http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/1/27/161410/392
Look Before You Leap: Obama’s Mobbed-Up Allies
by susanhu, Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 04:14:10 PM EST
Update [2008-1-27 18:33:9 by susanhu]: At the end of the diary, on the Tony Rezko connection to Giannoulias.
The Chicago Tribune in its story, “Critics: Obama endorsements counter calls for clean government”: “In the 2006 Democratic primary, for example, Obama endorsed first-time candidate Alexi Giannoulias for state treasurer despite reports about loans Giannoulias’ family-owned Broadway Bank made to crime figures. Records show Giannoulias and his family had given more than $10,000 to Obama’s campaign, which banked at Broadway.” [Giannoulias is now a bundler for Obama’s presidential campaign, aiming for $100,000.]
That’s Barack Obama endorsing “granny grifter” Alexi Giannoulias, who got elected as Illinois’ state treasurer with the hands-on support of Barack Obama. Besides his mob ties, Giannoulias “was involved in an alleged mortgage fraud five years ago against an 83-year-old woman.”
Curious now? Here’s SourceWatch.org — as independent a resource as you’ll find on the Internet — on Barack Obama’s ties to Alexi Giannoulias:
Alexi Giannoulias—a “man who has long been dogged by charges that the bank his family owns helped finance a Chicago crime figure” and “who became Illinois state treasurer” in 2006 after Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) “vouched for him”—”pledged to raise $100,000 for the senator’s Oval Office bid,” Charles Hurt reported September 5, 2007, in the New York Post.
The September 5, 2007, Chicago fundraiser was omitted from Obama’s public schedule and the event was closed to the press,” Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
“Before he promised to raise funds for Obama, Giannoulias bankrolled Michael ‘Jaws’ Giorango, a Chicagoan twice convicted of bookmaking and promoting prostitution.
“Giannoulias is so tainted by reputed mob links that several top Illinois Dems, including the state’s speaker of the House and party chairman, refused to endorse him even after he won the Democratic nomination with Obama’s help. ...
Next, “Obama the king maker”:
“Did U.S. Senator Barack Obama clear the field in the Democratic state treasurer’s race?” lawyer and political analyst Russ Stewart wrote January 4, 2006.
“Until incumbent Republican Judy Baar Topinka announced for governor, the only Democrat willing to run for the post was obscure Knox County State’s Attorney Paul Mangieri, of Galesburg. He was slated by the Democrats, and he is on record as opposing abortion rights. ... When Topinka decided to move up, a flock of ambitious Democrats eyed the job,... But none announced, and all deferred to Alexi Giannoulias, a 29-year-old Chicago investment banker who was an early supporter of Obama in his 2004 Senate race, whose father owns Broadway Bank, and whose family helped bankroll the Obama campaign. Giannoulias has said that he will campaign as a ‘progressive,’ and he has promised to put more than $1 million in family funds into the race,” Stewart wrote.
“The bottom line,” Stewart said: “Obama is the potential king maker. Expect Obama to publicly endorse Giannoulias, cut television ads for him, and go heavy for him on black radio stations. Of course, there’s a downside. If Obama endorses Giannoulias and he loses, that would indicate that Obama’s clout is not transferable,” Stewart wrote
In March 2006, Giannoulias said that “his ‘good friend and mentor, Barack Obama,’ inspired him to run.
In fact, Giannoulias’ “endorsers” were “essentially the base of the Obama coalition: white north side progressives and south side blacks.”
Who’s on whose side:
From:
Another “Just another pol” day for Senator Obama.
So, Stroger beats Claypool for the Democratic Party nomination for Cook County Board President, with Tom Hynes besting David Alexrod. Ballot theft helped along by wisdom over brains? Yes, we all wonder who had control of those ballots between the time they left the voting precinct and the time they were counted.
Basically, Claypool lost because his good friend Senator Barack Obama decided not to stick his neck out. Obama endorsed Giannoulias big time for Treasurer against the Speaker Madigan slated candidate, downstater Paul Mangieri. Obama’s endorsement carried the day for Alexi, helping him past some tough criminal associations and dumb statements to the media. Alexi’s opponent was white and Barack owed Alexi for all that money his family raised for Barack early on. So, it was no problem for Obama to take on Speaker Madigan.
Senator Obama endorsed Duckworth to help Senator Durbin and Cong. Emanuel carry the day and ultimately win the 6th CD general with Duckworth, or that is the general theory. Duckworth’s opponents are white, so no problem for Sen. Obama to endorse Duckworth.