much like a 3rd world country these days with all the skimming being done.

[Mojava]

The garden was never built.

  Talk about grasping for straws,  that should be the new right wing battle cry....The garden was never built.

[Charon]

Talk about grasping for straws,  that should be the new right wing battle cry....The garden was never built.

It's not a huge deal. But then Cook County politics seldom involves huge deals. A contract here, a grant there, a dozen do nothing, show up and get paid jobs for some alderman or reverend to hand out to build his or her power base as a reward for other political support... A thousand tiny cuts that equal millions upon millions of dollars in the end.

Underlings regularly go to jail, and occasionally the big power brokers. For example, when you add the IL Republican Party to the Democratic Machine you get the "Illinois Combine" -- truly bipartisan. Given Obama's voting record of nearly 100 percent partisan, perhaps this is where he gets his bipartisan street cred?

So, we sent the Republican Gov. to jail. Now, apparently, there is enough evidence to indict the Democrat gov. (whom Obama endorsed in the last election).

And then there is this other $100,000 figure. The amount awarded to County employees who lost their jobs because of patronage issues with the Machine. The Obama endorsed county president Todd "highest taxes in the US" Stroger is implicated in a few of these. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-county-hiring-settlements_nusep26,0,1720496.story

So no, not a huge scandal. But typical. And something well known to Obama during his time in Illinois. Just like the Rezko stuff. Could he have been ignorant of the system or operated outside the system and achieved what he has achieved? Perhaps, under extraordinary circumstances. But there is absolutely no evidence of that -- none, nada, zilch. In fact, just the opposite.

Instead of trying to reform the system, or even buck the system on occasion, he rode its coat tails to power. And those who helped put him in office expect their slice of the pork for the favor from his service in Washington.

Charon

[Charon]

Mayor Daley will have some not nice things to say about you.  You don't want that do you?

I don't know. It can be amusing to watch his face turn purple, hear him stutter, making virtually no sense, as he shakes and points. The "Mayor Chucky" persona, as columnist John Kass likes to call it.

[crockett]

It's not a huge deal. But then Cook County politics seldom involves huge deals. A contract here, a grant there, a dozen do nothing, show up and get paid jobs for some alderman or reverend to hand out to build his or her power base as a reward for other political support... A thousand tiny cuts that equal millions upon millions of dollars in the end.

Underlings regularly go to jail, and occasionally the big power brokers. For example, when you add the IL Republican Party to the Democratic Machine you get the "Illinois Combine" -- truly bipartisan. Given Obama's voting record of nearly 100 percent partisan, perhaps this is where he gets his bipartisan street cred?

So, we sent the Republican Gov. to jail. Now, apparently, there is enough evidence to indict the Democrat gov. (whom Obama endorsed in the last election).

And then there is this other $100,000 figure. The amount awarded to County employees who lost their jobs because of patronage issues with the Machine. The Obama endorsed county president Todd "highest taxes in the US" Stroger is implicated in a few of these. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-county-hiring-settlements_nusep26,0,1720496.story

So no, not a huge scandal. But typical. And something well known to Obama during his time in Illinois. Just like the Rezko stuff. Could he have been ignorant of the system or operated outside the system and achieved what he has achieved? Perhaps, under extraordinary circumstances. But there is absolutely no evidence of that -- none, nada, zilch. In fact, just the opposite.

Instead of trying to reform the system, or even buck the system on occasion, he rode its coat tails to power. And those who helped put him in office expect their slice of the pork for the favor from his service in Washington.

Charon

So what do you think all those lobbyist McCain has working for him will expect if he gets elected? Neither of these guys will really do anything about Washington lobbyist, you might as well figure that from the start. The entire political machine is built around lobbyist. No one enters it with out getting their hands dirty.. that is the US political system, it's just a tiny bit better than a third world country.

It will never change until the people change it and that starts by demanding term limits on all elected federal positions. This kind of problem has to start from the ground up, because it would pretty much mean rebuilding our entire govt.

[Charon]

So what do you think all those lobbyist McCain has working for him will expect if he gets elected? Neither of these guys will really do anything about Washington lobbyist, you might as well figure that from the start. The entire political machine is built around lobbyist. No one enters it with out getting their hands dirty.. that is the US political system, it's just a tiny bit better than a third world country.

It will never change until the people change it and that starts by demanding term limits on all elected federal positions. This kind of problem has to start from the ground up, because it would pretty much mean rebuilding our entire govt

Duh.

I don't defend McCain. I simply point out the obvious to anyone even remotely interested in seeing it to the Obama coolaid drinkers who come across with all the sophistication of Scarlett Johanson on his qualifications and interest in "change." Just like I did with the Bush dead enders for the past 7 years or so.

I voted for Paul. I will vote for McCain, not that it matters in IL, for 2-3 very specific points where he is the lesser of two evils. Mediocre evils both, in fact, as the current crisis shows clearly.

Charon

[Toad]

Interesting how they can just totally ignore the Obamessiah's complete inability to confront rampant corruption on his way to CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN. 

[GtoRA2]

So the CHANGE he is bringing to Washington is even more corruption?    Boy that sure sounds like change for the better to me.

 

[lazs2]

Toad.. I guess that is it.   Most people who are not metrosexual taxi riders will think to themselves... "do I want America to look like chicago?"    Some will, but not many.. Some will say that it doesn't matter.. some will vote for him simply because of the color of his skin and others because he has a (to them) pleasant voice.

I really do hope that America does not want to be like osamabinbidens chicago or any other craphole democrat big city.

lazs

[JAGED]

Oops! Wrong kind of probe... Nevermind...