Obama fact checked in print in NC, October 18, 2012, Rhino Times, John Hammer prints truth about Obama, Economy Obamacare Libya attack debate, Obama lies

Obama fact checked in print in NC, October 18, 2012, Rhino Times, John Hammer prints truth about Obama, Economy Obamacare Libya attack debate, Obama lies

“if they want to build [coal plants], they can, but it will bankrupt them”…Barack Obama

“We tried our plan—and it worked. That’s the difference. That’s the choice in this election. That’s why I’m running for a second term.”…Barack Obama

“The function of the press is very high. It is almost Holy.
It ought to serve as a forum for the people, through which
the people may know freely what is going on. To misstate or
suppress the news is a breach of trust.”
…. Louis D. Brandeis

From John Hammer of the Rhino Times, in Greensboro, NC October 18, 2012.

“Another debate and another pounding of the economic policies of President Barack Hussein Obama by Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

Obama has a difficult task running for reelection with the economy in its current shape. Romney is relentless in pointing out that the economy grew slower this year than last year and grew slower last year than the year before, and that 23 million Americans are unemployed. When Romney says the real unemployment rate is 10.7 percent Obama doesn’t argue. When Romney says that Obama has piled up budget deficits of over $1 trillion year after year, Obama doesn’t argue.

Obama does say that his policies are going to work, but it’s hard to sell the idea that policies that haven’t worked for four years are suddenly going to start working in the fifth year or maybe the sixth year or the seventh year.

Romney talks a lot about Obamacare, but Obama doesn’t. He talks about bringing health care to every American, but he doesn’t dwell on Obamacare because polls show that most Americans are against it. It’s his signature piece but he has all but given up selling it to the American people.

When it comes to the contraception aspect of Obamacare, Obama is extremely misleading. Nobody is talking about not providing contraception services. The question is, who pays. According to Obamacare it has to be a free service. Why? Why is that free? Most medical care is not free even if you have insurance. What’s more, Obamacare will force the Catholic Church and other religious organizations to provide abortion services that they believe are morally wrong.

If Obamacare is not changed by the courts or by Congress, it is likely that Catholic hospitals, clinics, social service providers, universities, schools and other outreach programs will close. Perhaps Obama has been listening to his Catholic Vice President Joe Biden and not the Catholic bishops. But he might want to pay attention because if Catholic hospitals close in the major cities, there is going to be a health care disaster, and the Catholic bishops have made it abundantly clear that they are going to have no part in providing abortions.

Biden was entirely wrong in his answer about the situation with Obamacare and the Catholic Church, but then Biden has been told by at least one bishop that he is not a Catholic in good standing and should not participate in the sacraments.

, , ,

There are only two possibilities I can think of when it comes to the response by President Obama to the planned and well-executed terrorist attack on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya.

One is that when an American ambassador was killed in the line of duty for the first time since 1979, during the Carter administration, President Obama decided that in the midst of a presidential election he could not afford to admit that he had refused to give an American ambassador in one of the most dangerous places on earth adequate protection. So he lied to the American people about what happened and hoped that the truth wouldn’t come out until after Nov. 6.

The other is that the Obama administration is so incompetent that it borders on criminal. For two weeks the Obama administration – through its press secretary, Jay Carney, and the US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice – claimed that the attack was the result of a spontaneous demonstration over a video some nutcase in California made.

But the night of Sept. 11, when the attack was underway, Obama should have immediately known that an American embassy compound where the American ambassador was in residence was under attack by well-organized and well-armed terrorists. We have one of the most sophisticated communications systems in the world. If the president isn’t informed about a terrorist attack on a US embassy compound immediately, then what is the system used for? To make sure Obama doesn’t miss any basketball scores? When high-level State Department officials are being killed that is an emergency.

The State Department knew. The intelligence community knew. Obama made a big deal about watching the attack on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan live in the White House. It wasn’t exactly true that they were watching it live, but they were watching the video the night that it happened.

The American embassy compound in Benghazi had surveillance cameras. The Rhino Times office also has surveillance cameras. You can watch The Rhino Times surveillance cameras real time from a computer, tablet or smart phone anywhere you can hook up to the internet. I cannot believe that the surveillance cameras at the American compound in Benghazi were not hooked up to some communication device so that they could be watched by people in the State Department and intelligence community.

Even without the surveillance cameras, the US had competent people on the ground who, once they got away from immediate danger, reported to their superiors. In fact, according to the State Department timeline, a call about the attack went out immediately with frequent updates. The State Department knew as soon as the men in the compound knew that they were under attack by an organized force.

Vice President Biden says that he didn’t know, and that is entirely possible. Why would anyone bother to tell the vice president, even if he were a competent, honest, intelligent human being? The vice president isn’t going to be making any decisions. He is completely out of the loop as long as the president is alive. Biden may still believe that the attack was the result of a spontaneous demonstration or he may believe that it took place in the last century where he evidently spends a lot of his time.

But President Obama knew or should have known within minutes exactly what was happening in Benghazi. He should have received the reports from those on the ground and he should have been watching the action on the surveillance cameras. But the reports from those in the compound who escaped only to be attacked at the so-called safe house about a mile away should have been more than enough proof that this was a highly organized, well-planned attack.

So in this next debate Obama needs to explain to the American people what happened. Was there such a tremendous communications breakdown that he didn’t get word from Libya about what happened for two weeks? Did the State Department put the Benghazi terrorist attack report on a sailing ship to send it to the White House? How on earth could a report and surveillance video take two weeks to get to the White House?

Obama needs to explain. If the first day the White House had gotten the story wrong that could be attributed to an honest mistake, but in today’s world to claim that the White House didn’t get information from its embassy for two weeks is simply a lie or evidence of overwhelming incompetence.

, , ,

Liberals love this, and the moderator for the presidential debate, Candy Crawley, is certainly a card-carrying liberal, which is why she re-asked the incredibly stupid question about making AK-47s illegal in the United States. Romney answered the question correctly by saying that fully automatic weapons are already illegal in the US. They have been since 1934. It is possible to get a license to have one, but it is not easy or cheap.

One of the so-called fact checkers said Romney was wrong when he said that fully automatic weapons were illegal. Technically Romney was wrong. Most people would tell you that it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon without the proper permit, but the fact checkers evidently would tell you that is wrong because you can carry a concealed weapon on your own property without a permit. Technically there was no Vietnam War, but that is simply not how we speak. Technically only a couple of hundred people get to vote for president, but candidates and pundits talk about voters in the presidential race all the time. Nobody says “people who vote for electors committed to one candidate,” we call them voters.

However, what the question was about were “assault weapons,” which is a term invented during the Clinton administration. The AK-47 is not an assault weapon; it is an assault rifle because it is fully automatic and for all practical purposes illegal. The assault weapons ban was not about banning a particular kind of rifle but banning rifles because of the way they looked. Rifles that operate identically could be legal or illegal based on how they looked. One that looked like a hunting rifle would be legal and one that looked like an assault rifle would be illegal.

It was a law that simply made people who want all guns to be illegal happy, but didn’t really do anything. Now many hunters are using what are technically assault weapons for hunting. They are lightweight, accurate and make good hunting rifles. And it is true that they are used to kill people. But knives are also frequently used to kill people and there was no question for the candidates about making knives illegal.

, , ,

President Harry S. Truman, a Democrat who won the respect of both parties and whom history has smiled upon, had a plaque on his desk that read, “The Buck Stops here!”

President Obama, a Democrat who has not won the respect of Republicans and is losing the respect of many Democrats and whose place in history is unknown, has no such plaque, and up until Tuesday night did not follow the philosophy expressed on the plaque.

We know this because Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was sent out to take the fall for Benghazi. The buck stopped with the secretary of state, not the president. You have to wonder what Truman would say about such cowardice by an American president.

Obama takes full credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden although he was over 7,000 miles away. That was Obama who took Bin Laden out, not the Navy Seals who were onsite risking their lives and doing the shooting. But when an American ambassador gets killed in the line of duty for the first time since 1979, it was not Obama’s fault, but the fault of the secretary of state.

During the second presidential debate on Tuesday night, the story changed again. Evidently having Hillary Rodham Clinton take the fall for the terrorist attack in Benghazi was not working with the American people. So during the Tuesday night debate Wendy Crawley threw Obama a softball so he could take full responsibility for the failure.

The attack was on Sept. 11, and on Oct. 16 the president finally takes full responsibility. It does make you wonder how many months it would have taken for Obama to take full responsibility if it wasn’t an election year.

, , ,

The more we learn about Obama the more questions arise. According to his own personal history Barry Obama quit being Barry and became Barack when he was at Occidental College in Los Angeles. By the time he went to Columbia University he was going by Barack exclusively, even to the point, according to his sister, of trying to get his family to call him Barack. But Martha Raddatz reportedly invited Barry Obama to her wedding. So if everyone called him Barack and had no reason to even know that he was called Barry as a kid, why was Barry invited to the wedding.

Or did really close friends at Harvard call him Barry? We’ll never know.

, , ,

They call it the Stupid Party for a reason, and unfortunately the reason hasn’t gone away. Four years ago the moderator of the vice presidential debate, Gwen Ifill, had written a book about Obama. If he were elected her book would make money, if he lost then the book would go in the remainder bin. She had a lot of money riding on the outcome of the debate and the election.

But then the Republicans allow that snafu to be topped. Barry Obama went to Martha Raddatz’s wedding and she was invited to the Obamas’ wedding but didn’t attend. However, her husband (now her ex) did. Do the Republicans vet these people at all? Do they have a list of Obama’s immediate family and if the person is not on that list, not named George Obama for instance, then they are eligible?

Then when you think it can’t get any worse they come up with this woman for the second town hall meeting, Candy Crawley, who gave Obama 9 percent more time than Romney and was much harder on Romney than on Obama. She also selected the questions, which were Obama-friendly, and asked her own follow-up questions, which she was not supposed to do according to the agreement signed by both campaigns.

This just in for the next and final debate, Obama’s campaign Communications Director David Axelrod is unexpectedly unavailable to moderate the debate so the Commission on Presidential Debates has asked Michelle Obama if she will step in. The Commission on Presidential Debates has noted that Mrs. Obama is a Harvard Law graduate like president Obama but did not attend Harvard Law School at the same time as President Obama, so they do not think she will have a conflict of interest based on their law school years.

The Republican Party has reportedly agreed to accept Michelle Obama as a fair and impartial moderator but has insisted that her daughters not be allowed to sit with her while she moderates the debate.

Who are these people on the Commission on Presidential Debates? Do they pick moderators from a list submitted by the Obama campaign? It’s like having the Ram’s Club pick the referees for the Duke-Carolina game. The Republicans have four years to get their act together but they had better get some conservative Republicans appointed to the Commission on Presidential Debates.”

http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/Articles-Columns-c-2012-10-18-213522.112113-Under-The-Hammer.html

 

Michelle Obama UNCG speech August 1, 2012, Obama lies, Job lies, Tax lies, College tuition lies, Health care lies, Student loans and records hidden

Michelle Obama UNCG speech August 1, 2012, Obama lies, Job lies, Tax lies, College tuition lies, Health care lies, Student loans and records hidden

“The United States economy has lost more jobs than it has added since the recovery began over a year ago.”…NY Times Sept. 20, 2010.

“Guilford (Large NC County) appears on it’s way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits. Economists say that likely hasn’t happened since the Great Depression.”…Greensboro News Record December 2, 2011

“Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.”…Barack Obama

I do not usually write about Michelle Obama. However, yesterday at UNCG, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, in Guilford County, Michelle Obama continued the tradition of Obama family lies in a political speech.

From the Greensboro News Record August 2, 2012.

“First lady talks up president’s successes in Greensboro”

“Michelle Obama on Wednesday ticked off President Barack Obama’s accomplishments during his nearly four years in office: passage of health care reform; more financial aid for needy college students; ending the Iraq War; and killing Osama bin Laden.

But Obama told the 2,400 spectators inside UNCG’s Fleming Gymnasium that the president needs their help to finish what he started, and she encouraged them to get other people involved when they campaign and go to the polls.

“We cannot turn back now,” she said. “We’ve got to keep moving forward.”

Obama’s visit comes just two weeks after Ann Romney, the wife of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, visited Greensboro.

This is the first lady’s second stop here in recent months. She gave the commencement address at N.C. A&T in May.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state for 2012; President Obama narrowly won the state in 2008.

Obama attended a fundraising event in Raleigh after her appearance in Greensboro. She will return to North Carolina in September for the Democratic National Convention, which will be held in Charlotte.

The first lady touted her husband’s values and drew on their own working-class roots to relate to the audience.

Neither of her parents had a college degree, she said, but they saved and sacrificed so that she and her brother could attend college.

“Education was everything in our family. It was everything,” she said. “It was our ticket to the middle class. It was our pathway to the American dream.”

Obama said her family is a testimony to the “basic American promise” of a better life, no matter who you are or how you started out in life.

“Your president, my husband, understands that promise because that’s the story of his life as well,” she said, noting the president was raised by a single mother who put herself through school.

“Barack knows the American dream because he’s lived it,” she said. “And he believes that when you work hard and you’ve done well and you’ve walked through the doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you,” the first lady said to thunderous applause.”

“Cam Choiniere of Winston-Salem said the first lady came across as dynamic, warm, genuine and personable. “I just truly believe her and think that their (the Obamas) values and motives are so spot on,” she said.”

http://www.news-record.com/content/2012/07/29/article/tickets_for_michelle_obama_popular

If Michelle Obama had really spoken of Barack’s successes, it would have been the shortest speech ever.

From the transcript provided by the News Record.

“It means all of our kids should be able to go to college without a mountain of debt.”

“So, trust me, Barack Obama knows what it means when a family struggles.”

“This election is a choice about our economy. It’s about building a strong and growing middle class. So I want you to remind folks that Barack has cut taxes for working families by $3,600. Cut them. (Applause.) And also people need to understand he has cut taxes for small businesses 18 times. That’s what he’s done. (Applause.) Because Barack understands that rebuilding our economy starts with the restaurants and the stores and the startups that create two-thirds of all new jobs in this economy. “

“This election is a choice about the health of our families. And listen to this — the fact is that over the past century — okay? — 100 years, so many of our Presidents have tried and failed to meet the challenge of health reform. But your President was determined. (Applause.) See, but Barack was driven by the stories of the people he met — the grandparents who couldn’t afford their medications; the families going broke because a child got sick; the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company wouldn’t cover her care. And that is what kept him going day after day. That’s why he fought so hard for this historic reform.”

“Because of this reform, our children can stay on our insurance until they’re 26 years old. (Applause.) So they don’t have to lose their health care when they graduate and they’re out there looking for a job, trying to build their lives.”

“This election, it’s a choice about whether our kids can attend college without a mountain of debt. Now, believe it or not, back when Barack and I were first starting out, and we were building our lives together, and we were so in love — (laughter) — we still are — (laughter and applause) — but our combined student loan bill each month was actually higher than our mortgage. Now, I know there are people out there who can relate to that. So, believe me, when it comes to student debt, Barack and I, we’ve been there. And that is why Barack doubled funding for Pell Grants and fought so hard to stop student loan interest rates from increasing. (Applause.) Because he knows how important it is for all of our young people to get the education they need for the jobs they deserve. “

“I want you to tell them how many jobs he created. Tell them how much money he’s put back in the pockets of American people. You can tell them that more of our kids can afford college;”

http://www.news-record.com/content/2012/08/01/article/first_lady_michelle_obamas_written_remarks

If you listened to this horse crap, these political platitudes, or as we refer to them in NC, lies, I urge you to read and yes research what is presented here. The audacity of the Obamas has no bounds. To present those lies in Guilford County, with an unemployment rate over 10 percent!

First, the latest unemployment data from NC.

From Citizen Wells July 27, 2012.

“Unemployment Rates Increase in 84 Counties in June”

“North Carolina’s statewide unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) was 9.9 percent in June. This was a 0.4 of a percentage-point increase from May’s revised rate of 9.5 percent, and a 1.0 percentage-point decrease over the year.

Over the month, the unemployment rate increased in 84 counties, decreased in 11 and remained the same in five. Thirty-nine counties had unemployment rates at or below the state’s 9.9 percent rate.”

“Guilford County, containing both Greensboro and High Point had an increase from 9.6 to 10.3 percent.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/nc-unemployment-rate-9-9-percent-june-data-unemployment-rates-rose-in-84-of-100-counties-mecklenburg-home-of-democrat-convention-rises-3-percent-to-9-9/

Obama and the Democrats have been trying to do away with the Bush tax cuts. Also part of the deception from Obama, et al is taxing the “rich.” When companies are taxed more this is passed along to consumers. And perhaps the biggest impact comes from the “hidden taxes” in cost of goods as a result of high gas prices.

Gas prices have doubled under the Obama Administration and have impacted the price of nearly all consumer goods, especially food.

In 2009 when Obama took office, gasoline averaged around $ 1.85 a gallon. Here is a chart of gasoline prices for the last 3 years.

Michelle should have felt quite at home at UNCG. They have a similar mindset when it comes to spending other peoples money.

From Citizen Wells November 16, 2011.

“Tuition would rise 10 percent for UNCG students next year according to a proposal the university’s tuition and fee committee presented Tuesday night to the Student Government Association.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/uncg-10-percent-tuition-fee-hike-proposal-660-increase-in-state-university-of-nc-at-greensboro-spending-like-drunken-sailors-out-of-control-expansion/

From Citizen Wells February 12, 2012.

“Amid chants of protest from about 100 students, the UNC Board of Governors this morning approved President Tom Ross’ proposal for tuition and
fee hikes over the next two years.

Ross’ plan would raise tuition by an average of 8.8 percent across the system and keeps increases below 10 percent on every campus.”

“Today’s vote caps months of intense debate over tuition, which the system has used in recent years to help make up for legislative cuts to its budget. The
hikes have forced more students to take on extra jobs to pay for school, or drop out altogether.”

“The state mandates that at least 25 percent of the money from the tuition dollars go toward financial aid for needy students. Some board members recently have spoken out about that requirement, saying it essentially calls for students, who themselves may be struggling, to subsidize the education of other students.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/unc-tuition-hikes-university-of-nc-system-raises-tuition-costs-in-dismal-economy-working-students-and-families-pay-others-tuition-income-redistribution-unc-tuition-hikes-university-of-nc-system/

I have met and talked with many college students. Recently a UNCG student, who is struggling to support his family and attend school, confided in me that the recent tuition and health care increases (mandatory health care insurance almost doubled) could force him to leave school.

From Citizen Wells May 2, 2012.

“The UNC system began requiring students to be covered by health insurance in the fall of 2010. Students must either prove that they have their own insurance or buy a plan offered by the UNC system. Before that, 11 campuses required insurance; rates and coverage varied significantly among the schools.

On top of rising tuition and fees, those UNC system students who buy the university-sponsored health insurance plan will face steep premium increases in the next academic year.

The cost of health insurance will climb from a range of $61 to $77 monthly to a range of $118 to $133 monthly, according to a memo sent from UNC President Tom Ross to the UNC Board of Governors. On an annual basis, most students will pay about $500 to $700 more in 2012-13, depending on the campus.”

“Mallette said the insurance increases are due to the health care usage of UNC system students during the past couple of years, plus federal regulations on preventive care and pharmacy services issued in March. The process is complicated, he said, by the new provisions of the Affordable Care Act.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/obama-lies-work-on-unc-students-unc-student-health-care-increase-tuition-increase-high-unemployment-obama-uses-orwellian-language-to-sway-students-occupy-white-house/

Michelle and Barack Obama keep talking about their student loans. How do we know this is true? None have been reported on tax returns. And Obama has used many private and US Justice Dept. attorneys, at taxpayer expense, to keep all of his college records hidden.

From ABC News April 25, 2012.

“President Obama told students at the University of North Carolina Tuesday that he knows what it is like to struggle with student loan debt because he and his wife didn’t pay off their student loans until eight years ago.

That may be true, but a quick look at the Obamas’ tax returns shows they were making enough to be considered “wealthy” by the president’s own definition in
the years before his loans were paid off.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/behind-obamas-definition-of-wealth-and-paying-off-student-loans-2/

Obama lies, Glenn Beck reviews three plus years of Obama lies, Obamacare biggest lie? and tax, Taxes of Christmas future most frightening

Obama lies, Glenn Beck reviews three plus years of Obama lies, Obamacare biggest lie? and tax, Taxes of Christmas future most frightening

“Nobody who makes under $200,000 a year will see their taxes go up as long as I’m president.”…Barack Obama

“I absolutely reject that notion [mandate is a tax].”…Barack Obama

“But, the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and of more basic issues such as political and economic justice in society. To that extent, as radical as I think people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution, at least as it’s been interpreted, and the Warren Court interpreted in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can’t do to you. Says what the federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf.”…2001 Obama interview on Chicago public radio .

From The Blaze June 29, 2012.

“BECK REVIEWS OBAMA’S THREE-PLUS ‘YEARS OF LIES’”

“On his Friday morning radio broadcast, troubled by the recent Supreme Court ruling to uphold Obamacare, Glenn Beck reviewed the president’s three-and-half “years of lies,” beginning with his failed vow to close Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Obama promised the American people he would rid the halls of Washington of lobbyists, yet appointed several to high-ranking positions within his own administration, he also promised to half the deficit in his first term — another declaration that went unfulfilled.

“This is not about bashing Obama, but about presenting facts to the American people,” Beck stated plainly.

Of course the most egregious instance of a broken promise came when Obama promised he would not raise taxes on the middle class, yet his Obamacare “mandate,“ now ruled a ”tax” by the highest court in the land, results in the the most “massive tax increase in U.S. history” and directly affects the middle class.

“The IRS is now the most powerful arm of the federal government,” Beck said.”

Watch Glenn Beck here:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/beck-reviews-obamas-three-plus-years-of-lies/

Glenn Beck has presented the frightening spectre of Christmas past created by Obama. But as in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”  it is the Ghost of Christmas Future that frightens me. The impact of Obamacare on our health care system and the combined impact of Obamacare and record deficit spending on our economy. The taxes of Christmas future to pay for Obama’s actions.

However, the weakening of the US Constitution by Obama, et al may be what frightens me most.

Truth Team real unemployment rate, NC jobs data, Stephanie Cutter, Truth about employment in US and North Carolina, Obama lies

Truth Team real unemployment rate, NC jobs data, Stephanie Cutter, Truth about employment in US and North Carolina, Obama lies

“Guilford (Large NC County) appears on it’s way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits. Economists say that likely hasn’t happened since the Great Depression.”…Greensboro News Record December 2, 2011

“”You’re a traitor!” yelled the boy. “You’re a thought criminal!””…George Orwell, “1984″

“And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed
–if all records told the same tale–then the lie passed into
history and became truth. “Who controls the past,” ran the
Party slogan, “controls the future: who controls the present
controls the past.”…George Orwell, “1984″

To:

Stephanie Cutter, Truth Team, et al.

First of all, I would like to thank you for your concerns about the truth about Obama statements and performance. I share those concerns and am happy to share facts with you. The truth.

Since the Democrat Party will be holding the 2012 convention in Charlotte, NC, I am certain that the Truth Team will want the correct figures for North Carolina employment.

Recently Citizen Wells has reported on unemployment in NC.

From Citizen Wells December 4, 2012.

“Jobless figures worst in 80 years”

“data released Thursday by the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina show that Guilford appears on it’s way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits.

Economists say that likely hasn’t happened since the Great Depression.

“I suspect we would have to go back to the 1930′s (to find that),” said Don Jud, professor emeritus at UNCG’s Bryan School of Business and Economics.””

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/nc-unemployment-worst-since-great-depression-uncg-and-government-spending-spree-other-peoples-money-obama-supporters-predictable/

From Citizen Wells February 11, 2012.

“While the job market showed signs of growth last year, both Guilford and the state ended 2011 with more people unemployed than was the case the previous
December.

In Guilford , nearly 24,500 didn’t have jobs; statewide, the number surpassed 446,000.

And both the county and the state ended the year with jobless rates of 9.9 percent. That’s equal to or higher than the rates a year earlier.”

“At the current rate of growth–adding 8,300 annually–it will take 3.5 years–or until 2016–to regain the positions lost during and after the Great recession.

“Looking ahead, Quinterno said he expects more of the same this year.

“Absent robust job growth, joblessness and associated hardships will remain widespread,” he wrote. “2012 could well be the fifth consecutive year of negative or minimal job growth in North Carolina.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/nc-job-growth-dismal-greensboro-news-record-february-11-2012-guilford-county-and-north-carolina-9-9-percent-unemployent-446000-jobless-statewide/

From South by North Strategies, LTD February 10, 2012.

“No Rebound For NC Job Market In 2011″
“North Carolina’s labor market experienced minimal payroll employment growth during 2011. Between December 2010 and December 2011, the state gained 19,600 more payroll jobs than it lost (+0.5 percent). Though the private sector netted 29,400 positions, a net drop of 9,800 government jobs erased one-third of the private-sector gain. With such weak growth, little progress was made against unemployment. Both the number of unemployed individuals and the share of the labor force that was unemployed rose in 2011. And, 2011 marked the fourth consecutive year of negative (2008 and 2009) or minimal (2010 and 2011) job growth in North Carolina.”

“Large Job Gap Remains

The weak job growth recorded during 2011 did little to replace the jobs lost earlier in the business cycle. Since the onset of the “Great Recession,” North Carolina has lost, on net, 295,300 positions, or 7.1 percent of its payroll employment base. The maximum job loss recorded during the business cycle occurred in February 2010, when the state had 323,000 fewer jobs (-7.7 percent) than it did 26 months before. Since that time, North Carolina has netted 27,700 positions (+0.7 percent), for an average monthly gain of nearly 1,300 jobs. While the state’s economy added more jobs in 2011 than in 2010 (+19,600 versus +5,400), the growth was too weak to materially alter the employment situation. Even if the annual level of job growth were to triple, it still would take roughly five years to close the current jobs gap, holding all else equal.

As fig. 3 shows, the job losses recorded during the Great Recession have proven more severe than the ones experienced during the 2001 and 1990-1991 recessions. At the height of the 2001 recession, the state shed 4.5 percent of its jobs base, while the comparable drop during the 1990-1991 recession was 1.9 percent. In both of those recessions, the job gap began to steadily close after the peak job losses were realized. That has not happened during the current cycle. In fact, since December 2009, payroll employment in the state has grown by just 25,000 positions, which has succeeded in lowering the job gap by only 0.6 percentage points.”

“Remember, too, that the job shortfall currently facing North Carolina is actually larger than the one caused by the destruction of jobs during the recession. Since December 2007, the number of working-age Tar Heels has increased by 362,100 (+5.2 percent) persons. This means that payroll employment in the state should have been growing at an average monthly rate of 0.11 percent per month just to keep pace with workforce growth. If one considers the jobs that should have been created over the last four years but were not, the gap facing the state is 518,000 positions (fig. 4). To close that gap by December 2015, holding all else equal, North Carolina would need to net 14,389 jobs per month for each of the next 36 months. At no point since 1990 has North Carolina sustained such a level of growth over so long a period.”

“Joblessness Remains Widespread

Weak job growth in 2011 did little to reduce the problems of unemployment and joblessness in North Carolina. The monthly number of unemployed Tar Heels (seasonally adjusted) averaged 449,679. Furthermore, the average number of unemployed persons rose over the year. On a quarterly basis, there was an average of 16,216 more unemployed persons (+3.7 percent) during 2011.Q4 than one year earlier.

In December 2011, the statewide unemployment rate equaled 9.9 percent, compared to 9.8 percent in December 2010. Throughout 2011, the monthly unemployment rate fluctuated between 9.7 and 10.5 percent. For the year, the average monthly rate was 10 percent, which represented an improvement over the 2010 average rate of 10.5 percent.”

“More Problems Than Simple Unemployment”

“While part of that decline may be attributable to changes in the structure of the workforce (e.g., more people of retirement age), part is likely tied to the decision of frustrated job seekers to abandon their searches. This suggests that joblessness is more widespread than reflected in the official unemployment rate.

Estimates of the underemployment rate, a broader measure of labor under-utilization prepared by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicate that 17.9 percent of North Carolina’s adjusted labor force was underemployed, on average, in 2011. That measure includes not only individuals who meet the formal definition of unemployment, but also those working part-time despite preferring full-time work and those marginally attached to the workforce. Over the year, the statewide underemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points, rising to 17.9 percent from a level of 17.4 percent in 2010.

Regardless of the exact measure used, a sizable amount of labor in North Carolina is currently sitting idle. Nearly 10 of every 100 members of the state’s labor force are unemployed (seasonally adjusted), while almost 18 of every 100 are underemployed. Moreover, the share of adult North Carolinians with a job has fallen sharply since late 2007. In December 2011, only 55.6 percent of working-age North Carolinians (seasonally adjusted) had jobs, a level no different from the one posted one year prior. This rate actually fell to a low of 55.3 percent near the end of 2011.Q3. At no other time since 1976 has the employment-to-population been as low as it has been in recent months (fig. 7). The current ratio also is well below the historical average rate of 63.6 recorded between January 1976 and December 2007.”

“Perhaps the most troubling indicator of the economic hardships facing North Carolina’s households is the surge in the size of the state’s Food Stamp caseload. Between December 2010 and October 2011, the most recent month with data, the number of Tar Heels participating in the program grew by 7 percent, or 108,073 persons.”

“If recent trends hold, North Carolina’s labor market will not grow robustly in 2012. Even if job growth in the private sector accelerates, it is unlikely to pick up enough to put much of a dent in the problems of unemployment and underemployment. Economic hardships therefore should remain pronounced across much of the state. For the long-term unemployed in particular, their odds of returning will continue to fall, yet the tattered state of the nation’s safety net means that little help will be available for such individuals and their families.

Absent significant changes in economic conditions and public policies, weak job growth, high levels of joblessness, and pervasive economic hardships appear to be in store for North Carolina, with 2012 apt to mark the fifth consecutive year of negative or minimal job growth.”

http://www.sbnstrategies.com/archives/9798

Stephanie Cutter, Truth Team, et al, I have a strong background in Math, Computer Science and business, and as Donald Trump said, I went to some really good schools. So, if you have any difficulty with any of the facts presented here, or as we refer to it in NC, Truth, just let me know. I am at your service.

Unemployment rate lies exagerations, Obama lies, 315000 Americans left the labor force, Worst jobless figures since Great Depression in NC

Unemployment rate lies exagerations, Obama lies, 315000 Americans left the labor force, Worst jobless figures since Great Depression in NC

“Guilford (Large NC County) appears on it’s way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits. Economists say that likely hasn’t happened since the Great Depression.”…Greensboro News Record December 2, 2011

“the Times of the nineteenth of December had published the official forecasts of the output of various classes of consumption goods in the fourth quarter of 1983, which was also the sixth quarter of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. Today’s issue contained a statement of the actual output, from which it appeared that the forecasts were in every instance grossly wrong. Winston’s job was to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.”…George Orwell, “1984″

From Gallup November 17, 2011.

“U.S. Unemployment Ticks Up in Mid-November

Underemployment is at 18.2%, with 9.7% working part time but seeking full-time jobs
by Dennis Jacobe, Chief EconomistPRINCETON, NJ — Unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, is 8.5% in mid-November — up from 8.3% in mid-October, but down significantly from 9.2% in mid-November 2010. Gallup’s mid-month unemployment measure suggests the government is likely to report no change in its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November 2011.
An additional 9.7% of U.S. employees work part time but want full-time work, up from 9.2% in mid-October. The current reading is significantly higher than the 8.5% of mid-November 2010.
Underemployment, a measure that combines the percentage of workers who are unemployed with the percentage working part time but wanting full-time work, is 18.2% — up from 17.5% a month ago. Underemployment stood at 17.7% in mid-November 2010.
Implications

Gallup’s analysis suggests that the deterioration in November unemployment is essentially the result of seasonal factors. In turn, this implies the government is likely to report on the first Friday in December that there was no change in the U.S. unemployment rate for November.”

http://www.gallup.com/poll/150794/unemployment-ticks-mid-november.aspx

From the US Labor Department December 2, 2011.

“The unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 8.6 percent in November, and nonfarm payroll employment rose by 120,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment continued to trend up in retail trade, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and health care. Government employment continued to trend down.”

“Household Survey Data

In November, the unemployment rate declined by 0.4 percentage point to 8.6 percent. From April through October, the rate held in a narrow range from 9.0 to 9.2 percent. The number of unemployed persons, at 13.3 million, was down by 594,000 in November. The labor force, which is the sum of the unemployed and employed, was down by a little more than half that amount.”

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

From Bloomberg December 3, 2011.

“Household Survey
 
The unemployment rate, derived from a separate survey of households, was forecast to hold at 9 percent. The decrease in the jobless rate reflected a 278,000 gain in employment at the same time 315,000 Americans left the labor force.

“While the rate is certainly a very favorable rate, I would highlight that a lot of it is because people pulled out of the workforce,” Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said in a speech yesterday.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-03/payroll-gains-improve-as-u-s-unemployment-rate-drops-economy.html

From Rush Limbaugh December 2, 2011.

“Regime Manipulates Numbers to Get Unemployment Headline Under 9%”

“BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: I don’t want to be an I told you so, but I told you so, and I told you so five weeks ago.  Gallup, every week, puts out their own unemployment numbers and Gallup has been signaling that this day unemployment below 9% was coming.  They’ve been blatantly saying so, based on their own unemployment data, which is not related to the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.  It’s their own surveys; and in the last five weeks, occasionally they will say that their numbers that they come out with on a Wednesday or Thursday indicate that we’re getting very close to a Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment number of under 9%.  I said, “The regime needs this, and when we finally get to under 9%, it will be eight-point-something, but the point-what won’t matter.  The only number that’s going to matter is the eight.

“It could be 8.9; it won’t be 8.9, it will be ’8.’”  Well, it’s 8.6, but it doesn’t matter, it’s eight; and predictably, the media’s all over it, and that’s the headline.  You know, I got up this morning and I did the show prep routine and one of the first places I always go is Drudge and I saw it right there in red, and it’s 8.6, and that’s all it said, and I knew what it was. It’s Friday, and I didn’t need to know anything else.  I knew that was the unemployment number, 8.6, and that’s all anybody else is gonna hear. They’re not gonna dig deep and find out how it happened.  Some people have, some people are. There’s a slight bit of reservation in certain sectors of the Drive-By Media.  But most of the Drive-By Media is doing hosannas and hallelujah and merry…

Well, Happy Holidays. They don’t do Merry Christmas in the media.  But we’re back, it’s done, they got the headline: “Unemployment, 8.6%!” Now, the truth of the matter is — and Bloomberg News even points out that the only way — it’s a corrupt number.  It is a corrupt number. Folks, the number of people who have quit looking for work in the last few weeks is 315,000.  Those are the people have thrown up their hands after 99 weeks or more of being unemployed; and they’ve said, “I’m quitting.  I’m not looking.”  So they’re not counted.  Therefore, the universe of jobs available in the country is down by 315,000.  That is the labor force participation rate.  The labor force participation rate is a meager 64%.  It fell to 64% from 64.2%.  So the 0.2% drop equals 315,000 people leaving the workforce.

That means there are 315,000 fewer jobs to have, so the universe of jobs has been steadily shrinking.  What was the number of jobs created?  It’s 120,000 jobs.  It’s 120, 126,000, whatever. That’s in the ballpark.  That number of jobs created can lower unemployment rate 0.4%, almost one half of a percent? Creating 120,000 new jobs can do that?  That alone tells us how small the labor force participation rate is.  That tells us how small the universe of available jobs in the country is, when creating 120,000 — and we still have, don’t forget, over 400,000 applications for unemployment compensation reported yesterday.  So just 120,000 new jobs can lower the unemployment rate almost a half a point.  That’s not possible without that 315,000 figure, the 315,000 people who have just walked away.

Bloomberg News is even reporting this means that more people left the workforce than got jobs.  Now, stop and think of this.  More people left the workforce than got jobs, and the unemployment rate goes down?  We’re dealing here with a serious form of corruption, manipulation of data; but, we all knew it was coming.  After all, we’re talking about the regime.  We knew this was coming.  We know the fact, we know the histoire, that no president’s been reelected with an unemployment rate higher than 8%.  So here we are 11 months away from the next election, voila! Heading into the Christmas, slash, holiday season, and we’re at 8.6%, the 0.6 doesn’t matter, we’re at 8%.  And the media is having orgasms out there, O-gasms.

But everybody in the country knows the economy is not growing, that new jobs are not being created a massive, robust way that signals, or feels like economic growth.  But the sad thing is that all these details that I have provided — probably, sadly — won’t even matter because the regime has gotten the headline that it wanted.  It got 8.6.  The regime got unemployment 8.6%.  That’s what they wanted; that’s what they got.  All these other details are irrelevant.  Now, this is the U3 unemployment rate.  The U6 unemployment rate counts the 315,000.  The U3 is a government marker.  U3 is what is reported.  The U6 unemployment number counts the 315,000 who have given up looking for a gig.  The U6 unemployment number is around 16, 17% — and that’s real unemployment.

The job universe from January 2009 when Obama was immaculated to the present is down about 2.5 million jobs.  There are 2.5 million fewer jobs in our country in the two and a half, almost three years now that Obama has been in orifice — and that’s the dirty little secret.  You shrink the workforce by two, 2.5 million people is the only way you can report the unemployment rate going down.  More people leave the workforce than found jobs, and the unemployment rate went down a half a point.  So again we are being massaged, we are being spun, we are being inundated with corrupt numbers, but it was all predictable, all understandable.  Again, so small has the employment universe become — so small, so many people having dropped out of the system altogether…

No longer counted, is what that means, as being unemployed. No longer counted as being alive in terms of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When you quit looking for a job, you’re only counted in that U6 number, which is not the one that’s reported.  The U3 number is.  So you drop out of the system altogether, you’re no longer counted by the Obama regime.  A mere 126,000 job increase drops unemployment rate almost one half of a percentage point.  This is nothing more than the government manipulating the real work situation that exists in the country.  It’s all calculated to create a false impression of economic recovery and a healthier job market.  It’s truly outrageous — and watch how the Obama media cronies regurgitate this propaganda for the most part.  Watch how they’ll all fall in line. You’ve probably heard it already this morning.  I have examples of it here in the sound bite roster, but I don’t… Ah, I’ll probably play a couple of them just for the fun of it.”

Read more:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2011/12/02/regime_manipulates_numbers_to_get_unemployment_headline_under_9

Obama met with Blagojevich on November 5 2008, Smoking gun?, Obama lies, Axelrod lies, Blagojevich wiretap, KHQA TV article, KHQA retraction, Obama denial, Axelrod denial

Obama met with Blagojevich on November 5 2008, Smoking gun?, Obama lies, Axelrod lies

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”…Abraham Lincoln

 

Remember the controversial meeting between Obama and Blagojevich on November 5, 2008, one day after Obama stole the general election?

From KHQA TV.

“Ill. governor meeting with Obama today

By Carol Sowers
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 at 10:39 a.m.
CHICAGO, ILL. — Now that Barack Obama will be moving to the White House, his seat in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois will have to be filled.

That’s one of Obama’s first priorities today.

He’s meeting with Governor Rod Blagojevich this afternoon in Chicago to discuss it.

Illinois law states that the governor chooses that replacement.

There’s already been speculation about his selection…from Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. of Chicago’s south side who co-chaired Obama’s presidential campaign, to recently-retired state senate president Emil Jones, to the governor himself.”

Read more:

http://www.bizzyblog.com/BlagoObamaToMeetPerKHQA110508.html

KHQA TV then retracted the story.

“KHQA TV wishes to offer clarification regarding a story that appeared last month on our website ConnectTristates.com. The story, which discussed the appointment of a replacement for President Elect Obama in the U.S. Senate, became the subject of much discussion on talk radio and on blog sites Wednesday.

The story housed in our website archive was on the morning of November 5, 2008. It suggested that a meeting was scheduled later that day between President Elect Obama and Illinois Governor Blagojevich. KHQA has no knowledge that any meeting ever took place. Governor Blagojevich did appear at a news conference in Chicago on that date.

That’s fine, except for the fact that the KHQA story in my NewsBusters/BizzyBlog post earlier today was from November 8 — three days later (link again is to a file saved at my web host, obtained from Google cache shortly before it disappeared). It (obviously) talked about the meeting in the past tense (bold is mine):”

Read more:

http://www.bizzyblog.com/

Many, many thanks to Bizzy Blog for capturing verbage and screen shots. This is an excellent example of Orwellian attempts at revisionist history.

David Axelrod confirmed that Obama met with Blagojevich.

“At a news conference today, President-elect Barack Obama said that he had no contact with disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) or anyone on the governor’s staff about potential replacements for Obama in the United States Senate. But that statement directly contradicts Obama’s top political strategist, David Axelrod, who told a local Chicago television reporter less than two weeks ago that Obama did have a conversation with Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy.

“I know [Obama has] talked to the governor, and there are a whole range of names, many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them.”"

Read more:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2008/12/09/barack-obama-met-with-illinois-governor-about-senate-successor/

David Axelrod then issues a retraction.

“The Obama press office just sent out the following statement, via email:STATEMENT FROM SENIOR ADVISOR DAVID AXELROD

I was mistaken when I told an interviewer last month that the President-elect has spoken directly to Governor Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. They did not then or at any time discuss the subject.
That should put the entire matter to rest.”

Read more:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2008/12/09/axelrod-denies-barack-obama-met-with-blagojevich/

As many of you know, I have been scrutinizing the wiretap evidence presented in the Rod Blagojevich trial. It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it. I was reading the following segment again. At first I did not notice the importance until the date November 5, 2008 jogged my memory. I reread the segment and it’s context. It appears to me that Blagojevich is referring to a meeting that will take place with Obama the afternoon of November 5, 2008.

DATE: 11/05/2008
TIME: 8:31 A.M.
ACTIVITY: Rod Blagojevich home line incoming call.
SESSION: 261
SPEAKERS:
BLAGOJEVICH: Rod Blagojevich
HARRIS: John Harris

“(PAUSE)

BLAGOJEVICH So, okay. How do we play this? We do
our thing today at 1:30, right?
HARRIS Yeah, 1:00, 1:30 whatever, ah, Lucio was
gonna check Obama’s public schedule too,
to see…
BLAGOJEVICH Well, he wants to do it at 1:30 cause
Quinn’s doing something at 2:00 o’clock.11
I don’t think it really… (UI) wants,
he wants to screw Quinn, I don’t know.
HARRIS Right, okay.
BLAGOJEVICH You think we should do something today
or no?
HARRIS Yeah, I don’t think we ought to make it
ah, that detailed. In other words, when
you talk about your search team, I think
you ought to be vague, you ought not
mention who, you just ought to say,
senior members of my staff. You know.
Ah, you ought to say that ah, you know,
again, that Barack Obama’s agenda, help,
you know, help ‘em, help president-elect
Obama. Ah, I’ve, I’ve given talking
points to Lucio to kind of word-smith
with Bob, for your consideration. I
think you ought to wrap it as much
around Obama as possible.

(PAUSE)”

http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/hot/us_v_blagojevich_exhibits/2010_06_22/transcript_11_05_2008_0831am.pdf

Balanoff and Axelrod were ruled out from information in the wiretap.

Looks damning to me.

 

Blagojevich trial, Obama and Rezko, Blagojevich defense subpoena, 2006 Chicago SunTimes article, Obama lies, Obama Rezko ties, Kenneth J Conner whistleblower lawsuit

Blagojevich trial, Obama and Rezko, Blagojevich defense subpoena

Here is a small but important exerpt from the Blagojevich defense motion to subpoena  Barack Obama for the Blagojevich trial, set to begin June 3, 2010.

“22. However, the defense has a good faith belief that Mr. Rezko, President Obama’s former friend, fund-raiser, and neighbor told the FBI and the United States Attorneys a different story about President Obama. In a recent in camera proceeding, the government tendered a three paragraph letter indicating that Rezko “has stated in interviews with the government that he engaged in election law violations by personally contributing a large sum of cash to the campaign of a public official who is not Rod Blagojevich. … Further, the public official denies being aware of cash contributions to his campaign by Rezko or others and denies having conversations with Rezko related to cash contributions. … Rezko has also stated in interviews with the government that he believed he transmitted a quid pro quo offer from a lobbyist to the public official, whereby the lobbyist would hold a fundraiser for the official in exchange for favorable official action, but that the public official rejected the offer. The public official denies any such conversation. In addition, Rezko has stated to the government that he and the public official had certain conversations about gaming legislation and administration, which the public official denies having had.”10

10 The defense has a good faith belief that this public official is Barack Obama. See, “Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake”, Dave McKinney, Chris Fusco, and Mark Brown, Chicago Sun Times, November 5, 2006. Senator Barack Obama was asked: “Did Rezko or his companies ever solicit your support on any matter involving state or federal government? Did Al Johnson, who was trying to get a casino license along with Tony Rezko, or Rezko himself ever discuss casino matters with you?” Senator Obama answered: “No, I have never been asked to do anything to advance his business interest. In 1999, when I was a State Senator, I opposed legislation to bring a casino to Rosemont and allow casino gambling at docked riverboats which news reports said Al Johnson and Tony
Rezko were interested in being part of. I never discussed a casino license with either of them. I was a vocal opponent of the legislation.” Obama’s involvement with Tony Rezko and this legislation coincides with the three paragraph summary the government has provided to the defense referenced above.”

Read more:

http://media.apps.chicagotribune.com/docs/obama-subpoena.html#document/p3/a11

The following is from a Chicago SunTimes article dated November 5, 2006. It contains the usual Obama lies and misrepresentations.

“Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake”

“U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed regret late Friday for his 2005 land purchase from now-indicted political fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko in a deal that enlarged the senator’s yard.
“I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it,” Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times in an exclusive and revealing question-and-answer exchange about the transaction.
In June 2005, Obama and Rezko purchased adjoining parcels in Kenwood. The state’s junior senator paid $1.65 million for a Georgian revival mansion, while Rezko paid $625,000 for the adjacent, undeveloped lot. Both closed on their properties on the same day.”

“The transaction occurred at a time when it was widely known Tony Rezko was under investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and as other Illinois politicians befriended by Rezko distanced themselves from him.
In the Sun-Times interview, Obama acknowledged approaching Rezko about the two properties being up for sale and that Rezko developed an immediate interest. Obama did not explain why he reached out to Rezko given the developer’s growing problems.
Last month, Rezko was indicted for his role in an alleged pay-to-play scheme designed to fatten Gov. Blagojevich’s political fund. Rezko also was accused of bilking a creditor.”

“”It was simply not good enough that I paid above the appraised value for the strip of land that he sold me. It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor,” the senator said.
The land deal came up in a court hearing Friday that delved into Rezko’s finances. Obama said he has not been approached by federal prosecutors about the transaction nor has plans to go to them about it.
Obama and Rezko have been friends since 1990, and Obama said the Wilmette businessman raised as much as $60,000 for him during his political career. After Rezko’s indictment, Obama donated $11,500 to charity–a total that represents what Rezko contributed to the senator’s federal campaign fund.
After the controversy surfaced on Wednesday, the Sun-Times presented Obama’s office with a lengthy set of questions about the land deal, Obama’s relationship with Rezko and the story’s impact on a potential 2008 bid for the White House.”

“Q: Senator, when did you first meet Tony Rezko? How did you become friends? How often would you meet with him, and when did you last speak with him?

A: I have probably had lunch with Rezko once or twice a year and our spouses may have gotten together on two to four occasions in the time that I have known him. I last spoke with Tony Rezko more than six months ago.”

“Q: Did you approach Rezko or his wife about the property, or did they approach you?
A: To the best of my recollection, I told him about the property, and he developed an interest, knowing both the location and, as I recall, the developer who had previously purchased it.”

“Q: How do you explain the fact your family purchased your home the same day as Rita Rezko bought the property adjacent to yours? Was this a coordinated purchase?

A: The sellers required the closing of both properties at the same time. As they were moving out of town, they wished to conclude the sale of both properties simultaneously. The lot was purchased first; with the purchase of the house on the adjacent lot, the closings could proceed and did, on the same day, pursuant to the condition set by the sellers.”

“Q: Why is it that you were able to buy your parcel for $300,000 less than the asking price, and Rita Rezko paid full price? Who negotiated this end of the deal? Did whoever negotiated it have any contact with Rita and Tony Rezko or their Realtor or lawyer?

A: Our agent negotiated only with the seller’s agent. As we understood it, the house had been listed for some time, for months, and our offer was one of two and, as we understood it, it was the best offer. The original listed price was too high for the market at the time, and we understood that the sellers, who were anxious to move, were prepared to sell the house for what they paid for it, which is what they did.
We were not involved in the Rezko negotiation of the price for the adjacent lot. It was our understanding that the owners had received, from another buyer, an offer for $625,000 and that therefore the Rezkos could not have offered or purchased that lot for less.”

“Q: Does it display a lack of judgment on your part to be engaging in real estate deals with Tony Rezko at a point his connections to state government had been reported to be under federal investigation?

A: I’ve always held myself to the highest ethical standards. During the ten years I have been in public office, I believe I have met those standards and I know that is what people expect of me. I have also understood the importance of appearances.
With respect to the purchase of my home, I am confident that everything was handled ethically and above board.
But I regret that while I tried to pay close attention to the specific requirements of ethical conduct, I misgauged the appearance presented by my purchase of the additional land from Mr. Rezko. It was simply not good enough that I paid above the appraised value for the strip of land that he sold me. It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor. For that reason, I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it.”

“Q: Why did you not publicly disclose the transaction after Rezko got indicted?

A: At the time, it didn’t strike me as relevant. I did however donate campaign contributions from Rezko to charity.”

“Q: Did Rezko or his companies ever solicit your support on any matter involving state or federal government? Did Al Johnson, who was trying to get a casino license along with Tony Rezko, or Rezko himself ever discuss casino matters with you?

A: No, I have never been asked to do anything to advance his business interests. In 1999, when I was a State Senator, I opposed legislation to bring a casino to Rosemont and allow casino gambling at docked riverboats which news reports said Al Johnson and Tony Rezko were interested in being part of. I never discussed a casino license with either of them. I was a vocal opponent of the legislation. (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/srollcalls91/pdf/910SB1017_05251999_001000C.PDF)”

“Q: Did Rezko ever discuss with you his dealings with Stuart Levine, Christopher Kelly or William Cellini or the role he was playing in shaping Gov. Blagojevich’s administration?

A: No.”

“Q: Did Rezko have an appraisal performed for the 10-foot strip?

A: I had an appraisal conducted by Howard B. Richter & Associates on November 21, 2005.”

“Q: Was there a negotiation? Did he have an asking price, or did he just say, whatever you think is fair?

A: I proposed to pay on the basis of proportionality. Since the strip composed one-sixth of the entire lot, I would pay one-sixth of the purchase price of the lot. I offered this to Mr. Rezko and he accepted it.”

“Q: How many fundraisers has Mr. Rezko hosted for you? Were these all in his home? How much would you estimate he has raised for your campaigns?

A: He hosted one event at his home in 2003 for my U.S. Senate campaign. He participated as a member of a host committee for several other events. My best estimate was that he raised somewhere between $50,000 and $60,000.”

Read more:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/124171,CST-NWS-obama05.article

Kenneth J Conner whistleblower lawsuit

Obama, Rezko real estate deal, rest of the story

Many have forgotten about the lawsuit initiated by Kenneth J Conner on October 16, 2008. I have not. Conner is the whistleblower who was fired from Mutual Bank for raising questions about the Rezko real estate transactions. His lawsuit is still alive. Mutual Bank has gone under but the FDIC is still listed as a defendant.

Kenneth J Conner worked for Mutual bank from August 3, 2000 until he was dismissed October 23, 2007. Conner is a graduate of Benedictine University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management degree with the honor of “Management Major of the Year” in May, 1999. Conner later earned a Master’s Degree in Finance from Benedictine University in May , 2005.

Here are some interesting exerpts.

“9.  In June, 2005, Mutual Bank President and CEO Amrish Mahajan and other Mutual Bank olfficers approved a loan to Rita Malki Rezko (Rita Rezko) which was guaranteed by Antonin Rezko so that Rita Rezko could purchase a 9,090 square foot vacant parcel of real estate at 5050 S. Greenwood Avenue, Chicago. As part of the Mutual Bank loan underwriting process, Mutual Bank obtained a real estate appraisal from Adams Valuation Corporation (Adams Appraisal) which purported to provide an opinion of value of the subject 5050 S. Greenwood real estate (the collateral for the Rezko loan) at $ 68.76 per square foot. A copy of the Adams Appraisal is attached as Exhibit C. In June, 2005, Rita Rezko closed on the purchase of the 5050 S. Greenwood property at a purchase price of $ 625,000.00 along with the loan from Mutual Bank in the amount of $ 500,000.00 with Mutual bank obtaining a first mortgage lien position on the Greenwood vacant parcel.”

“10.  On or about January 4, 2006, Rita Rezko entered into an agreement with Senator Barack and Michelle Obama (Obamas) to sell a ten-foot strip of the 5050 S. Greenwood property to the Obamas. A copy of the Obama/Rita Rezko contract is attached as Exhibit D. As a result of that transaction, the Rezkos requested that Mutual Bank release it’s first collateral position to the ten-foot strip parcel transferred to the Obamas. In that same general time frame, Richard Barth, Mutual Bank Senior VP of construction lending and James Murphy, Mutual Bank Senior VP Internal Auditor/Risk Manager, requested that Conner perform an appraisal review of the Adams Appraisal attached hereto as Exhibit C.”

“11.  In late 2005 or early 2006, Conner performed an appraisal review of the Adams Appraisal (Exhibit C) per the directive of Richard Barth and James Murphy. Conner prepared a written Appraisal Review report (ARR) opining that the Adams Appraisal overvalued the Greenwood lot by a minimum of $ 125,000.00 and that a reasonable and fair valuation for Mutual Banks’s underwriting purposes should be no greater than $ 500,000.00 for the entire 5050 S. Greenwood parcel as originally purchased by Rita Rezko. In that same general time frame an appraisal was performed for the 5050 S. Greenwood property by Howard B. Richter, MAI which valued the 5050 S. Greenwood property at $ 54.00 per square foot but then discounted the ten-foot strip being transferred by Rita Rezko to the Obamas by fifty percent, as the ten-foot strip was unbuildable standing alone…The valuation by the Richter Appraisal for the 5050 S. Greenwood lot was substantially to Conner’s ARR valuation.”

“12.  Conner notified Richard Barth and James Murphy orally of his ARR findings and Conner’s ARR was filed in the “Rezko 5050 Greenwood” loan file at Mutual Bank.”

“13.  In addition to Conner’s ARR stating that the Adams Appraisal overvalued the 5050 S. Greenwood property, Conner had reported on other occasions that Adams Valuation Corporation had overvalued real estate subject to Mutual Bank loan underwriting valuation.”

“14.  On or about October 19, 2006, Mutual Bank received a Grand Jury Subpoena (GJS) requiring Mutual Bank to produce the Rezko 5050 Greenwood loan file, as well as a Rita Rezko Riverside District Development LLC checking account and loan file. Electronic mail (email) communications about the subpoena were circulated to Mutual Bank officers and attorneys, including Amrish Mahajan, James Murphy and Conner. A copy of an October 19, 2006 email string pertaining to the Rezko GJS is attached as Exhibit F. On information and belief, Conner’s ARR was removed from the Rezko 5050 Greenwood loan file prior to the submission of that file pursuant to the GJS, and in it’s place Mutual bank submitted an appraisal checklist which was purportedly dated “06/15/05″ from Senior VP James P. Murphy (Murphy Checklist). A copy of the Murphy Checklist is attached as Exhibit G.”

“16.  In 2007, Conner observed that his ARR of the 5050 S. Greenwood property was not in the Rezko 5050 Greenwood loan file and in it’s place was the Murphy Checklist purportedly dated “06/15/2005.”…On June 18, 2007, Conner sent an email to James Murphy which provides, in part, “I spent time trying to track down work of mine that should be in a particular high profile loan file, though it is not–having been replaced by a checklist.”"

“17.  In October, 2007, Conner had various communications with Mutual Bank’s Human Resources Department representative, Lana Schlabach. In an email communication of October 15, 2007, Conner directly referenced “Resentment over my mentioned discovery of the removal/replacement of an appraisal review that I conducted. That appraisal review contained substantial observations and suggestions. The transaction and parties involved were high profile in the media.I am under the impression that the FBI has since looked at the file.”"

“18.  On October 23, 2007, eight days after Conner’s October 15, 2007 email to Schlabach attached as Exhibit J, Mutual Bank terminated Conner’s employment for pretextual reasons.”

Kenneth J Conner lawsuit:

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/mutualbanksuit.pdf

Lawsuit status:

https://w3.courtlink.lexisnexis.com/cookcounty/Finddock.asp?DocketKey=CAAI0L0ABBEHA0LD

I will not let the mainstream media ignore or downplay these stories.

I trust you will help in this endeavor.

Blagojevich trial documents, Judge Zagel, April 14, 2010, Obama lies, Documents unsealed, Chicago Tribune SunTimes request, Blagojevich Obama Rezko Levine

Blagojevich trial documents, Judge Zagel, April 14, 2010

 

***  Update below  ***

Judge James Zagel is expected to make a decision to unseal Rod Blagojevich trial documents today, Wednesday, April 14, 2010. Will Obama or his administration be mentioned?
Here is one of numerous Obama lies.

I had no contact with the Governor or his office.
Listen carefully at 3:08 into the video.

How often will the names of Tony Rezko, Stuart Levine and Barack Obama  be mentioned during the Blagojevich trial?

*** Update 2:30 ET ***

“The judge overseeing the corruption case against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich today ordered a key government document detailing the charges against the ex-governor released without sensitive portions blacked out.

The document, expected to be made public shortly, describes how Blagojevich allegedly schemed with a close group of associates to make money by leveraging the powers of his office.”

“The document has been expected to offer the most detail about the alleged schemes in the case since a guilty plea last fall by Alonzo Monk, the ex-governor’s onetime chief of staff.”

Read more:
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/04/judge-orders-full-release-of-key-document-in-blago-case.html

Paul Ryan, Health Care Bill truth, Rep Ryan exposes lies about Democrat Bill, Obama lies, Deficit impact, taxes, WI representative Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan, Health Care Bill truth, Rep Ryan exposes lies about Democrat Bill

Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin was interviewed on the Greta Show on Fox last night, March 9, 2010. Paul Ryan echoed his interview by Chris Wallace on Fox News a few days earlier. Ryan is well versed on the Democrat Health Care Bill and exposes the lies being told by Obama and many of the Democrats.

Here are the responses from Paul Ryan during the Chris Wallace interview.

Obama Rezko Blagojevich and Fitzgerald, January 27, 2008, Obama lies, Obama corruption, CNN bias, Why did Patrick Fitzgerald wait to arrest Blagojevich?, Why has Obama not been arrested?

Obama Rezko Blagojevich and Fitzgerald, January 27, 2008

Lest we forget.
This article is from January 27, 2008. Most of the corruption charges against Blagojevich, Rezko, Levine, et al were in regard to crime and corruption committed when Obama was in the IL Senate.
From Working Life, January 27, 2008.
“Obama and Rezko: CNN Omits the Nub of the Story”

“CNN’s (January 24) coverage of Sen. Barack Obama’s money ties to Illinois political fixer Antoin “Tony” Rezko failed to show the deeper relevance of the story to Obama’s political careeo r. LPAC’s own ongoing probe of the matter can begin to supply the appropriate context.
CNN showed a clip from the debate in which Sen. Hillary Clinton said to Obama, “you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Rezko, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago.”
Obama replied, “Oh, no, no, no. I’m happy to respond.” Obama said it was just legal work on a low-income housing project and Tony Rezko was just another client, and he declared, “I did about five hours worth of work on this joint project. That’s what she’s referring to.”
This has rattled many cages. The Clinton-hating website Drudgereport reacted by putting up an undated old photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton posing with Tony Rezko, without explanation, hoping this might undermine allegations regarding Obama.
In their January 24 coverage, CNN went on to show what has long been very public in the Chicago newspapers: that Rezko will soon be tried in two separate cases for extortion, money laundering and fraud; and that when Obama entered politics he got from Rezko his “first significant campaign contribution” and much more later: “tainted cash, some illegal, some just unsavory.” CNN showed buildings that Rezko had developed with public funds solicited for him by Obama, where the tenants were left heatless while Rezko’s donations continued to Obama. CNN mentioned the deal involving Rezko, in which Obama got his own expensive house, bought below the asking price; and how Obama has now donated, to charity, $86,000 of Rezko’s contributions to him.”

“But behind the story, the federal case against Rezko is based on a detailed picture of the web of influence Rezko and his cohorts exerted over state agencies managing Illinois’ financial assets. Barack Obama’s political career was spun out in tandem with this Rezko apparatus, particularly through Rezko’s partner and Obama’s former boss, Allison S. Davis.
Start with U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s December 21, 2007 proffer in the Rezko case, with its charges of extortion and kickbacks taken in 2004 from the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System: $10,000 from this crime was channeled to a “political candidate” not named by the prosecutor. The fact that Rezko was on the finance committee of Obama’s campaign for U.S. Senate, and the other facts in the case, make it clear that Barack Obama was the candidate in question.”

“Having raised half a million dollars for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Tony Rezko got the Governor to appoint Rezko’s own men to the Teachers’ Retirement System, among them Stuart Levine, now indicted. And Rezko got Allison S. Davis appointed to the Illinois State Board of Investment, in control of billions in state retirement funds. Although Davis has not been charged with wrongdoing, the feds are reportedly pressing a probe of that agency. Davis is currently the president of that State Board.

Barack Obama was a Harvard Law student in 1990 when he interviewed for a job with Tony Rezko’s slum-redevelopment firm. He didn’t go directly into the Rezko company. But in 1993 Obama was hired by Allison S. Davis, whose law firm (Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland) represented Rezko’s operations over the years, while Rezko raised cash for Obama’s electoral campaigns. Davis became Rezko’s personal financial partner in slum-redevelopment deals, which were then backed by State Senator Obama.

In one of those deals, after both Obama and Davis had left the law firm, Obama wrote letters to state and city housing officials supporting the proposed Cottage View Terrace apartments, a project run by Tony Rezko and Allison S. Davis. The deal cost taxpayers $14 million and the partners got $855,000 in fees. Completed in 2002, the project is now managed by Davis’s son Cullen Davis.”

Read more:

http://www.workinglife.org/blogs/view_post.php?content_id=7718

Why did Patrick Fitzgerald wait to arrest Blagojevich?

Why has Obama not been arrested?

This information has been available for over two years. Maybe people will pay attention now.