John McCain needed a break, and he may have just gotten one. Larry Walsh, poker buddy and close political confidante of Barack Obama, was raided by the FBI. So reports this paper. This is not just a guy in Obama’s neighborhood, as one report details:
Mr. Walsh, who served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2005, was endorsed by Mr. Obama in his county executive election bid. With the support of some of Mr. Obama’s U.S. Senate volunteers, he easily defeated incumbent Republican Joseph Mikan. A corn farmer from Joliet, Mr. Walsh has supported his friend’s presidential bid, and campaigned for him in rural and farming areas of the state. They are seen hugging each other in photos before Mr. Obama’s announcement that he was running for president. . . . The two men became tight friends during their tenure in the Illinois Senate and bonded over games of poker. According to a report in Time magazine, Mr. Walsh lost to Mr. Obama once with what he thought was a winning hand, and then slammed down his cards and said: “Doggone it, Barack, if you were more liberal in your card-playing and more conservative in your politics, you and I would get along much better.”
And Mr. Walsh’s County got his share of guess what — federal grants ( that would be “earmarks” I assume) which seem to be at the heart of the matter :
Will County auditor Steve Weber confirmed that his office had been asked by the FBI to assist in an investigation, but he did not elaborate on the specifics. Two FBI agents out of Chicago reportedly spent more than an hour in the Will County offices on Wednesday morning. According to sources, the Walsh investigation may be tied to lobbying firm Smith Dawson and Andrews, which was hired in 2006 for $10,000 per month to help Will County acquire federal grants. The firm, which is registered with the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, assists clients with communications and legislative strategies that better their public policy agendas, according to its Web site. Last month, Mr. Walsh announced that Will County was the recipient of a $750,000 federal government grant that would allow law enforcement and prosecutors to fight against domestic violence. One of the firm’s partners, James P. Smith, contributed $2,000 to help Mr. Walsh’s county executive election bid.
And Barack Obama? Well he sure got a lot of earmarks in there for Will County, although we do not know whether these are the immediate concern of or related in any way to the investigation. In Obama’s earmark disclosure you will find:
In 2006, Obama requested that Will County receive $1.3 million to support its Flood Studies for Unincorporated Will County.
In 2006, Obama requested $800,000 for the Will County Sheriff’s Office Wireless Communications Technology Upgrades.
In 2006, Obama requested $1,953,331 for Will County’s Ridgewood Water and Sewage Project.
In 2005, Obama requested $2 million for the Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, to establish a Center for Academic and Community Learning, which is designed to address the significant educational needs of the less advantaged in the Will County region by providing academic assistance not only for students on campus but also for residents of the surrounding communities.
Another reference appears to relate to the Will County Health Department’s mental health program which I am informed got another $1.95 million.
So let’s review: Obama’s sponsor and friend Tony Rezko is going to jail, the Governor of his state whom he supported is going to be indicted and his close confident — for whom Obama got millions in earmarks — is under FBI investigation. Do you think this should be front page news in every mainstream paper? Should we have a feeding frenzy on the stump today as the press demands answers?
Let us find out just how curious the media can be. More important, let’s see if McCain and/or his running mate finally will call out their opponent and ask a tough question: Is this the guy who we want to reform Washington?
Walmart and McDonalds remain two of the very few retailers still growing and still hiring. Forced unionization will stop their growth in its tracks. Walmart is HQ’d in The South. Arkansas is a state where the blue dogs chase possum and bark and love their great home state company. They’d have to be crazy to support this rubbish, and I think they won’t.
Anyway, they are already wrecking the economy with porkulous, populist nonsense and general economic cluelessness.
God, I hope labor wins.
Working Americans have been taking it on the chin for decades now. It’s time we give them a weapon so they can fight back.
What happened to Commentary supporting social democratic policies that helped the little guy force the boss to bump up his paycheck?
Now everyone here is just shilling for Mr. Big. It’s disgraceful.
Workers should have choices to be a union member or not. Why do you think union care for the workers? They are probably lining up their coffer to bribe politicians.
Taxpayers are paying now the union member salary. GM and Chrysler will fold soon.
2: What G-d is that that Mammon’s li’l babe (who don’t take no credit cards for HIS vote) is praying to/preying on?
He shd also thank his graven images for having so richly blessed him with hoary palsied cliches that free him from the need to think.
“Now everyone here is just shilling for Mr. Big. It’s disgraceful.”
Rubin is a professional union-buster, so it’s hardly surprising.
Wal-Mart is unionized in China. Isn’t curious that we live in the UNITED States, a union, as it has been referred to generally in the past. Fifty states that are UNITED as one, for a number of reasons. The citizens of all but the 13 original states had the choice of remaining a territory of the existing states or become somewhat second class states themselves, except for perhaps Texas and California. You might be able to make a case for Florida as well. Anyway, once in, there is no getting out. You are part of the union for as long as the union exists. The citizens of Alaska, for instance live in a “state” where the overwhelming majority of the land area remains owned by the federal government, unlike, say Connecticut, where the federal government owns only the land that it has purchased from the state. The point is, if a union, an organization of political bodies with similar interests, to advance those interests and afford mutual protection from outside threats, is a good idea, how is it wrong for workers in an industry to band together for their mutual protection and interests?
There is nothing wrong with unions. Just as long as workers are not forced to pay dues, I don’t care. When you forcibly require workers to pay “dues” to a union they do not want and do not support, as a condition of keepint their jobs, it is called “extortion”. I am a California government worker. I am forced to give SEIU $1,200 a year because state law allows them to force me to pay it. I am not a member of the union, but I am forced to pay them anyway. That is extortion and should be a crime.
Something of a resemblance to federal taxes.
Will the men and women who work in Congressional offices — and those who work in the gyms, mailrooms, restaurants and laundries that conduce to the Members’ comfort — be permitted to claim their rights under this proposed legislation? And, if not, shouldn’t Rep. George Miller and other boosters be asked for an explanation?
The secret ballot protects workers who WANT to unionize from being pressured or punished by their bosses. It also protects workers who DON’T WANT to unionize from being mistreated by labor activists and aggressive peers. How in the world you can claim to be pro-worker and against the secret ballot I don’t know.
#2: “Now everyone here is just shilling for Mr. Big. “
A big union is big, a small company is not.
Chuck,
Why is it wrong to have the secret ballot in determining whether to form or join a union? I believe the people living in the states “voted” about joining the Union. They did not join by signing a petition.
If you read my previous post, you’ll note that it said nothing about card check. It pointed out the inconsistency of favoring the organization of the United States while deploring the organization of individual workers.
The secret ballot is an ABSOLUTE RIGHT. If the Employee Free Choice Act becomes law abolishing the secret ballot in joining unions, then the secret ballot should be abolished when voting for Prsesident, Senators, Governers or any political office.
Every American should defend the Secret Ballot absolutely at any cost.
Defending the secret ballot is pretty easy, hard to object to. So why don’t our representatives and senators and electors and high court judges have secret ballots? Just asking.