Obama Dollars: Watch the money flow. Obama dollars can tell us a lot.
1. $120,349. Other People’s Money.
Senator Obama received more political contribution money from now-collapsed mortgage banks Fannie Mae [Federal National Mortgage Association] and Freddie Mac [Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp] than all but one of the 353 other senators and congressmen who received political contributions from these two entities which were recently taken over by the federal government.
2. $195,000. Other People’s Money.
Soon after her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate, his wife Michelle Obama received a $195,000 raise (to $316,962 in 2005 from $121,910 in 2004); subsequently, in 2006, Senator Obama requested a $1,000,000 earmark for Mrs. Obama’s employer, the University of Chicago Hospitals, where she handles “community outreach”[2] — which is apparently akin to being a handsomely paid “community organizer” but with better contacts.
4. $250,000. Other People’s Money.
When asked during the Democrat presidential nomination race how much money Chicago slumlord and now-convicted felon Tony Rezko had raised in contributions to his campaign, Senator Obama waffled and wafted like the slim timber he is and said his “best guessitmate” was $10,000 to $15,000.
5. $625,000. Other People’s Money.
Senator Obama and his wife, Michelle, purchased a $1.65 million Georgian revival mansion in Chicago, where they now reside. While wealthy, Syrian-born Chicago slumlord Tony Rezko was already known to be under federal investigation, the senator approached Mr. Rezko about purchasing the two adjoining properties, then toured the home with Mr. Rezko (now a convicted felon on those charges). Soon after Senator Obama bought the mansion for $300,000 less than the asking price.[5] On the same day, Mr. Rezko’s wife purchased the adjoining vacant lot for the full asking price of $625,000.
9. $100,000,000. Other People’s Money (and again, yes, you read that right, $100 million). The Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) was established in 1995 after a $49.2 mil