Questionable associations of Obama

[Guest guest]

It's good the media is finally turning on him. News organizations

will now compete to try to bring out the truth. We ought to see an

avalanche of stuff on him now.

Of course all this is old news in Illinois. Illinois Democrats love

this sort of thing. It's why they voted him to the Senate in the

first place and why they voted for him for President.

I had stupidly assumed that Democrats would do the moral thing and

vote against him, but my innocence was betrayed. It seems they

believe the man they want to represent United States morals, ethics

and values is this man.

What a fool am I.

Administrator

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hbJzaVo_Vcuv1HtB1U1e

ZDQOrQuQD94VL6S03

Questionable associations of Obama

By The Associated Press – 3 hours ago

In his life and career in Illinois, President-elect Barack Obama has

crossed paths with some notable figures who have drawn scorn and

scrutiny. Among them:

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GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH: Obama has maintained a cordial but distant

relationship with Blagojevich during the governor's tenure.

He has complimented Blagojevich for running " a sound administration "

with " the right priorities. " He supported his fellow Democrat for re-

election in 2006, even though the governor backed someone else over

Obama in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary.

Obama's circle of major Illinois political allies and supporters is

largely separate from Blagojevich's, with two major exceptions. Both

Obama and Blagojevich got extensive money and support from Chicago

businessman Antoin " Tony " Rezko. At least one top aide to Obama,

Strautmanis, previously worked for Blagojevich.

But Blagojevich's disdain for Obama was clear in court documents

released Tuesday after the Illinois governor was arrested.

Blagojevich, accused by federal prosecutors of conspiring to sell or

trade for personal benefits the Senate seat left vacant by Obama, was

overheard complaining at one point that Obama's people are " not going

to give me anything except appreciation. " He added: " (Expletive)

them. "

Obama said Tuesday, " I had no contact with the governor or his

office, and so I was not aware of what was happening. "

___

ANTOIN REZKO: " Tony " Rezko, who raised money for the campaigns of

both Obama and Blagojevich, is awaiting sentencing after being

convicted in June on charges of using clout with Blagojevich's

administration to help launch a $7 million kickback scheme.

The charges have no connection to Obama, but Rezko is tied to the

Illinois senator in other ways.

Rezko and his family donated at least $21,457 to Obama and helped

raise over $200,000 more, though not for his presidential bid. He

also advised Obama on the purchase of a new Chicago home and, in his

wife's name, purchased a vacant lot next door to the new Obama home

when the seller wanted to dispose of both properties at the same

time. Rezko then sold a slice of the property to Obama.

Obama has donated Rezko's contributions to charity and says it was a

mistake to work with Rezko on buying the house.

___

JEREMIAH WRIGHT: was Obama's minister for 20 years. He helped

Obama embrace Christianity, performed Obama's marriage, and baptized

Obama and his two daughters.

was known for thundering " God Damn America " in clips that

dominated cable television news programs for weeks last spring.

accused the government of creating AIDS.

Obama has done his best to distance himself from his former minister,

to the point of resigning from the church that once led.

's comments were a stumbling block for Obama's campaign. In an

impassioned speech about faith and race, the Democrat at first

expressed support for , saying that " I can no more disown him

than I can my white grandmother. "

But six weeks later during a speech at the National Press Club,

offered eyebrow-raising opinions about the U.S. government,

praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and hinted that Obama

was distancing himself from the pastor for political expediency.

The next day, Obama said he was outraged and denounced 's

remarks.

___

WILLIAM AYERS: Today, Ayers is a university professor and a member of

Chicago's intellectual establishment. Forty years ago he was a member

of the Weather Underground, a radical group that claimed

responsibility for a series of bombings, including nonfatal

explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

Ayers was a fugitive for years with his wife, fellow radical

Bernadine Dohrn. But after surrendering in 1980, the charges against

Ayers were dropped because of prosecutorial misconduct.

Obama had a very limited relationship with Ayers, who lives in the

same neighborhood. They served together on the board of a Chicago

charity, and in the mid-1990s when Obama first ran for office, Ayers

hosted a meet-the-candidate session for Obama at his home.

Ayers was front and center in GOP claims that Obama was " palling

around with terrorists, " as Republican vice presidential nominee

Palin put it.

Obama has condemned Ayers' radical activities, and there's no

evidence they ever were close friends or that Ayers advised Obama on

policy.

Ayers said in November that he hardly knew Obama. " I think my

relationship with Obama was probably like thousands of others in

Chicago. And, like millions and millions of others, I wish I knew him

better, " Ayers said in a newspaper interview.

___

EMIL JONES: , the president of the Illinois Senate, amounts to

Obama's political godfather and was an important part of Obama's

longshot victory for U.S. Senate in 2004. He helped the little-known

politician meet the right people, and he picked Obama to handle high-

profile legislation during the two years leading up to the election.

But ' political style is very different from Obama's.

is known for steering state money to a few favored

institutions, including some that employ his relatives. Several of

his relatives have gotten state jobs, and his wife's government

salary jumped 60 percent after he became Senate president. He has

played an important role in blocking ethics legislation in Illinois.

When announced last summer that he would retire from the

Illinois Senate when his term ends in January, an Obama campaign

spokesman said " has been a passionate advocate who has fought

for working families and the underprivileged. "

was considered a possible successor to Obama in the Senate.

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RASHID KHALIDI: Khalidi is a scholar and author on Middle Eastern

affairs who has criticized Israeli policies and was part of a

Palestinian advisory panel to peace talks in the early 1990s.

He's also a friend of Obama.

They met while both were teaching at the University of Chicago and

living in the same neighborhood. Obama and his wife, ,

sometimes had dinner with Khalidi and his wife, Mona. The Khalidis

hosted a political fundraiser for Obama in 2000, and the Woods Fund

charity gave money to the Arab-American Action Network, run by Mona

Khalidi, while Obama served on the charity's board.

Khalidi and Obama have both said they hold very different opinions on

Israeli issues, but their friendship has been used to raise questions

about Obama's support for Israel — and to generate Internet headlines

such as " Meet Obama's Terrorist Friend. "

Late in the 2008 presidential campaign, the Republican nominee,

McCain, and Palin criticized Obama for attending a 2003 party for

Khalidi. Obama's campaign dismissed the complaints, saying Khalidi

was not an adviser to him and that Obama does not share Khalidi's

views.

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MICHAEL PFLEGER: Pfleger, a Roman Catholic priest in Chicago, has

been known as a firebrand for years. He has protested over a wide

range of issues, including gun shops and Jerry Springer. Obama has

referred to him as a spiritual adviser.

Last spring, Pfleger visited Obama's church and preached a sermon in

which he mocked Hillary Rodham Clinton and accused her of expecting

to win the presidential nomination because she was white. Pfleger

apologized, but Obama condemned the remarks and resigned from the

church.