Who’s Kenny Smith?

Who’s Kenny Smith?  Well, according to John McCain, he’s “unethical.”  And, according to John, so is Alison Davis and Tony Rezko.  What’s more, they’re all friends of Obama who got beau coup de bucks, and Johnny’s “gonna stop ‘em.”

On Sept. 26, The New York Post reported that the Illinois Attorney General was investigating the Obama/Smith connection:

The Illinois attorney general is looking into a $100,000 state grant for a never-built botanic garden that then-state Sen. Barack Obama gave to a group led by a former campaign volunteer, officials said yesterday.

The inquiry by Attorney General Lisa Madigan came after a Chicago Sun-Times story about the $100,000 member-item grant that Obama steered toward a group run by campaign volunteer Kenny Smith to help a blighted neighborhood.

The garden was never built, and the AG’s Office is looking into how the Chicago Better Housing Association, a nonprofit run by Smith, spent its money.

In June 2007, The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Obama once helped Rezko get 14 million dollars from Illinois taxpayers.  Alison Davis got some moolah, too:

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.

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.

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.

Which means, Obama lied both to the Chicago Tribune, whom he told, “I’ve never done any favors for him,” and to the American people when he denied working with Rezko during an early primary debate.

Clinton: …I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Rezko, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago. …

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: Senator Clinton made a serious allegation that you worked for a slumlord. And I wonder if you want to respond.

Obama: I’m happy to respond. Here’s what happened: I was an associate at a law firm that represented a church group that had partnered with this individual to do a project and I did about five hours worth of work on this joint project. That’s what she’s referring to.

Uh, not quite, Barocco.  GOP.com lays out the whole house of cards; not a race one in the deck.  Looks like maybe Obama walked into a trap when he so vigorously decried the “guilt-by-association” attacks during the debate with his predictable “I was only eight years old” stock answer to the William Ayers question.

The Washington Times ran an article on the sixth of this month detailing the Alison Davis deal:

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.

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.

edit

The Bush administration obliged Mr. Obama’s request, awarding a $20 million competitive grant last month from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It called the project a “shining example” of urban revitalization. The Washington Times learned of the letter from Republican operatives.

As Mr. Obama campaigns for president as an agent of change who promises to clean up Washington’s money game, his role in the Stateway project raises questions about the appearance of a conflict of interest and whether he has been participating in the very system he criticizes, watchdogs say.

edit

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.

Aides to Mr. Obama said he did not know of Mr. Davis’ involvement in the Stateway project when he sent the letter. They noted that none of the HUD money will flow to Mr. Davis or his business. They also said other lawmakers – including fellow Illinois Democrats Sen. Richard J. Durbin and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley – sent similar letters to HUD.

“Guilt by association,” or just guilt?

Is McCain merely taking cheap shots in the dark or putting the pieces of a puzzle together?  And will it stick?  Like his strategist, Nicole Walker said, when it comes to Obama and the press, “it’s like running against God.”

The Debate – My Notes

Why do the squiggly lines on CNN’s people meter move up when Obama is not saying much of anything?

Nobody said “kill him.”

Nobody voted for Biden when they had the chance.

Obama’s now on record with Ayers and ACORN.

We invented the auto industry?

Enforce unfair trade agreements?

Health care, what the hell is Obama talking about?

What about HIV/Aids?

Ayers-Obama education policies?  How do you enforce bad parents laws?  Chicago’s school system sucks too.

McCain, “I’m not Bush.”

McCain won.

Media Starting Shi…Stuff For Obama

In a report about the Secret Service looking into “death threats” against Barack Obama during McCain/Palin rallies, AP/Yahoo News lets it slip that the media is solely responsible for the allegations.

The Secret Service is looking into a second allegation that a participant at a Republican political rally shouted “kill him,” referring to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

The Scranton Times-Tribune reported that someone in the crowd shouted “kill him” after the mention of Obama’s name during a rally Tuesday for GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin in Scranton, Pa.

Last week, The Washington Post reported a similar incident during a Palin rally in Clearwater, Fla. The Secret Service investigated that allegation and found no indication that “kill him” was ever said, or if it was said, that the remark was directed at Obama.

Didja catch that?  That’s two allegations of a “death threat” involving the Secret Service, for goodness’ sakes, both initiated by the press.  Is “responsible journalism” an oxymoron now?  Or is the “oxy” part superfluous?  Don’t believe me?  Here are two more sentences clearly pointing the finger at the media.

In both the Clearwater and the Scranton instances, the Service only learned of the alleged threats through media reports.

edit

So far, the Secret Service has not found anyone else who heard “kill him” Tuesday except for the Times-Tribune reporter.

Carrying this kind of water for the race-baiting Democratic nominee and his camp should come with a fine and jail time.  Maybe then the “poor-pitiful-black-guy-being-victimized-by-those-big-bad-closet-racists” routine would stop being relied upon so heavily by the wannabe Crybaby in Chief.  But then, Dick Durbin and Harry Reid would be facing incarceration, too, since they starting this whole “let’s-play-up-the-black-angle” when they went to the Secret Service and requested protection for Obama in May of 2007, even though no credible threat had been recieved.  They never showed proof, they just “expressed concern” about “racially motivated” information, and not only got the protection they sought, they got one helluva milkable story out of it in the process.

The Race Card

Don’t Leave Home Without It

ABC Says Michelle Obama Story Fake, API Says It’s Not

African Press International stands by it’s original story of receiving an angry phone call from Michelle Obama berating them for their negative coverage of her husband, and revealing his adopted status in the process.

1. API had a telephone call from Mrs Obama after consultations with Nairobi. We will avail all the details and what transpired so that all interested parties may understand that the story is not fake.

2. API has no interest in the outcome of the US elections and we do not partner with any group in the promotion of any candidate for the presidency.

3. Our recordings will be released when we are satisfied it is not intended to be misused in any way or for any gains by an group.

The Obama Campaign, via ABC News’ Jake Tapper, contends that the story is a bald-faced lie:

Obama campaign senior adviser Robert Gibbs says the interview is a complete and utter fabrication. “It’s bogus, she didn’t call, it’s all a lie,” he says.

Tapper (surprise, surprise) buys the Obama Team’s position.  Others are content to wait and see.  I, for one, don’t really care.  I just think it’s funny.

Wonder if there’s a punchline.

Obama Focus Group Says He Sucks, But They’ll Vote For Him, Anyway

I love Politico.  Sometimes, when they act like schmoos, they piss me off, but for combination political news/dishing/commentary, you can’t beat ‘em.  Today, Ben Smith passes along an email from “a Republican consultant” who, believing Obama has a “glass jaw,” wanted the McCain camp to “hit harder.”  So, this unnamed, yet amazingly perceptive, Republican guy, creates a scathing anti-Obama ad and conducts a focus group somewhere in the Midwest.  Here’s his email:

Reagan Dems and Independents. Call them blue-collar plus. Slightly more Target than Walmart.

Yes, the spot worked. Yes, they believed the charges against Obama. Yes, they actually think he’s too liberal, consorts with bad people and WON’T BE A GOOD PRESIDENT…but they STILL don’t give a f***. They said right out, “He won’t do anything better than McCain” but they’re STILL voting for Obama.

The two most unreal moments of my professional life of watching focus groups:

54 year-old white male, voted Kerry ‘04, Bush ‘00, Dole ‘96, hunter, NASCAR fan…hard for Obama said: “I’m gonna hate him the minute I vote for him. He’s gonna be a bad president. But I won’t ever vote for another god-damn Republican. I want the government to take over all of Wall Street and bankers and the car companies and Wal-Mart run this county like we used to when Reagan was President.”

The next was a woman, late 50s, Democrat but strongly pro-life. Loved B. and H. Clinton, loved Bush in 2000. “Well, I don’t know much about this terrorist group Barack used to be in with that Weather guy but I’m sick of paying for health insurance at work and that’s why I’m supporting Barack.”

I felt like I was taking crazy pills.  I sat on the other side of the glass and realized…this really is the Apocalypse. The Seventh Seal is broken and its time for eight years of pure, delicious crazy….

Heh, heh, heh, Oh, Unknown Republican Consultant Guy, we PUMAs feel your pain.  Join us under the bus.  It’s kinda stuffy and waaaay too crowded under here, but if you promise to say nice things about Obi-WanNaBePresident once in a while, they let you out until you go off again; then back to your spot next to Granny, between Jesse (NutCuttin’) Jackson and Uncle Jerry you go.  The good thing is, the nice things you say don’t have to be true, or even make sense, and you certainly don’t have to really mean them.  Ask Hillary.  Then ask Bill.  Naah, just ask Ed Rendell.

McCain Aide: “It’s Like Running Against God”

As reported by Politico, McCain strategist Nicole Wallace told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” crew that because of media bias in favor of Barack Obama, their side had “lost the spin war.”

“Well, look, it’s like running against God,” Wallace said. “You know, the media has anointed [Obama]. Many, many places in the media, present company excluded, and he’s got more money. He opted out of public funds. No one cares about that.”

“Present company excluded?”  What planet does she live on?  Anyway, Wallace railed against claims that McCain is running a “dirty campaign.”

“The truth is they play dirty politics, and maybe we haven’t been quick enough. Maybe we don’t have enough friends in the media to carry the message,” Wallace said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show. “We certainly lost the spin war about his fighting a more negative campaign. The truth is that Barack Obama has spent more money on negative attack ads against John McCain than any politician, Democrat or Republican, in history.”

Complaining that while racial bias against Obama is widely discussed and denounced, gender bias seems to get a pass.

“The truth is we’ve had a lot of thoughtful discussions about race in this campaign, and that is entirely appropriate. We should continue to do so. We have spent far less time talking about the gender bashing that happens, not only out of the Obama campaign, but on the far left,” the strategist added.

Gee, Nicky, you don’t have to tell us Clinton supporters anything about that.

Ohio Seniors Punchout Over Alleged Ballot Fraud

Okay, Ohio.com tells the tale of George Manos, 75, (Republican) an elderly poll worker at  a senior citizen’s facility, getting his lights punched out by an equally elderly female poll worker, Edith Walker, 73, (Democrat) upset because he called her out for cheating.  Oh, yeah:

The board and Cuyahoga Falls police are investigating the incident, which occurred about noon Friday at the Gardens of Western Reserve nursing home. Manos told police that Democratic poll worker Edith Walker jumped on his back and struck him in the head three or four times after he confronted her for allegedly mismarking a female resident’s ballot — showing her voting for Sen. Barack Obama, instead of Sen. John McCain.

Both parties were put on leave, which sucks in my opinion.  The GOP’s deputy director Bryan Williams, agrees.

”He served as the whistle- blower,” Williams said. ”This sends the wrong message that if you call into question someone who may have done something wrong, your reward is to get sent home for a week.”

Mr. Manos agrees, too.

Manos, who has been a poll worker for several years, said he will be at the board meeting with his attorney.

It seems Ms. Walker is something of a hellcat when crossed.  After Manos witnessed her marking a female resident’s ballot for Obama, even though he heard the woman say she wanted to vote for McCain, he grabbed the ballot from Walker and took it to two other poll workers.  This was obviously the wrong thing to do as far as Edith was concerned.

Manos said Walker jumped on his back, wrapping her legs around his legs. He said she put her left arm around his neck, while using her other hand to hit him on the head. He said the other poll workers pulled Walker off him.

Manos said Walker ran over, grabbed the ballot and ran back to her table. When Manos and the other poll workers looked at the ballot, he said both Obama and McCain were marked.

Okay, I’m trying not to laugh, here…these are very serious issues…but…I’m sorry, what I wouldn’t give for video.  Oh, boy…I’m cool now.

Manos, a former stockbroker who served in the military, said his neck has been sore since the incident and he might go to the doctor to be examined. He said he thinks Walker intentionally mismarked the ballot and tried to cover it up.

”It was obvious,” he said. ”She knew what she was doing.”

Yeah, she was cracking me up.  Sorry, George, but that shit’s funny.