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Chicago Tribune: The Struggling Obamas
NewsBusters.org ^ | 4/20/2008 | Michael M. Bates

Posted on 04/20/2008 12:01:54 PM PDT by Mike Bates

Today's Chicago Tribune carries a frontpage article titled, "Michelle Obama's mission: Show voters humble roots." Mrs. Obama's recollections of how she and her husband not so long ago were deluged with bills and calls from collection agencies have become a major component of the campaign, designed to demonstrate that Senator Barack Obama understands financial difficulties and the folks encountering them. He feels their pain.

The article reports that Barack Obama "by all accounts, rose from humble beginnings and isn't that far removed from financial hardship in his own life."

But who's providing all those accounts on which the Tribune relies? The tenth paragraph, buried on page 23, notes that Mrs. Obama "doesn't come with documentation to back up her story about financial hardship. Asked to provide evidence of the Obamas' recent debt or contact from bill collectors, a campaign aide said the family was trying to find the records in response to a Tribune request last week but could not do so immediately."

It may take a while. To his credit, Senator Obama released his tax returns going back to the year 2000. On their joint 2000 return, the Obamas reported an adjusted gross income of more than $240,000. Their following year's AGI was over $270,000. In the past eight years, the Obama's worst was in 2004, when their AGI was a pitiful $207,000. Thank goodness for that wonderful child care tax credit, which the Obamas routinely took.

So here's a couple making over $200,000 annually and in most years quite a lot more. Yet they still had to sweat opening the mail and were plagued by calls from collection agencies. It's little wonder that it was only recently that Michelle (finally!) was proud to be an American.

In the meantime, I know we can depend on the Chicago Tribune and other mainstream media outlets to confirm all those accounts proving that the Family Obama actually experienced the difficult challenges they're now claiming.


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: michelleobama; obama
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To: Cowboy Bob

As I understand it most educational institutions apply affirmative action standards to anyone who is a self-described minority.

If he got into Harvard as a white guy, I’d be surprised. Suppose it’s possible. How many thousands apply to Ivy League schools each year who are “white” get in? Has to be a very small percentage.


21 posted on 04/20/2008 1:36:16 PM PDT by kjo
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To: kittymyrib

You can be bitter, but for goodness sake, don’t cling to religion or guns or anything like that.


22 posted on 04/20/2008 1:48:17 PM PDT by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
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To: Ilya Mourometz
In my experience (which I concede is not expert), student loans are generally made at below-market interest rates. Because of this, some financially sophisticated people who have student loans are in no hurry to pay them off. They pay the minimum each period. Those who do pay their student loans off early are generally people who are bothered by debt and/or just want to be done with making the payments because it's a hassle. That's the way I was. I just got sick of sending in payments and paid the debt off sooner than I would have needed to. It didn't make any strict economic sense for me to pay it off. I had a great rate. I just wanted to be done with it, an emotional decision rather than a rational decision.

I have been guessing all along that the Obamas were consciously paying the minimum due to lower-than-market interest rates on their loans. So, of course they didn't get their student loans paid off for years and years. I find it hard to believe that the reason was poverty on their part. The other problems they list (credit card, etc.) sound like poor management on their part, rather than poverty, as well.

23 posted on 04/20/2008 1:57:22 PM PDT by Irene Adler (')
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To: Mike Bates

LOL...I’m a Christian, and I do own guns, so I guess that proves his point!


24 posted on 04/20/2008 2:38:37 PM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: Mike Bates

Sort of hard to show humble roots...if you don’t HAVE them.


25 posted on 04/20/2008 2:48:38 PM PDT by madison10
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To: chiefqc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGY1BEahmJQ&NR=1

In this clip Obama starts out by saying nobody under $200 will have their taxes raised but by the end of this clip, he’s talking about raising tax on people earning more than $97,000 per year with a new payroll tax If he doesn’t understand that’s a tax, he’s an idiot or a bold face liar.

Obamalamadingdong

He also supports “pay as you go” philosophy but then talks about more handouts to the poor like health care. Hillary spends her time talking about how she’s going to centralize and grow the scope of government. i.e. institute more socialism.


26 posted on 04/20/2008 4:41:10 PM PDT by Neville Chamberlain (flip flop in five minutes)
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To: kittymyrib

You know what that means, don’t you? You should either go to church or buy a gun.


27 posted on 04/21/2008 9:01:29 AM PDT by Hoffer Rand (0'bambi: the audacity of hype)
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