Religious Resignation

[kandrathe]

Money now donated to charity. Politics in Chicago is ugly business, and while Obama has distanced himself from it admirably, it is very difficult to escape Rezko money. Obama is far from the only person who has taken it over the years, and he has a fairly reasonable argument that, as a political neophyte befriended by Rezko, he was not aware of the extent of his shady dealings.

Hmmm, distanced himself admirably. You are very unbiased.

First, none of this was "under the table". Everything done in this deal by Obama and Rezko is public knowledge. Second, while it is stupid to associate oneself with Rezko, this transaction does not appear to be graft. They each bought one half of a property being split. Later, Obama wanted to expand his property to encompass 1/6th of Rezko's lot. The formula appraised value was $40,500, but Obama thought it fair that he paid him 1/6th of what Rezko paid for it, since it was 1/6th of the lot ($104,500, from $625,000). Maybe that's $60,000 of graft. Or maybe Obama was just being fair to his neighbor. Would it not be strange that, rather than Rezko paying Obama for political favors, this would be Obama paying Rezko?

Yeah, whatever. And then rainbow unicorns danced while sugar plum fairies planted lollipop trees on Obama's new estate.

"Friends" is too strong. Obama used "guy that lives in my neighborhood." He apparently once hosted an appearance by Obama in 1996, during his state senate race. Ayers is a major fixture in the Chicago liberal academic scene, and a minor encounter with him is not news.

I agree that Ayers is probably a red herring. But, I'm wary and suspicious as you know.

His "friend" certainly doesn't seem very impressed with him these days. As with very nearly all American politicians, Obama has sold his ability to make any but the lamest criticisms of Israel to purchase national security creed. Par for the course, but it doesn't really endear him to Ali Abunimah. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article6619.shtml He also seems to be saying he just encountered him a handful of times at various lectures and dos, which would make him an aquaintance, not a "friend."

There is another article I cannot find which details more. I'll accept they are acquaintances, and ran into each other socially in Chicago a few dozen times.

So, moral of the story, never elect anyone who might be construed as a former Muslim president. You might piss off Bin Laden, and that would somehow be bad.

No, that is not the moral of the story. The moral of the story is that you will never find the Presidential candidate who is acceptable to extremists. The question I have is how will Obama weather the criticism and to what level of appeasement will he stoop to try to win the hearts and minds of the world to end the "war on terror"?