Just to throw a little TNT on the fire of Barack Obama’s burning election hopes, a new story has come out about how Sen. Obama received more than $100,000 from a donor whom Obama then helped obtain a state grant.
According to the Los Angeles Times, when Obama was an Illinois state senator, he began receiving an $8,000-a-month retainer from Robert Blackwell Jr. to provide advice to his technology company Electronic Knowledge Interchange.
At the time, Obama was struggling with debts from an unsuccessful bid for Congress, and he was so strapped for cash that his credit card was rejected for a rental car at the 2000 Democratic Convention, according to Obama’s book “The Audacity of Hope.”
The monthly payments from EKI supplemented Obama’s state Senate pay and finally totalled $112,000, according to NewsMax. Yet, Obama’s disclosure forms for 2001 and 2002 did not specify that EKI was the source of most of his private-sector compensation, the Times reported.
According to the Times story: “A few months after he received his final payment from EKI, Obama sent a request on state Senate letterhead urging Illinois officials to provide a $50,000 tourism promotion grant to another Blackwell company, Killerspin.”
The day after writing the letter, Obama received a $1,000 donation to his Senate campaign from Blackwell.
Killerspin, which promoted table tennis tournaments and gear, eventually received $320,000 in grants between 2002 and 2004 to subsidize its tournaments, the Times reported.
David Axelrod, Obama’s chief political adviser, denied the story: “Any implication that Sen. Obama would risk an ethical breach in order to secure a small grant for a ping pong tournament is nuts.”
Obama’s Web site reports that Blackwell is committed to raise $100,000 to $200,000 for the presidential campaign.
Obamites will no doubt vivisect, downplay and rationalize this story, but for thinking people, this fits right into the pattern we’ve seen from the self-annointed agent of “change” and “hope.”
Anyone started a pool yet on how many days till Obama drops out?
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Hey, I wouldn’t start this up if I were you. The Clinton foundation donors, Paul v/s Clinton, shall we go on? Not to mention the BS that hasn’t been uncovered yet about John McCain. Two can play this one. lolololol
Comment by RP — May 1, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
No, but I’ve started a pool on when you Hillbots will understand it’s nearly mathematically impossible for her to win the nomination. His Halo might have slipped, but McCain and Hillary have always had tridents. Amazing that elected superdelegates and superdelegates in general keep coming out and endorsing him. Including FORMER clinton appointee’s like today. That’s gotta sting.
Comment by AD — May 1, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
Do you really think he’ll drop out? OMG, if he drops out, I’ll dance naked in the streets! That will for sure be the happiest day of my life. But with all these stupid, brainless superdelegates flocking to Obama, why would he drop out? They’re propelling him to keep moving. I’m not the least bit surprised at this story. An article could come out tomorrow stating that Obama stole a car and ran over his grandmother and I wouldn’t be surprised. And the superdelegates would STILL flock to him.
Comment by sioux0707 — May 1, 2008 @ 1:17 pm
Obama is a crook!
Comment by Luis — May 1, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
RECOMMENDING is not GRANTING.
This manufactroversy is old already and going nowhere.
Comment by 01/20/09 — May 1, 2008 @ 2:35 pm
what is the case of sinclair vs obama about ? its all over the media in puerto rico. hillary picked up a delegate there when chlsea clinton was there yesterday. of course, we dont hear that much when any supers back hillary. and do you notice these endorsements come out for obama right after scandals occur ? whats up with that obama mental midgits ? if the democratic party runs obama, it political suicide for the party. when all the votes are in, both candidates will make their cases before the party elders. whoever the party thinks can win against mccain, will be the nominee, guess what ? it aint obama/wright 08.
Comment by quarterhorse — May 1, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
“…Obama stole a car and ran over his grandmother…”
LOLOLOLOLOLOL
But, you, know, uh, that was all misinterpreted, uh, the car wasn’t really stolen, it was, uh, a gift, from a hopeful supporter, uh, and the grandmother herself also wanted change….
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Comment by Cranky Centrist — May 1, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
Hey Guys,
Fox website already shows that Obama’s attorney has filed a request to look into donations made by Hillary’s supporters. This happened 4/30/08……
When the heat is on, Obama gets ugly!
Hey Sioux0707,
I’ll dance with ya! Although I’m too old to go naked……
Comment by Mary in Va. Beach — May 1, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
Looks like this one hit a nerve Mr. Cronn. We’ve started a pool at work for this. I’ve said he won’t stay on long after NC. Of course we here in Indiana know the truth and can see a Cheshire Cat when we see one.
Comment by Bryant — May 1, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
I get a total kick out of Obama suporters that match sordid tales about Hillary tit for tat. Does that mean both of these Dems are unelectable? Ya gotta think so. Just because one candidate resorts to the most unethical behavior there is doesn’t justify the other candidate for doing the same thing.
Comment by Rockyspoon — May 1, 2008 @ 7:23 pm
Looks like another free pass from the Obama supporters. Wow, what a bunch of sheep you are.
Comment by JDDIN — May 1, 2008 @ 7:36 pm
Indeed we do Bryant…Indeed. I have first hand experience with the people being a volunteer, and things are looking bleek for Obama here in Indiana.
Comment by JDDIN — May 1, 2008 @ 7:37 pm
There are at least ten reasons to not vote for Obama, that do not include his lack of judgement in choosing Wright as a pastor:
1)Obama refuses to speak to reporters/walks out of conferences. He is not a transparent politician.
2)He was involved with Tony Rezko, who was indicted for influence peddling and is a corrupting influence in Illinois politics.
3)Tony Rezko got millions of dollars from the government to create affordable housing in Obama’s district, now 11 of the buildings he was supposed to fix are boarded-up and are unlivable.
4)Obama voted “present” hundreds of times instead of taking a stand because he did not want to offend contributors, like Robert Blackwell, who Obama helped obtain state grants for.
5)Obama chose as his mentor Bill Ayers and Dohrn, who are terrorists who detonated bombs on US territory and they helped him start his career.
6)Obama lied about filling out a questionnaire that details his stand on many important issues like abortion, the death penalty and gun control. It has his handwriting but he said a staffer filled it out. Obama also lied about the Kennedy family helping his father.
7)Obama also has acknowledged that he “voted by mistake” many times?!
8)Obama made a statement that said his grandmother is “a typical white person” who has a “reaction bred” into her when she sees someone she does not know.
9)Obama made a statement that small-town Americans are bitter and cling to guns, religion, and anti-trade sentiment.
10)Obama lies about the Clinton economic boom, if you go to FactCheck.org, you will see that Clinton is credited for passing the 1993 budget that helped create the boom of the 1990s.
Watch the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAUJeeKohNA
Watch the video here
Comment by LE — May 2, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
Obama is too far left for me.
Comment by dianej — May 3, 2008 @ 9:04 am