For the slumlord's defense, Barack Obama, Esq.

Washington Examiner ^ | Sept 19, 2012 | Washington Examiner

[Titus-Maximus]

Writing in his 1995 autobiography, "Dreams from My Father," Obama said he became "a civil rights lawyer" because "to lend meaning to a community's suffering and take part in its healing -- that required something more."

There was indeed "something more" to Obama's legal career, but it wasn't civil rights litigation at the Chicago law firm of Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, where he was employed for a decade.

"He spent about half his time working with Bill Miceli and my former partner, Allison Davis, and that team," senior partner Judson Miner told The Washington Examiner. Most of the entries on Obama's client list for the firm from that period were in real estate, construction and finance.

Miceli and Davis were the partners in charge of the firm's housing and real estate practices. Davis would later leave the firm to join Obama mentor Tony Rezko in the real estate development business.

In March 1994, a year before "Dreams" was published, Obama was the lead defense attorney on an obscure case in Cook County Court that has heretofore escaped examination by the national media.

In this case, Obama defended a Chicago slumlord and powerful political ally who was charged with a long list of offenses against poor residents. The defendant was the Woodlawn Preservation & Investment Corp., controlled by Bishop Arthur Brazier, a South Side Chicago preacher and political operator.

Brazier's burgeoning real estate empire included a low-income housing project at 6223 South University. Today, MapQuest describes the Woodlawn neighborhood as "quaint and sedate." But in the winter of 1994, it was a frigid hell.

Brazier was closely allied with Obama and his firm, not least because Davis was on WPIC's Board of Directors. Davis was also the corporation's registered agent, and he received the court summons when the city filed suit on the South University apartments.

Brazier's WPIC had failed for nearly a month to supply heat and running water for the complex's 15 crumbling apartments. On Jan. 18, 1994, the day the heat went off, Chicago's official high temperature was 11 below zero, the day after it was 19 below.

Even worse, the residents were then ordered to leave the WPIC complex in the winter chill without the due process they would have been afforded by an eviction procedure.

In court documents reviewed by The Washington Examiner, Daniel W. Weil, commissioner of Chicago's Buildings Department, slammed WPIC for multiple municipal code violations, including "failure to maintain adequate heat," failure "to provide every family unit with approved heating facilities," and "failure to provide adequate" supplies of either hot or cold running water.

[Titus-Maximus]

I remember Hillary calling Obama on his slumlord work, but then it quietly died.

This definitely takes the sheen off his Peace Price.

Chinese proverb: Even donkey dung is shiny when new!

Can you imagine Romney had slum protection in his background, evicting poor black people into 11 degree winter weather! Chris Matthews would be doing back flips.

[SMARTY]

“...slammed WPIC for multiple municipal code violations...”

What a star rectum “O” is!!

[Cowgirl of Justice]

It was 11 below zero when the heat went off and then dropped to 19 BELOW ZERO.

This needs to be forwarded to Norwegian Nobel Committee.

And I will need proof to believe that he really gave his million dollars to a charity.

[glorgau]

It was 11 below zero when the heat went off and then dropped to 19 BELOW ZERO.

I remember that day. I believe that it was the all time record low high temperature for a day in Chicago. My car wouldn't start and I had to work from home doing telephone conferences while playing video games on my computer.