Obama requested $1 million earmark for his wife's employer.

[Danny White]

One of Obama's Earmark Requests Was for the Hospital That Employs Michelle Obama

Dan Riehl notes, via Amanda Carpenter, that in the list of earmarks [Obama] requested, $1 million was requested for the construction of a new hospital pavilion at the University Of Chicago. The request was put in in 2006.

You know who works for the University of Chicago Hospital?

Michelle Obama. She's vice president of community affairs.

As Byron noted, "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."

Looks like that raise was worth it.

http://campaignspot.nationalreview.c...FiMTlhYmRhN2Y=

[theogt]

I'm sure it's a beautiful pavilion.

[vta]

Chu-chu-chu-chu-changes...
Yeah right; change the face of the crook stealing the money?

[zrinkill]

That is very disheartening. Even though I do not agree with his politics I was hoping that Obama was a man of character.

This looks much worse than whatever stupid crap his racist hate mongering preacher said.

[REDVOLUTION]

Originally Posted by zrinkill

That is very disheartening. Even though I do not agree with his politics I was hoping that Obama was a man of character.

This looks much worse than whatever stupid crap his racist hate mongering preacher said.

People are people. Politicians are politicians. Its not all our faults.

Its the system. The system is broken. The game has unfair rules. Expect more of the same until the base of the problems are fixed.

[BrAinPaiNt]

Originally Posted by YoMick

People are people. Politicians are politicians. Its not all our faults.

Its the system. The system is broken. The game has unfair rules. Expect more of the same until the base of the problems are fixed.

Yep...people don't get that far in politics without doing some funny business in the majority of cases.

[iceberg]

troubling, but i'll wait till more is known. a tidbit isn't worth much alone.

[Danny White]

Duke Cunningham was tossed out of Congress and tossed into jail for steering money and contracts to groups in exchange for financial benefit... jus sayin.

I don't know if there's any direct quid pro quo here, but it sure stinks to high heaven.

And seriously, if you think Obama hasn't benefitted from dirty money in the past, you should look at the whole Tony Rezko thing a little more closely.

Lucky for him, he's running against "Madame Whitewater" and "Mister Keating 5."

But yeah, so much for him being "Mr. Change."

[BrAinPaiNt]

Originally Posted by Danny White

Duke Cunningham was tossed out of Congress and tossed into jail for steering money and contracts to groups in exchange for financial benefit... jus sayin.

I don't know if there's any direct quid pro quo here, but it sure stinks to high heaven.

And seriously, if you think Obama hasn't benefitted from dirty money in the past, you should look at the whole Tony Rezko thing a little more closely.

Lucky for him, he's running against "Madame Whitewater" and "Mister Keating 5."

But yeah, so much for him being "Mr. Change."

@ Madame Whitewater. Funny thing is that is probably one of the nicest monikers she has gained over the years.

[Sasquatch]

Change initiated from the top progresses incrementally. If you want real change, you must look to the people.

[Doomsday101]

Originally Posted by Sasquatch

Change initiated from the top progresses incrementally. If you want real change, you must look to the people.

Argentinian Marxist revolutionary who later joined Fidel Castro's revolutionary. Yeah he is a real hero of the people.

[Sasquatch]

Originally Posted by Doomsday101

Yeah he is a real hero of the people.

The Cubans are rather fond of him.

[Doomsday101]

Originally Posted by Sasquatch

The Cubans are rather fond of him.

The ones in Miami or the ones getting in broken down boats to get the hell out of there to come to Miami?

[Sasquatch]

Originally Posted by Doomsday101

The ones in Miami or the ones getting in broken down boats to get the hell out of there to come to Miami?

Why don't you go to Cuba and ask what they think of him?

Oh wait, our government won't let you.

[AbeBeta]

U of Chicago Medical Center isn't so podunk hospital -- it is the best and most prestigious hospital in the state and among the Nation's finest.

Candidates make 100s of earmark requests -- usually to fund successful institutions like this. Earmark requests often top 10 million dollars. And frankly, one million to U of C is likely a tiny tiny contribution toward a major construction project. One million may seem like a lot of money but the 1 mill isn't going to buy much influence with the hospital -- I would imagine that 1 million was the minimum for the state to be recognized among the top level of contributors to the project (i.e., the state's earmark bought them a prominent place on a donor plaque).