Obama's lawyer days were effective but brief (the Rezko connection)

LA Times ^ | 4/06/08 | Dan Morain

[Libloather]

Obama's lawyer days were effective but brief
By Dan Morain, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 6, 2008

**SNIP**

Miner, Davis and other partners and clients have been a regular source of campaign money for Obama, giving him $100,000 over the years. Miner said he organized fundraisers for Obama's first state Senate run, his 2000 congressional campaign and his 2004 U.S. Senate race.

Davis, who could not be reached for comment, has been a partner with other Chicago developers who also are clients of the firm and are Obama backers. One Davis partner was Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a major Obama patron who is now on trial in a federal public corruption case.

In some instances, Illinois state Sen. Obama took action that could have benefited some of his firm's clients. In 1998, for instance, he used state Senate stationery to urge that state and city officials provide tax subsidies to help a partnership consisting of Davis and Rezko develop low-income housing, the Chicago Sun-Times reported last year.

In 2001, Obama was coauthor of a law that created a tax credit for people who donate land, buildings or construction material to help develop low-income housing.

Illinois state Rep. Jack D. Franks, a Democrat, lauded the bill, which garnered near-unanimous support. But Franks said that while the measure helped Obama's low-income constituents, it raises questions because his law firm's clients could have benefited from it.

"Someone else should have carried this legislation," said Franks, who has endorsed Obama's Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"I can't fault him for the idea. But he is wearing two hats. He is a legislator, and he is serving as a private attorney whose client interests benefited here. This goes to the judgment issue."

[Libloather]

[FormerACLUmember]

Obama is a two bit Chicago crook with amazing democrat party media fakery.

[mtbopfuyn]

The Night Chicago Died

In the heat of a summer night

In the land of the dollar bill

When the town of Chicago died

And they talk about it still

When a man named Al Capone Barry O

Tried to make that town his own

And he called his gang to war

With the forces of the law

I heard my mama cry

I heard her pray the night Chicago died

Brother what a night it really was

Brother what a fight it really was

Glory be

I heard my mama cry

I heard her pray the night Chicago died

Brother what a night the people saw

Brother what a fight the people saw

Yes indeed

And the sound of the battle rang

Through the streets of the old east side

'Til the last of the hoodlum gang

Had surrendered up or died

There was shouting in the street

And the sound of running feet

And I asked someone who said

Bout a hundred cops are dead

I heard my mama cry

I heard her pray the night Chicago died

Brother what a night it really was

Brother what a fight it really was

Glory be!

I heard my mama cry

I heard her pray the night Chicago died

Brother what a night the people saw

Brother what a fight the people saw

Yes indeed

And there was no sound at all

But the clock upon the wall

Then the door burst open wide

And my daddy stepped inside

And he kissed my mama's face

And he brushed her tears away

The night Chicago died

The night Chicago died

Brother what a night the people saw

Brother what a fight the people saw

Yes indeed

The night Chicago died

The night Chicago died

Brother what a night it really was

Brother what a fight it really was

Glory be

The night Chicago died

The night Chicago died

Brother what a night the people saw

Brother what a fight the people saw

Yes indeed

[Don Corleone]

As always ... “Follow the Money!”

[Timeout]

He did have some noteworthy cases. Among them, Obama filed a major 1995 suit that successfully forced Illinois to enforce the 1993 federal Motor Voter law, which sought to make it easier for people to register to vote.

Republicans (McCain) should ask Obama if he approves of voter photo I.D. requirements. As far as I know, no reporter has ever asked him.

My bet: he would emphasise all those (unfound) poor, elderly voters who can't manage to get an I.D. I think he would oppose photo I.D.'s.

Most voters wouldn't like that answer. It could be a mini-wedge issue if the GOP uses it wisely. There are probably other equally potent issues regarding voter rights, given that he's chosen to run as a "community organizer" with an emphasis on voter rights issues.

[babygene]

Does it surprise anyone that Antoin “Tony” Rezko was born in Aleppo, Syria?

[Condor51]

Someone else should have carried this legislation," said Franks .. "I can't fault him for the idea. But he is wearing two hats. He is a legislator, and he is serving as a private attorney whose client interests benefited here. This goes to the judgment issue."

Oh come on. We're talking Chicago and the IL General Assembly. Did this guy just fall off the Turnip Truck?

He sounds too STOO-PID^™ to be in gubmint, even for IL pols. And that is saying something.

(bet this mope can't even get a ticket fixed) (not sarcasm)

[Timeout]

I hoped this article would shed a lot of light on the Obamas’ income during those years...something I’ve been wondering about.

He’s presented his biography in a way that implies he eschewed the big bucks in order to serve the poor. ( David Axelrod...”He could have written his ticket at any law firm in the country. . . . He decided instead that he wanted to be a civil rights attorney, and he signed up with a small firm that had a reputation for doing this kind of work.”)

AND according to the article: “The law firm says Obama logged 3,723 billable hours during his tenure from 1993 to 2004, most of it during the first four years”.

OK. Let’s assume it was 3,000 hours in those 4 years. That is, he billed a whopping 14 HOURS A WEEK from 1993 to 1997?!

And that would mean he only billed 723 hours——12 HOURS PER MONTH-—for the remaining 5 years.

A picture of the young, struggling, do-gooder attorney.

Soooooo...where did all his money come from? After all that sacrifice, how did he afford a $1.5 million house in 2005? Private schools, expensive summer camp, student loan payments...it all adds up.

Michelle didn’t start making the big bucks until AFTER he became a senator (another fishy development). And his books didn’t take off until after 2005 after he made his big debut at the DNC convention.

At least the Times is starting to ask the questions. The billable hours info is helpful. But we need to know his income during those years...and where it came from.

[Typical_Whitey]

Aren’t his tax records from these years fair game?

This info also sheds some light on that nice little gift of land that Redzko’s wife purchased adjacent to the Obama lot and bestowed on the couple.

Obama is as dirty as redzko a good investigative reporter could have a chance at a Pulitzer here that is of course unless all the media is in the tank for the Obamanation.

[Condor51]

*** Soooooo...where did all his money come from? ***

Whew, that's requires a loooong answer.

The bottom line is he was a State Rep and State Senator along with being an attorney. And IL legislators get paid a tidy sum, plus all their allowances, and reimbursements - in addition to their regular job's pay.

I'm not defending Obama, just he did nothing illegal by IL law. And the law is written that way on purpose.

Check out the Chicago Sun-Times (there's a Drudge link). They have a gazillion articles on Obama and his finances.

btw, It's not just the RATS, the IL GOP is knee deep in the 'pay to play' money game too. They're utterly corrupt, detest Conservatives, and I won't give them a stinking dime.