Obama, Biden's Son Linked By Earmarks

Washington Post: Candidate Got Funding For Nursing Program Represented By VP Pick's Son, A Lobbyist

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by James V. Grimaldi and Kimberly Kindy.

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Sen. Barack Obama sought more than $3.4 million in congressional earmarks for clients of the lobbyist son of his Democratic running mate, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, records show. Obama succeeded in getting $192,000 for one of the clients, St. Xavier University in suburban Chicago.

Obama's campaign has taken a hard stance against the world of lobbying in the nation's capital. Obama said he limits his own efforts to get money for pet projects -- a process known as earmarking -- to those that benefit the public. He has posted his earmark requests on his presidential campaign Web site to encourage transparency.

Since Obama announced his selection of Biden on Saturday, attention has focused on Biden's lobbying connections as well as his son's lobbying activities. R. Hunter Biden is one of many relatives of members of Congress who work as lobbyists.

The younger Biden started his career as a lobbyist in 2001 and has registered to represent about 21 clients that have brought in $3.5 million to his Washington firm, according to lobbying disclosure forms.

Sen. Biden has collected more than $6.9 million in campaign contributions from lobbyists and lawyers since 1989, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

A spokesman for the Obama campaign said that Hunter Biden himself has never lobbied his father. Another lobbyist in the firm successfully sought an earmark from the senator for the University of Delaware. But Hunter did not work on the account, the spokesman said.

Campaign spokesman David Wade also said Hunter Biden never appealed directly to Obama.

"Hunter Biden met with the Obama Senate office, not with Senator Obama," Wade said. "It's hardly surprising that a Senator from Illinois would fight for investments in Mercy Hospital, Thorek Hospital and St. Xavier University right in Illinois, or that he'd be joined in that effort by a Republican colleague, Representative Judy Biggert."

Hunter Biden, a 38-year-old Georgetown graduate and Yale-trained lawyer, is a name partner in the firm Oldaker, Biden & Belair, founded by William Oldaker, an election lawyer and lobbyist who worked on Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign and has been a fundraiser and campaign adviser for Sen. Biden.

An analysis for The Washington Post by Taxpayers for Common Sense of Hunter Biden's firm's lobbying business found that its clients collected $2.7 million in earmarks in the last fiscal year.

One of those clients was St. Xavier University, a four-year, 5,600-student institution run by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy in Orland Park, Ill. Steve Murphy, vice president for university advancement, said Hunter Biden approached him in 2005 offering to secure congressional earmarks.

Hunter Biden and his colleague, Eric Schwerin, told Murphy they were "working with a number of clients, institutions like yours, and we would like to help you identify earmarks, federal support and grants."

Murphy said he found Biden's parentage a selling point. Murphy then accompanied Biden to the offices of the Illinois delegation, including Obama's.

Obama requested $1.4 million for St. Xavier, including $900,000 to establish an early-childhood teacher training center "to meet the demand in the southwest Chicago metropolita area," according to a news release on the Web site of Obama's Senate office. Obama requested the early-childhood money in both 2006 and 2007.

Obama also in June 2007 sought $500,000 for a skills laboratory for St. Xavier's nursing school, which has one of the largest nursing programs in the state.

In the end, Obama's $1.4 million in requests resulted in $192,000 for the nursing facility.

Murphy said that a big selling point was the diversity of the nursing students, who often ended up working in communities where nurses were in shortage.

"Two years ago, we graduated more African American and Hispanic nurses than any private college in the state of Illinois," Murphy said. "I'm not at all apologetic that we asked for federal support for huge health-care needs of this growing community."

Since Hunter Biden signed St. Xavier as a client in December 2005, the firm has earned $320,000 from the university.

In 2006, Obama also asked for $2 million for a cancer research treatment center at Chicago's Thorek Memorial Hospital, according to an Obama letter requesting the money posted on Obama's campaign Web site. Hunter Biden was the registered lobbyist and his firm was paid $120,000 for representing Thorek, which has not received funding.

Obama's spokesman also acknowledged lobbying for Mercy Hospital, another client of Hunter Biden.

In addition to his work for universities, Hunter Biden has done consulting work for MBNA, the largest employer in Delaware.

From 2001 to 2005, Hunter was paid an undisclosed amount by the credit card giant, which has since been purchased by Bank of America. It has been widely reported that he received $100,000 a year.

At the time, Sen. Biden led a successful, high-profile battle in the Senate for a bankruptcy bill that ultimately benefited credit card companies. The law makes it more difficult for people to file for personal bankruptcy protection under Chapter 7.

"He was a crucial supporter of the law in that he paved the way for other Democrats to support it," said Travis Plunkett, legislative director of the Consumer Foundation of America, a consumer group that opposed the bill. "Senator Biden provided a lot of political cover for the credit card industry because they wanted to show that the proposal had bipartisan support. He aggressively undermined the opposition to the bill."

Over the past two decades, MBNA employees have given more than $200,000 to Biden's Senate campaigns, more than workers from any other company.

Wade said Hunter Biden was hired by MBNA after working as a Commerce Department lawyer on Internet privacy and online commerce issues. "Hunter consulted for five years as an expert on these very same issues at a time of enormous expansion in online banking," Wade said. "He was never a lobbyist for MBNA, and his work had absolutely nothing to do with the bankruptcy bill. Zero. Nothing."

Hunter Biden also lobbied for Napster, the music-sharing Web site that ran afoul of intellectual-property laws. Sen. Biden at the time was a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees laws governing intellectual-property rights.

Wade said Hunter Biden is careful not to approach his father when lobbying. Wade said the younger Biden does not share in revenue of other partners, so he does not directly benefit from their activities.

When he introduced him as his running mate, Obama said of Biden: "He has brought change to Washington, but Washington hasn't changed him." But Republicans quickly attacked Biden's connections to lobbyists.

"While Barack Obama decries Washington insiders and says that he detests lobbyists, Joe Biden is the model Washington insider with numerous connections to lobbyists and special interests," Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz said.

Wade defended Biden, saying he has been "as strong a supporter of ethics reform as the Senate has ever known, and his office follows all ethics laws right down to the letter."

Research editor Alice Crites and database editor Sarah Cohen contributed to this report.

[jackdems]

After Obama & company are through with America all we''''ll be left with is the change in our pockets. Look at the details of his economic plan. He says only the upper income people will see tax increases. That''''s complete BS. The middle class is going to take a massive hit - that''''s where the big tax bucks can be found. The welfare state is going to make a huge comeback - income redistribution, bigger, more intrusive government programs, universal (i.e. rationed) health care, a super sized nanny state if you will. If we continue going down this road we''''ll create a society that stiffles individual liberty and hard work. Got a sob story? Go to the Democrats - they''''ll create a whole new government program to make things all better. Of course it''''s going to cost you - it''''s going to cost all of us. Want to work hard, save, invest, and heavens forbid keep more of your money that you earned as a result of your hard work? No, not in Obama''''s world. In his world, he knows best and the government is better qualified to determine how your money is spent and how we should live our lives.

Wasn''''t it Reagan who once said that the scariest words in the English langauge are, "I''''m from the government and I''''m here to help you." I love my country and I seriously don''''t believe our Founding Fathers ever envisioned a monolithic government that controls almost every aspect of human activity. That''''s called statism and we should fear it.

[dnsallday]

Looks like Obama will have to show a REAL birth certificate after all!! LMAO!! -------

Posted by NEVERKOOLAID at 07:45 PM : Aug 27, 2008
*********************************************************** What a submissive fool you sound like!
Didn''t you get the memo that the crackpot who started that rumor (Jerome Corsi) was forced to examine the B.C. and was forced to concede that he was full of BS.

[neverkoolaid]

Wait until it comes out that Bidens other son Beau, the Attorney General of Vermont, has issued a false warrant for the arrest of one Larry Sinclair in order to silence him!!
No wonder he got the VP slot, he is linked to Rezko''s partner and his son helped to silence Larry Siclair!! LMAO!!

Soetoro lies,.....

[neverkoolaid]

Maybe now someone will look at the pork that Obama pushed through for his wife''s employer that resulted in MEchelle getting a $200,000 raise!! Soetoro lies,.....

McCain 08
Hillary 12

Soetoro, Dunham,Obama, Loser,....NEVER!!

[dudeincali]

This is the best scandal the GOP can trot out?. That Biden''s son landed 192k for a hospital. I''ll take that over being the junior member of the Keating 5 any day.

[likeitis5050]

I''''ve also noticed that the right-leaning the post, the poorer the spelling and grammar. What does that tell us?


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Posted by rrauch1

That you don''t proof read and that you''re probably pretty self-righteous about what ever you do. You have to be the one everyone shuns at gatherings. Sad.

[rrauch1]

he got money for a Catholic teaching hospital. What''s wrong with that?

I''ve also noticed that the right-leaning the post, the poorer the spelling and grammar. What does that tell us?

[pollroller1]

I don''t think there is much difference between the two parties. They try to brain wash us with all of the speeches. Tell the people what the consultants say they want to hear. I have said and I still say watching the politicians debate is like watching Monday night wrestling. It''s all fake. Sorry to be such a pessimist.

[cbs4me3]

I wondered why Joe accepted BO''s offer to be VP while everyone else was fleeing from him. These two are wedded at their rears by Joe''s kid. Sure nice to make such easy money from sleazy political tricks.

[promaclaura]

Obama seems like a typical politician to me. I believe he needs more seasoning before becoming a President. Barack needs to show experience on the floor and develop a track record to learn from and use as a guideline for what works. Also, Barack is going to have to show that he is learning from his mistakes in the past. Affiliations with radical americans must stop. Barack admits to drug use, that does not bother me, it''s who he surrounded himself with after he got off the drugs that bothers me. Where was his judgement? This should have been a no-brainer for any individual in the public view. I am sickened that Ayers is a teacher and unrepentent about his violence, I wouldn''t pay money to be taught by him.

[p5e0428]

Obama is simply a politician doing what politicians do. I remember when he said he regretted showing his children on Good Morning America and that he felt he shouldn''''t have done the interview. Next thing I know he and and family are on the cover of essence. He said he doesn''''t like earmarks but wait let me pick a VP who does. He said his pastor was like family until the pastor plainly told America Obama is a politician and he will do what politicians do. OBAMA IS NO BETTER THEN ANYONE ELSE. HE SAYS HE DOESN''T LIKE DOING THIS ATTACK ADS BUT WAIT LET ME GET BIDEN TO BE MY ATTACK DOG. THIS HILLARY SUPPORTER IS NOW ON THE FENCE. CANT WAIT TO SEE WHO MCCAINS VP IS. IF HIS VP IS A BETTER CHOICE THEN I KNOW WERE MY VOTE IS GOING. JUST SO TIRED OF OBAMA''''S BAD JUDGEMENT.

[talkingham]

Wow, a $192k, Bush pizzes that away in one secnd in Iraq and nobody notices.

[p5e0428]

Obama is simply a politician doing what politicians do. I remember when he said he regretted showing his children on Good Morning America and that he felt he shouldn''t have done the interview. Next thing I know he and and family are on the cover of essence. He said he doesn''t like earmarks but wait let me pick a VP who does. He said his pastor was like family until the pastor plainly told America hes a politician will do what politicians do. OBAMA IS NO BETTER HE IS THE ONE THROWING RACISM OUT THERE NOT THE REPUBLIC CAMP. THIS HILLARY SUPPORTER IS NOW ON THE FENCE. CANT WAIT TO SEE WHO MCCAINS VP IS. IF HIS VP IS A BETTER CHOICE THEN I KNOW WERE MY VOTE IS GOING. JUST SO TIRED OF OBAMA''S BAD JUDGEMENT.

[oneamerican_]

So - Obama thinks he can change Washington - with dirty-dealing Biden?

What was Obama thinking?

Game over, Democrats.

[fstop100]

barry going to do another flip flop here?

[realpatriot1]

Vote Obama...he''ll live longer.

[realpatriot1]

pepperp1,

You were one of the idiots who was claiming during the Primaries that Obama was copying Hillary''s proposals.

Now you say you don''t know if they stand for the same even after Hillary has outlined specifically how they are.

What''s wrong with this picture?

[condumbism]

AnitaY417

John McCains attack machine is about to experience unrelenting blowback from the American people. Baracks lead will soon again be in double digits.

[wogerwabbit]

Vote McCain....you''''ll live longer.

Posted by tiddsanbeer at 03:53 PM : Aug 27, 2008


Not our troops though, they get to keep on dying.

[deacon20081]

Posted by tiddsanbeer
While being forced to listen to NPR radio, they were interviewing dummycrat delegates at the convention that spewed over and over again how corrupt Bush and McCain were with cozy LOBBYEST relationships.

This story reveals the absolute HYPOCRISY of the liberalia dummy''''s.

Vote McCain....you''''ll live longer.
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Speaking of your Senator McSame :
Sen. John McCain "condemned overspending and corruption" by Republicans, saying, "We came to Washington and gained a majority to change Washington and Washington changed us. We let spending get completely out of control." The Union-Tribune notes, "Without mentioning" Randy "Duke" Cunningham "by name, McCain alluded to the former Rancho Santa Fe Republican congressman who was driven from office in 2006 by a massive bribery scandal. ''I don''t use the word corruption lightly,'' he said. ''We have former members of Congress residing in prison, and it''s because of this practice of earmarks. And it''s going to stop.''"
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Oh sorry we have been filling our pockets and destroying the economy and have erased any sense of respect from the world, under the current congress and leadership from Dubya Bush. We are going to stop it now, I promise he says.

Also he knows the Republicans are doomed just like in 2006.