SPRINGFIELD, Ill., March 13, 2008
Obama Silent On Spending As State Senator
Information On Pet Projects Tucked Into Illinois Spending Bills Not Publicly Available
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Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., walks down the stairs on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Thursday, March 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Public records reveal some of the projects he sponsored as a state senator, from literacy programs and park improvements to drill team uniforms and jazz-appreciation events. They add up to more than $6 million.
But that covers just two of Obama's nearly eight years in the Illinois Senate.
While silent about Obama's spending in Illinois, his campaign has criticized Democratic presidential rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for withholding similar information about her years in the U.S. Senate.
Obama communications director Robert Gibbs said Thursday that her position should prompt voters to "ask why she doesn't believe they have the right to know she wants to spend their tax dollars."
Since entering the U.S. Senate and launching his presidential campaign, Obama has made a political issue of openness.
He voluntarily discloses the "earmarks" he adds to the federal budget; Clinton does not. He initially released only one year's worth of earmark information, but on Thursday he released his requests for the 2005 and 2006 federal budget years, too.
"I have been consistently in favor of more disclosure around earmarks," Obama said in a debate last month. "Now, keep in mind a lot of these are worthy projects in our states ... but I want to make sure that they're not done in the dark of night."
That disclosure, however, so far applies only to federal spending.
When Obama served in the state Legislature, from 1997 until late 2004, it was routine for money to be added to the annual budget for lawmakers to dole out. In most years, this was done without any public record of which legislator was sponsoring which grant, leaving no way to tell how Obama used his share of the money.
But for a couple of years, the state did link lawmakers and grants.
Records from that period show Obama sponsored a little more than $6 million in projects.
Of that, $2 million went to the Chicago Park District for projects ranging from adding or expanding parks to repairing fountains to building a running track.
Chicago schools got grants of $5,000 and $10,000 to buy computers, improve security systems or offer new programs. The transportation department got $200,000 for new stoplights.
Private organizations got money, too.
Neighborhood groups in the South Side district he represented were given grants, typically $15,000 or $20,000, for such projects as senior centers, park improvements and teen mentoring programs.
Obama was one of several lawmakers to direct money to the South Shore Drill Team, which tries to keep poor children away from drugs and gangs by involving them in dance and music. Obama's grant to them was $25,000.
He also directed $100,000 to the Museum of Science and Industry for an exhibit on the nature of time, and provided two $5,000 grants for groups promoting jazz appreciation.
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See all 86 CommentsPosted by BLKPRESIDENT
Only, Hillary''s tougher than baby Barack could ever be, and though you have to admit the gentleman speaks eloquently, he''ll never be as smart as she is. Besides that, Hillary''s got the track record and has sweated more than he ever has! So, yeah, I''m a man, too, maybe some men might be better than Hillary--but not John McCain, and certainly not baby Barack, 3-year senator from Illinois!
Americans are tired of Obama and his attack dogs as a defense, answer the question Senator, how much of this went into corrupt hands
Maybe he can realse this info at the same time Hillary releases her tax returns and McCain releases the minutes from his meetings with lobbyists.
What I would like to see is a list of all the taxpayer money he sent to Mr. Rezko to build all those slums. We only have figures on one and that was $43 million. Seems the tenants in that building went through one of history''s harshest winters without heat. Reckon in that $43 million the budget just ran out for heating and cooling?
Let''s see a list of money that Mr. Rezko received from backroom deals with Mr. Obama''s senate seat. Most of these slums were in Mr. Obama''s District.
"But Obama''s campaign spokesman Bill Burton disputes the pledge was broken. He said the campaign asked CNN and MSNBC to pull Florida from the ad buy, but the networks said they could not."
Yeah, like Obama really put pressure on them! Why didn''t he have the whole ad campaign pulled down if he''s such a straight up guy? I guess it just never occurred to him to pull it down to keep from violating DNC rules.
No?
The man''s name is either Senator Obama or Mr. Obama to you. Not "Baby Barack" as you seem to like to write. Disrespecting Obama won''t save Hillary in PA. After PA., she, Geraldine, you and everyone supporting her pipe-dream about a woman being president can finally accept that it''s over. Hillary lost--deal with it like Al Gore did. We need to have her step aside so Obama can turn his attention to OLD man McCain.
No dude you got that wrong, hes just like Farrakhan, and Rev. Wright, We''ll just call him Sand monkey, we need to ship them all over to arab country.
In case you don''t know, which based on your rantings, I doubt if you do, but Mr. Rezko isn''t running for president. Obama is. And from where I''m sitting he is winning and your girl Hillary is losing. Translation: Hillary back to the kitchen stove and Obama on to steamroll OLD man McCain.
Well, hes still a man, and a man , is a man, no matter what you say. I don''t care if hes white yellow black or blue, you want real change, vote for Hillary.
Somebody let you out on a weekend pass? Play nice now or someone will think you''re a clone of Hillary or Geraldine Ferraro. After PA., you and the rest of Hillary''s bunch can join her at her house for brownies. Word on the street is that Hillary will be wearing an apron when she bakes them.
Please define for ME, what he means by change? No one has ever said?
Boy are you a sexist or what? How about if all us Hillary supporters just jack slaps you? You think its cool being a sexist? Let me tell ya, there is a woman every 15 seconds who is being abused in one way or another by an intimate partner in the United States alone. Do you know how many woman are killed by an intimate partner in the U.S. every year? let me tell you, its alot, in the thousands. what does this have to do with sexist, everything. Not all sexist do these things, but most of the crimes committed upon these women are by sexist. So, do me a favor and keep your comments to yourself, corn nugget!
Are you lost from a hillbillie community in remote PA. or something? I think your Daddy, err-I mean your first-cousin/daddy is calling you. Hillary lost--get over it already!
Somebody let you out on a weekend pass? Play nice now or someone will think you''''re a clone of Hillary or Geraldine Ferraro. After PA., you and the rest of Hillary''''s bunch can join her at her house for brownies. Word on the street is that Hillary will be wearing an apron when she bakes them. BLKPRESIDENT
somebody need to kick your sexist azz. you know. I want to watch to.
Posted by croft777 at 10:08 PM : Mar 13, 2008
Please define for ME, what he means by change? No one has ever said?
Posted by Jonesforch at 10:05 PM : Mar 13, 2008
Yeah and Obama thinks hes the Next Kennedy. You know how many women he had? lots. You gonna bash Kennedys wife Jac. to? Most men do cheat, so whats new? next.
Well, if you want to watch somebody kick my butt, make sure you don''t ask your girl Hillary to do something a MAN has to do. She simply ain''t MAN enough this election year. Bake a batch of cookies or something.
Are you going to answer my guestion? no one will?
Please define for ME, what he means by change? No one has ever said?
Its all propaganda, thats all. Ever hear the song, "Cult of Personality"? Obama fits that well. He''ll say anything to get your vote. Whoever becomes prewsident is in for a real surprise, this country is on its way to a collapse.The very rich have went to far, they''ll be going down with us all to.
Obama 08
What I can do for My Oil Buddies,...But ,How Can I further My Kingdom ?",.. "By telling More Lies,By making Sure each Working citizen is So Far in debt,that ''''Corporate America " can Truly Rule!
" By squelching personal Freedoms,and devaluing our currency I Will Destroy the Middle Class! "
" By the end of My Occupation of the White House,each citizen over the age of 18 of this country
will owe over $112,500 due to My war."
" With interest,due to China,this will grow daily,..My legacy will Never end as this country will Never recover from my policies"
" While you morons languish in debt,I`ll be living the high life in Dubai !"
" Always remember as Your King,..I did my best to break each one you,..Of course my friends in big business can`t thank you enough for being led into this situation. "
"Karl Rove will be on Your new currency,The IlliterO ! " ,..Thank You for being such Shrubbies ! "
Are you lost from a hillbillie community in remote PA. or something? I think your Daddy, err-I mean your first-cousin/daddy is calling you. Hillary lost--get over it already! BLKPRESIDENT
Hey are you one of those sand monkeys? Sorry, don''t have no hillbilly here.Hillary hasn''t lost shi*t. But Obama will be saying bye bye.
He''''ll say anything to get your vote. Whoever becomes prewsident is in for a real surprise,
Dont''t they all say what YOU want to hear?
years of .................
The Clintons are "No Angels"
Here''s a few to think about;
Here''s a few;
-Billing-gate, Hillary Clinton''''s missing law-billing records. Those records %u2014 which raised questions about Mrs. Clinton''''s role in the Castle Grande deal %u2014 were subpoenaed in 1994. They were missing until early 1996, when they turned up in a White House room next to her office. She says she doesn"t know how they got there.
-Cattlegate, Hillary Clinton''''s mysterious ability to turn a $1,000 investment into a $100,000 profit on cattle futures, a feat experts say was virtually impossible in normal trading.
-Castle Grande, a real-estate scheme that federal regulators say was a sham. A federal inspector general''''s report found Hillary Clinton drew up the legal papers that were used to improperly funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to Seth Ward, father-in-law of her ex-law partner Webster Hubbell.
Also;
Know What Your Signing. "Experience 101?
Lets not forget, A lot of Men and Women have lost there lives in this Iraq war, because of the "YES" vote.
Better prepared to be commander-in-chief. I don''t think so.
To this day I can''t beleive that Sen. Clinton didn''t read the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq before she voted "Yes" in 2002. This vote gave President Bush the POWER to use military force against Saddam Hussein and Iraq.
Well, if you want to watch somebody kick my butt, make sure you don''''t ask your girl Hillary to do something a MAN has to do. She simply ain''''t MAN enough this election year. Bake a batch of cookies or something. BLKPRESIDENT
So you think being a man makes you stronger? I disagree. Ever see a 105 pound women kick a 225 pound, 6 foot tall mans azz, I have. Men like you amuses me, they cannot even see how much of a fool they really are.
Little anger thing going on?
You''re right about one thing in your post. You wrote that Obama would be saying, and I quote, "bye-bye". Yes, after PA. Obama will be saying those exact words to Miss Hillary and send her packing off the campaign trail back to her kitchen stove.
Most of them do, but I really believe Hillary when she says she will do something. She has proved this. Even though she has yet to pass the insurance for everyone, she has been pushing for it, for a long time. She has proven that her heart is for the American people. Look at her record, she made sure those babies had health insurance, whose parents couldn''t afford it. I think she would make an excellent pres.
Little anger thing going on? Jonesforch
Yes I''m angry, I have been. I''m sick of the press and the Obama camp bashing Hillary. Especially the press. She has had nothing but negative remarks made against her. I know what its all about, for one, theres alot of sexist out there who do not want a woman president, it wouldn''t matter who she is. A black man got to vote before a woman, it took her another 50 years or so. The republicans do not want to compete against Hillary. For one reason is because they know that the majority of voters are WOMEN and to win an election, you have to have the majority of the women voters. Don''t believe me check it out for yourself. The Republicans want Obama to win, because he will be an easier win, especially the new dirt that will be on him, Hillarys is old dirt that people have already heard and know that people spent millions of dollars looking for dirt on the Clintons and all they could find was a B.J.I can''t stand watching the national news because of this. It would be great if they all would just disappear.
Posted by croft777 at 10:30 PM : Mar 13, 2008
Kinda like when her husband was in office? I had 2 kids great job..then came the taxes..wow guess what? no money for insurance. Oh but SHE is qualified because? her husband was president. Get over it.
Hillary will win P.A. theres to many old peple there. Obama doesn''t have a chance. She''ll be in the double digits over him.
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Posted by croft777 at 10:23 PM : Mar 13, 2008
Yeah,I saw that movie too.In real life,it''''s like the video taken from the cop car of the female cop that pulls over the big black guy,and when he decides he''''s had enough of her,he drills her dead in the nose,and all she''''s doing after that is wishing she hadn''''t pulled over that big black guy,LOL I think she was more like 140lbs.
You must be in La LA land or you were to young to remember. When Bill was in Office, life was good. Try to prove me wrong it won''t work, I lived those years.
And what does she stand for?
No movie, not black guy, just me and an azz hole who thought he could hit me.
Hmm? no S E X in the White House?
If you think Hillary is going to win PA. by as much as double-digits, ROFL, both you and her are suffering from high-hopes syndrome. ROFL...To heck with Martha Stewart, bring on OLD McCain, so the Obama shuffle can be unleashed on his old ***. Scared yet OLD man? Better be...
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