Obama's Earmarks: $1 Million for Wife's Hospital

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has released a list of $740 million in earmark requests he made in the past three years, and it includes $1 million for the hospital where his wife Michelle is a vice president.

The request for $1 million for the University of Chicago Medical Center was to help pay for construction of a new pavilion.

“I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that Michelle Obama was not part of our lobbying over the request, not in any way,” Kelly Sullivan, another vice president at the medical center, told the New York Times.

In any case, the 2006 request for the hospital was not approved by the Senate, as was about $7 out of every $10 the Illinois senator asked for in earmarks.

Bud he did manage to secure $1.3 million for a high-explosive technology program for the Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The program was overseen by General Dynamics, and one of Obama’s top supporters, James Crown — a member of Obama’s national finance committee — serves on the board of General Dynamics.

Obama also secured a $750,000 earmark for renovation of a space center named for Crown’s grandfather, Henry Crown, at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

And Obama secured several million dollars for a project at Chicago State University. Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a close personal friend of Obama and one of his benefactors, has been a strong supporter of Chicago State, according to the Times.

Other earmarks sought and secured by Obama include more than $10 million for a military arsenal in Rock Island, several million dollars for research on soybean disease and livestock genes, and $100,000 for after-school programs at the Chicago Jesuit Academy.

Michelle Obama is on leave from her job while her husband campaigns for president, but after Barack was elected to congress, she received a big raise.

USA Today reports that officials at the University of Chicago Hospitals told the Chicago Tribune that Michelle is "worth her weight in gold."

"She's terrific," added Michael Riordan, who was president of the hospital in March 2005, when Michelle Obama was promoted to vice president for external affairs and had her annual salary increased from $121,910 to $316,962.

Hospitals spokesman John Easton told the Tribune that Michelle Obama's salary is in line with those of the 16 other vice presidents at the not-for-profit medical center.

In any case, the 2006 request for the hospital was not approved by the Senate

First, I know we don't like the guy, so I expected to find a "bridge to nowhere"..and intended to pass it on, then upon reading the story and researching a little found it sadly paled to the long term relationship with Rev. Wright's hate white USAKKK speech, Black Jesus, Chickens Come Home to Roost-9/11 etc.

The earmarks were nothing highly irregular or unusual, compared to requests by other politicians in our other states for science, industry, military contracts,hospitals,fishing industry, study of the sex life of the fruit fly, etc., in other states. They also benefit not a select few but all of the citizens of every community in Illinois.

University of Chicago Medical Center : Noted: Turned Down.The request for $1 million for the University of Chicago Medical Center was to help pay for construction of a pavilion that could increase its capacity for treating patients by one-third."
(But one of the best medical centers in the country, if I were seriously ill, would be one of the first I would pick!)

$1.3 million for a high-explosive technology program for the Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle.(Military)

$10 million for a military arsenal in Rock Island.(Military)

Several million dollars for research on soybean disease (farming big business soybeans/corn trade off on same Midwest land use) and livestock genes.

$100,000 for after-school programs at the Chicago Jesuit Academy.

Several million dollars for a project at Chicago State University (we don't know what that is)

$750,000 earmark for renovation of a space center named for Crown’s grandfather, Henry Crown, at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. (Awesome, place if you have never been there for the whole family/schools/educational)Crown, by the way, is a major benefactor, and mentor for a family circle that extends to the Northwestern community, the city of Chicago, and the Jewish community worldwide.

Beginning of Quote:"Senator Barack Obama on Thursday released a list of $740 million in earmarked spending requests that he had made over the last three years, and his campaign challenged Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to do the same."

In 2006, Obama sought, but did not secure, $900,000 for a "Go Girl Go" sports initiative aimed at discouraging socially risky behavior in teenage girls by encouraging them to pursue physical activities. The group was founded by the former tennis star Billie Jean King. But King has endorsed Clinton for president.

"Based on the release by his campaign, Mr. Obama was able to obtain only about $3 out of every $10 he requested....BY SENATE APPROVAL

Kelly M. Sullivan, the medical center’s vice president for communications and marketing, noted that Mr. Obama had also requested money for a number of other hospitals in Illinois, and she said any lobbying for the money had been handled by the hospital’s government-affairs officials...."I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that Michelle Obama was not part of our lobbying over the request, not in any way,” Ms. Sullivan said. She said the hospital’s lobbyists often seek help on their own from both of the state’s senators."(End of Quote)

Mrs. Obama's VP salary is not out of line when you see the amounts of money sort after and actually raised for these Institutions/Medical/BioTech to stay tops in their fields See Example University of Chicago Information"

Obama and Mrs. O are invited to every fund raising event one might imagine, because of who they are; but the major benefactors, foundations with a history of aid to any community profect are higher on the list for contributions.

This will hurt even more than his terrorist “pastor”.
Read #14
This is soft serve vanilla" compared to 20 years relationship with Rev. Wright and Trinity, Rev Farrakhan, Rezko trial, even Mrs. O on her "slip up" "now proud to be an American" statement.
There is absolutely nothing in this "earmark" story, with links to the sources for clarification, that is any different than what any other of our beloved chosen legislators have done from and for our own states.
Today, I got an e-mail on Social Security for Illegals. So I check the source through Snopes. What had escaped my mind over all this Gottcha Politics of Obama scandals was McCain voting Yea for social security for Illegals.

Now, what we have here after the dust has cleared from a rush to choose delegates and push fast and furious through the caucuses are people after the fact, bailing ship away from Obama, Mrs. C now seen as their option; but that's not a happy path of progress either. Conservatives are not happy to be represented by McCain (illegal immigration), but told they should be by the Powers of Politics including our own President. Everyone (I should underscore it several times) I talk to, can't find a reason to be satisfied with any candidate. Democrats are turning to McCain. Republicans are considering crossing over... So what are we to do?

Obama, Clinton, McCain & Nader?

However, there is ignorance or just plain stupidity of subjects on both sides. I wish there was not as much on ours. I think that even frustrates me more!

Fight_truth_decay!

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