Posted on 12/23/2008 4:14:14 PM PST by Shermy
Dr. Eric Whitaker and Sen. Barack Obama go way back.
Their friendship began when they were graduate students at Harvard University. Now, Whitaker is one of Obama's closest advisers.
Whitaker, 43, of Chicago, often travels with the presidential hopeful on the campaign trail and has vacationed with him in Hawaii. There's talk Whitaker could be in line for a federal appointment if Obama becomes president.
Five years ago, Obama, then an Illinois state senator, gave a "glowing'' reference for Whitaker to Tony Rezko, the now-convicted political fixer who helped Gov. Blagojevich find people to run state agencies. Blagojevich hired Whitaker to be the state's public health director.
Obama has said that's the only time he can recall talking to Rezko -- who was a major campaign fund-raiser for him and for Blagojevich -- about getting anyone a state job.
"Somebody who I do remember talking directly to Tony about was Dr. Eric Whitaker," Obama told the Sun-Times in March. "He and I played basketball together when he was getting his master's in public health at Harvard, while I was in law school there. He had expressed an interest in that job. I did contact Tony, or Tony contacted me, and I gave him a glowing recommendation because I thought he was outstanding.''
Whitaker had been a rising star at Cook County's Stroger Hospital, known for a program he created that went to barbershops to educate black men on preventive care.
"I did not seek any position and was stunned when I was asked to interview for the IDPH director position," Whitaker, who declined an interview request, said in a written response to questions. "My first encounter with Tony Rezko was when he called and told me to come in for an interview approximately one week after I had already been interviewed'' by three other Blagojevich advisers.
As state health chief, Whitaker spent millions on programs that used churches to educate minorities about AIDS, breast cancer and preparing for public health emergencies, a program hailed nationwide.
Whitaker's agency also got caught up in scandal. He oversaw the budget of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, which approves medical construction projects. Rezko and his associates controlled that board, which they used to solicit kickbacks and payoffs, according to testimony at Rezko's trial.
Rezko was convicted. Whitaker, who said he wasn't involved in the board's day-to-day operations, was never accused of any wrongdoing.
"During my time as director of IDPH, I received four or five calls from Tony Rezko seeking my support for and attendance at the St. Jude's Children's Hospital charity event,'' Whitaker said. "After my employment interview, I never had a conversation with Mr. Rezko about the" health department or the planning board.
Whitaker left the state payroll a year ago and joined Obama's wife Michelle as a high-ranking executive at the University of Chicago Medical Center. When he was hired, U. of C. was seeking permission to expand its children's hospital -- one of five expansions the university sought from the state while Whitaker was health director. All were approved by the planning board. Whitaker and the U. of C. said he had nothing to do with those approvals.
"Whether and to what extent Dr. Whitaker had anything to do with the [approval] process while at IDPH was and is totally irrelevant to his hiring by or his work at the Medical Center," wrote Susan S. Sher, a medical center attorney.
Whitaker is the “family friend” mentioned in Obama’s “My lawyer says I’m innocent” report.
Does Obama know anyone that is not a crook?
Obama knows nothing of this he found the immunity totem on exile island.
Amazing how Whitaker and Obama can go to Chicago, and get better and better jobs, while all kinds of scandal and corruption is going on around them...
But...for some reason, the just come through it clean....
pfffffffffffft
I don’t believe it for a second.
MEshell and Whitaker ended up at that hospital, making big $$$$ because of their relationship with Obama.
The report is here.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/1223081obama1.html
Whitaker mentioned on pages 1 and at the end.
I forgot to add, that Obama was in the position he was in...that led to MEshell and Whitaker moving up...by Obama’s relationship with Rezko.
The same Rezko who is in prison...and yet for some reason, NONE of these 3 people ever had any “dealings” with him.
Uh-huh
“This is not the Dr. Whitaker that I knew...”
The American people know nothing about his, do not want to know about it, and will continue to live in an illusion that Oprah’s Choice can and will “better” their lives.
Why are they doing this to Obama? Don’t they know his staff already issued a report clearing themselves of any wrongdoing?
Sheesh!
But I am not worried. the former Mr. Soetoro will probably do exactly as Hillary and Rahm tell him to do. The economy will fall back into the hands of Clinton Administration economists, who since they wrecked it, ought to get a shot at fixing it, military matters will be handled by Bush's war cabinet, and the rest will be one giant schmooze-fest, featuring the former Mr. Soetoro making carefully scripted appearances, some apparently unclothed, to be explained in glowing messianic terms by the slobbering MSM.
Today, for example, cute little national newsettes informed the peasants that water main breaks like that big one in Bethesda will not happen once their Messiah gets his infrastructure spending going!
Also, check out how Obama was the Chair of the Health & Human Services Committee while in the state Senate. As such, he pushed a bill through the Senate which reduced the number of people from 15 to 9 who sat on the Hospital Board. In order for someone to build a hospital, expand it, sell it, the Board had to issue a Certificate of Need. Blagojevich appointed these 9 board members. Five of them were corrupt and took instruction from Rezko as to whom they should give the necessary Certificate of Need. These certificates usually sold for a $25,000 contribution to Blago. Rezko and others were convicted for these offenses. Much of this is part of the complaint against Blago.
How are you feeling about national health care?
This report is just “cover” for Obama’s people to go around and chat with all the possible perps to get all their stories on the same track.
Is this the institution that lord McCain kept itching about Bama sending earmarks?
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