Keep it up, Democrats. Please continue placing Illinois Dems in a prominent spot as the party rallies around its presumptive nominee, Chicagoan Barack Obama.The front page of the Chicago Sun-Times announced today that a whole bunch of Chicago area Democrats--some of them with questionable backgrounds--will speak at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
(That's me in the picture, by the way.)
I'll start with my congresscritter, Jan Schakowsky of Evanston. She's even more left-wing than Obama--and she'll be a DNC speaker.
Schakowsky is married to Robert Creamer, one time head of the self-annointed consumer advocacy group, the Illinois Public Action Council. In 2006, Creamer served a five-month sentence after pleading guilty to kiting-checks while leading IPAC. Although not implicated in the scheme, Schakowsky served on the board of the organization while hubby was writing those funny checks.
After his release from a federal prison, Obama was a trainer for Camp Obama.
Creamer regularly writes pro-Obama articles for the Huffington Post.
Three weeks ago, Creamer's wife hosted a Barack Obama rally across the street from Broadway Bank--which is owned by the family of Illinois State Treaurer Alexi Giannoulias--more on him next.
Friend of the blog Tom Mannis of The Bench attended the rally, and reported that Schakowsky told attendees how to handle queries about Tony Rezko--while her ex-con husband roamed the aisles.
More change that I can't believe in.
Giannoulias is speaking too. He met Obama at the elite East Bank Club on Chicago's Near North Side, and apparently the pair used to play informal basketball games.
His family owns the aforementioned Broadway Bank, and while a loan officer there, Giannoulias approved multi-million dollar loans to mobster Michael "Jaws" Giorango, who once ran gambling and call girl rings.
In his first run for statewide office two years ago, Giannoulias was not endorsed by the state party, but Obama's endorsement, along with some Giannoulias family money, put Alexi over the top in the primary.
However, State Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan, who is also the Illinois' Speaker of the House, refused to endorse Giannoulias in the general election, and there was no mention of the "Boy Banker" on the party's web site in 2006.
Giannoulias won anyway.
Last year another embarrassing Broadway Bank loan became public knowledge. Giannoulias signed off on a loan in 2002 to an elderly woman who apparently was mentally incompetent at the time. While testifying in Cook County Circuit Court about the loan, Alexi evaded questions, often answering "I don't recall" or "I just don’t remember."
Presumably, Giannoulias won't be uttering those phrases in Denver.
Three months ago, Las Vegas authorites issued an arrest warrant against since-convicted felon (and longtime Obama friend) Tony Rezko for writing bad checks. Those checks were drawn from the Giannoulias family's Broadway Bank.
I remember something. Obama once said he didn't want to be "the kingmaker." But he's the man who put Alexi into office. The reluctant kingmaker that same year endorsed Tammy Duckworth in her primary battle for the Democratic nomination in Illinois' 6th Congressional District. She won the primary, but lost in the general election. She'll speak too.
So will Chicago congressmen Rahm Emanuel and Jesse Jackson Jr. Like Schakowsky, the pair are believed to be very interested in succeeding Obama if (Heaven forbid!) he wins the presidency.
And what about Obama's State Senate mentor, Emil Jones? He's a superdelagate and he'll presumably be in Denver. So far there are no plans for Jones to speak at the DNC.
Related posts:
Obama, Alexi, and Broadway Bank
Obama's "sweetheart" mortgage: Was the competing lender Broadway Bank?
Liberals laud book by ex-con husband of Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Obama's state treasurer pal needs a memory upgrade
Coincidences and the Las Vegas Rezko arrest warrant
Ex-con and congresswoman's husband Creamer taught at Camp Obama
Rep. Schakowsky: Let your moonbat flag fly
Leftist congresswoman wants to reinstate "Fairness Doctrine"
Technorati tags:
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Illinois Politics 
cronyism 
Tony Rezko 
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Alexi Giannoulias 
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Robert Creamer 
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Denver 
Colorado 
Emil Jones
10 comments:
And the Republicans have no questionable characters in their party? Bob Creamer's never been elected to Congress...
You're a "credentialed journalist for the 2008 Republican National Convention." Maybe you could do some real journamalism and discuss the plethora of legal problems swirling around actual elected Republicans (past and present).
Here's a start, the GOP Senators' own Tempted Trio: the Bathroom Buddy Larry Craig; Diaper Dave Vitter; and Ted Stevens with Extreme Felony: Home Makeover Edition...
Rob 'n' Toddler sittin' in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g
Anon,
The Toddler can kiss my lily white behind. I'm proud of the fact my Dem committeeman (RIP) was one of a handful who voted against his appointment to the ballot.
I have as much use for Urkel as I do for hypocrites like Diaper Dave Vitter and Double-Talk McCain. All three advocate policies and life choices with which I strongly disagree.
Try again.
I've repeatedly denounced George Ryan, a current resident of the Terre Haute Federal Correctonal Institute. Creamer is an alumnus, and in the sake of brevity, I left off that he had a high ranking position with Blago's 2002 campaign.
And I've also denounced Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK), former senator Conrad Burns (R-MT), Craig, and former Florida Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL). I believe I was out of town when the Vitter scandal broke, but I deounce him now.
The problem is, the MSM is in the tank for Obama, see Chrissie "Tingling in my leg" Matthews. So it's up to fine Americans like myself to sound the alarm on Alexi, Emil Jones, Creamer and the like.
Hey a year ago, it was just Illinois bloggers writing about Obama's buddy Rezko.
The story, despite the MSM, has moved foreward.
Rob 'n' Toddler sittin' in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g
And that's an expensive, "corruption tax" funded tree.
Those people aren't criminals. In the democrat party they were disadvantaged youths who made the big time by hook, crook and giving a BJ whenever required to move up a step. Nothing new there when compared to Odumbo. I see a lot of left wingers are still looking to meet Larry Craig in a bathroom. After all they are the party that supports 'homosexuals' as long as they're running for POTUS on the dhimmi ticket. Don't I remember some coke and homosexual (BJ) activity in the back of a limo in 1999? It wasn't with Craig but Odumbo with one of his friends ( the one that is still alive to tell the story). The other critter got permanetly silenced.
Firefighter
Hey Rob ...,
which one of those R's that you named are running for president?
Hm?
Any?
No.
Beyond that, how 'bout Diane "My husband makes money when I vote yes" Feinstein; or Barney "How'd you boys like to come to my DC office and make a few bucks" Franks?
Still - that doesn't matter since none of them are running for president, either.
When you have a relevant point to make, feel free. Otherwise your partisan bag holding just cost me a few moments of my life.
Good point, Yo. FF...not sure on that Larry Sinclair stuff...Obama can do better than Larry anyway.
Yo,
And what criminal activity was Sen. Obama involved in?
Ruberry was talking innuendo. By the time you guys even get to Obama that innuendo is just one more step removed.
Besides, if what you're worried about is "How'd you boys like to come to my DC office and make a few bucks" we already know "the boys" McCain has on staff are making six figures and up thanks to their double-dipping between his campaign and their lobbying exploits.
Sure, the questionable lobbying ties are legal. But is it ethical?
And, if Mac's elected, how many of those double-fisted folks do you want working in the West Wing?
Mac's never met a piece of legislation that he didn't like after his friends' palms got greased -- everything from national parks to telecom policy to, now, gun battles in the former USSR. And, go figure, he seems to frequently flip-flop (aka, "change his mind") after his friends get a check in the mail.
Obviously, pointing out the two-faced nature of the "It's ok if you're a Republican" attitude has hit a nerve. My original comment generated a bevy of additional replies in a sea of otherwise quiet threads.
Don't flatter yourself.
The reason for the bevy of responses, or at least my response, was simply to point out the lack of relevance in your post.
The issue is not so much that all Dems are crooked, or that even Obama is crooked; it's the fact that Illinois pols are dirty.
I didn't say (nor did Jon) that anyone was criminal, just that the aforementioned IL pols are dirty.
And they are.
And, if Barack wants to roll around on the campaign trial dismissing McCain's policies based on his association to Bush, it's only fair that Obama's associations be examined, as well.
The problem with that, of course, is that Obama doesn't want anyone doing that. Heck, I don't blame him.
If my political cadre, back home, were folks like Giannoulias, Phleger, Emil Jones and Todd Stroger (and let's not forget that Obama endorsed Blago and Daley), I wouldn't want people sniffing around either.
To see where a man can take you, you must look to where he's been.
Obama's historic path is littered with all sorts of twisted ideological and ethical debris.
That's not my fault.
It's his.
And to trot these cretins out onto the national stage in his support, only makes the reputations of those being trotted out fair game.
Which, of course, brings us back to Jon's motivation for the post.
I doubt anyone stated anything even remotely resembling an attitude that it's ok if you're a republican.
You're just making that up and trying to inject a response to a position that has not been made.
Beyond that, the rest of your response is simply partisan catter-walling and, personally, I have no time to waste trying to sift through the illogical landmines you think you've so cleverly hidden.
Yo -
If you think it's a waste of time apologizing for McCain and Republican corruption, then why are you going to such great lengths to do so?
;)
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