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Contracts (awarded by Michelle Obama's office) Went to a Longtime (Obama) Donor
Washington Post ^ | August 22, 2008 | Joe Stephens

Posted on 08/26/2008 7:11:11 AM PDT by reaganaut1

Two years ago, the office of Michelle Obama, the vice president for community relations at the University of Chicago Medical Center, published a glossy report detailing the improvements her office had made in the lives of local residents, in part by increasing ties to minority contractors

Center administrators declined to disclose which businesses benefited; the report lists one -- Blackwell Consulting Services.

In 2005, the center expanded its bidding process and invited African American businessman Robert Blackwell Sr. to join a competition to upgrade the center's intranet, the in-house equivalent of a Web site. His company, Blackwell Consulting, won contracts totaling nearly $650,000

Blackwell and his family, records show, have been longtime donors to the political campaigns of Michelle Obama's husband, Barack. Robert Blackwell Jr., a former partner in the firm, is a major fundraiser for Barack Obama. At various times, Blackwell Sr. says, his and his son's businesses each have retained Barack Obama as an attorney.

"I love Barack. I'm telling you, he's a wonderful guy," Blackwell said in an interview.

A spokeswoman for the medical center, Kelly Sullivan, said Michelle Obama "was not involved in the selection process."

Blackwell Sr. described the genesis of his contract as "really fuzzy." Sometime in 2004, he said, an employee of the center's diversity office -- he cannot remember who -- mentioned an opportunity to bid on contracts there and offered to "talk us up."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: blackwell; businessties; corruption; cronyism; michelleobama; obama; obamatruthfile
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To: Stentor

These people top the Clintons with their sleeze and corruption. Obama and his wife are the two biggest phonies ever to try and occupy the White House-and America will see right throught them in november.


21 posted on 08/26/2008 8:05:13 AM PDT by lincolnton
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To: MayflowerMadam
Just because the air head MSM types are so shamelessly ga ga about this communist POS and her husband, they think ALL American voters have lost their heads over them as well.

SURPRISE!!! Ain't gonna happen! If the MSM and polling clowns would stop buying their own over manipulated BS for one minute, they could see right now the blue ribbon a%$ kicking and virtual cold shower their man is going to have handed to him in November. I would like to be on record with this statement.

22 posted on 08/26/2008 8:05:18 AM PDT by SMARTY ('At some point you get tired of swatting flies, and you have to go for the manure heap' Gen. LeMay)
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To: Stentor

That’s part of the whole thing: Chicago does it especially well but Washington DC is hardly a slacker in this either. Federal positions are almost always some form of political spoils and there are those who know how to work the system from getting their kids chosen as interns to government contracts to so much else. Note how Ted Kennedy wants to appoint his successor and the fact that he was appointed by his brother and even had a Kennedy toadie hold his place in line for a year or two until he was old enough to hold the office. Since everyone does it, no one teaches the coming generation that it is wrong and so I think a lot of people honestly don’t really see it as wrong. Unseemly maybe (and that’s why they keep it secret) but not morally wrong. It’s a measure of how far the American ideal has slipped below the water line.


23 posted on 08/26/2008 8:07:57 AM PDT by caseinpoint (Don't get thickly involved in thin things)
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To: reaganaut1
Follow the taxpayers money.
24 posted on 08/26/2008 8:31:59 AM PDT by CarryingOn (The Presidency of the United States is not an entry-level position.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
I have really come to despise politicians who use their political connections to enrich themselves, their families, and those who bribe them in the form of “campaign contributions”.

That's a lot of despising to do!

25 posted on 08/26/2008 8:33:56 AM PDT by Right Wing Assault ("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
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To: reaganaut1

quid pro quo??


26 posted on 08/26/2008 8:43:56 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: not2worry
I don't know the answer but she tried to paint herself as a “regular mom”, geez I think she made more money sitting on a board than my husband does in a year. I am not feeling like I connect with her. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with wealth, but the nondisclosure and not talking about her ivy league alma matter, disturbs me.
27 posted on 08/26/2008 9:06:07 AM PDT by ThisLittleLightofMine
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To: not2worry

She makes $365,000 a year he makes $165,000 a year total family income+ $ 1/2 million dollars. Suprise suprise surprise


28 posted on 08/26/2008 9:08:35 AM PDT by straps
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To: straps

It takes only a few minutes after being introduced to a democrat to find corruption.

The people of the USA are totally ignorant to the stealing that goes on right under their nose because the people always have their backs bent trying to feed their famlies while the criminals gets away with murder


29 posted on 08/26/2008 9:17:45 AM PDT by Bigmouthbass
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To: Bigmouthbass

Has William Jefferson ever been tried for having the money on ice?

Or will nancy pelosi give him another job where he can steal some more and ice it down?


30 posted on 08/26/2008 9:19:06 AM PDT by Bigmouthbass
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