Obama's Political "Godfather" In Illinois

Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., An Old-School Politician, Called "Indispensable To Barack's Career"

(AP)  The president of the Illinois Senate is sitting in his statehouse office, talking in gravelly tones about political strategies and counter-strategies. Out of nowhere, the theme from "The Godfather" begins playing.

It turns out to be the ringtone on his cell phone - an appropriate song for the man who amounts to Barack Obama's political godfather.

Emil Jones Jr. helped Obama master the intricacies of the Legislature. When Democrats took control of the state Senate, Jones, though he risked offending colleagues who had toiled futilely on key issues under Republican rule, tapped Obama to take the lead on high-profile legislative initiatives that he now boasts about in his presidential campaign.

And when Obama wanted a promotion to the U.S. Senate, Jones provided critical support that gave the little-known legislator legitimacy, keeping him from being instantly trampled by the front-runners.

"He's been indispensable to Barack's career. He wants to see a black president before he gets called home," said fellow state Sen. Rickey Hendon, a Democrat.

While Obama got vital help from Jones, the two men have sharply different political styles, and Jones may not be a political asset in a White House campaign.

Jones, 72, is an unabashedly old-school politician. A former sewer inspector for the city of Chicago, Jones has relatives on the state payroll, steers state grants to favorite organizations and uses his clout to punish enemies and bury GOP legislation.

Obama supporters see the alliance as an example of Obama's ability to get things done by working with all kinds of people. Critics see it as hypocrisy - Obama refusing to speak out against the kinds of abuse he claims to oppose.

"His voting record is down-the-line unquestioned support of the Cook County machine," said Steve Rauschenberger, a former Republican state senator.

The two first met in the mid-1980s. Jones was already in the state Senate and Obama was a young community organizer on Chicago's South Side.

Obama apparently didn't think much of Jones. In his memoir "Dreams from My Father," Obama dismisses him as "an old ward heeler" who had little clout left after backing the wrong candidate.

But Jones was impressed by Obama and cooperated with Obama's Developing Communities Project on some issues. Later, Obama was elected to the state Senate, where Jones was then the minority leader and most powerful black member of the Legislature.

"When he first came, we sat down and he said to me, 'You know I like to work hard. Feel free to hand me any tough assignments on legislation,"' Jones recalls. "That was unusual, for a person to say 'I like to work."'

Jones gave him a chance, assigning Obama to a bipartisan task force in charge of drafting ethics legislation.

It was not a glamor job. Obama would be asking legislators to accept new restrictions and asking good-government groups to compromise, leaving no one entirely happy. But legislators ended up passing the state's first major ethics overhaul in years, including limits on gifts to officials.

Jones also let Obama work on establishing a state version of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and lobby Republicans to soften their legislation adding work requirements to the state welfare system - an effort that ended with GOP senators praising Obama.

Several senators said Jones and Obama, who represented neighboring Chicago districts, weren't particularly close. They didn't socialize much, and the legislative opportunities he gave to Obama were similar to those available to other promising senators.

But their relationship changed in 2002.

[phillysage]

he looks like Malcolm X without the glasses (at least Malcolm was sincere)

[phillysage]

Electing Obama would not end racism, it would encourage it and greatly deepen the divisions in our society.
The Obamites are already calling any one who supports Hillary Clinton a racist for doing so (including me, who supported Civil Rights from the 60s and also voted for Jesse Jackson for President in 1988)---just imagine what they will call anyone who supports John McCain!
Of course, they will end up losing the race for the Democrats anyway, since people will see through the hypocrisy of which Barack Hussein Obama is the incarnation of.

[phillysage]

The more you learn about Obama
the more you realize how Obamanable he really is

[mjvw2]

RowdyTexan2 - Personally I don''t like any of them. There must be a better options than picking between 2 compulsive liars

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by realpatriot1 at 12:50 PM : Apr 01, 2008

Hillary stuck to her agreement not to campaign in Florida and Michigan. Obama didn''t. He held press conferences in both states and ran an ad campaign in Florida.

Obama won''t wouldn''t support the re-vote because he knew he broke the DNC rules.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by mjvw2 at 03:00 PM : Apr 01, 2008

Is that all you''ve GOT? Obama''s right up there with Bush''s 935 lies! He''s pro''bly even broke the record by now! Obama lies and flip flops about everything!

[gorgeousm]

According to The Book of Revelations the anti-christ
is: The anti-christ will be a man,in his 40s, of
MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with
persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like
appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to
him and he will promise false hope and world peace,
and when he is in power, will destroy everything.

Is it OBAMA?? (PART-1)

Posted by rogerspebble at 05:56 AM : Apr 01, 2008
_______________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Are there any comments on this belief from the bible?

[mjvw2]

"We have realized that Clinton lied about her Bosnia trip" and,
the law firm billing records; and,
chelsea jogging around the world trade center on 9/11; and, Sir Edmund Hillary; and, about the soccer team that didn''t exist; and, wanting to be an astronaut.

To name a few off the top of my head. Yes, hillarys our girl. Give me a break

[joll0586]

Indeed, Clinton is like Rocky!

She keeps getting beat up by both Democratic back stabbers and the news media alike. We have realized that Clinton lied about her Bosnia trip, but we also know that Obama has lied about:

1) his relationship with the LUNETIC RACIST Rev. Wright
2) his involvment with the crook Tony Rezko
3) his association with the self-proclaimed Pentagon TERRORIST William C. Ayers
4) his note about his father''s arrival in the US due to Kennedy
5) his taking hundreds of thousands of $$$$$$$$$$$ from lobyists

WHAT IS IT GONG TO TAKE FOR AMERICA TO FIGURE OUT OBAMA IS A RACIST, BIGGOT, AND ANTI-SEMITIC?

DO WE HAVE TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE WE DID WITIH GEORGE BUSH?

REMEMBER IF WE HAD SLECTED GORE, WE WOULD NOT BE IN THE IRAQ MESS?

Come on people, WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We need someone like Hillary to fight for us the same way she is fighing for the nomination.

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[joll0586]

Indeed, Clinton is like Rocky!

She keeps getting beat up by both Democratic back stabbers and the news media alike. We have realized that Clinton lied about her Bosnia trip, but we also know that Obama has lied about:

1) his relationship with the LUNETIC RACIST Rev. Wright
2) his involvment with the crook Tony Rezko
3) his association with the self-proclaimed Pentagon TERRORIST William C. Ayers
4) his note about his father''s arrival in the US due to Kennedy
5) his taking hundreds of thousands of $$$$$$$$$$$ from lobyists

WHAT IS IT GONG TO TAKE FOR AMERICA TO FIGURE OUT OBAMA IS A RACIST, BIGGOT, AND ANTI-SEMITIC?

DO WE HAVE TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE WE DID WITIH GEORGE BUSH?

REMEMBER IF WE HAD SLECTED GORE, WE WOULD NOT BE IN THE IRAQ MESS?

Come on people, WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We need someone like Hillary to fight for us the same way she is fighing for the nomination.

*****************************************
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[rowdytexan2]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080330_Obama_was_the_first_to_play_the_race_card.html

While you''re at it, take a look at how he''s conducted himself in this campaign! He''s dirtier even than he was knocking off all his opponents to get his Illinois senate seat!

He doesn''t UNITE! He just eliminates everybody else from the playing field with dirty campaign tactics!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by realpatriot1 at 12:45 PM : Apr 01, 2008

You forget that 396 other people voted for the Iraq war! She didn''t get it passed by HERSELF! What a goofus!

Obama couldn''t reach across party lines for 7 solid years in his Illinois senate seat! He didn''t get one spit of legislation passed until his kingmaker Jones handed him EVERY piece of legislation to write in a democratic majority senate! Obama couldn''t do squat without somebody handing it to him! And he hasn''t passed squat as a US senator without stealing other people''s bills. He''s NOTORIOUS for it! He''s named a post office, and one other insignificant piece of legislation!

When a presidential candidate doesn''t even know how to write and get passed legislation, how in the hell is he going to lead others to do it?

Take off your rosey sunshines and take a look at this man and his record for pete''s sakes! Not only is he incompetent, he is corrupt! Look at the $300 million dollars he poured into Jones Chicago district in earmarks. PAYOLA!!! RealPatriot! PAYOLA!

[parrot123-2009]

Whne she explains why she did that I''''ll think about voting for her; until then, she doesn''''t deserve my vote or anyone else''''s.
Posted by realpatriot1 at 12:45 PM : Apr 01, 2008

At some point, these politicians need to be held responsible for their actions and most especially the Repugs in Congress ..... It''s no secret what they''ve done and what they intend doing - I already know how high Gas and anything, everything else is - in just 7 short years .... Repugs like to have selective memories, it''s just sad that they''re probably feeling the hardest brunt of it, but they''ll never face up to the real issues affecting America.

[smiley676]

They have Hillary to blame, along with their state officials, for throwing this monkey wrench into the process.


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Posted by realpatriot1

Are you serious? Do you think before writing, or do you just write?

Hillary has nothing to do with the problems of Michigan and Florida.

If Obama had cared at all about the voters in those states he would have been there with Hillary. But no, that''s not the way Obama works. He only cares about people who can get him something he wants.

Obviously the Democratic party is the problem, not the people running.

[realpatriot1]

RField9,

If those folks in Florida had half a brain they would realize that it was Hillary who cost them their vote.
If she had stuck to her committment along with ALL other candidates to not compete in the moved up Primaries then Florida & Michigan would''ve been talking about rescheduling back in late January-early February when there was still sufficient time to re-vote.

They have Hillary to blame, along with their state officials, for throwing this monkey wrench into the process.

[realpatriot1]

RowdyTexan2,

How do you propose that Hillary or McCain will unite the country? What''s Hillary gotten done?

You constantly raise the bar for him and lower it for Hillary and you''ll never change. All you do is *** about Obama and you never offer a coherent reason to support her that''s anything other than a soundbite from her campaign.

The woman voted to allow Bush to invade a country that had not attacked us with no preconditions while voting against allowing the international community to finish looking for WMD.

Whne she explains why she did that I''ll think about voting for her; until then, she doesn''t deserve my vote or anyone else''s.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by parrot123 at 10:37 AM : Apr 01, 2008

He''s united NOTHING! His acts along to get elected were self-serving! He couldn''t even reach across the aisles for 7 years in Illinois and get a piece of legislation passed when the republicans had control of the senate! He didn''t get a piece of legislation passed until THIS MAN Jones, handed him every piece of legislation to write after the democrats took control!

He hasn''t passed one piece of legislation as US senator that someone else didn''t write first! He literally stole ideas!

The man is an incompetent but ambitious! And the idea that he can unite this country and write books spewing separatist ideology is ludicrous!

[parrot123-2009]

Posted by parrot123 at 10:00 AM : Apr 01, 2008

How dare I present you with the truth about Obama''''s corrupt politics??? He''''s dirty! From day one in his campaign for the Illinois senate where he eliminated every opponent by backroom sleaze!
Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 10:30 AM : Apr 01, 2008

A politics of Unity to a Repug like you is Corrupt - cuz most Repugs can''t understand why he isn''t pushing for divisions or throwing mud at his opponents .... His relationships is a testament to how he''s proven to have his own Mind and not influenced by his sorroundings or the people he''s had to unite with in other for progress to be made in his careers - IMO, these associations prove that he''s the best candidate to unify our congress, if he could have flourished under a Wright and associated with Jones - Repugs will be much easier for him to get along with cuz they''re just really very greedy and Right now AMerica needs everyone to work TOGETHER in fixing all these Repug problems facing this country TODAY. Cheers!

[parrot123-2009]

For the aforementioned reasons alone, American voters, must drop any further support for Obama and his Chicago wrecking crew.
Posted by strangepols at 10:24 AM : Apr 01, 2008

I believe most people would rather have Repugs tell us about their own candidate than lie about the Dem candidates or is there really nothing to talk about ???

[rowdytexan2]

How Dare you ? Forgotten about STEVENS, who''''s still in the senate - with his bridge and the back & forth bribing going on in Alaska ??


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Posted by parrot123 at 10:00 AM : Apr 01, 2008

How dare I present you with the truth about Obama''s corrupt politics??? He''s dirty! From day one in his campaign for the Illinois senate where he eliminated every opponent by backroom sleaze!