Why Does Barack Obama Decry The Politics Of Special Interest, But Show No Shame In Doing Favors For Friends & Family?
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In The State Senate, Obama Secured $75,000 For A Family Member's Organization:
Obama Awarded $75,000 In Grants To A Social Service Organization Led By His Wife's Cousin. "As a state senator, Democrat Barack Obama awarded $75,000 in government grants to a Chicago social service organization led by a rabbi who is also his wife's cousin, records show." (Christopher Wills, "Obama Awarded Illinois Grants To Relative's Group," The Associated Press, 10/6/08)
Obama Secured $50,000 For Adult Literacy And $25,000 For Youth Services, Both For An Organization Called Blue Gargoyle. "In 1999, Obama arranged for $50,000 for adult literacy and counseling services offered on Chicago's South Side by a group called Blue Gargoyle. A $25,000 grant for the group's youth services followed the next year." (Christopher Wills, "Obama Awarded Illinois Grants To Relative's Group," The Associated Press, 10/6/08)
Blue Gargoyle's Executive Director At The Time Was Capers Funnye, Michelle Obama's First Cousin Once Removed. "The group's executive director when the grants were awarded was Capers Funnye, a South Side rabbi and Michelle Obama's first cousin once removed." (Christopher Wills, "Obama Awarded Illinois Grants To Relative's Group," The Associated Press, 10/6/08)
State Legislators Awarded Grants Without Oversight. "Each legislator could award money to favored groups and projects with basically no oversight. The grants were known as 'member initiatives' and were similar to the congressional 'earmarks' often criticized in Obama's presidential campaign against Republican John McCain." (Christopher Wills, "Obama Awarded Illinois Grants To Relative's Group," The Associated Press, 10/6/08)
FLASHBACK: Obama Has Written A Letter Supporting A $20 Million Grant From HUD To A Housing Project Being Developed By The Founding Partner Of His Law Firm And A Longtime Supporter:
Obama Wrote A Letter To The Bush Administration To Support A Federal Grant To A Housing Project That Includes A Long Time Supporter On The Development Team. "Sen. Barack Obama, who vows to change Washington by trimming wasteful spending and disclosing special-interest requests, wrote the Bush administration last year to seek a multimillion-dollar federal grant for a Chicago housing project that is behind schedule and whose development team includes a longtime political supporter." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 10/6/08)
One Of The Developers Of The Stateway Project Is Allison Davis, A Founding Partner In Obama's Law Firm And Longtime Contributor To Obama's Campaigns. "But complicating the picture, one of developers for the Stateway Project is a firm headed by Allison S. Davis, one of Mr. Obama's early mentors and a longtime political supporter. A founding partner at the firm where Mr. Obama practiced law, Mr. Davis and his family have given the senator from Illinois tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions over the years." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 1 0/6/08)
The Stateway Project Has Completed Fewer Than One Sixth Of The 439 Planned Public Housing Units, Though It Had Sought To Complete All 439 Units By September 2008. "The housing project through July had completed fewer than one-sixth of the 439 public housing units it had planned, court records show. ... The Chicago Tribune reported earlier this year that the development team, which was picked in 2001, had sought to complete 439 public housing units by September 2008. As of July, 58 units had been completed, according to court records." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 10/6/08)
Obama's Letter Was Ghostwritten By A Consultant For The Chicago Housing Authority, Which Wanted The Money. "Mr. Obama's letter, however, was never disclosed publicly. In fact, the letter was ghostwritten for him by a consultant for the Chicago Housing Authority, which wanted the money - a practice ethics watchdogs have frequently criticized." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 10/6/08)
James Brooks, The Atlanta Based Consultant Who Drafted The Letter For Obama, Said Such Letters Are Seen As A "Positive Sign" When HUD Is Deciding Whether Or Not To Provide Grants. "None of the elected officials drafted the letters of support. Rather, the letters were written by an Atlanta-based housing consultant working for Chicago's housing authority. ... James Brooks, the consultant who drafted Mr. Obama's letter, said such letters of support are seen as a 'positive sign' by HUD when it doles out grants, though he added that the letters are not in themselves deciding factors." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 10/6/08)
James Brooks: "This isn't a political process. I might add that I
wrote those letters myself. They didn't originate from the mayor's office or either of the senators' offices. The final signed letters that are included in the application were changed very little from the drafts that I wrote." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 10/6/08)
Steve Ellis, Vice President Of Taxpayers For Common Sense, Compared The Practice Of Writing Letters To Support Federal Spending To The Practice Of Earmarks, Heavily Influenced By Lobbyists. "'It's not just Senator Obama; it's endemic to Capitol Hill. It's a broad issue, where lawmakers are just simply rubber-stamping something through,' said Steve Ellis, vice president of the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense, referring to the practice of consultants writing funding requests for lawmakers. 'It's sort of like of your standard earmark practice in a lot of ways, where lobbyists end up writing the request letters,' he said. 'It's a problem especially if neither the staff nor the lawmaker knows what's going into the request.'" (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 10/6/08)
A $20 Million Grant Was Eventually Awarded To The Stateway Project By The Department Of Housing And Urban Development. (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 10/6/08)
In His Letter, Obama Cited Nearby Businesses As Revitalizing The Community, But Those Businesses Sit On Properties Also Tied To Allison Davis And His Family. "In his letter, Mr. Obama said the first phase of construction at the Stateway site 'has proven successful thus far in contributing to the revitalization of the surrounding community.' He also cited nearby businesses, such as a Starbucks and a FedEx Kinkos. According to a Tribune report on the Stateway project last year, those businesses sit on property tied to Mr. Davis and his family." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Sought HUD Grant For Donor's Project," The Washington Times, 10/6/08)
FLASHBACK: Obama Also Wrote Letters To Support A Tony Rezko Development Project That Included Allison Davis:
"As A State Senator, Barack Obama Wrote Letters To City And State Officials Supporting His Political Patron Tony Rezko's Successful Bid To Get More Than $14 Million From Taxpayers To Build Apartments For Senior Citizens." (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)
The Letters Show That Obama Did Do A Political Favor For Rezko. "Obama's letters, written nearly nine years ago, for the first time show the Democratic presidential hopeful did a political favor for Rezko - a longtime friend, campaign fund-raiser and client of the law firm where Obama worked - who was indicted last fall on federal charges that accuse him of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Gov. Blagojevich." (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)
Obama: "I am writing in support of the New Kenwood LLC's proposal to build a ninety-seven unit apartment building at 48th and Cottage Grove for senior citizens." (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)
FLASHBACK: In December Of 2006, Obama Said He Had "Never Done Any Favors For Him." "The letters appear to contradict a statement last December from Obama, who told the Chicago Tribune that, in all the years he's known Rezko, 'I've never done any favors for him.'" (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)
"The Deal Included $855,000 In Development Fees For Rezko And His Partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama's Former Boss, According To Records From The Project, Which Was Four Blocks Outside Obama's State Senate District." (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)
Rezko And Davis Paid The City Only $1 For The Land. "Rezko and Davis paid the city $1 for the land and spent more than $100,000 to clean it up..." (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)
"The $14.6 Million Cottage View Terrace Was Funded Entirely By City, State And Federal Taxpayers." (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)
"In Addition To The Development Fees, A Separate Davis-Owned Company Stood To Make Another $900,000 Through Federal Tax Credits." (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)
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