Obama Wanted Earmarks For Wife's Hospital, Fundraiser's Firm

Media outlets have begun digging into Barack Obama's 2005 and 2006 earmark requests. Obama released them yesterday, and challenged Hillary Clinton to do the same. The New York Times reports:

His campaign's list said the senator had secured $1.3 million of an $8 million request in 2006 for a high-explosive technology program for the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The list said the program was overseen by General Dynamics.

One of Mr. Obama's top supporters, James S. Crown, serves on the board of General Dynamics, a military contractor. Mr. Crown is a member of Mr. Obama's national finance committee.

Mr. Obama also secured $750,000 of a $3 million request for renovation of a space center named for Mr. Crown's grandfather, Henry Crown, at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

In addition to the University of Illinois, Mr. Obama secured several million dollars for a project at Chicago State University. Emil Jones Jr., the president of the Illinois State Senate and an early and powerful political benefactor of Mr. Obama's, has been a dogged champion of Chicago State, and one of Senator Obama's closest friends. A Chicago businessman, James Reynolds, sits on its board.

But Bill Burton, a spokesman for Mr. Obama, said these requests had all been considered worthwhile by the senator's staff, and that Mr. Obama never discussed any of them with Mr. Crown, Mr. Jones or Mr. Reynolds.

Also: "In among them was a request for $1 million in federal funding in 2006 for a new pavilion at the University of Chicago Hospitals, where his wife, Michelle Obama, was a vice president at the time. The request was not ultimately included when Congress passed spending legislation that year, according to the Obama campaign."

***
Read a HuffPost blog by Barack Obama

Comments

[Independentjunkie]

The issue is not if hillary got earmarks..­. the issue is quite simple. The MESSIAH is not the NEW KIND OF POLITICIAN­...... thats all. His followers think of him as being so clean and new and fresh. It's same ole chicago politican . no biggie... I guess

[snowcat]

Earmarks are a normal part of politics and have always been so. they all use earmarks. Legislators are allowed to have safeguards to ensure they look out for the interests of their home state etc. It's the quanity of corrupt earmarks that is at issue eg Hillarys :)

ps ...you seem angry :)

[snowcat]

Earmarks are a very normal part of the political process. They are meant to safe guard ta politician's right to help and watch out for their home state etc. The problem comes in when they are abused and used in large quantities for political or financial gain......­.like Hillary's are. Obama sticks to public not corporate earmarks and has very few compared to Hillary. the fact that you seem to think all earmarks are bad and therefore Obama is not a new kind of "good" politictian shows how sadly uninformed you are .

[LoRiseAntlers]

I see your CAPS LOCK key works.

Calm down,because we really can't hear your shouting,and consider the fact that Obama has no problem releasing any financial or political records,yet Hillary clinton refuse to release any documents that might call into question her exoerience meme,her financial dealings,or those of her husband.

[1dogs2]

It would further the conversation if, instead of spewing vitriol and slandering Obama's supporters, you engaged in a factual analysis of the worthiness of the projects Obama supported and of whether it should be (as opposed to IS) part of a senator's job to acquire funds for worthy projects in his state.

[1dogs2]

I've just had a look at your profile, cfibasis, and it reveals a great deal about you. But since I believe in the possibility of redemption for even the most hate-filled person, I commend the Baitz piece on yesterday's HuffPo and the thread of comments attached thereto to your attention. Perhaps you will learn something about rational thought and civil discourse there.

[cthomp7280]

Earmarks are ultimately what your elected officials are for. The officials are the voice of the people who voted for them. If your voters say "we need new computers"­...get a damn earmark for them. Wwhat boggles my mind is that these earmarks were all for STATE INSTITUTIONS or NON-PROFITS. The money is going to be spent REGARDLESS. If he were my Senator and he didn't bring any bacon back to the house, I WOULD BE PISSED!

[hank48188]

General Dynamics is not a non-profit

[Texas4Obama]

I see nothing wrong with ear-marks for HOSPITALS and MUSEUMS and SPACE CENTERS and those type of entities. Senator Obama has done nothing that was not the right thing to do. He DID NOT request money for a bridge to nowhere like other senators have in the past.

HILLARY release your tax returns and ear-marks!

[Svenson]

I cannot wait for Obama to be president.

My husband who is black expects the president to start paying restitution or compensation to all Blacks for the slavery and abuses we have endured in the last 200 years.

Haleluja Pastor Wright!

[gplaw]

Please do not say things like this. This is not the reason why Barack Obama needs to be elected. Black people do not need reparations, but we do need a level playing field, with clear rules. No amount of money can replace what was taken from us. An apology would be appreciated, an amendment to the constitution to take out the 3/5 nonsense, and something at the Washington monument commemorating this. This would be a healing act not reparations or restitution you cannot put a price on the souls of Black Folk.

[1dogs2]

To gplaw: Svenson is a racist troll who shows up occasionally on this site for the purpose disrupting civil discourse. Take a look at her profile.

[hank48188]

Tell me how many years you were a slave? And who took something from YOU?

[ibsteve2u]

Let me get this right - "My husband who is black" indicates that you are not.

Yet when it comes time to receiving restitution you're all "we"?

lollll...I wish whoever pays people like you to plant incendiary remarks would spend a little money and get some real talent.

[TheRealMacDaddy]

Actually it was 40 acres and a Mule...Hop­e the crops come good in for you all.

Svenson??? Sounds pretty Sandinavian to me. So where's the WE come in?

[Tankan]

Jeez! The Irish have been the slaves of England for over eight hundred years!

They must be worth a fortune!

[2008andbeyond]

Are you a Republican troll attempting to stir up more emotions amongst the Dems or just an out of work Hillary supporter?

Yeah, she'll bring your job back. Just like Romney will for the automakers in Detroit.

[LAJonathan]

Big FREAKING DEAL, he is an Illinois senator supporting Illinois projects. The hospital is one of the best and its in, get this, Illinois!! Another NON STORY furnished by another lame reporter looking to latch on to anything negative.

[snowcat]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-k-wilson/clinton-by-far-worst-abus_b_84102.html

Obama, unlike Clinton, refuses to endorse any earmarks that directly benefit a private corporation.
Obama was one of only two senators (with Republican Jon Kyl of Arizona) to release his requests for earmarks. Clinton and other legislators only have to reveal the earmarks that are approved, not all of their requests, and Clinton has opposed Obama's efforts to require open scrutiny of these requests. Obama's website offers his promise, "Obama will slash earmarks to no greater than year 2001 levels and ensure all spending decisions are open to the public." This may not sound like much, but it would result in a massive decline in earmarks.

The Los Angeles Times also found that at least eight of Clinton's biggest fundraisers who brought in more than $100,000 in donations are affiliated with the beneficiaries of her earmarks.

[AnninCA]

And Obama outspent Hillary 5 to 1 giving money to super delegates, using PAC money that he claimed he didn't have.

Remember when he blasted Edwards on that?

*oops*....­.....and then an independent group uncovered the super delegate money and sources.

He keeps getting caught.

Race memo in SC assiting the race-baiting of the Clintons
Nafta memo indicating his lies to Ohioans
Rev. Wright's highly racist speech against HIllary

How much more you willing to take?

This guy is a loser.

[loislane88]

you think whatever you want, but - just for the record -- you're wrong.

And, by the way, it was Clinton's staff that did the "wink-wink" to Canada and then blamed Obama. Classic. Wise up.

[gwhizz]

Ah the "new politics". How refreshing.

/sarcasm

[Beckinspate]

The new politics is that he released the data himself--not hiding it like Clinton or claiming business as usual or denying it.

[MNDADDY]

Meet the new boss, Obama, same as the old boss, bush/chene­y/haliburt­on.

[plutorage]

Obama was elected by his state to go to Washington and represent his State in front of the the federal government and that is what he did.

If the past legislative term had been "new" politics, the phrase used sarcastically in this post by cynics then there would be no need to campaign for new politics. We'd already be there.

Also I am not sure what is wrong with getting money for a University from the federal government, per se. Maybe it is for something that makes sense?

As Obama begins to increase his lead in this race, look for the discussion to detour off into everything that doesn't matter. Obama's wife, his pastor, his efforts to fight for his constituents in the trough of DC politics, his middle name - all of this nonsense is meant to distract people so they don't notice that rich republicans are making off with more of your money while America slips into third world status.

I'd have plenty of questions for Obama but none of them have to do with his pastor, wife, money for hospitals, middle name, blah, blah, blah - who cares?

Can the US continue to fund the current war budget without going bankrupt?

Would it be cheaper for people who have health insurance if the un-insured were given health insurance in return for a percentage of their income paid as payroll deduction?

What measures can we take through NAFTA to make sure the benefits reach the mexican population thereby creating consumers in a neighboring country who have the money to buy American products (The European Union method of economic integration)?

Should we start building nuclear plants? What will be the impact on our food supply and air of 3000 new Chinese coal fired utilities and what can we do about it? (I'll bet India will be next).

[snowcat]

The Woodstock earmark raises further questions about the corrupt system of obtaining earmarks. On June 21, 2007, Clinton and Charles Schumer's $1 million earmark for the Woodstock museum was approved by a Senate committee. Nine days later, billionaire Republican Alan Gerry, the driving force behind the museum, donated (with his wife) the maximum of $9,200 to Clinton's presidential campaign. That same week, Gerry and his family gave $20,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee run by Schumer. Since 2005, the Gerrys have donated $18,600 to Clinton.

[Independentjunkie]

The woodstock earmark never passed!

whats wrong w/ having culutural event that defined the ANTI WAR MOVEMENT you guys love to tout?

[snowcat]

it's the corrupt reasons behind what she backs!!! No morals or ethics...j­ust political and financial gain.!!!

[Ramirez]

Can you imagine if a Republican earmarked $1M to a business where his wife worked? That might be a scandal, yes? And aside from being married to Mr Obama, what does Ms Obama do for the hospital?

From Byron York at NRO:

"In 2006, the Chicago Tribune reported that Mrs. Obama’s compensation at the University of Chicago Hospital, where she is a vice president for community affairs, jumped from $121,910 in 2004, just before her husband was elected to the Senate, to $316,962 in 2005, just after he took office."

Read the whole thing at:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmEyN2RkNzcwYzgyZDY2MDBiY2U5MjJlZGMwNDM2ODg=

[IntelligenceIsBliss]

Yeah, National Review, there's a credible source.

[loislane88]

Yes and I'm sure the fact that she has a degree from Harvard Law has nothing to do with her promotions.

[hank48188]

She already had that, that was why She was getting the $121,000 a year to begin with.

[snowcat]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/10/hillary-clinton-lands-ear_n_76048.html

Hillary Clinton Lands Earmarks For Campaign Contributions

It's a real estate developer's sugar-plum dream: a mega-shopping mall complete with 10 Broadway-style theaters, an indoor river, a Tuscan village and a 39-story luxury hotel sheathed in green solar panels shaped like giant blades of grass. Plus as much as $1 billion in government-backed financing, thanks in part to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton...­.

...Since taking office in 2001, Clinton has delivered $500 million worth of earmarks that have specifically benefited 59 corporations. About 64% of those corporations provided funds to her campaigns through donations made by employees, executives, board members or lobbyists, a review by the Los Angeles Times shows.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/10/hillary-clinton-lands-ear_n_76048.html

[snowcat]

Pastor Got $1.5 Million in Clinton Earmarks Before Endorsement
By Kathy Miller | The Hillary Project

By: Fred Lucas

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) secured more than $1 million in federal funding last year for a Harlem-based non-profit whose leader gave her presidential campaign a major endorsement last weekend.

http://www.hillaryproject.com/index.php?/en/story-details/pastor_got_15_million_in_clinton_earmarks_before_endorsement/

[snowcat]

http://www.hillaryproject.com/index.php?/en/story-details/clinton_linked_to_340m_in_earmarks/

[AnninCA]

Well, I asked how Michelle got that fat raise. Guess we know now.

[snowcat]

it really doesn't matter what is written about Obama, Hillary always has a worse record which is why she and her supporters resort to smear tactics and secret mailings. At least Obama adheres to a policy of using them only to support public entities.

[KDH]

General Dynamics, with one of Obama's finance committee members on the board of directors for that company, is not exactly a public entity.

[AnninCA]

Yeah, like his slime ads and mailers?

Gimme a break.....­..

He bought his wife a job and a big ole fat salary for his own benefit.

And you excuse it.

[PKSSK]

Clinton has not followed suit and released this infromation, so I will refrain judgement until Clinton and releases the same documentation.

At least Obama has the integrity and character to release this information, as well as his tax returns, into the public forum before the general election so that We the People and the party is protected by know ing the truth!!!

Where are the Clinton tax returns and earmark information??